[ProfessorCook]

I've been meaning to post this thread for a while. I'm sure there are easier and better ways to do this, but I've got a way of getting the E92 on jack stands at all four corners providing you have or can borrow three floor jacks.

Disclaimer: I'm not a pro. If you do things wrong, you could wreck your car or kill yourself (or both). You have to be confident in your own skills and you have to know that your equipment is designed for the job at hand with sufficient capacity to handle the loads. I also might be doing something wrong here. I don't really know. So use this information at your own risk.

First, chock the back wheels, take two jacks, put them under the two forward jack points (the plastic blocks just behind the front wheels) and jack up the front of the car evenly.

Being somewhat paranoid and playing by the book, I located jack stands just in front of the jack points at a spot on the frame that would work if a lift failed. (It might wreck the plastic trim, but it wouldn't wreck me.)

Then get under the front of your car and locate the forward central jack point which is a nicer rubber block projecting through a small rectangle in the plastic underbody shield.

Jack at this point to lift the car off the floor jacks at the sides and move the jack stands to the forward jack points. Pull the side floor jacks well clear and carefully release the front central floor jack to set the car down on the forward jack stands.

Now lower the side floor jacks, put them under the rear side lift blocks, lift evenly, and provide yourself with backup jack stands. Get under the rear of the car and locate the transverse frame beam which is between the gas tank and the differential.

Do not jack on the differential. Using a wooden block, take the third floor jack and jack the rear of the car at this point lifting it off the side floor jacks.

Now pull the side floor jacks clear, position the jack stands, and set the car down on the rear jack stands.

I've done this a few times, and with practice, it doesn't take long at all. Remember that floor jacks have to be able to roll smoothly forward and back as they jack. If you forget this and a jack gets caught, it could pull your car one way or the other which might cause some horrible accident.

 

[Mk23]

Looks a little dangerous...

 

[anE934fun]

Professor, in your first photo, you appear to have the front of the rear tires chocked. I think you need to chock the rear of the back tires. Although if you are moving the jack stand around under the car with a 2x4 and no part of your body is under the car, if the floor jack fails, you won't be injured.... I wouldn't say that about the car, though.

As regards the front jack stand mounting location, how are you arriving at the conclusion that you can locate the jack stand at that particular location?

 

[ProfessorCook]

The wheels were chocked front and back, it's just washed out in the photo.

If you press hard against the plastic under the car you can feel that there are rails running under the doors from the rear tire to the front tire. I do not know for sure, but I'm guessing that those rails can support the car near the actual jacking points. So that's where I put the back up jack stands. The backup jack stands do not actually touch the car, they're just there in case something goes wrong with the floor jack.

 

[EdCT]

Prof, judging by the thread title, you've still got hot laps on the brain - or hot lips, one or the other

 

[ProfessorCook]

Ed, the parade laps at Lime Rock were fantastic. I would gladly have paid to have several more. What they call "slow" there is still plenty fun on that course. The hot laps were quite literally awesome. 'Didn't sleep well last night, lol, as I involuntarily kept replaying parts of the day.

(For those that don't know, seven BMWs and about forty Porsches visited Lime Rock Park, a LeMan's style, private track in CT. It was a great day.)

 

[DigiSage]

ProfessorCook, would you mind providing links to where I can buy the exact items you used above? The jacks and jack stands. Thanks!

 

[ProfessorCook]

I got them through Northern Tools.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200313353_200313353.

I bought the first as a bundled kit... floor jack plus to jack stands.

Later, when I decided to buy two more, I could no longer find the kit. The jack stands are now sold separately.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200313386_200313386

Frankly, I'm a bit more comfortable with a pair of old, cheap, steel jack stands I've had over many years. You can see these steel, black, tripod style jacks in several of the pictures. I think they're a bit more stable.

The floor jacks are very good, very nice finish, easy to move around... I like them very much. They have a low enough profile that I've simplified my procedure and start by jacking in the center rear... they fit under the car.

They are difficult, however, to disengage slowly. If you're not very careful, you can drop your car rather suddenly. And they're expensive.

Another way to do this might work, though I haven't tried it. You could drive the car up onto ramps. (Many do this only to change the oil.) With the front end elevated, you might be able to jack off the center rear jack point (the frame), put stands under the rear jack points, and then lower the car. 'Might work. I don't know.

For those who have a couple of grand, here's an option I thought hard about:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200386167_200386167

This would definitely be easier and safer to use.

 

[DSXMachina]

Hi PC, you have more patience than I do...
You used what is called a bottle jack as one of your stands. I just want to advise that anyone who plans on doing anything under their car should not use a bottle jack as a means of fighting gravity. They are notorious for falling over because of their relatively small foorprint. It doesn't take a lot of horizontal force to make them unstable. If used, as you did, with regular jackstands then you are probably OK. But I would never use more than one!
BTW, I have a video of you hot lapping LRP. What's it worth to you? You know what they say...pics or it didn't happen.

 

[CT]

For those who have a couple of grand, here's an option I thought hard about:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200386167_200386167

This would definitely be easier and safer to use.

A previous neighbor of mine has one of those lifts. They're wonderful.

 

[ZGator]

Well first off, let me thank you for discussing this topic, it is very important and from my experience with the Bentley manual on my Z3 they merely point out where you can jack up the car on the sides, and then from there on out say carefully position your car on 4 jack stands while never discussing any details whatsoever, on how you actually should do it. I am sure the new Bentley for the e9x will do the same..

