Question about jacking/lifting FL5

[spiff72]

Hello all...

I have a quick question about lifting this car. If placing a floor jack under the front side pinch weld, does jacking it up lift both the front and back wheels off the ground? I used this method for winter/summer wheel swaps on my previous car (MK8 Golf R), but that car was about 4" shorter than the FL5.

I have seen that there are jack points for the front and rear, too. The rear looks easy to get to, but the front is pretty deep, and I'm not sure my jack is short enough to reach. I know I could make some short ramps from 2x8 or 2x10 boards to help with reaching that front point, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has found that the front side pinch welds would lift both wheels on the same side.

Thanks!

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[TypeRD]

Honda specifies only the 2 jack points (front and back) for lifting these cars. They do not specify the pinch welds as appropriate jack points. This was in another thread recently (with the diagram from Honda), but I can’t remember where I saw it. Anyway, yes, you’re absolutely going to need ramps.

 

[UJX]

Yeah, this car is a huge pain in the ass to jack up. I have to put mine up on ramps before I can put a jack under it.

 

[spiff72]

Honda specifies only the 2 jack points (front and back) for lifting these cars. They do not specify the pinch welds as appropriate jack points. This was in another thread recently (with the diagram from Honda), but I can’t remember where I saw it. Anyway, yes, you’re absolutely going to need ramps.

That's great info - I'm glad I asked then!

 

[spiff72]

My car previous to the MK8 Golf R was a 2018 Accord Sport 2.0 6MT, and I recall having to use the front and back jack points for servicing too. I think I was barely able to get the jack to the front point without any wood ramps to elevate it, but it was several years ago so I am not 100% sure. I didn't have winter tires for that car so I was just doing oil changes at first, and eventually I decided to just have the dealer to the oil changes.

That front point on the Accord was a pain to reach, though, even when the jack can fit underneath.

 

[TypeRD]

Yeah, it’s way back there for sure. I haven’t tried jacking up my car yet, but I know it will take more equipment to do so than my old 8th gen Si. So far I really have no reason to mess with it, though. With the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty and included services for the first 3 years (iirc?) I have no need to do much DIY for awhile…unless I start AutoX or something along those lines, which I’d like to at some point.

 

[TypeRD]

It was bugging me, so I found that thread. LOL!
https://www.civicxi.com/forum/threads/the-hidden-rear-jacking-point.52044/

I was reading in another thread, someone suggested jacking up on one of the pinch welds in order to reach the center jack point. It isn’t so much that you can’t jack up the car a little bit using the pinch welds, it’s just that you don’t want to use them as your primary jack points. Ramps are definitely the best solution.

 

[chubbykitty]

Not sure why people are having issues jacking this car up. the Jack points are very easy to access on both sides front and rear. The only issue I could see is if you have a "hotrod" style jack that is super tall. If I place my jack under the rear pickup point it will lift both front and rear on that side. But I would highly recommend you re position the jack for each wheel from a safety stand point.

never knew about the front and rear lift points. just the side lift points that are utilized for car lifts. great info.

 

[spiff72]

Yeah, it’s way back there for sure. I haven’t tried jacking up my car yet, but I know it will take more equipment to do so than my old 8th gen Si. So far I really have no reason to mess with it, though. With the 3 year bumper-to-bumper warranty and included services for the first 3 years (iirc?) I have no need to do much DIY for awhile…unless I start AutoX or something along those lines, which I’d like to at some point.

I mainly just need to use the jack twice a year for the winter and summer wheel/tire changeovers. I had the winters mounted at a shop 2 days after I got this car because I ordered new wheels to replace the winter wheels from the Golf R (wrong bolt pattern). I had the shop swap the existing winter tires to the new rims and had them mount them to the car too. I figure I have at least another month before I have to DIY the summers back on the car...

I have to ask, though, where are you seeing that Honda doesn't recommend using a jack on the pinch welds? I checked in the owners manual (PDF version) and it seems to show the use of a jack on the pinch weld for tire changes. (Granted, this seems to be a universal manual for all 2023 Civics so I guess the Type R might be different?)

