Thanks Mr. Kilmer and moderators for this excellent forum to address our DIY automotive woes. I have been replacing worn suspension compontents on a '99 Chevy Lumina LS 3.1L w/223K miles. all summer. Today, I attempted to raise the front right wheel to access the sway bar bushing as well as inspect for the proper location for an approx. 20mm flange nut I found lying on the frame. After the first attempt to raise the right wheel failed, I moved the jack to the center front of the frame to get it off the ground. The left side elevated properly, yet the right side stayed on the ground! The control arm appeard to be hyper extended to make ground contact as well. What to do..?
https://youtu.be/QriJj3-m6Qg
so before you continue... just a friendly reminder to be careful.
Making sure your parking brake is set, and wheels are chocked. Use jack-stands. Never get under a vehicle that is only being held up by a jack. I've seen someone get crushed by a car that shifted onto them. Being crippled isn't much fun.
Try to work on one side at a time. If you need the whole front raised up, then first raise one side and secure it on a stand. Then move over to the other side and door the same. If you need more height out of your jack, then use blocks of sturdy wood. But be careful as this adds an element of instability that could shift.
Thank you for the safety concern. I stated in the video and text that I jacked the car up on the right side first. Though, I knew there was more than enough lift from the jack to raise the wheel from the ground (I've been working on this car for 15 years). I placed jackstands on the body (where you jack the vehicle on the side) which are shown in the video. I hoped someone noticed what I mentioned and showed in the video about the control arm extending farther on the right side than the left. As well as, the left wheel raised and the right wheel not rising. Thank you for responding.
if the stabilizer bar link is loose/broken etc then the wheel might droop, so you just need to go higher. Like I said you can use chunks of wood.
Or you could put your jack directly on the lower control arm. That would raise that wheel directly. But again , this is risky because the control arm can pivot and things can shift, so stay well away when you do this.
I have another jack I can use to raise the lower control arm if needed. I'll do it again tomorrow. I'll go higher and have my other jack standing by to assist. I had a similar situation with my '01 Cadillac deVille. I had to jack the car so high it appeard that it may topple over. It also is in need of suspension component replacements.