[EDIT: Seeing the informative responses received on this post, I thought it best to update the article with reader comments. Please see them below in bolded text and tip of the hat to rob.ok and Legal Bill.]
rob.ok says
” Use the official jack points dictated by the service manual, not the frame rails / sub frame. Secondly, you guys have missed the most important part of the entire process. It is standard procedure to check the jack stands for stability by aggressively shaking the car. If you hear any squeaks, cracks, pops, or other strange noises, readjust the jack stands before crawling under the car. If the car is going to fall……..well I think you get the point…you don’t want to be under it, so test it first.”
Legal Bill says
“I will only place the jack stands at the point on the frame rails where two sections of frame overlap. This point occurs on either side of the car at both the front end, just behind the front wheels and at the back end, just ahead of the rear wheels. If you look closely at the floor frame rails, you will see that there is a six inch section where the floor frame rails overlaps the front end and rear end frame sections. This double thick area is clearly the strongest section of the frame and offers a nice, flat surface to place the saddle of your jack stands. It also offers a point where you left and right side jack stand will contact the respective sides of the frame at the same height and location, resulting in a rock solid, level placement of the jacked vehicle.”
The fact that we lost our member Smirfs2K05 (Paul Flores) last week, got me thinking. If an unfortunate accident could befall an experienced tech like Paul, then it may be a good time for all of us to review jack points on the S2000 as a safety precursor.
S2KI is a great resource containing several DIY guidelines that spell out in detail how one can work on her/his car. There is no doubt that several (if not most) of our members are experts at working on the car, but seeing how we are getting newer and younger members everyday, it may be helpful for all of us to review jack points on an S2000.
The Honda Owners manual tells us that there are four jack points on the car. There are two points behind the front wheels under the doors and two points in front of the rear wheels that can be used to jack the car and get a jack stand under.
The Factory Service Manual (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE OWNERS MANUAL) also has some additional information on front and rear mounting points. Should any of you be seriously considering working on the car then investing in a Factory Service Manual may be a good idea. As you can see in the image below the Factory Service Manual is very detailed and is a great resource for the aspiring DIYer.
Now that you’ve reviewed the images, here is my summation of a “best procedure to jack up your S2000“thread I reviewed on our S2000 talk forum, and I suggest you review this as well.
1. Invest in four 2X10″ wood planks.
2. Drive your car onto the wood planks (one under each tire). This will give you enough clearance to use a floor jack to raise your car.
3. ENSURE that you leave your car in gear, and pull the e brake firmly to prevent the car from moving.
4. Chock the wheels resting on the ground. Place chocks in front of the front wheels if raising the rear and behind the rear wheels if you are raising the front of the car.
5. If you need to get the whole car onto jack stands, MAKE SURE YOU RAISE THE FRONT FIRST. Raising the back will angle the nose of the car lower to the ground and getting your floor jack under may damage paint.
6. Now that you have raised your car, set the jack stands at the recommended points (the four corners adjacent to the wheels) as described in your owners manual.
Use the above information and any and all information in the threads mentioned as a guideline to safely raise and lower your car. Remember there is no one perfect way to raising and lowering your car. It could differ based on the equipment and skill level you possess. Consult any manuals you may have or seek the counsel of someone that is experienced with working on an S2000. More importantly when working on your car, please ensure that someone knows your whereabouts and that they keep an eye on you. If you are doing this the first-time do it under the watchful eye of an experienced member and let her/him show you the ropes.
As much as we are a community that loves and enjoys driving the S2000, please remember that your safety is paramount.
Images courtesy of Jason B, ruexp67 and moparacker.
NOTE: S2KI welcomes the opinions of its members on the S2000 and on all topics related to the S. Should you feel the creative urge to pen a few words then by all means do so and PM Energetic, Aashish2 or Onehots2k OR send us links to what you would like us to write about and we will feature you (or your community) on the S2KI Home Page.
Related posts:
- “Stick” to the S2000 The title although catchy, might be a bit misleading for...
- The S2000, among the last of the pure roadsters The S2000 is a roadster, a car Honda designed to...
on May 10th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
The picture above does NOT match the diagram from the service manual. The jack stands should be placed on the pinch-seam rather than the frame rails and rear subframe.
on May 10th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Those wood planks are a must when working at home. I always match the jack with supports under the tire (something wide like paving bricks) Never EVER just rely on a jack to keep the car up.
on May 10th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Thank you for doing this….. I’ve been working on my cars for about 3 years and never new the actual recommended jack points. Thanks again buddy.
on May 10th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
That is great information for those who want to work with their S2000 on their own.
on May 11th, 2010 at 2:03 am
Yeah the first picture is wrong! Use the official jack points dictated by the service manual, no the frame rails / sub frame.
Secondly, you guys have missed the most important part of the entire process. It is standards procedure to check the jack stands for stability by aggressively shaking the car. If you hear any squeaks, cracks, pops, or other strange noises, readjust the jack stands before crawling under the car. If the car is going to fall……..well I think you get the point…you don’t want to be under it, so test it first.
on May 11th, 2010 at 3:55 am
Thanks for the comments guys. I forgot to add a comment to the first picture which I now did. Although I did ask people to read through the thread and the owners manual, I had no choice but to use that pic. I may update the pic if I find a better one
on May 11th, 2010 at 4:20 am
I will only place the jack stands at the point on the frame rails where two sections of frame overlap. This point occurs on either side of the car at both the front end, just behind the front wheels and at the back end, just ahead of the rear wheels. If you look closely at the floor frame rails, you will see that there is a six inch section where the floor frame rails overlaps the front end and rear end frame sections. This double thick area is clearly the strongest section of the frame and offers a nice, flat surface to place the saddle of your jack stands. It also offers a point where you left and right side jack stand will contact the respective sides of the frame at the same height and location, resulting in a rock solid, level placement of the jacked vehicle.
on May 11th, 2010 at 6:32 am
CHANGE THE FIRST PICTURE ON THE MAIN PAGE!!!! PEOPLE WILL READ IT AND THINK IT’S ACCURATE!!!!
I know you say “this is not accurate” in small text underneath it…but man I have to say most people will not see it. This could do more harm than good if people think it’s accurate….sheesh!
on May 11th, 2010 at 6:39 am
@Forcednduckshn – you are right. Better safe than sorry. Whats with the sheesh! anyway
on May 11th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Grab the wheel with both hands around the spokes and pull with all your might. Shake it like you’re trying to rip the wheel off the hub. If the car’s solid, proceed. Remove the wheel and put it under the frame. Wheels are replaceable. I use big stands with large cups on them at the frame rails. The cups must be centered in the rail, and the ground must be flat. If the car can teeter, don’t do anything. Let the car down, and start over. Look at each corner of the stands closely and make sure there are no gaps under each foot. Be safe everyone.
on May 11th, 2010 at 8:47 am
See those wheels laying on the ground behind your car. I think it’s good insurance to put those underneath the car while you’re working on it. Just put them in a spot where they won’t interfere with what you’re doing. If somehow, the car were to ever fall off the jack stands, it would land on the wheels and not on you.
on May 11th, 2010 at 8:57 am
A2: Haha, thanks for the change! I said “sheesh” in a jovial manner
Sorry, I should have added a smiley face after it to indicate a pleasant rather than agressive tone. But yeah, I know the intention was nothing but a good one to post the pic, but after reading about the poor guy that died last week 
because of his car tipping over during a differential change, I would hate to have some that horrific happen to someone else because they saw a pic (and a very well detailed one at that) indicating the wrong way to jack up a car. Thanks for making the change, you might have just saved people from hurting themselves!
