My series II dangling in the air

XJ
1

Dangling? Not yet. I have a 4 post lift, and as we all know doing suspension work is fiddley on a 4 post, the ramps are always in the way. I’m seriously needing another lift, and am considering a 2 post this time. They are about a grand cheaper, and it solves a lot of issues when its spanner time.

Here’s my question, when im not working on the car, i would use it as a storing a car and park another underneath, would it damage the shocks or mal-align the suspension for it to dangle in the air? Or should i suck it up, quit whining and get another 4 post?

Thanx in advance,
Mark

2

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It won’t harm the shocks or the alignment, Mark - but it might strain at the rear suspension rubbers, the front have bumpstops…

And while the lifts ae perfectly safe; I would not like a car suspended over another in the earthquake prone here in New Zealand…:slight_smile:

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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3

I would be more concerned about the IRS coming down and damaging the aerodynamics (or at the very least the paintwork) of the car stored underneath.

If you get a lift with wheel cradles then you can support the car by the wheels… then it will only drip on the car underneath.

4

Good point, about the IRS and the runner mounts. I should have remembered about the mounts, ok blonde moment…

Looks like 4 post it is.

Thank you

5

MLee,

The IRS falling down while the car is supported by the chassis only and not by the rear wheels/tire does happen. The IRS on one of my Series III XJ6 parts cars decided to come down all by itself while the car was supported only by jack stands on the four jack points. I have been stripping the car of parts over the past few years for the parts that I needed (including the engine to put into one of my other Series III XJ6s) for myself or to sell to others. About a month ago I went out to our horse barn where the parts car is located to harvest more parts and I noticed that the IRS was now sitting on the concrete floor and not where it was supposed to be. I planned to remove the IRS from the car in the near future, but now it appears that at least some of the work is already done for me.

Lesson learned:  Do not under any circumstances trust the rubber support mounts to hold the IRS in place if the rear wheels are not supported.   The rubber mounts can fail and the IRS can come down causing damage or serious injury to anything or anyone beneath this if it is not supported by the rear wheels/tires.   I was aware of this possibility before, but now know it can happen unexpectedly because it happened to me.   

I have one four post lift and considered getting a two post lift in my garage for the flexibility of having both kinds to work on my Jaguars.  When the time came to get a second lift I decided to get a second four post lift and I am glad that I did so, especially after the IRS separation.

Regards,

Paul M. Novak

1990 Series III V12 Vanden Plas
1990 XJ-S Classic Collection convertible
1987 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1984 XJ6 Vanden Plas
1969 E-Type FHC
1957 MK VIII Saloon
Ramona, CA
P.M.Novak7@gmail.com