Proper way to jack up Intrigue?

I just want to jack up one wheel at a time and inspect the brake system. Any idea from the pros on what the safest way to jack up an intrigue is?

The reason i ask is because i started jacking up from one pinch weld and it seems to be bending a lot. I'd like to leave those intact for emergency purposes.

i've got a 2 ton jack from walmart and some 3 ton jack stands from harbor freight.

I'm attaching pictures of the condition of everything (labeled by filename) ...

Listen just use the jack on the center of the front subframe by the radiator, kick down the ebrake and put the stands under the front subframe/cradle of the engine right and left keep the jack there if you like also but not under load. Then do whats up front then put it down and go to the back you may need bigger jack to lift the rear from the center subframe also and put the stands close to the jack. The rockers are not friendly to jacks or stands so don't use that or on any other sheetmetal.

I hope you are not showing me where you are jacking it from in those pictures because thats wrong

I cant say I care for the jackstands on the pinch welds approach, they arent that hard to fold over...which could be just enough movement to cause some problems for you.

I usually try to put a jack somewhere on the boxed "frame" part of the car..which is much easier in the front than it is the back because it sweeps upward.

On the front I usually put the jack somewhere near where the control arm attaches to the frame and then put the jackstand in one of the holes on the subframe near the engine.

Heh, yeah those factory jack points are about as tough as an aluminum can... If I have to use them, I'll put a block of wood (with a slot cut in it, so it fits over the pinch weld) on top of the jack to distribute the weight better.

Yeah that would work, and the factory jack works well for the welds also, as thats what it was designed for. It has the small slot for them to fit into and they cant really flex much once theyre inside.

If you want to use the factory jack, an impact with the appropriate socket works well to raise and lower the car :) but I dont necessarily recommend that.

Alrighty... i think i got the front sorted out alright for jack placement

i had a spare rim and threw that under the lower control arm. (hope that's ok as backup for the jack stand)

still not sure about the rear since my jack doesn't reach too high... i'm thinking the following pic behind the rear wheel for the driver side.

Not sure what i'm going to do for the passenger side since the muffler is in the way. I guess maybe that slotted wood idea on the pinch weld might work.

btw... thanks again for all the help

No warranties:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0db35b3127ccefa49a9fbd96d00000030O08IZtXLZszag9 vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0db35b3127ccefa49b52e588600000030O08IZtXLZszag9 vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0db35b3127ccefa49a43c180400000030O08IZtXLZszag9 vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Lol. Just noticed I need a new subframe bushing.

Krivisauto: I wish the underbody of both of my Intrigues looked that good. Mine are rusty no thanks to salty wisconsin roads, I prefer areas that use sand. But then you sand blast the paint mostly on the lower doors.

Heh, yeah those factory jack points are about as tough as an aluminum can... If I have to use them, I'll put a block of wood (with a slot cut in it, so it fits over the pinch weld) on top of the jack to distribute the weight better.for the rear pinch welds i went with a variation of this using a hockey puck. Mounted the puck to some wood using two drywall screws. Then ran it through the table saw a few times making a 1/3 inch channel about half way down the hockey puck.

Seems to hold up alright for the rear pinch welds so far. (Obviously i'm using it very very briefly until i get the jack stand situated)

sparcx

You have a cracked sway bar. Circled in attachment. The stupid tube is hollow, squished at the ends and welded on the outside perimeter. Water, etc gets in around the link mounting hole where it isn't welded and rusts from the inside out.

Anyway, it will make the car drive squirrelly, lots of over steer, sensitive at high way speeds.

thanks... nice catch pfofit!

i inspected the rear sway bar last night but hadn't taken too close of a look on the front one yet. hopefully it lasts a few more weeks till i can get it taken care of.

i attached a better picture just for the heck of it.

Yup, my sway bar cracked just like that, same side even. I drove with it for quite a while before I ever noticed it, but it cant be good for your handling.

Just be careful installing that larger swaybar, you might catch the mod bug, then youll be after brakes, and who knows what else.

I drove with it for quite a while before I ever noticed it, but it cant be good for your handling.
Interesting question. Not sure it's that cut and dried.

As long as the upper section of the end remains attached to the bar and the rest of the system is intact, I think all it would introduce is a slight amount of slop and mostly noise. Think of it as a thinner end on that side with a loose, hard bushing underneath it.

You should be fine no guaranties but we drove on our 1999 with the sway bar like that for several months then it snapped and got driven on snapped for several months. It really didnt change the driveability much, if at all. I replaced it when I did the front sturts and mounts. The bolts are kind of a pain to get out especially on the drivers side my socket kept hitting the brake lines, it is sort of a tight squeeze. Not to difficult to do just make sure you get everything in straight and dont tighten until both sides have an even amount of the bar. The first time I tightened the drivers side I went to the passenger side and didnt have any bar. We just jacked up the front end and put jack stands under the front I think the engine cradle?. Oh and I decided to cut off the old sway bar links they kept spinning. Autozone and other parts stores if I remember correctly dont sell the sway bar dont quote me I had to get mine from a junk yard for $50. Looked brand new got it off an 02 with 14k miles on it. I know dealers sell them but they are very expensive.

I was always concerned about mine finishing breaking in the middle of a long hard corner or something, as I often take corners pretty hard. To me if the speed limit is 55, that means im going 55-60 on all of it, including the 35 mph rated corners haha. But anyway, I figured the sudden change in suspension geometry might be somewhat unpleasant, and replaced it before I had the chance to find out. Granted I had more money back then so I just used it as an excuse to upgrade a bunch of stuff.

The engineers placed a sway bar there for a reason, even the factory is over an inch thick, thats thicker than the one on my Cherokee, and the Intrigue has a much lower center of gravity. You might never notice it just driving around, but I think during panic maneuvers it would make itself known. I dont think you could ever roll an Intrigue unless you left the pavement, but I still think it serves a purpose.

I know for a fact that Oreillys sells the endlinks, and I think theyre around 15 dollars, sorry you had to spend 50 bucks on them! Thats insane.