pcard

I was raising the front end of my Cutlass yesterday, with the jack positioned in the middle of the cross member. I had blocked the back wheels but I had not been in the driver's seat when it was moved, and did not think to check the brake.
The car rolled back slightly, just enough that jack slipped off the cross member and slid up that tongue. The car dropped and the jack put a big dent in the front of my oil pan. The jack arm hit my front sway bar.
The good news is the dent in the oil pan is not interfering with the crankshaft, and the oil pan was not punctured.
The bad news is that my sway bar now has about a 1/2 inch bow in it.
My question is this: is this critical? Can I drive the car like this for the season and get the bar straightened in the winter?
Also, any suggestions on where to get the sway bar repaired; is there a special place that can make sure it is all aligned properly?
Thanks in advance.

mrolds69

You can drive the car. You can't fix the bar if it's bent...it's a waste of time + $. They are a dime a dozen. If you ask here someone will have one for you. SH to Bermuda will suck for the bar...but it's easy to fix.

MDchanic

Naaah. It's fine. You can just leave it like that.

Maybe if you took a lot of hard turns and went over lots of bad roads, one day in a hundred years the sway bar would crack at the weak point, but I wouldn't worry about it.

Just get a new one when you have a chance.

- Eric

pcard

Thanks guys!

Yellowstatue

On the passenger side, end of the sway bar there an identifying shape to show which sway bar it actually is to identify the diameter of the bar.

costpenn

The jack bent the sway bay? Wow. Imagine what it might have done to you if you were under the car. Glad you are well.

pcard

I do not want to think about being under the car. It was a stupid mistake - I was tired and rushed; a very bad combination. I was lucky that there was just a dent in the oil pan and the jack did not hit the balance ring.
It has never happened to me before, I am normally supper careful and check everything twice, but I will never ever be sloppy about raising a car again.

69442C

Peter,
Keep in mind that when you extend the arm on the floor jack upward the lifting pad will move in an arc rather than straight up and down. The position of the pad with the jack in the down position will be further from the handle than when the jack is fully raised. And the difference if measured, depending on the style of jack and how far the jack arm is raised could be several inches. If the floor jack is unable to roll forward as the jack is raised and assuming the car is not able to roll, the lifting pad will slide forward on the frame which could cause the problem you had. So make sure your jack wheels allow the jack to roll freely.
Brian

Nilsson

Is the engine cradle really a good area to jack up the car.

oldcutlass

Yes.


It could have been worse.

MDchanic

I dunno, but I've been using it for something like forty years.

- Eric

Nilsson

I will take that as a yes.

mrolds69

Yes...it's ok to jack there, I always do that, been doing it for over 40 years also. Peter just had a bit of bad luck.

Octania

Uhm, isn't that rod there by the frame what got bent... your STEERING LINK?

Center link, drag link, what you may call it?

I doubt a SPRING STEEL stabilizer would get bent in that incident.

Steering link *could* be straightened, with a press, maybe, at great risk, but the correct procedure is to put in a new or at least good shape [heh] one.

ELY442

There will never be a next time if this happens again. Don't be lazy and use jack stands. Bermuda is a beautiful country. I was there on a cruise 7 months ago.

pcard

Brian - that is good thinking and I will make sure to consider that!
Ely - I never got the chance to put the stands under the car! Glad you enjoyed our hospitality. If you ever think of going again please let me know before hand. That goes for all members! Drinks are on me!
Octania - the steering link is protected by the "tongue" that sticks forward. The sway bar got hit by the arm of the jack, while the round pod on the jack hit the oil pan. I will post some photos in the morning.
Quite a hair raising, if not car raising, experience.

bccan

Is that big, powerful car actually on the island?

Just a thought, I would consider putting a heavy front sway bar on there if you are driving it on the winding roads of Bermuda. Replace the damaged bar & further control nose sway in one shot. Just my opinion.

Glad that slip didn't disable you or the car. I've always jacked "A" body cars on that x member but you do have to be sure the jack plate has good purchase so it can't slide.

pcard

I keep the car in Newport and am up here for a week playing with it. I will have some closure to a few of my threads by this weekend.

Greg Rogers

Yep, I've been there and done that. It's almost like the crossmember has a ramp on it that is made to do it if not careful. I also bent the sway bar on my 71 Cutlass. I had another so I replaced it. I don't know if it could be straightened.