Jacking

enuff_zed

enuff_zed

Lifer
 Attleborough, Norfolk
Looking for a bit of advice/pointers from the DIY types on here.

A combination of gravel drive and remaining maintenance package has made me a bit lazy, but with the tarmac'ing of the drive on the horizon it is time to get down to doing it myself again.

I have one pair of axle stands and can easily get another set to match.

I need a low profile trolley jack. Any recommendations? Price is a consideration, so not bothered if it can lift an elephant as long as it'll cope with a Z.
I also assume I need a jacking pad. But, just one or a set of four? Do you put axle stands on the jacking points? If so, do you need a pad in each one?

And if anyone could define the best, safest method to get the car up on four stands, (ie. what order to do it all in) that would save me some huffing and puffing.

Thank you :)
 
Just get your self a standard jack and some bits of wood you just drive up onto them and this gives you enough room to use a standard or high lift jack.

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Thanks for the replies so far.
I'd rather have a low profile jack as it is easier to use in the garage if I have to, rather than run it up on wood blocks.

So are the BMW jacking adaptors not required? Will axle stands sit ok on the inbuilt jacking points?

Once spent two hours under a Capri after a jack slipped. I was lucky; bruises across both thighs and gravel rash on one side of my face! Had the propshaft off and my head fitted neatly into the gap in the tunnel. Very, very scary. Eventually the neighbour heard me shouting!
So now I'm inclined to do it properly.
 
I bought one of these last year:- https://www.sgs-engineering.com/tjl2-2-tonne-low-profile-trolley-jack

I bought one of these pads:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BJ1L3LB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've only used it a few times to swap winters/summers on my daily and also when I replaced the 108s on my Z4 with 295s and it fitted under the Z4 no problem, but for one wheel at a time I only needed one pad although for what you are planning I think I'd want 4. OK, you'd want a better jack if you had a workshop but for occasional use it ought to be fine. At their prices you might as well go low profile!

I'm not sure about getting the car on stands, but if you get carried away and jack the rear high enough, as I did with my E46, the front wheel leaves the ground so a Z4 might do the same! Then you might get a stand under it.

I've never tried it, but I'm sure someone said Z4s have a central jacking point at the rear - it might be in the linked thread!

Good luck. :thumbsup:

I'd be interested to know how you get on as well - just in case I get enthusiastic! :lol:
 
I have an Arcan jack from Costco. Was around £100 but worth every penny, very solid bit of kit. https://www.costco.co.uk/Tyres-Automotive/Automotive/Trolley-Jacks-Axle-Stands/Arcan-2750kg-3-Ton-Steel-Service-Jack-Model-XL2750EU/p/254971
You can get jacking pads on eBay pretty cheap, you only need 1.

For jack stands I have two sets of these; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-763620-Tonne-Axle-Stands/dp/B000WTHL42/

I'm tempted to get a set of those quick jack things that go either side of the car and pneumatically lift it up. Getting the Z4 onto jack stands at each corner is a complete ballache as the central jacking points are impossible to get a jack onto as they are so far back under the car!
 
I don't see how you would get the axle stands on the jacking points.....as the jack will be there and everything around it is fairly plastic.

I usually get the axle stands under the suspension somewhere.
 
R.E92 said:
I have an Arcan jack from Costco. Was around £100 but worth every penny, very solid bit of kit. https://www.costco.co.uk/Tyres-Automotive/Automotive/Trolley-Jacks-Axle-Stands/Arcan-2750kg-3-Ton-Steel-Service-Jack-Model-XL2750EU/p/254971
You can get jacking pads on eBay pretty cheap, you only need 1.

For jack stands I have two sets of these; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-763620-Tonne-Axle-Stands/dp/B000WTHL42/

I'm tempted to get a set of those quick jack things that go either side of the car and pneumatically lift it up. Getting the Z4 onto jack stands at each corner is a complete ballache as the central jacking points are impossible to get a jack onto as they are so far back under the car!
Click to expand...

My low lift Costco jack is over 20 years old ... another +1
 
Z4Sparky said:
I don't see how you would get the axle stands on the jacking points.....as the jack will be there and everything around it is fairly plastic.

I usually get the axle stands under the suspension somewhere.
Click to expand...

My jack stands sit nicely on the jacking points. I always struggle getting a good location for them on the suspension.
 
