[5961]

Have you guys ever used one of these things????

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MG9CNUX?psc=1

Do they work??? Do you think that they would be OK for our Fiat Spiders pinch rails. The inside gap, by the magnets, is about 5/8", deep, which I measured is approx the space by our THREE Plates of Pinch rail, where I believe we are suppose to use for jacking the car.

I am thinking of jacking the car with this thing, then finding an appropriate place under the car to put my jack stands.

what do you guys think... Worth buying?? or Not??

Thanks... Cyberbill, Austin.

 

[Jon]

I'm sure they wouldn't design it that way, but that one looks like it holds it up by the seam, not the sides. I've had this Flyin Miata one for probably 5 years now for various vehicles, I'd recommend it.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/fm-jack-adapter.html

 

[TomM]

Ameridan just had a blog post about this. https://21stcenturyfiat124spider.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/jacking-up-the-124-spider/

 

[SJWhiteley]

The jack doesn't actually sit on the seam (see ameridans blog with the scissor jack at the seam, item D shows the jack not contacting the seam); there is a solid platform (maybe 5 inches by 1 1/2?) behind the seam that the jack sits on - the wide portion of the jack. You can feel it with your hand. It has a divot between the two seam markers.

Ameridans blog post is good: shows the sub frame jack points. Also noted is that it doesn't appear to be a good idea to jack at the seam other than at the jack points. From a physics standpoint, putting any vertical force on the seam is not a good idea.

I just jacked up a Subaru Outback which has the very same mechanism, and the jack is suspiciously like the same jack that would be supplied with this vehicle.

I'm sure there are other structural points under the body which can support the weight of the car, and have seen lifts supporting this chassis at those points. Using a low profile trolley jack at the subframes, and stands at the jack points, supporting the reinforced section behind the seam, appears to be the best garage option to work around and under the car.

I'll be making some hockey puck supports which mate with the axle stands I have.

 

[JFernald]

I bought the hockey puck that Ameridan showed in his blog. That just makes a lot of sense for changing tires and the like while at home. Lifting at the rails will also allow me to place jack stands on those other hard spots that I discussed in an earlier post or the ones shown in use by the professional style lifts.

 

[Bob Z]

I've used jacking pucks in the past and they work well, especially when there are slots for them and they protect the finish as well. Maybe they can go into the holes that are used to tie down the car during shipping? The ones that dealers are supposed to put the plugs in?

 

[JFernald]

I discovered that the Service Manual that TechAuthority sent me on disk is not up to date. When I asked them if they would be updating my version, they sent me a note that they would get back to me. They got back to me today by sending me a receipt for an online order of a three-day subscription to the online version of the Service Manual. The receipts shows a $35 charge and a corresponding discount. So, I went online and sure enough, I have access to the online manual. The section on hoisting the vehicle is up to date online. While their response was timely and did help answer that one question, I am now faced with the task of finding all of the missing sections online and printing them off over the next 3 days. Their are quite a few of them and it will take hours to identify them and print. I could print them to a pdf file, making them available on my laptop, rather than on paper.

I just don't feel like taking the time to do that and am very disappointed that they did not confirm that my request for an updated disk would be honored. I am probably just going to wait till I encounter another non-responsive section and hope that they will give me free online access in the future.

 

[JFernald]

I just received this message from TechAuthority. I think it says it all. I am no longer upset with them. This is the most appropriate response I could ask for.

"Dear jfernald,

Thank you for contacting Mopar’s TechAuthority regarding the incomplete information provided on your purchase of the 2017 Fiat Spider Service Manual. Mopar TechAuthority’s mission is to provide our customers with quality products and concise technical information for the care of their vehicles. It would never be our intention to provide our customers with incomplete information. Due to a critical quality oversight, the incomplete product was placed on the eStore as ready for distribution. We have removed the Service Manual from the eStore to correct the issue.

We wish to apologize for any inconvenience you’ve experience and wish to offer you a complimentary 3-day subscription to Mopar TechAuthority online. Simply login to TechAuthority. The subscription will expire March 4, 2017. We will provide you with a replacement Service Manual CD once we have corrected the quality issues.

We are issuing a call tag to pick up the incomplete CD from you. UPS will pick up the package at your home, they will make 3 attempts. Please use the attached shipping label and enclose the return form in the package, include the return authorization # xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on the forms.

Again, we are sorry for any inconvenience you experienced. You are a valued customer and we are committed to providing you the highest level of service.

If you have any other questions or if we can be of further assistance, please call us at 1-800-xxx-xxxx, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

Sincerely,
Joe Doe
Mopar’s TechAuthority"

(I removed sensitive information)

 

[pikeman]

That looks a lot like an :\"appliance" that someone on Miata.net made with a hockey puck. It was certainly cheaper!
Pete

 

[chrisd37]

Just ordered the TechAuthority service manual "USB" for the 2020 124 Spider Abarth. Mine's a 2019 but 2019 doesn't appear on their list of available manuals.

As an interesting aside, you can actually URL-hack and find a 2019 SM. The years 20, 18 and 17 appear in their respective 20, 18 and 17 SM URLs, so guessing 19 for 19 was very easy.

Having read about one of these manuals being out of date, I chose the listed 2020 SM rather than the listed 2018 SM (vs risking whatever's up with the 2019 SM to make them hide its availability). Here's hoping the 2020 is pretty well the same as the 2019!

Anyone know what they mean when they say the SM is a USB? I assumed that meant a thumb drive, but a thumb drive is $16.28 shipping? That should be like $4 even at a tidy 100%+ profit on shipping, so I am really wondering what this USB SM will actually be on, or in.

 

[ameridan]

Wait till you see what the thumb drive looks like - a credit card. Shipping should be 51 cents! (or free)

There is a note when you open the USB files:
This USB contains the most current data available at the time of publication and will not contain future updates.

so my guess is it will actually be the 2017 manual anyways, no matter what's printed on the outside.

 

[Calehedron]

The 2018 manual came on CD for me but the wiring manual was on the "credit card".

 

[chrisd37]

Aye yie yie, why not just have it downloadable? Oh right, 'cause they'd make $15.76 and the price of a 1982 Forever Stamp less per sale. Well if it's basically the same as 2017, maybe it will include any updates since then. I mean why not, they had all of 2019 to update it after getting complaints on the 2018, lol. Plus, since it's digital, it's not like they'd have to rearrange any dies on any printing presses!

 

[CDPond]

Aye yie yie, why not just have it downloadable? Oh right, 'cause they'd make $15.76 and the price of a 1982 Forever Stamp less per sale. Well if it's basically the same as 2017, maybe it will include any updates since then. I mean why not, they had all of 2019 to update it after getting complaints on the 2018, lol. Plus, since it's digital, it's not like they'd have to rearrange any dies on any printing presses!

If you look at the prices at the MOPAR Tech Authority or any of the cards that hold either the electrical or service information, be squatted over a toilet before you look at the price. You're going to [email protected] your pants otherwise. It's not the $15.76 in shipping you're going to have to worry about, though if you do want online access without needing local media, you can get a subscrption from them for something like a couple grand.

 

[Doug]

Think you're self lucky. They want $97 to post it to the UK!!! Then I would still have to pay import duty.