Can I move my car in a tight space by using a floor jack?

[ckeen74]

I need to move my car in a tight space in the garage by swinging the rear end around. On my other car, I would do this by jacking under the diff and then using the diff as a dolly to swing the back end around, but I have faint memories of reading on another thread here (which I can't find) that this will do Bad Things to my 2002tii. Am I remembering this right? I think the subframe just ahead of the diff is too far forward under the car for it to be useful.

Alternatively, I could do the front end too, but with the way the garage is laid out, the rear end would be better.

I know I should probably get those wheel dolly things, but I need to do this tonight.

Thanks,

Chris

[c.d.iesel]

yer rear end is good to go .

[ckeen74]

You mean it *is* okay to lift via the diff?

Sorry if I'm being dense, just want to be doubly sure so I don't mess anything up!

[Simeon]

couple of guys and start bouncing the suspension up and down vigorously. As the car approaches the upper limit of its suspension it unloads weight from the wheels and I you can bounce it in the direction you apply the force. Done it many times to get in / out of impossible parking spaces.

If you have a race car, you may be bust but most cars with slightly tired shocks will do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ObVJ041Heg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This video demonstrates the principle but I doubt your shocks are as toast as that guy.

[Chris_B]

Use the center part of the subframe.

[BlueBarchetta]

Harbor Freight vehicle dollies...

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-vehicle-dollies-67511.html

[thehackmechanic]

The trick wheel dollies are the ones that slide around and then beneath the tires. They're shaped like a U and they skootch themselves inward. They work great and allow cars to be slid sideways or turned around easily. I have a set and highly recommend them. They are available from many sources; the Harbor Freight version is this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1250-lb-capacity-mechanical-wheel-dolly-67287.html

They're more expensive than the standard wheel dollies, but you don't need to jack up the car. If you have a very low car that's non-trivial to get a jack under, they're wicked convenient.

[TobyB]

Go-Jacks, the man means.

Yeah, if you have cement floors, they're great.

But yup, you can lift a 2002 by either the rear or front subframe,

or the diff.

Not the oil pan.

t

[ckeen74]

Good to know I can lift it by the diff. For this time I managed to slide my jack (the Harbor Freight aluminum "racing" jack) under the center of the rear subframe and swing the back end of the car around.

Thanks for all the tips.