I did my rear springs/shocks at the weekend. I got the rear in the air by firstly using a standard scissor jack on one of the side/rear lifting pads, just enough to get a trolley jack under the central rear lifting point (I used location 4 in the link below), I had to use a 3x3" block of wood on the trolley jack to gain enough lift to get two axle stands under the side jacking points, and this protected the bolt heads as well. I didn't use the adapter pads under the axle stands but it all seemed quite stable once lowered onto the stands. This may be useful...
https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/...al-note/00-02-raise-vehicle-tow-away/8IanNhVD
 
I read a thread on here a few years back when I bought my E85 that you could make a jacking pad from an ice hockey puck from Amazon
Followed the link and duly bought one and made my own - I notice now that the 'real thing' on E-bay is actually cheaper! :oops:
Heh ho
 
All good info gents, thank you very much.

It seems general consensus is that I start with the SGS jack and a single pad and see how I get on. But if pads are cheap I could pick up four.
To be honest, it will probably be mainly a case of wheels off to clean and do minor stuff like pads etc, so usually one corner, or one end at a time.

Useful info about centre jacking at the rear. I wasn't aware of that option.
 
enuff_zed said:
It seems general consensus is that I start with the SGS jack and a single pad and see how I get on. But if pads are cheap I could pick up four.
Click to expand...

I think 4 pads will only be useful if you have 4 jacks (?) or a lift - unless I am missing something.....the pad I have would not be retained on the jacking point without positive upwards pressure
 
R.E92 said:
Z4Sparky said:
I don't see how you would get the axle stands on the jacking points.....as the jack will be there and everything around it is fairly plastic.

I usually get the axle stands under the suspension somewhere.
Click to expand...

My jack stands sit nicely on the jacking points. I always struggle getting a good location for them on the suspension.
Click to expand...

Yes, the jack will fit on the jacking point, but how do you replace the jack with an axle stand (placing the axle stand on the jacking point) so you can then free the jack up for use on the other side?

Genuinely interested to see if there is an answer to this as if it is possible then would be a much better solution!
 
Z4Sparky said:
R.E92 said:
Z4Sparky said:
I don't see how you would get the axle stands on the jacking points.....as the jack will be there and everything around it is fairly plastic.

I usually get the axle stands under the suspension somewhere.
Click to expand...

My jack stands sit nicely on the jacking points. I always struggle getting a good location for them on the suspension.
Click to expand...

Yes, the jack will fit on the jacking point, but how do you replace the jack with an axle stand (placing the axle stand on the jacking point) so you can then free the jack up for use on the other side?

Genuinely interested to see if there is an answer to this as if it is possible then would be a much better solution!
Click to expand...

My really dodgy method involves lifting the car from the front sill jacking point until the rear point gets far enough off the ground to get a jack stand under. Then once the jack is removed the front jacking point should stay high enough to get another jack stand under, then just repeat on the other side.

It works well and once up on 4 jack stands most jobs are a lot easier. Just have to be really careful the car just slip off during the process. I'll probably just get a set of those quick jack things this year. They are about £1000 but I think I'd get enough use out of them.
 
I drive one wheel onto one of these /www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-LAS5669-Low-Rise-Ramp/dp/B00FMT7SRC/ref=asc_df_B00FMT7SRC/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310668964056&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12269656394855005515&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046474&hvtargid=pla-496092918364&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

The front and rear central jacking points are then accessible with a low profile jack.
 
I stopped jacking up for jobs under the car as soon as ai found a ‘DHZ’ (diy) garage close to me.
Quite a common concept here in Holland whereby you can rent a lift by the half hour.
http://www.dhzgaragefixit.nl/
Will be using it again at the next oil service to swap in a new oil level sensor. :thumbsup:

Nothing like that over in the UK?
 
Chris_D said:
I stopped jacking up for jobs under the car as soon as ai found a ‘DHZ’ (diy) garage close to me.
Quite a common concept here in Holland whereby you can rent a lift by the half hour.
http://www.dhzgaragefixit.nl/
Will be using it again at the next oil service to swap in a new oil level sensor. :thumbsup:

Nothing like that over in the UK?
Click to expand...

Was great in the RAF. Every station had a motor club with just about every tool known to man. Usually cost about a tenner a year for membership.
I miss that.
 
I use wood ramp to get my car on to the metal 'drive on wheel ramps' I bought at an auction. No jacks to collapse or axle stands to fail or jacks on bodywork.
 
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