Jacking pucks to lift FGT to change tires


cgtandfgt

New member
Mar 8, 2023
2
Henderson, NV
Hi Guys,

New FGT owner here. Looking to change the old Goodyear tires currently on the car to a new set of Bridgestones. Reading the forum, using jacking pucks (ie. CoolTech) seems recommended to lift the car. I had a mobile tire installer ready to come over to change the tires but postponed after reading the thread about using jacking pucks.

Couple of questions;

1) Seems Cooltech no longer sells these pucks on their site. Is there any other place or brand of pucks that is recommended for the 05/06 FGT?

2) If I can't source a set of pucks, is the best place to change tires the Ford dealership? Obviously there are many 3rd party tire shops but not sure they would use/have the right set of pucks.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Fred
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,059
Las Vegas, NV
Just get some hockey pucks at your local sporting goods store.

Ford doesn't do anything special - they will just put the jacks on the spots and if they overflow on to the belly pan that's the way it is...
 

Stef

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 5, 2009
1,082
Southern California
Congrats on your new GT.
You can also make them out of food cutting board with a compass and a jigsaw. Also try online for hard neoprene floor jack protective inserts. I did both. You might also need a low or racing type floor jack.
Until I got my low racing jack I used a regular type but had to partially pull up on ramps and chock the wheels so it could slide under. A little tedious but it worked. Pull up forward for the fronts, back up on the ramps for the rears.

I wouldn't take it to just any Ford dealer either. Unless it's someone like Pat Milliken or Galpin with dedicated Ford GT techs.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,059
Las Vegas, NV
Ford thinks very highly of their Ford GT oil changes. The last time I was going to have them do it it was over $500. The reason is they have to take the belly pans off and they can't do that in their quick change lane so you get to pay the cost of a regular service bay. If you can, do it yourself. It's no more difficult (except for the time to take the belly pan off) than any other car. One thing - the drain will spill on the frame. Others here have a drain but I just used a piece of cardboard.

I got Ford oil and filter from Rock Auto for half what Ford dealer wanted.
 
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fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,490
Belleville, IL
A good tire shop should be able to it. Go in first and explain what you need. The bigger question is can they handle the high speed balancing needs to mount tires for use in excess of 185 mph. There are plenty of pics here on where the Jack points are at. Print one and take it with you. Mine have been done on an alignment rack. Easy to put the center Jack's under the jacking points.
 
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Simon

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 19, 2013
1,231
Houston
I think I may have a set CoolTech pucks if your interested
 
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cgtandfgt

New member
Mar 8, 2023
2
Henderson, NV
I think I may have a set CoolTech pucks if your interested
I am interested. Please DM me your price.
 

Simon

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 19, 2013
1,231
Houston
I am interested. Please DM me your price.
I am interested. Please DM me your price.
I will ...let me see if I can find them tonight.
 
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GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
861
Issaquah
A good tire shop should be able to it. Go in first and explain what you need. The bigger question is can they handle the high speed balancing needs to mount tires for use in excess of 185 mph. There are plenty of pics here on where the Jack points are at. Print one and take it with you. Mine have been done on an alignment rack. Easy to put the center Jack's under the jacking points.
I gotta wonder about the the necessity of high speed balancing. Sure it'd be great, but since my rear tires have rotated on the rim about +/-2" that is gone.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,059
Las Vegas, NV
Easy to put the center Jack's under the jacking points.

Are you referring to the B-pillar points? These are not mentioned in any of the official jacking points but it is located right under the B-pillar. There is a structural cross member that goes all the way across to the outer frame members. The location is where the screws that mount the two parts of the belly pan. If you jack from that point you can lift the entire side (front and rear) at once and get jack stands under both front and rear at the same time. I was a little uncomfortable in raising it all the way up so I went up about 2/3, put the stands under, went to the other side with full and then back to the first side for the rest of the way.
 

Howard

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 26, 2007
1,136
Florida/North Jersey
When you do that (as above ^^^) the second side will have reduced clearance for the jack. Plan on shallow ramps before you lift the first side.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,059
Las Vegas, NV
When you do that (as above ^^^) the second side will have reduced clearance for the jack. Plan on shallow ramps before you lift the first side.
Indeed, tilting it from one side reduced the other side but I have a low profile jack, which is almost essential for this car anyway (I got mine for my Cobra). Mine is old but I like the one from Harbor Freight. It's even lower and much lighter.
 

extrap

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 16, 2020
1,759
Gainesville FL
bottom-of-fgt-lift-jack-pointsb-jpg.67009
 
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ByeEnzo

GT
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Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,283
Fort Worth, TX
This ^^^^^
I've used the above illustrated hard points to lift up the whole side of car at once to change tires on that side. Need a low profile jack and a small block of wood. Used to track my car a lot and swapped tires easily that way.
 

Simon

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 19, 2013
1,231
Houston
Found them....DM Sent
 

fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,490
Belleville, IL
No, I am referring to the moveable Jack's on the alignment rack. Not only do they move back and forth, but they have extensions on them to reach the Jack points. I put my pucks (designed and made by Analogdesigner) on the extensions. my pucks have a "nipple" on them to fit in the round cavity of the frame member.
 

The Grey Ghost

GT Owner
Mar 13, 2009
685
Kansas City
No, I am referring to the moveable Jack's on the alignment rack. Not only do they move back and forth, but they have extensions on them to reach the Jack points. I put my pucks (designed and made by Analogdesigner) on the extensions. my pucks have a "nipple" on them to fit in the round cavity of the frame member.
I do this at home on a regular basis using both hockey pucks and sometimes a square flat section of 2x4.
 

PeteK

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 18, 2014
2,283
Kalama, Free part of WA State
If you use a floor jack, you will need one that is BOTH "long reach" and "low profile." Otherwise the thick body of the jack will not allow you to push it under the car far enough to reach the 4 front and rear jacking points.
 

Simon

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Feb 19, 2013
1,231
Houston
SOLD

7E67F3D0-2CDA-42F3-8E20-7560D2B73780.jpeg
 

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KJD

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 21, 2005
1,012
Location, Location
These custom made Analogdesigner "pucks" are perfect for sure!

Hockey pucks, wood, etc. all work though if used correctly to protect the belly pans.