 

[Samurai1225]

The pinch welds are a perfectly acceptable place to jack up the car. As stated above in the owner manual.

 

[s2kdriver80]

Hello all...

I have a quick question about lifting this car. If placing a floor jack under the front side pinch weld, does jacking it up lift both the front and back wheels off the ground? I used this method for winter/summer wheel swaps on my previous car (MK8 Golf R), but that car was about 4" shorter than the FL5.

I have seen that there are jack points for the front and rear, too. The rear looks easy to get to, but the front is pretty deep, and I'm not sure my jack is short enough to reach. I know I could make some short ramps from 2x8 or 2x10 boards to help with reaching that front point, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has found that the front side pinch welds would lift both wheels on the same side.

Thanks!

Not sure about the FL5, but I was able to easily lift the front high enough on the FK8 that I could slip a jackstand under the rear pinch weld. I imagine you could on the FL5 as well.

 

[TypeRD]

Hmmm…click that link I posted earlier and read the fine print (in the diagram). It says that if you don’t use those 2 jack points you could cause deformation / damage. Clearly the diagram is the underside of the FL5 too.

I assume that the pinch welds are OK for use on a lift, as you’re applying equal pressure at 4 areas. But for jacking the car up, I think you need to use the 2 specific locations. This tracks with what others were saying ; Use the pinch welds to lift the car up enough to allow some clearance to then slide another jack under the car to reach the jack point.

 

[TypeRD]

I have to ask, though, where are you seeing that Honda doesn't recommend using a jack on the pinch welds? I checked in the owners manual (PDF version) and it seems to show the use of a jack on the pinch weld for tire changes. (Granted, this seems to be a universal manual for all 2023 Civics so I guess the Type R might be different?)

Our owner’s manuals leave a lot to be desired. They don’t even list the break-in procedure, while EU manuals do. I wouldn’t trust what’s shown here for use with the FL5, but that’s just me. It’s in a section called “Handling the Unexpected” and is citing the use of specific tools (including the spare) that come with other Civics. To me, this means this section of the manual doesn’t apply to the FL5, but I am not an expert.

 

[s2kdriver80]

No issue with using the pinch welds to jack up the car. Since the pinch welds are present on lesser Civics and can be used to lift the car, it stands to reason you can do the same on the FL5. The spare tire kit is optional for the FL5 - how else would you use the scissor jack to swap out the wheel? That would be a senseless design flaw otherwise. Plus, you're only lifting up a percentage of the car's total weight. To me, that diagram in that other link is just ignoring the obvious, since many cars have jack points inboard of the wheels. The two points that are explicitly shown may differ among cars in their locations, hence the indication.

 

[Nothing]

I mainly just need to use the jack twice a year for the winter and summer wheel/tire changeovers. I had the winters mounted at a shop 2 days after I got this car because I ordered new wheels to replace the winter wheels from the Golf R (wrong bolt pattern). I had the shop swap the existing winter tires to the new rims and had them mount them to the car too. I figure I have at least another month before I have to DIY the summers back on the car...

I have to ask, though, where are you seeing that Honda doesn't recommend using a jack on the pinch welds? I checked in the owners manual (PDF version) and it seems to show the use of a jack on the pinch weld for tire changes. (Granted, this seems to be a universal manual for all 2023 Civics so I guess the Type R might be different?)

If the manual doesn't distinguish models, it is for all models in the book.

If anything, the added glue/welds on the FL5 would make it easier to lift two wheels from the pinch welds, but I wouldn't do it that way.

Drive up on 2x4s or if you don't want to risk it slipping out or placing it right, use your jack under the pinch welds to put one or two 2x8s under the front wheels (depending on how low your jack is), then jack the center point. Or get race ramps, etc.

Pittsburgh 3T low profile jack can barely fit and reach the center point with the 1.5" rise of a 2x4 or 2x8.

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