where to place the jack?

hey guys. i want to check on my front brakes. i have a hydraulic hand jack(the one with the lever,on 4 small wheels). where do i place it? im afraid to bend something under there. on my 4x4 it was easy...even used a piece of wood to prevent denting.but on the chevy im really afraid to mess things up.lol.
thanks a bunch!!!

found it,thanks.looked under, saw the frame. i took an old tshirt folded it several times.put it on the jack. remember to position the jack at a 90 degree angle with the car because itll want to move forward a bit when you lift it high(er).
breaks look ok.
the left front wheel moves a bit on a horizontal axis when i pull on it, nothing on the vertical.what could it be?

The play in the front wheel is a bad tie rod. whether it is the inner or the outer, you will have to look to find out.

The play in the front wheel is a bad tie rod. whether it is the inner or the outer, you will have to look to find out.

thanks for the reply. if it doesnt move much, does it mean its not serious enough to run down to the shop first thing in the morning? my work schedule is a bit crazy.ill miss work if its serious.
moving the wheel left right it moves a bit. on the street i havent noticed much or anything, the steering wheel doesnt jump around or vibrate.

a floor jack on wheels is dangerous to use if not on a surface so it can roll as you lift.if your not using it on concrete as i sometimes do .use a piece of 1/8" sheet steel at least 8" wide by 24" long and this will let the floor jack work properly. and do not under any circumstances get under the vehicle with out blocking or useing jackstands to support the vehicle.

The play in the front wheel is a bad tie rod. whether it is the inner or the outer, you will have to look to find out.

That is a common issue with these vans. I've replaced my share in both Ventures that I've owned. They tend to wear out quicker than other models, either design flaw or poor quality item :dunno:.

A little bit of play is no emergency. Just make sure you don't forget about it. If that part fails, you will have pretty much no steering which obviously can cause some major problems.

wow. i tought i was unlucky. had a 2002 before, didnt check it on that one but i remember someone telling me to look for vibrations in the steering wheel when going over holes or rough surfaces..i remmeber having way more with that one than the 98 i got now.
thanks