Jacking points

[Royal 32]

A question for S4 and S4S owners regarding these.

 

I don't have a single jacking point under the car. I note from the history file that one was replaced in '98 by B&C. The service notes show they are held on by two rivets, probably why there are none on the car now.

 

Can any of you confirm that the points should be 'tongues' as per the pics in the manual/service notes please? I have the correct jack with the groove which fits the tongue. Even managed to find a genuine Lotus wheel spanner with name and part number on it! Thank you Lotusbits.

 

Martin.

[Winter 17]

Hi Martin

 

Yes, they are tongued.  If you are interested, I have three brand new ones in stainless plus another that is used but perfectly serviceable.

 

£25 all in i.e. including carriage.

 

If you would like them, please send a pm to [email protected] with your contact details.

 

Best wishes

[Jacques 787 1 Vehicles]

I won't interfere in this deal of course. But I would surely like to know where to get those stainless ones?

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Royal 32]

Hi Jacques,

 

In reply to your question, the gent concerned had a rusty original which he then used to have 3 copies made up. He had I think, an Esprit SE and was intending to put the tongues on his car, but never did and sold the car without them. This is where I was fortunate when asking for a set. Whoever made them up did a first class job. This seems to be the answer. They are on their way to my mechanic to be fitted. 

 

The common cause for their demise is, I have been told, clumsy garages squashing them. You can only straighten them so many times before they break. My mechanic won't be breaking any of them! He values his life.

 

Best wishes,

 

Martin.  

[Mysterae 82 1 Vehicles]

Could something be designed and fabricated so that trolley jack can be used without risk? All my jacking plates were lost years ago so I currently use a block of wood. Not ideal but does the job.

[Bibs 9,077 4 Vehicles]

You can buy flat trolley jacks...

 

[Mysterae 82 1 Vehicles]

Bibs, I have two of that very same jack, the 2.5 ton version of it, as I like to jack each side up a little at a time (the red jack in the image releases far too quickly so lost faith in it). 

 

The seat/cup of the jack isn't actually flat, it has four metal "castellations" that are higher than the rubber pad. The only disappointment with an otherwise very good trolley jack. I was thinking that the jacking plates discussed could sit on the rubber pads of the jack, effectively making them flat, know what I mean?

 

[Jacques 787 1 Vehicles]

I too have such a blue alu low  jack. But I use a large 32mm top between the Little metal lifting point and the jack. Fits like a glove and makes a nice circular hole in the rubber pad

 

I place a Wheel underneeth the car as close as possible to the Jack as well.

 

Or I Work from a mechanics grave (or whatever it's called).

 

Anyway, thanks for the description of the metal plates. I'll see if I can find someone willing to copy them in stainless. Mines are intact buta  bit rusty. And I really dislike any rust.

 

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[s4simon 152 1 Vehicles]

A Loti friend from Sydney made 4 of these up for me. Spreads the load on the trolley jack.

 

 

[Mysterae 82 1 Vehicles]

Why the slot / groove? 

[s4simon 152 1 Vehicles]

To fit the tongued jacking points, when used with the trolley jack.

[Mysterae 82 1 Vehicles]

Ah right, I've never had the jacking plates, must have fallen off a long time ago.

[Chillidoggy 3,641]

My car has no jacking plates at all, either. I'm guessing they must have fallen off, or been taken off.

 

At the moment I'm using pieces of 40x60x15 hardwood pads with a piece of rubber on them. Seems to work OK.

[s4simon 152 1 Vehicles]

Pic of my front one.

[DaveS4s 1]

I bought 4ea. used hockey pucks from Ebay, cut a slot in the center for jacking bracket and then I can use my floor jack. If you do not have the brackets on the car any more , the pucks work better than wood .

[Chillidoggy 3,641]

Good call, Dave.

 

I'd been thinking about using some kind of dense plastic material, shaping it to fit the square of each jacking point, and using Sikaflex to bond them on to they protrude enough to accept a flat jack pad underneath them

[Advantage 866]

It's worth remembering that the metal plate which forms the factory jacking point is only shaped that way so it can locate and secure the emergency jack used with the spare wheel. The strength to lift the car is within the fibreglass construction.