Support car with 1 wheel missing??

[manc01]

Right sounds weird, but story is i need to get 2 alloys refurb, and these Monza 2 take 5 days to refurb as i am going to use Lepsons in Swindon as they have good reviews and closest, even though it still 1hr away..!!
Anyway i dont have a spare set of wheels that i can use, so i was going to use the spare, but leaves me with one wheel short, i was going to leave it resting on car jack that comes with the car for 5 days, figured its not the whole weight of the car as will have 3 wheels on, but does that sound like a good idea?? o it will be in a garage and not left on the street..

[deano lfc]

see if you can get one axel stand,safe as houses ,or leave the jack pumped up,and just place one or two building block on the sill by the jack,just incase the trolly jack drops a little,even if it do,they go down slow,and your sill will just rest on the blocks. deano

[Obbzi]

Think I paid about £40 for a 2 tonne trolley jack that came with 2 axle stands from machine mart. I'm sure you could get something even cheaper than that nowadays

[Agreeable Slick]

Depends on how much you like your car really doesn't it.

I wouldn't leave a car for 5 days on just a trolley or scissor jack, that's just foolishness and you are asking for bent sills/chassis legs if something does go badly wrong.

Go to halfords and get some proper axle stands. They are only ~£15 a pair and you'll have a lot more piece of mind.

By the way, if a trolley jack does fail, they don't go down slow as they have ~1/4T of car resting on them (assuming uniform weight distribution), which if the car becomes unbalanced due to a centre of gravity shift (i.e. trolley jack collapsing) will become more weight and create more of a problem.

Just be sensible and invest in something that you will have use for time and time again. Get some axle stands.

[deano lfc]

belive it or not , argos are cheap for axel stands !!! i bought a set from them before !! if it was my car thats what i would do, or try to borrow some !!! deano lfc

[manc01]

Thanks all for your opinions.. unfortunately my mechanical skills only extend to changing a wheel. Seems like i should use a axle stand to support the empty wheel side. If i was to use axel stand would it be quite easy to locate under the car?

[deano lfc]

you cold slowly lift the car from jacking up on the rear axel,just enough to take the wheel off, grab your axel stand,pull the size pins out, place under jacking point on your sill,pull up the center piece on your axel stand,place pin in the right hole for the right hight,then slowly release your car jack.with three wheels on the car,aslong has you have the right height on your axel stand , you will be fine !!i referb alloy wheels, and have done this many a times, with no problems !! deano lfc

[manc01]

ok whose got 1 spare golf wheel i can borrow for 5 days..

[kalpsn2000]

ok whose got 1 spare golf wheel i can borrow for 5 days..

No need to panic . Deano's explanation is spot on and when you get the axel stand(s) it will be even clearer

[_Adam_]

ok whose got 1 spare golf wheel i can borrow for 5 days..

No need to panic . Deano's explanation is spot on and when you get the axel stand(s) it will be even clearer

+1

it's very easy, just use common sense where you put the axel stand (i.e not on the sump )
the wishbone is also a dodgy one as is allows the car to move as you are lifting under the springs.