Waning: If TC is put on lift for service good chance its done wrong. Damage & rust.

[Campcrazy]

Just giving you guys a heads up. Before I bought my 2013 TC a few weeks ago, I had them put it on a lift so I could inspect it underneath. It was clean with no rust, and I am going to get it rust proofed this spring.

But I noticed this lift and prior times it had been lifted had caused damage by just where they lifted the truck, and this would very quickly rot out the body unless its addressed.

There is a big pinch seam that runs down both sides underneath the TC, just a few inches in from the rocker panels. This seam joins two pieces of body sheet metal and sticks down from the truck by a good bit, like maybe an inch. You can see this seam easily by standing back from either side of the truck ten or twenty feet and looking just underneath the rock panels. In my case the missing paint in spots was obvious.

If the lift they are using has arms to support the vehicle, rather than the type where the vehicle wheels rest on the lift, make sure you tell them to adjust the arms so they don't raise it on those pinch seams.

I could see not only the paint and I think a caulk broken and pealed off, exposing the metal to rusting and water intrusion between the seam, but also the seam its self in one spot was crushed a little and starting to separate. There were obvious places where this has occurred from prior lifts and the lift it was on when I was inspecting it.

Luckily no rust has started yet, but before I have the truck rustproofed this spring I'm going to lightly sand these seams, treat them with a rust arresting product, and then paint them and all the way out to the bottom edge of the rocker panels with a rock hard bedliner material.

This should prevent further new damage should somebody lift the vehicle on the pinch seams again because the bedliner will resist cracking or chipping, but I'm going to be darn sure to tell any future service garage to not lift it on those seams. Luckily I do 99% of all work on my vehicles so I don't have to worry about that situation too much.

Check yours out to ward off problems. If paint is missing get under there inspect and seal things with a good rust arrestor even if you don't see any rust, and paint it with a chip guard or bedliner. I'm trying to decide if I want to use a rubberized bedliner or a rock hard type, which I hear is less risk at pealing?

Edited March 3, 2016 by Campcrazy

[G B L]

I can"t speak for the Gen 1 but the rocker panel has arrows embosed in them for the rocker Panel lifting points on the Gen 2

Clear as a sunny day.

[103west43rd]

Correct GBL, the first generation Transit Connect also has arrows pointing to the correct location. Campcrazy is also correct, the seams are in the middle of the correct lift point.

[mrtn]

Nice of everyone to over look my comment above.. so I reposted in bold it once more for those who may have missed it.

Here we go again.

[G B L]

The Rocker seams at the arrows are reinforced to handle the Jack loads so if the Lift pad is centered on the arrow the seam will take the load until the internal rust weakens the rocker panel assembly.

The Gen 2 also has a plastic rocker cover that will be damaged if the Jack pushes on it.

Edited March 4, 2016 by G B L

[mrtn]

I have made a snug fit wooden block for the seam to protect it when I lift the car with a jack.

[G B L]

Sounds good , the lift contact area of the supplied scissor jack is very small so the seam and the rocker panel must be pretty strong. The jack is very unforgiving and if it does not meet the jack point right it will deform the channel.

The biggest problem is mud and road salt and debris that gets past the fender liner and infiltrates and then rusts the rocker box compromises the rocker structure and then the jack collapses the box.

[103west43rd]

mrtn, thanks for reminding me. The few times I needed to lift the van, I also made a block of wood with a slot to fit.