Best place for axle stands

Hi, will be getting the car up on axle stands soon and am unsure on the best place to put the stands under at the front,
been doing searches for this but there are a lot of mixed opinions so any advice on the best/strongest places to jack and
place axle stands under would be very helpful.

Cheers

I jack them up at the very front corner of the floorpan, just next to the sill there is a little circular peice of metal protruding downwards.  Jack it up there, then put the axle stand under the front wishbone mount.  Also, cut up some old rubber floor mats and sandwich them between shell and jack so you don't damage the floor with the jack.

Thanks a lot, that's what i was thinking about jacking from but with the wishbone mount, do you mean at the rear wishbone mount and directly under it or beside it?   excuse the probably silly questions.

And yeah was thinking of using some wood as that's what i've used before on the rear beam for the axle stands but a rubber mat is a much better idea, bit softer for the old girl  

What about the rear? (sorry for dumb question)  :redfaced:

ned_h said

do you mean at the rear wishbone mount and directly under it or beside it?  

No, I mean the front wishbone mount.  It's more structural than the rear wishbone mount.  So jack it up on the circular pressing just inset of the sill at the front of the floorpan, and put axle stands under the front wishbone mounts. Thats how I do it every time now

Just found this pic from an old thread;



http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=88089


On the rear, I always jack it up under the rear beam and put the stands under the beam also, but if the beam isn't fitted or needs to be removed then I would use the jack in the middle of the beam, then the stands can go under either the back of the sills where the rear most part of the floor meets it (I.e. on the sill just in front of the rear beam mounts). Or, there are little pressed sections of metal protruding downwards just inset of the rear panel on either side, welded underneath the chassis rails.  They are easy to spot as they have a circular cutout facing down.

View from underneath;



You could put the stands here or you could jack it up here. You'll find your own method Obviously make sure wherever you jack it it isn't so rusty that it's going to collapse through.


I hate supporting the shell on the sill folds but when I absolutely have to I made these little notched peices of wood to sit the fold into so that it doesn't bend.  Should support it the same way a widowmaker jack would but without damaging the metal.

Oh yeah sorry, read it wrong originally but i get you now, so about number 3 on that picture as said in that old thread?
for the rear i'll place them under the beam again as im not removing it

but yeah thanks a lot for that, i'll give that ago

From the owner's manual:



Don't support the car on the rear axle.

I personally use the piece right at the back of the chassis rails at the rear, or if it needs to go higher the place on the sill as above.

see my thread, I jacked mine up using axle stands and a wooden frame. I could turn the frame around dependant on which end of the car I wanted up in the air.