Jacked up, and crunch!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Jacked up the LeSabre to do a tire rotation today, and the all-too-familiar sound of rusted metal giving way was heard. One of the rear jack points moved up 1/2" into the body. Fortunately I caught it before it went further. But that says it all, my LeSabre's days on the road are numbered since the rot is starting to creep into mission-critical structural areas. I'm guessing it's another winter or so before the area goes completely. Time to start thinking hard about its replacement.

[00Beast]

Wait, you're rotating the tires when you're getting them replaced soon?

[Bing]

[wake]

i know that sound all to well..at least it didnt happen when it was on the jack stands like my 6000 did

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

SWMBO said to wear the snot out of them, vetoing my wish to replace them this week. She did agree to have them put on in at least a month.

[PRD2BDF]

Why don't you replace it now and save the cost of buying tires?

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Already bought the tires, not knowing it was that rusted. Got a pretty good deal on the tires at the time.

[willwren]

Where did you place the jack? It should be under suspension components, not the body.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

The passenger rear jack point outlined in the owner's manual, where the pinch seam is reinforced. Turns out it rusted out. The unibody reinforcement immediately behind it was solid.

I usually jack the car either on the front subframe or the rear between the control arms, using a board to distribute the load. I rushed today, and it bit me in the rear.

[willwren]

I never jack from the body or that seam. Rear I go below the control arm, front I use the subframe.

SLEeper is easier on the rear, I use the center of the hitch and lift the whole rear.

[99BonnevilleSE]

I never jack from the body or that seam. Rear I go below the control arm, front I use the subframe.

SLEeper is easier on the rear, I use the center of the hitch and lift the whole rear.

^^^THIS!

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

At least the rest of you learned a lesson on where to jack.

I'm thinking these events mean the structure's shot, and the body's not worth putting more money into. The engine and transmission are just fine, which is so typical for cars here in Saltland.

[LeSabreUltra]

Ouch! Things like this make me vow to never live in a place where they put salt on the roads. Around here, the only things that put a car out of business are an abrupt stop or eventual mechanical failure.

For what it's worth, I've always used the jack points for my LeSabre too, or in the case of my truck, the frame. Never had a problem but then again...no rust either...
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[Jrs3800]

The jack points are where all the metal comes together... This is a very solid point to jack any car up... But when the rust through is that bad, its doom for the unibody and signals bad things to come... In a lot of salt states, cars are sometimes done by the time they are paid for.. Yes it gets that bad and some of you know about it....lol

Down here our largest issue is paint...lol

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

Especially the rears, Don. Those are massive compared to the front ones. Take a look on yours sometime.

Pretty much resigned to getting a different car before 2012. Already have SWMBO onboard with getting a Cruze Eco 6MT. I may be losing an H-body, but at least I'm getting something I like that's affordable.

[repinS]

Did a lot of work underneath the 04 today. Its not all that clean underneath thanks to 7 Canadian winters taking their toll...

[BonneMe]

Never had a problem jacking on the pinch seam reall, I did bend a seam a little once. Sometimes the control arms aren't an option based on work being done, but they are nice and solid. I had a fashioned a little jack stand pad out of wood to cradle the seam and underbody.

Need to to fashion a few jackpads out of hockey pucks for the BMW though, it's a bit of trouble at stock height with a low pro aluminum jack. Lowered Is probably a nightmare.

[Jrs3800]

Those salt winters are just horrid on these cars...Any car really... You should see the people along the beach here... Some of them park their cars outside where the salt air can get to them and they are rusting out before they can get them paid for...

[repinS]

luckily the GXP isn't that bad yet. Fasteners aren't putting up too much of a fight yet but there is definitely some surface rust... I would still consider it above average.

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

For laughter today I pulled back the trunk lining over the passenger rear wheel well. The whole wheel well is disintegrating. Not just in isolated patches, but where it bonds to the trunk pan and the suspension supports. Plus when I shut the passenger door something in the rocker went "crunch". This car's body is living on borrowed time.