[mecheng77]

I found a lot of the videos and information online regarding jacking a BMW very uninformative and even dangerous so I decided to make a video and custom jacking pads for both my jack and jack stands.

Enjoy, be safe and Merry Christmas.

[Greyfox]

I cut the tops of my jack stands to fit the pockets and took 1" square tubing cut it to 2 1/2" long and welded it to 3" square 1/4" think metal to work on my hydraulic jacks.

[Biginboca]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

I cut the tops of my jack stands to fit the pockets and took 1" square tubing cut it to 2 1/2" long and welded it to 3" square 1/4" think metal to work on my hydraulic jacks.

X2! I just trimmed the tops of 4 harbor freight jack stands to fit inside the pockets under the Bimmer. Took about 10 seconds per cut with a cordless sawsall.

To jack the car onto the stands I just use the center points.

[mecheng77]

Post a pic if you can I'd be curious to see

[nissubaru]

I'd also be curious to see how they fit with the tops hacked off. I use my stands for more than just my BMW though so I might prefer what OP posted.

I recently bought some replacement pads/pockets and the proper jack tool but I've yet to use it because they'll just get wrecked again when I put them on stands. Also I didn't watch the whole vid but while were on the topic, I use two jacks, one to lift up from the front side jack points and then the other to lift from the front center point. I can't get a jack under the front because of how low my car is unless I do it this way. Then I pull the one jack on the side and place jack stands before lowering the front to get my jack out of the way.

I was surprised the first time I went to jack this car up. It's simpler now but I'm always looking for ways to make it more safer or get it higher off the ground.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

Post a pic if you can I'd be curious to see

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ht=jack+stands

Just make sure you bevel the edge or they will slice through the jack points.

[Efthreeoh]

Use the correct procedure and proper tools...

Most people do not know how to properly use a floor saddle jack.

[jwalker87]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Use the correct procedure and proper tools...

Most people do not know how to properly use a floor saddle jack.

I second those jack stands. After living with the standard U-shaped ones for several years, I broke down and bought 4 of those, as well as 5 jack pad adapters (one for each jack stand, plus one for the jack just in case). Boy does it make everything easy! And those jack stands, while expensive, ooze quality. Worth every penny (especially when you have 3 bimmers...).

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...ht=jack+stands

Just make sure you bevel the edge or they will slice through the jack points.

Not a bad solution! I have some other makes which require the typical
Profile so hence my adaptor which I will convert from prototype to steel.
Nice job

[Efthreeoh]

There is no need for "jack pad adapters" if one has the correct tools and uses the correct procedure to lift a BMW. The problem with the the "jack pads" (they are actually called "Support Lifting Platform" by BMW - so I'll call them "lift points") is people use them incorrectly because they use a floor jack incorrectly. Per the BMW TIS procedure I posted earlier, the correct way is to jack the car up from the center front and center rear jack points and set the car down on flat-topped jack stands.

The correct way to use a floor jack is to make sure it rolls underneath the vehicle as it is being lifted; most people do not understand this. Most all floor jacks lift the saddle plate (the round dish at the end of the jack that contacts the car's chassis) in an arch, so either the car has to move over the jack, or the jack needs to move underneath the car at is lifts. That is why floor jacks have wheels. The cheap, poorly made floor jacks do not roll very well on their wheels (you should grease the axles to make it roll better), so when the car is being lifted, the jack is actually pulling on the car as it is lifting it.

This effect is even worse when people use the lift points on the sides of the car to jack the car up. Because the car doesn't roll sideways and the shit-crap jacks most people use don't roll well, the jack plate ends up pulling on the lift point with a side load force, which tears it up. The lift point is not designed to take this type of load, which is why people end up inventing and making "jack pad adapters".

The correct way to lift a BMW using a floor jack is to always put it on 4 stands. Jack up the car starting at the rear using the diff housing. This lets the front wheels roll (and the car roll) rearward over the jack as the jack rolls forward underneath the car. Once it is at height, set the flat-topped jack stands underneath the lift points and gently lower the rear onto the stands. Then repeat the procedure at the front. What most people do is jack the car up by the front first with the parking brake on and the car in gear (auto trans in Park), which doesn't let the car roll over the jack as it lifts. If the car is jacked from the front, release the parking brake and put the car in neutral. Of course all this assumes you are lifting the car on a hard, level surface, such as a concrete garage floor.

I have a 2-post lift, so I lift the car using the side lift points. I've left the car for weeks at a time on the lift sitting just on the plastic lift points and they've never even deformed under the continuous load. It's because the loads are applied correctly to the plastic blocks as they were designed for.

My 2 cents.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

There is no need for "jack pad adapters" if one has the correct tools and uses the correct procedure to lift a BMW. The problem with the the "jack pads" (they are actually called "Support Lifting Platform" by BMW - so I'll call them "lift points") is people use them incorrectly because they use a floor jack incorrectly. Per the BMW TIS procedure I posted earlier, the correct way is to jack the car up from the center front and center rear jack points and set the car down on flat-topped jack stands.

The correct way to use a floor jack is to make sure it rolls underneath the vehicle as it is being lifted; most people do not understand this. Most all floor jacks lift the saddle plate (the round dish at the end of the jack that contacts the car's chassis) in an arch, so either the car has to move over the jack, or the jack needs to move underneath the car at is lifts. That is why floor jacks have wheels. The cheap, poorly made floor jacks do not roll very well on their wheels (you should grease the axles to make it roll better), so when the car is being lifted, the jack is actually pulling on the car as it is lifting it.

This effect is even worse when people use the lift points on the sides of the car to jack the car up. Because the car doesn't roll sideways and the shit-crap jacks most people use don't roll well, the jack plate ends up pulling on the lift point with a side load force, which tears it up. The lift point is not designed to take this type of load, which is why people end up inventing and making "jack pad adapters".

The correct way to lift a BMW using a floor jack is to always put it on 4 stands. Jack up the car starting at the rear using the diff housing. This lets the front wheels roll (and the car roll) rearward over the jack as the jack rolls forward underneath the car. Once it is at height, set the flat-topped jack stands underneath the lift points and gently lower the rear onto the stands. Then repeat the procedure at the front. What most people do is jack the car up by the front first with the parking brake on and the car in gear (auto trans in Park), which doesn't let the car roll over the jack as it lifts. If the car is jacked from the front, release the parking brake and put the car in neutral. Of course all this assumes you are lifting the car on a hard, level surface, such as a concrete garage floor.

I have a 2-post lift, so I lift the car using the side lift points. I've left the car for weeks at a time on the lift sitting just on the plastic lift points and they've never even deformed under the continuous load. It's because the loads are applied correctly to the plastic blocks as they were designed for.

My 2 cents.

Yes you are correct about the arc motion. When jacking from the side I believe
The car will slide or the rubber will deform to take up the arc motion, but I do
Agree if you need to lift the car start rear.

Most people who jack the plastic in compression won't run into any problem but I can assure you plastic is weak and when it gets old it gets brittle. I would caution anyone jacking it this way

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Use the correct procedure and proper tools...

Most people do not know how to properly use a floor saddle jack.

Those are nice but I don't see how they lock into the jack or jack stand any better than what I demonstrated

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

Those are nice but I don't see how they lock into the jack or jack stand any better than what I demonstrated

That's the point, when the stands have a flat top the lifting blocks don't need to lock into anything. The only reason people make adapters is because they are using axle/frame stands made to hold up a car by a solid axle or under the frame (rails). The lifting blocks have the hollowed out center and thin walls so that the chassis doesn't get damaged if the blocks hit something like a curb or parking block; they are designed to break away from the rocker panel. The hollowed out center is not designed for something to lock into it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

Yes you are correct about the arc motion. When jacking from the side I believe
The car will slide or the rubber will deform to take up the arc motion, but I do
Agree if you need to lift the car start rear.

Most people who jack the plastic in compression won't run into any problem but I can assure you plastic is weak and when it gets old it gets brittle. I would caution anyone jacking it this way

Well I've owned my E90 since it was new, which is now 11 and a half years old and has 3 of the 4 original lifting blocks it came with from the factory (I've broken the left rear twice driving into my garage because it drags on the apron). I can assure you that the plastic doesn't get brittle and fail over time. I just had my car on the lift doing the suspension in mid November. It sat on the lift arms for 9 days straight. People do not use the correct tools and correct procedure to lift the car, which is why the blocks fail. My Wife's Z3 is now 20 years old and has at least 3 of the original lifting pads, same thing as the E90, no damage. Ditto for my 9 year old Z4.

