Made this video as a good referral guide on how to properly lift and place the e85 platform z4 on jack stands:
Here’s a How To Video on Jackijg and Placing the E85 on 4 Jack Stands
- Thread starter Gregory_tolson
- Start date
Attleborough, Norfolk
OP, I really appreciate the effort that went into this video, so thank you. For first timers it will be invaluable I'm sure.
However, @Zedebee is correct. Wheels up on blocks, front up from the middle, axle stands under the front side points. Then up in the middle at the back and axle stands under the rear side points.
I have a gravel drive so have to use a board for the jack to roll on. I can still have the car safely up on four axle stands in ten minutes.
However, @Zedebee is correct. Wheels up on blocks, front up from the middle, axle stands under the front side points. Then up in the middle at the back and axle stands under the rear side points.
I have a gravel drive so have to use a board for the jack to roll on. I can still have the car safely up on four axle stands in ten minutes.
North West Surrey
I get it, yes you can go that way, don’t think that rear central Jack location you mentioned is the official spot but to each their own.
Nice, both are considered official jacking points
Yes you do
That front point has always been sketchy on the non-M. There’s clear air between the reinforcement plate and the crossmember behind it, so often you’ll see cars where the first person to jack it up has crushed the plate and then subsequent jackings have looked/felt normal, even though technically the car is borked.
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It flexes the plate up to meet the crossmember. Yes it does then look a little untidy but hardly ‘borked’. Whatever that is? The clear air is about 5mm.
NewTIS makes no mention of removing the plate first, but does at the back end. If it was any kind of issue the same instructions would be given for the front end.
I dunno, it just doesn’t seem right that you can jack the car correctly and irreversibly crush something called a “reinforcing plate”.
You are right though, in that it’s just untidy and doesn’t seem to cause any practical issues.
There’s a lovely one on eBay right now, I notice.
You are right though, in that it’s just untidy and doesn’t seem to cause any practical issues.
There’s a lovely one on eBay right now, I notice.
Attachments
That reinforcement plate is right up against the front subframe and there is no gap. In the rear that is the case, but not in the front
That’s not actually correct. The reinforcement plate is a two layer bonded aluminium construction. The topmost layer sits flush against the cross member, there is no clear air. There is 5mm or so clear air between the two layers. The stamped rectangle is deformable by design, so that the bottom
layer retains its structure when the car is jacked from this point. If you use the correct jacking puck, the deformation can almost be avoided altogether.
I have been thinking about a design where you cut a round hole (say 60mm) through the deformation rectangle in the bottom layer, then screw a similar sized rubber puck through the top layer into the cross member (there is a M10 or M12 threaded hole in the cross member at exactly the right point). Then you have a permanent jacking point very similar to the Z4M.
TIMMOS29
Member
This is what i read on the 2 litre but love to be proved wrong.
⚠ Why people say “no” (or “not reliable”) for a front jacking point
- The “central front jacking point” that exists on the performance “M” versions of Z cars is not present (or not recommended) on non-M Z4s. Z4-forum+2Z4-forum+2
- The “front-centre spot” under the Z4’s undertray (where some expect a jack-pad) corresponds to a light alloy “reinforcement plate.” In many reports it’s described as not structurally designed for lifting the full front of the car — attempting to lift there can risk deforming the plate or stressing suspension alignment. Z4-forum+2Z4-forum+2
- That’s why several Z4 (non-M) owners recommend not jacking at that central front “pad” but instead using the standard side jack points + subframe / cross-member. Z4-forum+2ZRoadster+2
🛠 What I’d do in your case (2006 2.0 Z4)
Since you own a non-M 2006 Z4, I would not rely on a “dedicated front jacking point” as if it were a standard feature. Instead:
- Use the side/sill jacking pads near the front wheels (the standard ones).
- If you need to lift the front more — use a sturdy subframe / cross-member under the engine (with a low-profile jack, jack-puck or a wood block to spread the load), but only if you're confident the contact is stable.
- Always secure the car with jack stands under approved jack/stand points, not under oil pan or plastic under-tray.
Bottom line: your 2.0 Z4 does not reliably have a purpose-built central front jack-point like the M-cars have. The “front pad” many people look for is a reinforcement / under-tray area — using it risks damage or instability.
TIMMOS29
Member
Does it say for the 2 litre?
Apart from the M, they are all the same underneath.