I've noticed that the front jacking points on my car aren't level, and wondered if they've gone up as the car has been lifted - thoughts? It all seems solid.

They are crooked because those aren't jacking points!

There is noting solid on the other side, using them as jacking points means you are deforming your floorpan.

Ok not good. Thanks. I had used a reference on the world referencing round 'donuts' that were safe to jack on - evidently not! What purpose do those areas serve ?

So where is good to Jack up the car?

jack under the engine mounting bar, or the front cross member, these are to rest jack stands with pieces of plywood to cushion the jack stand from the donut

I thought all four doughnuts were for jacking up/supporting the car. I always used a padded floor jack there and don't think i ever bent any except the rusty one under the hell hole on my car.

Cheers George. No engine mounting bar. It's a 6. I've been jacking on the rear donuts or on the trailing arm pick up points at the rear - no good?

The donuts were used to suspend the cars on the assembly line.

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Wow. Thanks. Still learning.....

And if you check the location of the donuts in the front and look at that location from above you'll find that it is only supported by the thin sheetmetal of the floor pan.
In the rear, it's only supported by the thin sheetmetal of the triangle piece in that corner.

There is nothing structural backing up any of the donuts ...

I saved this year’s back from here.Click to view attachment

Hi SirAndy, I'm sorry to say I don't agree with you for the rear donuts... Few weeks ago took of the triangle plate + donut to check for any rust and to make it straight again. The donut itself is directly under the frame member and supports it fully, see picture.
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The front I don't know yet...

You can see the point on the floor ,in front of
the engine mount where it has been dented in
from many years of being jacked up with a
floor jack with a piece of wood on it..

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Very common damage on 6s but hard to avoid as it is a very
solid point on the chassis and provides great height when jacked there.

SirAndy! MORE OF THESE FACTORY PICTURES PLEASE!

So aside from accuracy, there's no reason to replace these?

I think if it was designed to hang the whole car on, it will stand up fine to a properly placed floor jack. I don't think i would use the rear firewall area for a jack though.

If those are not where we are suppose to jack the car up from, then how are we supposed to use a quick jack? I have one specifically so I don't have to use a single side lift jack to lift the car up. So much simpler to use than jack stands and a shop jack.

@cuddy_k ?

I agree these are the jack points if they are not show something in writing from Porsche indicating the true jack points. I’ve used these since the 1980’s mine are not bent. I’m bent but they are not.

There is on mine (with some custom backing plates inside the front floor).

I thought about doing that as well. What gauge of sheet metal did you use?

I've always used the donuts...though with a quick jack the load is equally spread over the 4 of them. I suppose you could use the QJ pinch weld blocks and lift from the rockers, but you'd need to remove the rocker covers to keep them from getting bent.

Based on the responses, the fact the rear donuts / surrounding floorpan on my car look fine, and noticing from a picture I took where my garage jacked the car at the front I will jack it on the rear donut with a spreader plate and a spreader plate in the front corner behind the wheel arch:

For now I'll stick with the donuts. at most each is carrying 500 lbs.

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Here's a site that has pix & videos ... http://p914-6info.net/video_2.htm

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Donut jacking: interesting reading for me.

Early on in my build when fixing rust, dents, adding stiffening, etc. I used the rear donuts to jack the car almost all the time. I remember trying to jack it up using one of the front donuts once, and was shocked to notice the floor deforming! I quickly dropped it, "persuaded" that section of the floor back into place - this was before paint remember - and decided never to jack up the car on the front donuts ever again.

I still routinely use the rear donuts to jack the car, then use a wrapped wooden spreader along the rocker (sill) area to take the load with a jack stand. Not seen any deformation around the rear donuts thus far.

- Tony

PS. @euro911 : LOL

Jesus.....what is the best way to lift a 914 w/o doing damage? I have a mid-rise scissor lift in my garage and plan on putting the Six on it to keep it nice and clean on a regular basis. What is the best and safest way to lift it? I had always assumed using the donuts was correct. Then again it's been 30 years since I lifted a 914....

Sir Andy,

Is it possible for you to elucidate my ignorance? I've read a few threads here and am still not clear on the correct and safest method to raise the 914. I've read (not scrutinized or memorized) Dr. B. Johnson's "914 and 914-6 Porsche" (new revised edition) and the Haynes 914 manual (which only mentions the "rocker (sill) panel" (pg.8). I consulted my 914World "guru" (and won't dare embarrass him with my follies here), and bought hockey pucks to place on jackstands under the doughnuts after jacking up the forward control arm mounts (is that the correct move? - seems awfully far forward on a uni-body). I haven't dared to do any of this after reading said threads . . .bitte schön, mein Herr - your guidance and that of our friends (with a definitive "factory-like" answer) would be deeply appreciated.

Marcus

Place some 2x6 wooden blocks on top of your lift, place them directly under the back side of the front wheel wells like Biggles posted, then elevate the lift.



I also use a couple of wooden blocks that have a groove cut into them installed under the rear section of the longs. The seams on the longs rest in the grooves when the lift is elevated.

Get a bag of hockey pucks. They cost ~$10 for four. Cut a groove down the middle of each one the width of the pitch weld under the long.

OK- I have a few hockey pucks and several other lifting rubber blocks, some of which have the groves cut into them for the pinch weld. I will give all of them a look for fitment when the car is home.

Thanks, Gents!

Mark - so when jacking the front, do you lift with pucks 1 jackstand's width rearward of the front corner of the long? or do you ever jack from the forward control arm mount as some do?

Whatever works. The pucks aren’t always handy.
When I first started working at the shop, I was sent out to buy some pucks so Russo could jack up the 962. If it was good enough for that Porsche...

Thank you, Sir!