Z4-forum.com

This seems to be a debate, whether the non-M's have a front lift point. They do, but you need a special tool. Here's the deal.

First, gotta get the car up far enough to clear a jack. Even my low-profile "racing" jack has a hard time fitting, but 2X8 boards leading up to Rhino Ramps do the trick easy enough. The secret weapon, though, is this little thing. Mine's a rubber-ish puck, sort of like a hockey puck with a tumor. The rectangular section fits into the stamped-in rectangular depression in the belly pan. You can get them on Amazon in rubbery stuff or machined aluminum, cost between $7 and $15 depending on whether you want it anodized and engraved to match your car. It's called a "BMW lift pad," and similar key words. Mine is the $7 cheap version. Snuggle the rectangular elevated portion into the stamped depression and up we go. Plenty of lift to get jack stands under the side sill lift points. There's a hefty crossmember directly above the stamped lift point, it's where the M lift pad is, only the M has a cutout in the bellypan and a rubber lift pad. I guess that costs too much to put on the non-M's.

This is easier and seems safer than lifting at the rear side point far enough to get a jack stand under the front lift pad, all tippy and things.

Is that a pre facelift Zed (with aftermarket clear side repeaters)?

Pre facelift, clear lenses are OEM on US version. Why, I don't understand either.

Ok thanks.
Interesting post. I thought jacking the car where you have would cause the surface to crush / collapse under the car's weight.

There's a debate going on about this in another thread. When I asked about it almost a year ago I got mostly "can't do that" answers, but that turns out to be not the case.
This is the place shown in my copy, at least, of the official service manual and other resources as a front lift point. M's, apparently, have a rubber cushion there. The rest of us, no. I guess they cost too much. At any rate, it's identified as a lift point with no hoop-la about damage or anything.
I had the front under tray off, there's maybe a couple of mm clearance between the aluminum belly pan and the front crossmember there. I had the aluminum belly pan off, and yes, there's a stout crossmember there. You can see it on realoem. It's hefty. There's a tool sold for the purpose; eBay and Amazon both have it from a variety of vendors. The belly pan is a structural piece, held on with 8 hefty bolts (and they're not shear bolts, either; hardened, super-duty, same part number as the ones that hold the lollipops on, I believe).
I first cut a block of wood to fit the recess, but it was dodgy on the jack head; tippy. I bought the tool, the rubber block thing, and voila! slick as a whistle, whatever that means. The aluminum gives up a couple of mm at most, and up it comes. It's like the stamped ridge is a springy sort of thing, designed to give just a wee bit. I'm guessing there, but I can report successful lift with no damage.
Now, a flat lift face, like the head of a jack, mashes the stamped aluminum around the lift recess, but not destructively. I know this because mine was mashed a bit, likely from a flat jack head lifting there. You can see it on the right side in the photo, the stamped ridge is flattened a bit. I looked at the top side, slightly flattened on the upper side, doesn't seem to pose a problem.
Short answer, I can successfully lift mine with no damage using the proper tool, lifting at this point. It appears to be the designed in lift point. As you can see, the block keeps the jack head away from the belly pan, and, believe me, the car was in the air. Several times. Far enough to slip jack stands under the front side sill points.
What surprises me is that no one with constructive knowledge, such as a real BMW technician, has weighed in on this.

I've jacked mine up this way lots of times with no issues.

Mike

Ducklakeview wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:14 am I've jacked mine up this way lots of times with no issues.

Mike

Good to know, thanks.

Great post! Always been a question I could never find a satisfactory answer to. There was a post whereby the guy posting seemed quite happy to do this without the puck, which caused the light alloy cover to deform. Not something I'd have been happy to attempt, even though I know there's a sturdy cross member directly above the cover, I couldn't willingly cause damage to my car !

ScoobyR1 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:02 am Great post! Always been a question I could never find a satisfactory answer to. There was a post whereby the guy posting seemed quite happy to do this without the puck, which caused the light alloy cover to deform. Not something I'd have been happy to attempt, even though I know there's a sturdy cross member directly above the cover, I couldn't willingly cause damage to my car !

The "cover" is stainless and actually very tough..

Mike

if anyone ever took that off they'd know how solid it is and how many thick arse bolts are holding it. If there's even thicker metal behind it then it's the perfect lifting point for the non M.

Ducklakeview wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:47 pm

ScoobyR1 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:02 am Great post! Always been a question I could never find a satisfactory answer to. There was a post whereby the guy posting seemed quite happy to do this without the puck, which caused the light alloy cover to deform. Not something I'd have been happy to attempt, even though I know there's a sturdy cross member directly above the cover, I couldn't willingly cause damage to my car !

The "cover" is stainless and actually very tough..

Mike

But still not strong enough to take the weight of the car without being deformed, which is the point I was thinking of.

the "puck" is designed to go into the lift points on the side of the car, I always wondered why the front point was shaped like that. Makes sense now.

Buckz wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:52 pm if anyone ever took that off they'd know how solid it is and how many thick arse bolts are holding it. If there's even thicker metal behind it then it's the perfect lifting point for the non M.

Didn't realize it was SS. That explains why it's so heavy. It's a hefty piece.

Found this post really interesting. Are you saying the position that you place the rubber block is where I show on the diagram of the standard Z undertray?
Which appears to correspond to the circular rubber block on an M.
Which appears similar to a E46 M4 undertray and realoem shows jacking block for this.

I have previously jacked this way too after seeing an indent in the undertray where it had previously been jacked there.
No issues.
Advisable to get the correct rubber puck to fit the indent.
I just got 3 new ones from amazon for about Eur11 inc postage.