However here are some questions:

Why don't you just use 1 jack, and 4 jack stands, lift the front of the car, both wheels, by putting the jack under the central front jack point, raise the vehicle, place 2 jack stands under the front, then move on to the rear lifting both wheels - at the point you mention, then place the jack stands on the back? I guess it is a bit scary lifting the back when the front is on jack stands (and why I usually only lift the front or rear but not both)

I agree with other poster, I would not use those bottle jacks as jack stands, use the 4 legged jack stands instead.

But anyway, you do point out the front and rear Central jack points, so this is very helpful, and they look like the place to do it.

that hydraulic lift is awesome.. only how long in DIY savings to pay that back??!!

 

[pippo]

Prof, everything in your garage, tools,etc looks too shiny /clean/new. Why?

 

[pippo]

Well first off, let me thank you for discussing this topic, it is very important and from my experience with the Bentley manual on my Z3 they merely point out where you can jack the point on the sides, and then from there on out say carefully position your car on 4 jack stands while never discussing any details whatsoever, on how you actually should do it. I am sure the new Bentley for the e9x will do the same..

However here are some questions:

Why don't you just use 1 jack, and 4 jack stands, lift the front of the car, both wheels, by putting the jack under the front jack point, raise the vehicle, place 2 jack stands under jack stand points, then move on to the rear lifting both wheels - at the point you mention, then place the jack stands on the back? I guess it is a bit scary lifting the back when the front is on jack stands, and while I usually only lift front or rear but not both..

I agree with other poster, I would not use those bottle jacks as jack stands, use the 4 legged jack stands instead.

But anyway, you do point on the front and rear jack points, so this is very helpful, and they look like the place to do it.

Right, gator.

Never lifted a BM, but for the matter, lifting a car which is already on 2 jack stands is safe, provided they are spaced far enough side to side, and balanced. Then placing jack in rear, centered on a main beam, lifting straight up should not be hazardous. Have done it at least 100 times.........and is an accepted technique by experienced mechanics.(of course, if in a shop, they usually use a lift...Im talking about otherwise, like mechanics that do say, mobile service, on the site repair, etc

 

[ProfessorCook]

Ah, DSX and Gator, you are mistaken. I do not own any bottle jacks. The red piston looking numbers are actually jack stands. If you look closely, you will see the 1/2" diameter pin going through the exterior (red) aluminum tube pinning the interior (silver) shaft.

There are screw type bottle jacks that can be used as jack stands too, but I don't have any.

 

[ProfessorCook]

Why don't you just use 1 jack, and 4 jack stands, lift the front of the car, both wheels, by putting the jack under the central front jack point, raise the vehicle, place 2 jack stands under the front, then move on to the rear lifting both wheels - at the point you mention, then place the jack stands on the back? I guess it is a bit scary lifting the back when the front is on jack stands (and why I usually only lift the front or rear but not both)
helpful, and they look like the place to do it.

The problem is clearance. There are low profile, long reach floor jacks, and if I had one of those, your method would work for sure. I now know (before I took this sequence of pictures) that I can get to the rear central jack point right off the bat. But when the rear end is in the air, there's no clearance to get my jack to the front central jack point.

 

[ProfessorCook]

Prof, everything in your garage, tools,etc looks too shiny /clean/new. Why?

The garage is part of a barn that I designed and built just a few years ago.

Most of the tools in the picture are new. I try to maintain the older stuff too. Put that combo together, and I may be able to keep my E92 for 200,000 miles, eh?

 

[kashrahman]

appreciated this post!!!

Question: For years, I have been swapping my summer and winter wheels by using the jack that comes with the car and lifting one corner at a time. I've read about hydraulic jacks, etc. My question is: if I all I want to do is swap out wheels twice a year, and I'm comfortable changing one tire at a time (ie, just have one corner lifted), should I:
a) keep using the jack that came with the car
b) use a hydraulic jack on one corner
c) use a hydraulic jack and a jack stand as back up
d) use the jack that comes with car and a jack stand on that corner as back up

I understand that a hydraulic jack may be less likely to fail than the jack that comes with car (assuming I get a decent hydraulic -- I've read all about $29 chinese jacks failing) and I want to do this in a safe way; just trying to figure out what will work best, especially for just changing one tire at a time. and does it even make sense to have one corner lifted with a hydraulic jack and jack stand on one corner?? Should I have two points lifted (like the whole front or rear) at a time??

from what I've read and my post in the Tire section, it seems like hydraulic jack/jack stand is the best way to go.

thanks for the advice!!

 

[ProfessorCook]

A floor jack is so much nicer to use than a scissors jack. I think you'll be very glad to own a good one.

One corner at a time should be just fine. Having a jack stand in position, just in case, is prudent, though I feel I must be honest with you and have skipped that when changing wheels. (I'd never get under the car without that backup though.)

So, I vote c).

 

[Grentz]

Just curious, what maintenance are you doing that requires the whole car in the air like this?

Seems like a good method though, and love your setup. Those jacks are really nice!

 

[djstrachan]

Maintenance = working on/ changing fluid in tranny or differential requires the car to be level. THe car is supposed to be level if you are draining engine oil as well (assuming you do your own).

As for the clearance issue, driving on to some 3 x 12 boards first should give enough clearance to use a standard hydraulic jack on the single front and rear jack points greatly speeding up the process:thumbup: