Hi all,

I needed some confirmation on an interesting question that was asked today. Is there a need to keep the doors shut or open when raising a corvette in the air on a lift? I was told that they had to be positioned in a specific way before raising due to body flex. I have a'71 and never heard of this. I also posted this in the C6 forum to make sure.

Thanks in advance!

-Ross

 

Our C3's are old, the frames do flex. Opening and closing the doors while it is on a lift or jacked up will probably make the doors bump and grind a bit. Once the car is on level ground all should be well again.

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I understand where you are comming from and a DeeVeeEight is right that the frame will flex the only problem you might run into is that you might not be able to open the door once it is on the lift but that really shouldnt be a problem and one the car is back on the ground there should be no problems

 

While I've never had a problem with mine, I always jack it up with doors closed but have never had any problem opening them when it's up. I suspect it might be more of a problem with the roadsters since they don't have the upper half of the "bird cage".

 

The first I ever heard about "keeping the doors open when going up w/ the 'Vette on a lift" (a hydraulic lift thatholds the car under the frame)was when I got my exhaust installed. (In the 'Vette GM manual, it shows the exact spots to either lift the car (4 points)under the frame all at once, or lift the car w/ a jack only in one spot, both different)
Through the shop that did my seats, in the same original design, I was referred to the guy who did all their exhaust work. The upholstery shop did interiors for most of the top cars "magazine muscle cars" in the Shreveport, La. area. A small exhaust shop, and only the owner doing the work, all done w/ gas welding-super smooth. The guy (Charlie) adjusted the lift arms under my 'Vette and then opened the doors, not wide open, just where they were completely unlatched. He told me that he had owned a number of 'Vettes, which the upholstery shop guys had told me about, and a bunch of other muscle cars, and especially the "T-top models" are vulnerable to the T-tops cracking (he said that he had seen it happen to two different 'Vettes in his lifetime.) from frame flex when being put in the air on a lift. He said also for the sake of the fiberglass stressing, it's best to open the doors and let it move. From that point on, I paid particular attention to jacking and lifting my 'Vette.