Will jacking the car up one side only impact alignment?

[T3rminator]

Got a weird question. When I need to do a quick job under the car, I usually jack it up one side and put it on stands. Will doing this repeatedly put the car out of wheel alignment?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Got a weird question. When I need to do a quick job under the car, I usually jack it up one side and put it on stands. Will doing this repeatedly put the car out of wheel alignment?

Couldn't imagine it would, not unless it fell off the stands ! Even then it would have to have loose ball joints and suspension components.

[Charliewool]

Not unless you open the doors

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

Not unless you open the doors

I didn't think he was working on a 2CV.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

Not unless you open the doors

you taking the mickey?

Reason I ask is that I've been doing quite a bit of repeated work recently where I've just had to jack up the one side. On occasions, I'd notice that when putting the car back down, the wheels won't be in the exact same position as before putting it up. Its not way out, but not exactly the same place.

Had a wheel alignment done the other day as the car felt twitchy. The toe out was pretty bad.

[arm79]

When the car is on the ground after being driven its what I call "settled ride height". Where the bushes have stretched into their normal position and the wheels have cambered out.

When you lift the car the bushes contract, for lack of a better word, and when you drop it back on the ground it stays in that contracted state until you roll the car back and forth a few times till it goes back to normal. It will also normally leave the car sitting higher until you roll it as well.

You might notice when you jack the car you can hear the wheels scrubbing as little as they pull back into the car as it lifts. The other most noticable is when you lift the front end and drop it back down the wheels will appear to have positive camber and the front end 20 to 30mm higher than normal.

If some of your bushes are getting into the fubar stage then yeah, it could ruin your alignment when the suspension is at full droop. Specially the rear inners when they get old.

[Jastel]

How do you guys go around corners?

Does Ford give you a magic jack that lifts the car evenly? Or a POS that can barely lift one corner at a time.

It will stress things more than a four poster hoist or a straight front or rear lift but wont break anything thats in good order.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Jastel

How do you guys go around corners?

Does Ford give you a magic jack that lifts the car evenly? Or a POS that can barely lift one corner at a time.

It will stress things more than a four poster hoist or a straight front or rear lift but wont break anything thats in good order.

What do you mean go around corners?

I never lift by a corner only, the way the car flexes makes me feel uncomfortable.

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[mad2]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

What do you mean go around corners?

I never lift by a corner only, the way the car flexes makes me feel uncomfortable.

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what Jastel means is going around corners puts stress on the cars body & mainly on front corner.

i would be more worried if i lifted one corner & opened a door .. then could not close it.

[roKWiz]

When I first bought my van it went completely out of wheel alignment after a (kangaroo) emergency stop.
After a quick look one tie rod end had pulled outward due to it the being loose on the shaft. Considered it lucky to have been on a quiet side road.
Couldn't possibly do that jacking it up.

[arm79]

Originally Posted by Jastel

How do you guys go around corners?

You turn the steering wheel and if the car is working properly it responds by going in the requested direction.

How do you do it?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by arm79

You turn the steering wheel and if the car is working properly it responds by going in the requested direction.

the most important bit.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by mad2

what Jastel means is going around corners puts stress on the cars body & mainly on front corner.

i would be more worried if i lifted one corner & opened a door .. then could not close it.

ok ok I get what Jastel is getting at now.

I'd imagine jacking one side up to jack stands height, repeatedly, would be very different to turning a corner. And the jack that Ford provides is for emergency use, wouldn't think it'd be great for the chassis to do a corner for general "service".

Originally Posted by arm79

You might notice when you jack the car you can hear the wheels scrubbing as little as they pull back into the car as it lifts. The other most noticable is when you lift the front end and drop it back down the wheels will appear to have positive camber and the front end 20 to 30mm higher than normal.

If some of your bushes are getting into the fubar stage then yeah, it could ruin your alignment when the suspension is at full droop. Specially the rear inners when they get old.

Yep. At one stage I was getting handbrake squeal after doing the one side job. Found that I'd have to jack the rear up off both wheels, then let it down, then no squeal. So I'd imagine not only is the drooping side affected, but also the side that has to take the weight.

[Jastel]

I have jacked from all corners, with many types of jacks, in the proper areas mostly but not always, on many cars over the decades and never had a suspension move, or door not close. Often someone is cleaning car and opening doors as other guy is fixing the problem.

I have had cars hit other cars, walls, poles, animals etc and unless it actually impacts suspension or wheels I had no wheel alignment problems afterwards.

Its probably not impossible but very improbable for anything to move...IF everything is tight and in good repair.