Jacking up the E36

[m3f_fiveightan_7e37700daf]

I know there have been a few threads on this, but info/opinions are definitely scattered all over the board. I read the DIY at Pelican parts, and they're telling me to do things like use the rear diff as a jack point (broken carrying bolt anyone?), and to remove the hockey pucks and put the jacks directly on the chassis (huh? isn't that what the hockey pucks are for?).



What do you guys do to get all 4 tires off the ground. I have a jack pad. But I don't like trying to lift one side up, then the other. And if I pop the front end up first, I can't get my jack under the rear to get it on the crossbrace in front of the diff.



The best solution i've found is to put the jack on the front subframe to get the front end in the air, support that with jack stands on the hockey pucks...then use the jack pad to raise the rear one side at a time. It's just real slow going, and I don't like the weight shifting like that while it's on 2 jacks stands in the front.



Anything i'm missing here?

[m3f_M3cosmos95_6e1ca51862]

buy another jack:thumbsup:

[m3f_fiveightan_7e37700daf]

buy another jack:thumbsup:

I have 2, but one is one of those little cheap jacks and the max height isn't enough to put the jack stand under the hockey puck. Not to mention, i'd need a second jack pad.


I thought about getting another, but surely there's a better way to jack the car up without buying 2 jacks and 2 jack pads. :hmm:


I've done it with the emergency jack. But I don't trust that thing from just folding over all of a sudden and dropping the car.

[m3f_M3cosmos95_6e1ca51862]

I have 2, but one is one of those little cheap jacks and the max height isn't enough to put the jack stand under the hockey puck. Not to mention, i'd need a second jack pad.



I thought about getting another, but surely there's a better way to jack the car up without buying 2 jacks and 2 jack pads. :hmm:



I've done it with the emergency jack. But I don't trust that thing from just folding over all of a sudden and dropping the car.



yea never use that emergency jack...Mine collapsed on me and almost crushed my legs:thumbsdown: It did however dent one of my front fenders...and pissed me off! I will never use one of those again!



In the front you can jack it up using the cross bar...but me having an extremely low car have to use two jacks. But the front are easy you can use the jacking points then put the jack stands on the frame rails or cross member. The back is a bit harder...recently i have been using those ramps you drive the car up, then lower one side at a time onto jack stands. It works alright and you get a decent amount of height.:thumbsup:

[m3f_fiveightan_7e37700daf]

yea never use that emergency jack...Mine collapsed on me and almost crushed my legs:thumbsdown: It did however dent one of my front fenders...and pissed me off! I will never use one of those again!



In the front you can jack it up using the cross bar...but me having an extremely low car have to use two jacks. But the front are easy you can use the jacking points then put the jack stands on the frame rails or cross member. The back is a bit harder...recently i have been using those ramps you drive the car up, then lower one side at a time onto jack stands. It works alright and you get a decent amount of height.:thumbsup:Yeah, the front is no problem at all. My big jack won't get under there with enough clearance to pump the handle. But I just pop one side up with the jack pad a few inches until I get the bumper lifted. That's fine. The issue is just getting all 4 corners in the air. You need to do this even for changing the oil, as the drain plug is on the side of the oil pan.



I suppose I could just blow $60-80 on a cheap secondary jack that has enough height to lift the back end...then pick up a 2nd jack pad. :thumbsdown:



2 jack pads, 3 jacks, 6 jack stands...I should've just bought a lift. :lolhit:

[m3f_M3cosmos95_6e1ca51862]

Yeah, the front is no problem at all. My big jack won't get under there with enough clearance to pump the handle. But I just pop one side up with the jack pad a few inches until I get the bumper lifted. That's fine. The issue is just getting all 4 corners in the air. You need to do this even for changing the oil, as the drain plug is on the side of the oil pan.



I suppose I could just blow $60-80 on a cheap secondary jack that has enough height to lift the back end...then pick up a 2nd jack pad. :thumbsdown:



2 jack pads, 3 jacks, 6 jack stands...I should've just bought a lift. :lolhit:



If i had a garage i would have!:banghead:

[m3f_PhYrE_852fc25d8d]

Jack up the front on the front subframe/crossmember. Of course be careful to clear the steering rack, also right about the same place. Insert jack stands at the jack points.



Use a rolled up newspaper (just to avoid exposing metal on the underside) between the bottom of the diff if you need both sides up.



Otherwise jack at any jack point if you need a corner (such as changing tires)



-M

[m3f_Binzes_f836917f44]

http://i30.tinypic.com/2emfnmx.jpg


'nuff said.

[m3f_Brandon318_bb2b436d29]

Step 1: Drive front of car onto 2x4 wood blocks to gain jack clearance.


Step 2: Place jack pad (saddle) beneath front sub-frame cross-member.


Step 3: Raise car and place jack stands underneath pucks.


Step 4: Place saddle under rear sub-frame cross-member, just forward of the differential.


Step 5: Raise car and place jack stands underneath pucks.

[m3f_fitchesbas_a4754265ce]

^ +1 sounds about how I do it with a lower car.

[m3f_Tony Soprano]

whats wrong with jacking up the diff. that was the jack point on my s2k, and i never saw where it put any unusual stress on it?

[m3f_Binzes_f836917f44]

whats wrong with jacking up the diff. that was the jack point on my s2k, and i never saw where it put any unusual stress on it?



Nothing is wrong with it, I do it all the time.

[m3f_M3cosmos95_6e1ca51862]

Nothing is wrong with it, I do it all the time.



just make sure you have a jack that can handle half of what the car weighs... thats a bad spot to have a jack fail:thumbsup2:

[m3f_Brandon318_bb2b436d29]

Why jack from the differential when the cross-member, a much more stable point, is an inch farther?

[m3f_epj3_d2e882815a]

Why jack from the differential when the cross-member, a much more stable point, is an inch farther?



The differential housing is far sturdier than the cross-member (boxed piece of sheet metal, the whole subframe weighs about 15 lbs.) I'd be more concerned about putting 2,000 lbs on a small spot on the subframe than the differential, which mounts to that subframe at 3 points. Either probably works fine, but I'd feel much safer with the differential.