After searching high and low for information regarding how to SAFELY raise the front end, and still being able to utilise the factory jacking points after lifting with the hydraulic jack, I decided to make my own stands/jacks, especially as some YouTube efforts looked decidedly unsafe. First try involved a long RHS bar that I could lift the entire side up and then slide some jacks under the bar at the jacking points. This didn't work because the bar just bent too easily and I couldn't access any thicker wall tubing, or larger tube, that would allow me to fit the hydraulic jack under the car....so gave that idea away. Second go was essentially a copy of some jacks I saw on the internet. Nice looking jacks....but at over $200 each...a bit expensive. I made these for less than $40 for the pair, and you only need a pair as there is a point at the rear of the car, remote from the side jacking points, where you can lift the car and then slide 'normal' jack stands underneath for the rear end. Works really well and now I can lift the car safely on 4 floor jacks.
Pictures are (hopefully) self explanatory but picture #1 is the dissembled jack #2 is it assembled, #3 is the top on the hydraulic jack showing the location plate, #4 is rolling into position, #5 is the jack in position located in the factory mounting, #6 is the hydraulic jack/car raised and the legs being assembled into the top piece, #7 is the jack in position. Note: It looks , in the preview, that the photos are the reverse of how I entered them, but it should be easy to work it out. :headbang: Yep.....work from the last picture first.
How I use them is to raise the front, on one side, when the jack is in place go around and raise the front on the other side. Once the front is raised you can then raise the rear and place the stands under the jacking points. At that point, if you need to raise the car further you can repeat the process to get the height you need rather than try to get the height all in one go.
BMW didn't make it easy for home mechanics to work on these cars. :|
Pictures are (hopefully) self explanatory but picture #1 is the dissembled jack #2 is it assembled, #3 is the top on the hydraulic jack showing the location plate, #4 is rolling into position, #5 is the jack in position located in the factory mounting, #6 is the hydraulic jack/car raised and the legs being assembled into the top piece, #7 is the jack in position. Note: It looks , in the preview, that the photos are the reverse of how I entered them, but it should be easy to work it out. :headbang: Yep.....work from the last picture first.
How I use them is to raise the front, on one side, when the jack is in place go around and raise the front on the other side. Once the front is raised you can then raise the rear and place the stands under the jacking points. At that point, if you need to raise the car further you can repeat the process to get the height you need rather than try to get the height all in one go.
BMW didn't make it easy for home mechanics to work on these cars. :|
