Jacking up car

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Hi,

I'm planning on jacking up my leon estate to paint the calipers and am aiming to do the front and then the rear axle by placing jack stands on the sills with rubber protectors to prevent any damage marks. To raise the front axle I can only see underneath the car the piece of metal surrounding and including the dogbone mount. Is it safe to use a jack with wood and raise the car slightly on that so I can place jack stands under the front sills? And for the rear as it's the 184 with independent suspension, raise at the same time both control arms with two jacks together and then put two jacks stands under the rear sills?

Just thought I'd ask as I don't want to cause any damage.

Thanks
 

sweetfr

Misty
Nov 24, 2007
159
24
Co Durham
When I painted my callipers I jacked up one side at a time. If you use the front side jacking point and jack a little higher it will lift the rear wheel as well and then put something under the rear jacking point for safety.
 
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
When I painted my callipers I jacked up one side at a time. If you use the front side jacking point and jack a little higher it will lift the rear wheel as well and then put something under the rear jacking point for safety.

Thanks for the reply. Did you then leave the front sill on the jack? I need it in the air for about five hours.
 

sweetfr

Misty
Nov 24, 2007
159
24
Co Durham
Yes left it on the jack but if it is going to be in the air that long I would put something along side the jack just to be safe.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Yes left it on the jack but if it is going to be in the air that long I would put something along side the jack just to be safe.

On the same sill? Wonder if I could fit the jack stand alongside it. I plan to put at least one of the wheels under just incase. If I can't fit it I'm hoping I can raise the front on the dogbone mount so I can put a jack stand on the front sill
 
Last edited:

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Don't jack the car on suspension mounting points. These points may locate suspension arms but that does not mean they they can support the weight of the car. If you damage the floorpan doing this it's a big problem!

Even the sill is only guaranteed to be strong to jack on at the indicated jacking points. You can dent the sill in jacking it elsewhere, I've seen it done, although not on a Leon. But don't worry, there are four additional jacking points. For whatever reason, Seat choose not to tell you about them!

Right behind the front wheel you will find a small piece of plastic undertray that is removable. It's broadly square, about the size of a saucer and there is one screw locking it in place. Once the screw is removed it unclips. It's tight as heck but it comes off.

Under this cover you will find a metal turret about three inches in diameter. This is designed to be a jacking point. You can lift the car here and then put your axle stands under the sill jacking points.

VW sell a replacement plastic tray section that has a lump for the turret built in. Alternatively, once you know where the turret is, you can just jack through the plastic tray! Marks the plastic but works fine.

At the back there is a rail just in front of the rear wheel which is also designed as a jacking point. It has a hole in it which looks the same as the hole in the turret at the front. VW sell rubber inserts which fit into these holes to give a soft, grippy jacking surface. I've never bothered to buy them as you don't really need them but it leaves you in no doubt that these are proper jacking points.

I don't know why Seat don't tell you about these. Garages with scissor lifts don't need them and when I asked a Seat dealer about them he clearly did not know about them! But if you work on your own car, they're a real blessing.
 
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Don't jack the car on suspension mounting points. These points may locate suspension arms but that does not mean they they can support the weight of the car. If you damage the floorpan doing this it's a big problem!

Even the sill is only guaranteed to be strong to jack on at the indicated jacking points. You can dent the sill in jacking it elsewhere, I've seen it done, although not on a Leon. But don't worry, there are four additional jacking points. For whatever reason, Seat choose not to tell you about them!

Right behind the front wheel you will find a small piece of plastic undertray that is removable. It's broadly square, about the size of a saucer and there is one screw locking it in place. Once the screw is removed it unclips. It's tight as heck but it comes off.

Under this cover you will find a metal turret about three inches in diameter. This is designed to be a jacking point. You can lift the car here and then put your axle stands under the sill jacking points.

VW sell a replacement plastic tray section that has a lump for the turret built in. Alternatively, once you know where the turret is, you can just jack through the plastic tray! Marks the plastic but works fine.

At the back there is a rail just in front of the rear wheel which is also designed as a jacking point. It has a hole in it which looks the same as the hole in the turret at the front. VW sell rubber inserts which fit into these holes to give a soft, grippy jacking surface. I've never bothered to buy them as you don't really need them but it leaves you in no doubt that these are proper jacking points.

I don't know why Seat don't tell you about these. Garages with scissor lifts don't need them and when I asked a Seat dealer about them he clearly did not know about them! But if you work on your own car, they're a real blessing.

Thanks for the information. I've found the front cover you're talking off so will remove it and have a look in a few hours. The rear has no cover and I've located this on both sides which feels strong. Is this the turret you're talking off? I have rubber pieces that I can use to soften the jack so it doesn't cause damage.

It's annoying because on my BMW underneath on the subframe are X JACK marked spots you can use.

Thanks
2UrAfck_d.webp
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Is this the turret you're talking off?

No, it's the section of chassis rail directly in front of that. I found a video of a guy installing the pad kit on his Golf. The Leon is identical, being the same chassis.

LINK
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
No, it's the section of chassis rail directly in front of that. I found a video of a guy installing the pad kit on his Golf. The Leon is identical, being the same chassis.