When the car is sitting on 4 stands, it's not going to go anywhere and is as safe to be under as sleeping in your crib when you were a baby. When it's sitting on two stands and two wheels are on the ground, THAT'S when it is unsafe.

[nissubaru]

So what are we saying deforms the jack pads then? The act of jacking up the car from the sides or putting them on regular non-flat/u shaped jack stands? My jack pads were trashed when I got the car so I bought replacements to install but Im afraid as soon as I put them down on my jack pads they're gonna get crushed again.

Next question I think we didn't answer was whether or not the jack pad adapter was necessary? Sounds like the front and rear jack points are all that should be used if I'm reading these posts correctly? Did BMW design these cars with the intention they would always be lifted 4 points at a time or by the front/rear method as opposed to one wheel at a time? Considering we don't have spares tires(afaik) BMW didn't intend for the vehicle to be lifted from the side and only using one jack point?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm reading into this, I'm really curious what the intention by BMW was because I'm not always trying to put the car up on all fours when I'm just working on the front (oil change, dps, water pump etc). Currently I jack from the side, ensuring the wheels on the jack have room to roll and then when I get enough space I slide another jack under the front jack point to lift the front and place on stands.

Haven't had the car on all fours yet but same concern applies, if I jack the rear up first then I basically have the front slammed on the ground and there's no way in hell I'm getting my jack over there any more...any tips for those of us with lowered suspension? Thanks

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

So what are we saying deforms the jack pads then? The act of jacking up the car from the sides or putting them on regular non-flat/u shaped jack stands? My jack pads were trashed when I got the car so I bought replacements to install but Im afraid as soon as I put them down on my jack pads they're gonna get crushed again.

Next question I think we didn't answer was whether or not the jack pad adapter was necessary? Sounds like the front and rear jack points are all that should be used if I'm reading these posts correctly? Did BMW design these cars with the intention they would always be lifted 4 points at a time or by the front/rear method as opposed to one wheel at a time? Considering we don't have spares tires(afaik) BMW didn't intend for the vehicle to be lifted from the side and only using one jack point?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm reading into this, I'm really curious what the intention by BMW was because I'm not always trying to put the car up on all fours when I'm just working on the front (oil change, dps, water pump etc). Currently I jack from the side, ensuring the wheels on the jack have room to roll and then when I get enough space I slide another jack under the front jack point to lift the front and place on stands.

Haven't had the car on all fours yet but same concern applies, if I jack the rear up first then I basically have the front slammed on the ground and there's no way in hell I'm getting my jack over there any more...any tips for those of us with lowered suspension? Thanks

I don't think I can get my jack under the front of the car without going in from
The side but directly from the front I think it is too low. I will try soon.
I've been jacking from the side.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

So what are we saying deforms the jack pads then? The act of jacking up the car from the sides or putting them on regular non-flat/u shaped jack stands? My jack pads were trashed when I got the car so I bought replacements to install but Im afraid as soon as I put them down on my jack pads they're gonna get crushed again.

Next question I think we didn't answer was whether or not the jack pad adapter was necessary? Sounds like the front and rear jack points are all that should be used if I'm reading these posts correctly? Did BMW design these cars with the intention they would always be lifted 4 points at a time or by the front/rear method as opposed to one wheel at a time? Considering we don't have spares tires(afaik) BMW didn't intend for the vehicle to be lifted from the side and only using one jack point?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm reading into this, I'm really curious what the intention by BMW was because I'm not always trying to put the car up on all fours when I'm just working on the front (oil change, dps, water pump etc). Currently I jack from the side, ensuring the wheels on the jack have room to roll and then when I get enough space I slide another jack under the front jack point to lift the front and place on stands.

Haven't had the car on all fours yet but same concern applies, if I jack the rear up first then I basically have the front slammed on the ground and there's no way in hell I'm getting my jack over there any more...any tips for those of us with lowered suspension? Thanks

I've answered all of your questions already. I posted the official procedure BMW published for lifting the E90 chassis; it is directly out of the BMW TIS. BMW's have been using plastic lifting pads/blocks on their car since the mid 1990's and they are designed for lifting the car completely off the ground on a commercial automotive lift. For other methods of lifting the car without an automotive lift, BMW provides the front-center and rear-center jacking points and setting the car down on the lifting pads/blocks, as I've described and posted in BMW's procedure.

