Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

This is the OEM rear skidplate on a 98 OB. It can be used as a lifting point, with a floor jack.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

This is a jackstand spanning the pinch weld at the rear of the 98 (right side). My general rule for supporting the rear of a body is to place the stand near the point where the control arm attaches to the body.

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Car: 01 OB Wagon Limited 5spd
Posts: 304

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Registered: May 2007
Location: Gold Coast
Car: 2001 Outback Limited
Posts: 89

Hi guys,

I have some Jack Stands that I want to use to lift up my front end however they are only rated for 1,200kg's each and I believe the cars gross weight is 2,066kgs.

What I would like to know is, the front end weight is 1,002kgs, so will tthis be ok for the stands or should I get stands rated for the gross weight?

Secondly, when jacking up the car with the emergency jack for the stands, do I need to keep the jack in the center of the pinch-weld or can I jack it up anywhere on the weld so I can put the stand on next to it?

This brings me to my last point, is it OK for the car to be jacked up on one side and placed on a stand, then jacked up on the other, or does it need to be jacked from the center to prevent stress?

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Car: 01 OB Wagon Limited 5spd
Posts: 304

I believe the jack points along the pinch weld are specific so I don't think you can "jack anywhere" on the pinch weld.

I don't know about jacking one side and then the other, I have always just gone from the middle.

If you look for a floor jack you should be able to find something that isn't too expensive. I see sets of jack and 2 jackstands for under $50 all the time.

Hope that's helpful.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

Side to side can be done, that was the only way I could lift the Escort.

Ozzy, I think you are well within a safe limit - assuming that load is approximately half the rated capacity.

Once I set the car on jackstands, I like to grab it and give it a shake to make sure everything is settled. Better to find a problem then than to be under it with a wrench, pulling hard...

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Registered: May 2007
Location: Gold Coast
Car: 2001 Outback Limited
Posts: 89

Ok, thanks fellas.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

Today I lifted the front of the 96 to go after an exhaust shield rattle. I noticed that the pinch weld has old damage from being either lifted or supported incorrectly. So here's a shot of doing it right, next to evidence of doing it wrong.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

Lifting the front of a 96 2.2, w/o skidplates. In the past I've lifted by the forward crossmember, but this time I cradled a longitudinal plate (black in this pic) that spans between two crossmembers. The engine did not go through the hood.

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Car: 01 OB Wagon Limited 5spd
Posts: 304

Lizard that is the exact place I use to jack my car, only with my skidplate on, it's covered. So I just jack against the skidplate that sits flush against that plate which IIRC is the "jack plate" or something like that in the parts manual.
When I got the skidplate the actually sent me one of those, Perhaps some other them did not have threaded holes for the bolts used to secure the skidplate?

I just reused my old one which appears to be stouter with multiple layers of steel.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: Tacoma ,WA
Car: 2003 OBW & 2000 OBW Limited
Posts: 97

Can anyone confirm if this is the correct spot on my OBW 2003. Do I center the jack on the plate itself or should I try to devide up the lift point with the main bar that the plate bolts to?

And for the rear, is the rear diff truly a safe point to my jack? I am that type that seems to screw stuff up so I just have to double check.

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Registered: Aug 2007
Location: South Portland, ME
Car: 2008 Outback 2.5i 5MT
Posts: 367

^^ that's the spot where I have lifted a:

97 Outback Sport
98 Outback Sport
02 WRX
03 Forester
04 Forester
04 WRX
05 STi

and when the time comes, a:

08 Outback

I put a hockey puck on my floor jack to pad the jack where it meets the undercarriage. Works like a champ.

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03 Forester XS 5MT
08 Outback 2.5i 5MT

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Car: 01 OB Wagon Limited 5spd
Posts: 304

put the jack right in the middle of that plate not on the part where it bolts - at least that's how I do it.

I never thought of the hockey puck, I was just gonna pony up and get a jack that had a rubber pad on it.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

Yesterday was nice and warm so I finally did the front-to-rear tire rotation job I've been waiting for. I have only two jackstands made to straddle pinch welds, so I put those at the front. The rears are from my brother-in-law, they date back to the 1970s, and they just have simple saddles for tops. They would be perfect under a live rear axle. Usually in a situation like this I look for a place where a major suspension component attaches to the body, and this time I used the lateral arm attachment points.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Ohio
Car: 1996 Glacier White Outback 5MT
Posts: 6240

Nice day, beer, start horsing around dreaming of extreme mods...

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Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Car: 09 Outback 3.0R w/ nav
Posts: 56

Any chance these jack point are similar/same on the 05-09 models? I'm looking to put an jackstand at the pinch welds but am looking for somewhere to jackup the car Pictures would be awesome.

Thanks!

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: New Jersey
Car: 07 2.5i
Posts: 426

Yes, same place for jacks on '05-'09, according to the service manual.

Front: the plate in the center of the cross member.
Rear: the differential

Jack stands: on the rocker pinch welds indicated by the notches, same places the tire jack goes. You can also put them at a major suspension or cross member attachment point, just make sure they can't slip off.

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Registered: Nov 2007
Location: central NY USA
Car: 2003 LLBean H6 Outback
Posts: 1190

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: New Jersey
Car: 07 2.5i
Posts: 426

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