Where are the best lift points on a 2001 Ford Windstar to use with a floor jack?

 

on the mounts on the botton in the front or rear

 

Allways try to jack up car in area where factory lifts points are located if possible (where does factory supplied jack go?)

In general....if unsure where to lift car in front....try to lift underneath where there is a crossmember of some sort that attaches directly to the frame on both sides. Do not lift car by engine oil pan!

For rear...Aerostar should have rear wheel drive so you should be able to lift rear by lifting under the differential (axle bulb) but make sure to block wheels when lifting

 

DO NOT LIFT THE CAR FROM THE FRONT!!! I can't stress this enough. The first point of lift that you spot from the front is the subframe assembly which hold the engine and tranny up. I just replaced this last year and it is a real bear to do. There are only 4 bolts that hold the subframe assembly to the car and this assembly catches a lot of road dirt/salt. Mine was paper thin when I replaced it and one of the attachment points was completely rusted loose. Jack the vehicle up from the sub-rails behind the front wheels. It will be tight to get a jack stand in there but it can be done. BTW, that subframe replacement cost me over $600 on the cheap and a couple of days w/o van. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your feedback on the 2001 Ford Windstar.

I recently brought the car to the local Ford dealer for a recall on a brake sensor. While there they showed me that the right rear section of the subframe where it bolts to the car is almost rusted through. They told me that the car will not pass inspection which will be due in June. The car has 165000 miles on it but runs great and doesn't burn any oil. The struts are starting to leak and the springs are rusted. My guess is just to get the subframe replaced will probably cost about $1000. I'm not sure I want to put this much money into a Ford with 165000 miles. The rest of the subframe looks pretty good. Is it possible to fix the section that's rusting through by some skillful welding?

Any suggestions would be appreciated?

 

I asked the same question when mine was rusted through. I called a qualified mechanic to ask how much a replacement would cost and if welding would be the answer. he told me that it depends on the amount of rust and the condition of the rest of the subframe. If part of it is that rusted out that it broke, the rest is probably close to breaking also. When I had mine replaced, my buddy who did it on the cheap, showed me the removed subframe. Boy, was I glad I had it replaced as the rest of it was ready to drop the engine.

My suggestion would be to find a shadetree mechanic that you can trust if you don't want to put a G into it. Mine had about the same amount of miles as yours and it is still going good. I would also replace the struts and springs while you're at it since all of that stuff has to come apart to replace the subframe. It should run about $400-$500 for struts and springs plus whatever your mechanic charges.

Hope this helps

 

Jay,

Thanks for the useful advice.