Does anyone have a photo of the front jacking point that I can use to lift the whole front end please. I can't work it out from the diagram and don't want to bend/break anything important. Thanks.
Its really easy In the front right behind the bumper there is a strut that widens in the center towards the ground. Its located just before the stabilizer bar. I do not have a picture but if you look underneath its the first thing you can see
I'd avoid jacking from the front center as its putting a lot of weight on a part thats not really designed for it. Can't remember if there's a suspension crossmember you can use. I always prefer ramps if possible or jack from the sides or suspension points then use stands.
I thought I saw in the manual that you should lift it from the centre, both front and back and use jack stands at the sill points behind/in front of the wheels (those I've seen used for tyre swaps)? I've not tried it yet - but that's what I'd intended to do since it would seem to be easier to get two stands under the front/back at the same time. What's the consensus? Regards Andy
I thought the manual was recommending the front and rear centre points. One of my sill points is crushed anyway so that rules it out plus it's easier to lift on a slightly sloped drive. P.S. @Salieri thanks. I'll have a look again.
I always lift my car on the center jacking point and it seems to be sturdy. Its like a blob on the underside of the frame, it sticks out. Cannot miss it
I think I've found it. As you say, it's right in front of the stabiliser. Am I right in thinking that you use the rear recovery hook as the central point for the back end ? I've got a slight rubbing noise one one rear wheel (it spins freely) but it wasn't too steady with the trolley jack due to the fact that the rubber pad was easing out, so I'm going to use the trolley jack on the rear and the scissor as a support under the sill.
Car body's are always strongest inside the wheelbase. The front of the car is built with crumple zones and is really only there to provide some triangulation for the front suspension and hold the bonnet down. It may be strong enough to jack from or the car may be flexing and stressing joints each time you do it. No way of knowing but our cars are getting older and weaker so I'll take the safer option. Also when jacking you car, close the roof, Windows and doors. It all helps stop the body twisting.
I printed a few copies of that diagram and have handed them over each time I've visited the garage in the hope they wouldn't use the rear beam. Having been under the car with a mechanic, it's easy to see how they would miss the big sticker though because they move the lifting points from the front backwards down their ramps whereas you would wheel a trolley jack in from the back. Anyway, I still reckon the diagram is deceptive until someone spells out where the specific locations are. I suppose we should be grateful that they did at least translate them to English.
@jez77 Your roads must be better than ours here in the U.K. because jacking the car up is positively pampering the suspension and body You can hear our Copen groan when they are lowered back onto the crappy potholed roads. Still, we only contribute a few billion quid to the government coffers so mustn't grumble.
I'd say the jacking points in the owners book are the easiest and safest places for the average joker to jack the car without it falling on his head not the best places for the integrity of the body. Really only meant for occasional use when changing a tyre. Daihatsu would also know most servicing is done on a ramp or car lift that supports the car either the wheels or subframe. I'll be sticking to ramps when possible or the suspension point on mine. Run away from any mechanic that tries to jack of the rear beam in any car. Don't remember the last time I saw a mechanic use anything other than a car lift anyway. Aussie roads are bad too. Combination of huge country, huge road network and small population = crappy roads.
Is it ok to lift the whole side of the car by jacking it from somewhere in the centre? I want to swap the front and back wheels to equalise the tyre wear. That would be the easiest way to do it.
Jack it up at the front center (there is a metal frame with a downwards bump just behind the front bumper) and change the front tires, then do the back individually. I do not think it would be good to jack it up at the side-center
It depends what tyre rotation you’re trying to do. If it’s straight front to back, as a mimimum, I’d use a jack and an axle stand at the designated jacking points. Lift the front on the centre point highlighted by @Salieri then put the axle stand under the front jacking point before lifting the rear side on the jack. Remove the wheel closest to the stand first and then the rear before doing the swap on the rear. This will minimise the time you’re relying on the jack to hold the rear of the car. If you’re planning to to an “opposite corner” rotation, you’re going to need more kit or a lot of luck
Also, you're going to have to rotate the tires on the rims. Most tires have a single driving direction, and it's highly advisable for the ones that don't to not change the direction.
I can't say I've heard of anyone doing that; but anyway, I'm just going to swap front and back on the same sides, so nothing will be turning in a different direction. I'm just looking for the simplest way to take front and back wheels off at the same time. I can't see much point in "opposite corner" rotation; not if your wheel alignment has been maintained. That kind of rotation, as I recall, dates from back when people didn't worry too much about nicities like alignment, and tyres didn't last all that long, anyway.
I'd jack it up at the front, put axle stands under the front side jacking points, jack up the back and put axle stands under the rear side jacking points. Obviously, this plan is highly dependent on the availability of four axle stands. These can of course be substituted for anything you deem safe to you and harmless to your Copen.