P.S. I really like the articles you/the team have been posting lately. Good stuff.
on May 11th, 2010 at 11:43 am
@Forcednduckshn – Thanks for your kind words man. Believe me seeing and reading your comments makes it worth all the time we set aside to do this.
I’m glad that people think that this is a good effort and that we are matching up to expectations
on May 11th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
There’s a good pic in the S2k Talk FAQ that shows the front side jack points exactly, with a ruler.
on May 11th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Guys, as a fairly new S2K owner, I have found the precise jack stand placement to utterly bewildering. There is so much contradictory information in the forum.
I humbly ask for the love of Pete, could somebody PLEASE post some pictures of a correctly lifted car, according to the Honda manual/service guide? What we need are pictures from below the car, of the jack stands specifically in contact with the CORRECT jack points (not the frame rails). Not another side/above view that gives little real information about the correct positioning of the stands.
I have searched the forum exhaustively for such pics, and I can find none. Thanks all!
on May 11th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Why do you feel it’s not important to throw those wheels under the car? This is the most important step! Are you afraid if the car comes crashing down your wheels will be destroyed? Anyone who rocks a car on jack stands is a fool, this needs to be rewritten. IF THE CAR FALLS YOUR DEAD!
on May 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
i will never get underneath a car unless it is properly on jackstands/ramps. i offered to fix the starter on my friends corolla this weekend. however, the removal required my to get underneath. w/ no jackstand/ramp, i said “i know somebody who passed away from a vehicle falling on them recently.”
i put my vehicle on jackstands AND ramps (additional support and chocks the wheels)… it takes longer to set my vehicle for maintenance than maintenance itself.
SAFETY FIRST~!
on May 11th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Very good write-up. There is no way I’m rocking a car on a jackstand.
on May 11th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
you dont have to rock it hard. just push down a little on the front and rear bumpers. if you dont trust that the car wont fall if you rock it on the jack stands than why would you trust going under it
on May 11th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
@2Kaputnik – Have you tired googling “how to jack up a S2000″. Google that and you will find your answer.
The Factory Service Manual image depicted in the post is what I’d go by. If you are doing it for the first time, make sure there is someone around.
With so many opinions abounding, it seems that one has to find the best method by trial and error. Invest in an FSM though.
on May 11th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Perfect timing. Thank you for this.
on May 12th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Thanks aashish2. Tried, but still can’t find any photos. I have a good understanding of how to do it, and will follow the FSM. Was just hoping to see a photo of the jack stand support actually in contact with the jack points of the car. Part of the confusion is that most of the photos on our forum show the car supported by the frame rails
I think this is correct the S2KI transmission fluid change DIY. You get a pretty good look, and can see one of the jack stands from underneath.
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=22&t=565855&st=
on May 12th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
A fellow owner also gave me his advise in case you jack up your S2000. You can always put the wheels flat underneath the S and lower the car on them. Not a bad idea actually.
on May 13th, 2010 at 9:21 am
thanks for all the info ur really helpful
on May 14th, 2010 at 4:09 am
Just for the benefit of being complete …
Don’t jack the car on anything other than a hard level surface. That’s thick tarmac or concrete and NOTHING else.
The number of times i’ve seen pictures of cars jacked up on pea gravel, hardcore, grass with the axle stands at each corner, if you’re removing exhaust or using a lot of torque on a nut, that is just not a safe surface for it.
Also worth having some large thick flat pieces of wood to rest your jack / axle stands on as this spreads the weight more evenly, especially useful if you don’t have a thick tarmac / concrete surface to work on or if it’s a hot day and the tarmac is hot – this can make it too soft to support poorly spread weight. It also stops you marking the surface that you are using, especially important if it’s your parents drive / garage or you’ve painted the floor with expensive sealing paint.
on Jun 3rd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Wow good info. I for one place my rims under each corner of the car. I rather buy new rims then body parts. Just in case somehow the car slips of the jack or earthquake (we get them so often now) the rim will at least give me time to slip out.