How to Properly Jack Up Your Dodge Challenger

Why Jacking the Challenger Incorrectly Causes Damage

The 2022 Challenger uses a unibody construction with rocker panels that house the structural pinch welds. These pinch welds are not designed to support the weight of the entire car — placing a floor jack directly under a rocker panel pinch weld will bend or crush it.

Many Challenger owners have learned this the hard way. The fix requires body work or replacement rocker panels.

Jack Points: Where to Put the Floor Jack

Front of the vehicle:

• The front subframe cross member — the solid steel crossmember visible when you look under the front of the car
• The front differential/K-member mounting area on V8 models
• Never under the oil pan — the pan is thin aluminum and will crack

Rear of the vehicle:

• The rear differential housing (center of the rear axle)
• The solid rear crossmember/subframe
• Never under the fuel tank skid plate

For individual corner lifting (wheel removal):

• The lower control arm near the wheel — this is a solid, reinforced piece that handles lifting without damage

Jack Stand Placement

Once the car is raised, jack stands must support the vehicle on solid structural points:

Front: Frame rails (the solid steel rails that run front-to-back, visible from underneath near the engine bay)

Rear: Rear frame rails or the axle housing (on the diff, centered)

Never leave the car on a floor jack alone — jacks can fail and the result is catastrophic.

Using Rocker Panel Pucks

If you need to place a jack under the rocker area, use rubber rocker panel pucks — thick rubber adapters that spread the load over the pinch weld flange without crushing it.

For Challengers that have been lowered (especially on coilovers with minimal ground clearance), a low-profile floor jack is essential. Standard floor jacks often can't fit under a lowered Challenger without touching the rocker.

Recommended: A 2-ton low-profile racing floor jack with a minimum lift height of 3–3.5" provides enough clearance to get under a stock or mildly lowered Challenger.

Ramps as an Alternative

For oil changes and other under-car work where you don't need to remove wheels, drive-up ramps are safer and faster than jacking. Position ramps on flat, level ground and drive slowly onto them.

Ramps typically raise the front end 4–6 inches — enough for oil drain access on a stock-height Challenger.