If you are concerned about not being able to get under the front once the rear is lifted and set on stands, then lift the front first, but make sure you have the car in neutral and the parking brake off. As I explained the lifting pads deform because they are improperly loaded from side forces by the jack pulling on the pads as it is trying to lift the car. If you properly spread the load of the car onto the pads by using flat-topped jack stands (like the ESCO's I posted pictures of) the lifting pads/blocks will not deform.

And for safety reasons, you should always work on the car fully lift off the ground. Taking an extra 5 minutes to do so it well worth the time investment not to get crushed under the car IMO.

[nissubaru]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I've answered all of your questions already. I posted the official procedure BMW published for lifting the E90 chassis; it is directly out of the BMW TIS. BMW's have been using plastic lifting pads/blocks on their car since the mid 1990's and they are designed for lifting the car completely off the ground on a commercial automotive lift. For other methods of lifting the car without an automotive lift, BMW provides the front-center and rear-center jacking points and setting the car down on the lifting pads/blocks, as I've described and posted in BMW's procedure.

If you are concerned about not being able to get under the front once the rear is lifted and set on stands, then lift the front first, but make sure you have the car in neutral and the parking brake off. As I explained the lifting pads deform because they are improperly loaded from side forces by the jack pulling on the pads as it is trying to lift the car. If you properly spread the load of the car onto the pads by using flat-topped jack stands (like the ESCO's I posted pictures of) the lifting pads/blocks will not deform.

And for safety reasons, you should always work on the car fully lift off the ground. Taking an extra 5 minutes to do so it well worth the time investment not to get crushed under the car IMO.

That's the answer I was looking for. I don't have access to a commercial lift so that's out of the question. And because my car is lowered it's impossible (with my jack) to get under the front bumper without first lifting it from the side or getting the tires on top of some wood blocks.

The jack you linked is pretty sweet though, I think that one might actually be low and long enough to get to my center jack point without all the extra hassle I go through to get there. Unfortunately I don't have a garage and do my work in a parking lot by my house or at my parents house so my setup isn't the greatest. I would have a hell of a time toting that jack around although it's probably exactly what I need.

Just trying to be as safe as possible considering all the work I do underneath my cars. Thanks for the input

[jwalker87]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

That's the answer I was looking for. I don't have access to a commercial lift so that's out of the question. And because my car is lowered it's impossible (with my jack) to get under the front bumper without first lifting it from the side or getting the tires on top of some wood blocks.

The jack you linked is pretty sweet though, I think that one might actually be low and long enough to get to my center jack point without all the extra hassle I go through to get there. Unfortunately I don't have a garage and do my work in a parking lot by my house or at my parents house so my setup isn't the greatest. I would have a hell of a time toting that jack around although it's probably exactly what I need.

Just trying to be as safe as possible considering all the work I do underneath my cars. Thanks for the input

Drive onto 2x4s before jacking up your car - generally, an additional 1.5" is enough to get a low-profile jack under anything.

[nissubaru]

Originally Posted by jwalker87

Drive onto 2x4s before jacking up your car - generally, an additional 1.5" is enough to get a low-profile jack under anything.

That is the method I use for my Subaru Legacy but the other cars are way too low. I got a circular saw for Xmas though so I might make myself some wood ramps to get me up 3 or 4 inches so I can get the jack under the front. I've seen some pretty excessive designs online that I would have fun making.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by nissubaru

That is the method I use for my Subaru Legacy but the other cars are way too low. I got a circular saw for Xmas though so I might make myself some wood ramps to get me up 3 or 4 inches so I can get the jack under the front. I've seen some pretty excessive designs online that I would have fun making.

Full disclosure... For my Z4, I need to use a wooden lever to unload the suspension so I can slip the foot of the arm for the lift underneath the lifting pad for the front two pads. Life is tough...

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by jwalker87

Drive onto 2x4s before jacking up your car - generally, an additional 1.5" is enough to get a low-profile jack under anything.

So I drove all over town measuring floor jacks today trying to find one that is low enough to reach the front jacking point, 4" clearance by my measurements, to no avail. I have two jacks that each measure about 5 1/2" so a 2x4 should get me there...I'm wondering if anyone else has a floor jack in their possession that will get under the front of the car without the 2x4s that doesn't cost over $300 like the one referenced earlier in this thread.

I have a set of ramps too and they're too steep for this car. I've had this new intercooler sitting on my garage floor for 3 weeks now and I'm going to put it on tomorrow come hell or high water...