LINK

Thanks for the video. I can't find anything like that on my leon estate. Infront of that hole I thought was the turret is this. I suppose I'm best off now going off the middle of the rear subframe for the rear and removing the front plastic to see what's my options upfront?

RZutrRE_d.webp
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
That's it. The section with the two round plastic plugs in it. You can put your axle stand on that.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
That's it. The section with the two round plastic plugs in it. You can put your axle stand on that.

Is it possible to remove the rubber plugs and purchase the part he has in the video the black plastic as I assume it slots into it? And can I jack on it instead and then put the stands on the sills? Also I can't find the part number anywhere if it exists lol. Thanks for all the help
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Is it possible to remove the rubber plugs and purchase the part he has in the video the black plastic as I assume it slots into it?

Yes. It's VW kit or there are some similar aftermarket kits. They cost around £60.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Yes. It's VW kit or there are some similar aftermarket kits. They cost around £60.

Great thanks. I looked up front and I do have that massive turret like the video but couldn't fully get the cover off even after taking the screw out. Perhaps the plastic is brittle. But it doesn't matter this has solved my problem. I have two jacks so for the front will simultaneously with a household member jack the rear sills enough to put the front sills on jack stands. And then can use the point you've highlighted to raise the rears and get those on axle stands.

I hope that sounds safe enough and this way the dogbone area is left alone. I suppose I could use the turret through the plastic but it could twist it slightly although you can't really see it much lol.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
I do have that massive turret like the video but couldn't fully get the cover off even after taking the screw out.

Yeah, it's a pig. You need to press in plastic clips and slide it forward at the same time. It's very awkward. My jack is a big three-ton job with a fairly wide shoe so I just jack though the plastic these days. I can't be bothered fighting with the cover. I always give the car a shove once it's up in the air to make sure it's steady.
 

Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
Yeah, it's a pig. You need to press in plastic clips and slide it forward at the same time. It's very awkward. My jack is a big three-ton job with a fairly wide shoe so I just jack though the plastic these days. I can't be bothered fighting with the cover. I always give the car a shove once it's up in the air to make sure it's steady.

I can't blame you the cars a 2018 and plastic goes brittle so fast. I've never enjoyed taking off plastic the small tabs usually break and you end up wishing you never bothered.
 
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Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
Yeah, it's a pig. You need to press in plastic clips and slide it forward at the same time. It's very awkward. My jack is a big three-ton job with a fairly wide shoe so I just jack though the plastic these days. I can't be bothered fighting with the cover. I always give the car a shove once it's up in the air to make sure it's steady.

The guaranteed way of getting that plastic cover off is to drive the car through a huge puddle on a dark and evil December evening when it will pop off as easy as anything along with half the wheel arch liner.........just ask Mrs Seriously? :mad:
 
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Steve J

Active Member
May 26, 2019
134
27
The guaranteed way of getting that plastic cover off is to drive the car through a huge puddle on a dark and evil December evening when it will pop off as easy as anything along with half the wheel arch liner.........just ask Mrs Seriously? :mad:

Wow that's frustrating. I suppose there's a few cars around with them missing then. Mine are both still therea 19800 miles touch wood.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I agree that all the VW Group marques have failed miserably to provide convenient jacking points at everyone can use, and that must include the main dealership workshops, so they end up taking the easy and only way out and lift on the 4 strong points on the sills - and crack the stone chip coverings eventually. It sounds like their German car building chums M-B and BMW do provide shaped jacking a holding points on all their models.

Maybe 18 years ago I bought a set of 4 Audi TT MK1 jacking point protectors and fitted them to my wife's new at the time 9N Polo - that worked very well for its 13 years 105K miles with us, she had to call out the AA once and he won the race to reach her first so the car was up in the air with a big trolley jack under the centre of the car, okay no visible damaged done other than cracked stone chip covering, my 2000 B5 VW Passat 4Motion I needed to use blocks of wood shaped to suit each front area and rear area, a slight inconvenience but there was plenty strong flattish areas to safely use.

When I bought my slightly used Audi B8 S4 and looked underneath it, I was slightly annoyed and there did not seem to be any way for a DIYer to safely lift the car off the ground other than using the 4 strong points on the sills, so I did lots of reading online and found that Jackpoint in USA make jack stands that you place the "top" over your suitable jack, and lift the car and place the "table/base/stool" round the jack area and lower the top onto the base and remove the jack - that works very well on most cars and they make some model specific tops to work with marques like M-B and BMW and off course some other USA brands that all have a positive locating point at the lifting points. Cost is a big thing here though and I can't work out why there is not a EU or UK based simpler equivalent on the market.
When we bought a new Polo for my wife back in 2015 I just bought a new set of Audi TT MK1 jacking point protectors and fitted them on, though typically when changing Summer<>Winter wheels/tyres, I'll stick with using the Jackpoint jack stands and life all 4 wheels off the ground at the same time as I'll service the brakes then and every other year when changing from Winter to Summer wheels/tyres I'll replace the brake fluid.
Even these Jackpoint jack stands need a bit of altering the tops to provide the maximum possible protection to the under sill areas and to still neatly grip the sides of the folded seams - each model seems to be different, thank VW Group!
 
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