pinch weld

[Ghostrealm]

Hi guys, Have any of you taken your car to a place that jacked up the car by the pinch weld and chip or bend it? Im just curious if its common to see this on cars? Sometimes when you are not looking shops may jack it from there if they are not careful. Not sure if people have had damage done there to their Mustangs?

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[Cobra Jet]

Invest in a set of good jacking rails, prevents such damage and allows the vehicle to be lifted evenly from the side.

Also your concern is a valid one and any vehicle with pinch welds under the rockers is susceptible to bent or damaged pinch weld IF jacked improperly, Old school scissor jacks are notorious for destroying pinch welds...

You can also get a hockey puck (best), block of wood or other solid material and cut a slot in it. Place the material up onto the pinch weld, then place floor jack plate under it and proceed to jack the car without damage to the pinch welds. Some aftermarket vendors sell steel or aluminum jack plates for pinch welds.

 

[Ghostrealm]

Thanks so much for replying.

i know that these are good precautions when you do it yourself. Im just wondering have you taken your car somewhere where they didnt follow this procedure and damaged the pinch weld. If so how did you go about trying to get the issue resolved. Once the damage is done its too late. Is it possible to fix a slightly bent pinch weld or is guaranteed to rust because the integrity of the metal is compromised in that spot?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Thanks so much for replying.

i know that these are good precautions when you do it yourself. Im just wondering have you taken your car somewhere where they didnt follow this procedure and damaged the pinch weld.

VERY unlikely a shop would/could damage the pinch welds with jacking rails installed.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I’ve fixed pinch welds on prior Mustangs and other vehicles. If the pinch is just bent inward/outward and not squashed or rippled up against the rocker, get a pair of channel locks and a microfiber towel. Place the towel in between the 2 metal contact surfaces to avoid further surface damage to the pinch weld. Adjust the channel locks so it will form a very tight clamp onto the pinch weld and depending on which direction the pinch weld is bent, just carefully pull or push in the opposite direction to straighten or flatten out the pinch weld.

IF the pinch weld has been squashed, crushed, rippled or even torn there really is no way to fix it, without the expertise of a welder, because the pinch weld is the culmination of 2 pieces of spot welded sheet metal (inner and outer rocker sections).

If the pinch weld surface has been scraped, chipped, scratched, etc you can just coat it in POR15, which is a rust inhibitor and surface coating. This can be purchased from Eastwood.

As far as getting anyone to claim responsibility for damaging a pinch weld.....good luck. It’s your word against theirs and since it’s at the bottom of the vehicle it’s even harder to point fingers as to who actually damaged it. A shop can claim you hit or ran over something while driving OR it was you who damaged it while jacking the car.

Unless there’s some type of damage that would match up to something within the Shop who *might have* damaged the pinch weld, it’s very hard to get them to admit accountability unless you just keep pressing for resolution.

Most auto shops have a 4-post lift that either the vehicle drives up on or a 2-post lift with (4) swing arms. If the lift has 4 swing arms, those arms have thick rubber jack pads at the ends and are supposed to be placed at the factory jacking point locations.

 

[Ghostrealm]

Cobra Jet thank you so much . I will take your advice sir. I will try to install the jack rail.

However watch this the jack rail looks like it might be pulling something on this shelby. Upon further inspection I dont think this person even has rails on it no? this seems liek a bad place to jack as it could damage the paint there no?
Also I hear KBS coatings Rustseal is actually better than Por 15. Ever hear of KBS?

 

[Cobra Jet]

Cobra Jet thank you so much . I will take your advice sir. I will try to install the jack rail.

However watch this the jack rail looks like it might be pulling something on this shelby. Upon further inspection I dont think this person even has rails on it no?

I don’t see any jacking rail at all in that video.

Also to note:
On all S550’s, if you are looking under the car, up at the black ABS rocker extensions, at each end of the rocker there should be an embossed arrow (behind front tire and in front of rear tire). Those arrows are to point out the proper jacking locations for when using a floor jack OR a 2-post lift w/swing arms.

IF you try to jack by the pinch weld in any other location along the rocker than those marked areas, there is a high chance the pinch weld will get damaged, fold under or worse and depending on position of floor jack plate, you could actually cave in or crush the rocker (seen that before)....

In that video, the creaking or cracking heard is the plastic rocker being compressed by the jacking plate and pressure being put on the body as the weight of the vehicle is being lifted.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Here ya go, this is a good thread so you can see lift points on an S550:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...ar-to-place-stands-underneath-the-car.110815/

 

[Brazos609]

I don’t see any jacking rail at all in that video...In that video, the creaking or cracking heard is the plastic rocker being compressed by the jacking plate and pressure being put on the body as the weight of the vehicle is being lifted.

Look again, you can clearly see the black rail inboard of the blue pinch weld. Look at the jack pad, it isn't touching the pinch weld at all, only the black jacking rail.

 

[VooDooDaddy]

...Is it possible to fix a slightly bent pinch weld or is guaranteed to rust because the integrity of the metal is compromised in that spot?

OMG..., here we go again!

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/help-with-dealership-oil-change-advice.125874/

 

[Ghostrealm]

Thanks guys,
So you think Por 15 or KBS coatings will be good enough to paint over the chips?

 

[Cobra Jet]

Thanks guys,
So you think Por 15 or KBS coatings will be good enough to paint over the chips?

Yes certainly. Either product is good and will do the job as far as sealing the metal from future corrosion.

 

[redtrack]

This block is a simple way to protect the pinch welds using any type of jack. available at amazon.... It works!
DEWHEL Black Bolt on Premium Lift Pad Jack Pad Adapter Aluminum For Mustang 5th 6th Gen 05-18 Jack Points

 

[Ebm]

Thanks guys,
So you think Por 15 or KBS coatings will be good enough to paint over the chips?

Another great product like Por 15 or KBS is Skyco's Ospho. Not sure who all sells it besides Ace Hardware in store though.

+1 on the jacking rails. If you do your own work, you might think about investing in a hockey puck to go in the middle of the floor jack. If a shop works on your car, the jacking rails will save you from pinch weld or body damage.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

This block is a simple way to protect the pinch welds using any type of jack. available at amazon.... It works!
DEWHEL Black Bolt on Premium Lift Pad Jack Pad Adapter Aluminum For Mustang 5th 6th Gen 05-18 Jack Points

Good for DIY, but the OP is also concerned about a shop messing up his pinch welds (has happened already). Those and similar adapters aren't much defense against ham-fisted shop staff. Rails would make it harder for them to mess up the pinch welds because they run most of the length that a shop might try to lift on.

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