So the other day I jacked up my 2016 Challenger using my floor jack to paint the brake calipers. Knowing not to fully trust a floor jack, I put a jackstand under the car. I couldn't tell where to put the jack stand, and apparently it's a tall jack stand even at it's lowest setting, so I put it under what I thought was part of the car's frame. This is in front of the driver's side rear wheel. Well, I forgot to remove the jack when I was done, so when I released the floorjack to drop down....the car came down on my jackstand. This is when I made the discovery that what I thought was the car frame was actually a plastic undercarriage cover; the jackstand pocked a hole in the plastic and two of the plastic rivet-things popped out. So now the plastic cover hangs down about an inch, and has an unwanted hole in it. It's only hanging by an inch, but I'm concerned that over time it will hang further and/or trap debris.
Anyone know about replacing this undercarriage cover? Should I bring it to the dealership, an auto body shop, or a mechanic?
Just to clarify - I'm not referring to the black plastic side moldings.
It could have been much worse if you had actually needed to rely on that jack stand to keep the car from falling on you. I'd definitely make sure you know the best location to put them next time before you decide to work on any car.
A friend of mine was working on his Camaro and after he was all done, must have gone under to do one last thing AFTER blocks had been removed. The frame fell on his head and that was that. After that, I had a lot of respect for what can happen, if a car isn't supported properly when working on it.
The good news is YOU weren't hurt, and I can't imagine that piece being that expensive/difficult to replace. I'd get a quote for the part by itself PLUS installed as well and go from there.
I would assume they would claim it to take about 45 minutes to replace, and the labor charge at dealerships is close to $100 an hour.
I have the two push pins that popped out. I figure I'd rut the two push pins (original or replacement ones) back in and figure a way to patch the 2"x3" jack stand hole in the plastic. Are the push pins one time use, or can I re-use them to re-attach?
I covered the hole made by the jackstand with gorilla tape, pushed the plastic cover back up and inserted the two pushpins. Looks like it'll do. Thanks everyone for the input. :smile:
On a similar note - where specifically should we be putting the jack stands?
If I'm understanding you correctly, you raised the car then placed a jackstand under the vehicle as a safety device in the event that the jack failed.
If this is truly the procedure you used then please -- please, understand that is not the correct way to position a car for working underneath it.
Once the vehicle is raised, place the jackstand under a secure structure in the undercarriage then slowly lower the jack until the jackstand is supporting the weight of the vehicle.
If I misunderstood you then my bad, but your post sure sounded like you missed a step. Better luck next time.
You are correct, sir - I was using the jack stand as a back-up to the hydraulic jack. I seemed to have forgotten everything I new in high school when I was always jacking up my car and switching wheels or doing something with the car safely sitting on jack stands. That was 35 years ago, but still that's no excuse. :frown:
If a busted plastic trim piece is the worst thing that happened I'd say your Guardian Angel was sending you a message. Sounds like you've heard it loud and clear, too! At least now you've got a Hell of a story to tell.
Look on the bottom of the plastic rocker moulding, just below the door hinges and you will see a cut out in the plastic. This is where the pinch weld in the frame is located. This is a good spot for jack stands (for the front). Be careful , because I have already crack a piece of plastic off, because its tight. Also if you are doing driveway maintenance, to chock your rear wheels (especially if you have a manual transmission). I have seen guys use a hydraulic jack on a slanted driveway and not have the emergency brake on, and then the car started rolling downhill and fell off the jack, causing some under carriage damage. Spend the 15 extra minutes looking for the proper jack locations. I personally have access to a 4 point lift and I am too old to be crawling under cars anymore. Good luck and keep it safe.
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