Is it safe to lift the front of a car on to axle stands by lifting one side at a time from the rear pinch welds?

Question

My car doesn't have a front central lifting point according to the service manual, and this diagram suggests any front chassis members are obscured by a cover.

Is it safe to lift the car one side at a time from the rear pinch welds, and put axle stands under the front pinch welds, as per this video? I'm concerned that when jacking the other side, the car will be supported diagonally across a front and rear pinch weld on opposite sides. It sounds unstable, or it might tilt the wrong way with the weight of the engine.

The aim is to remove the front wheels to bleed the front brakes. I don't believe I need to go under the car with the front wheels removed, so alternatively I could consider supporting the front pinch welds on locking trolley jacks.

Answer 1

It is absolutely okay to lift one side at a time. It is a little more precarious, so more caution should be used, especially on the 2nd side (after first jack stand is placed), as you run the risk of it slipping or tipping the jack stand if not done correctly. To do it correctly, you want to ensure as you're lifting it, the vehicle isn't shifting either forward/back or side/side. Ensure you place your jack stand at a position which is a solid mount point. The idea here is to just not put yourself under the vehicle when lifted to enable placement of the jack stand. If you use the pinch weld, it's probably better to put something between the jack stand and the pinch weld like a piece of 2x4. If there is a subframe a little further inboard from the pinch weld which may be a better placement for the jack stand (still using a piece of 2x4). The 2x4 should be at least 6-8" long. Its purpose is to spread the load of the car across a broader area. I've found the head of the jack stand places a lot of stress in a localized area.