Jacking car

wersal gummage

Is it OK to use the jack supplied with the car under the front and rear central jack points? Eg, to put the car up on axle stands. It's a bmw 5 series, so reasonably heavy I suspect.

Thanks.

Atlantic Dawn

I'd say not safely but it would probably work, it would be high risk that it would tip over.

biko

The jack supplied with car should be perfectly fine to use to lift car.
However it is not safe to be under the car depending only on the jack, that's why you use the stands.

wersal gummage

biko wrote: »

The jack supplied with car should be perfectly fine to use to lift car.
However it is not safe to be under the car depending only on the jack, that's why you use the stands.

Yeah I only want to use it to get the car onto the axle stands...

It should take the weight? Person above saying car might topple is obviously concerning!

visual

wersal gummage wrote: »

Is it OK to use the jack supplied with the car under the front and rear central jack points? Eg, to put the car up on axle stands. It's a bmw 5 series, so reasonably heavy I suspect.

Thanks.

Car jack isn't rated to lift both front or back wheels of the ground. It's only rated for one corner at a time to allow you change a wheel.

Buy a cheap 2 or 3 ton trolly jack for lifting at centre jack points

Cedrus

Under the back might be OK so long as the boot isn't loaded, but as said above don't go under it.
You'd be stretching faith trying it under the front end, I've seen fellas shear cables and hoses when the car falls off the one stand that they managed to get in place.
You can get a trolley jack for small money these days, they're a pain to store, but they could save you a fortune.

THIS IS NOT STRUCTURAL ADVICE

challengemaster

You'll have some fun trying to use a standard jack to get any car that's not the length of a micra onto stands. You won't be long finding out that you want to put the stand where the jack currently is.

Best thing to do is get a trolley jack - best rear jacking point is the differential bracket. Front I use under each wishbone balljoint

rex-x

Its also not ok to be under a car supported only by axle stands, they fail just like anything else and produce nasty consequences when it happens.

biko

rex-x, I don't know where you have heard that but it's not correct.
Stands don't fail - the only scenario I can think of if they topple because car moves.
Every DIY person in this forum relies on stands all the time and your comment is the first I've heard that stands are not ok.

Btw OP, as said earlier by visual. The supplied jack isn't supposed to be used with central points (I didn't cop that this is what you intend to do). It is rated to lift car at a corner so wheel can be changed.
Use jack to lift a corner at the time and only have two corners lifted at one time.

Tony Beetroot

biko wrote: »

Use jack to lift a corner at the time and only have two corners lifted at one time.

Why only have two corners lifted at on time?

biko

Either front or rear.
It is possible to lift the entire car and put on stands but then the chance of it toppling increases by a bucketload. As long as two wheels are on the ground they'll help stabilise the car.

wersal gummage

biko wrote: »

Either front or rear.
It is possible to lift the entire car and put on stands but then the chance of it toppling increases by a bucketload. As long as two wheels are on the ground they'll help stabilise the car.

OK, so if I buy a trolley jack and 4 axle stands, you are saying that there is a significant chance that the car will topple over?

I need to put the car up on both axles and remove all 4 wheels, I do not intend going under the car. So personal safety is not a major concern, but I really don't want to deal with the car toppling off the axle stands.

On what basis is the car likely to topple? I am planning to buy axle stands rated for a greater weight than my car.

biko

Do you really need to remove all four wheels at once? Are you rotating them?

Tony Beetroot

Never toppled a rally car during service yet taking the four corners off the ground.

biko

Whenever I put a car on stands I give it a few nudges (before removing the tyres) to make sure the stand are holding.

rex-x

biko wrote: »

rex-x, I don't know where you have heard that but it's not correct.
Stands don't fail - the only scenario I can think of if they topple because car moves.
Every DIY person in this forum relies on stands all the time and your comment is the first I've heard that stands are not ok.

Btw OP, as said earlier by visual. The supplied jack isn't supposed to be used with central points (I didn't cop that this is what you intend to do). It is rated to lift car at a corner so wheel can be changed.
Use jack to lift a corner at the time and only have two corners lifted at one time.

I work as a mechanic, I have seen it happen numerous times. Does it happen alot? no but it only has to happen once and you are dead. My own father got trapped under a car but thankfully was in a pit when the stands failed. 2 points of support at each corner is the bare minimum in a professional environment, its madness to use axle stands alone but the ignorant will be ignorant..........

rex-x

double post, damn phone

wersal gummage

biko wrote: »

Do you really need to remove all four wheels at once? Are you rotating them?

Yeah I want to drop the wheels in somewhere for some work.

Very much put off the idea now!

biko

Are you planning to do the "wheels off" in a garage or the driveway? Just asking if others can get to it or not, and get underneath.

I'm not saying it can''t be done, I'm just saying there is more risk involved jacking up the entire car rather than just the front/rear.
For instance, if you get 3 wheels off the ground up to blocks/stands then jacking up the last corner will mean the jack is support almost the whole weight of the car. And if the jacks moves then things can get messy.

A heavy duty jack for central point jacking and four sturdy wooden blocks should be enough, if you have access to these.

wersal gummage

biko wrote: »

Are you planning to do the "wheels off" in a garage or the driveway? Just asking if others can get to it or not, and get underneath.

I'm not saying it can''t be done, I'm just saying there is more risk involved jacking up the entire car rather than just the front/rear.
For instance, if you get 3 wheels off the ground up to blocks/stands then jacking up the last corner will mean the jack is support almost the whole weight of the car. And if the jacks moves then things can get messy.

A heavy duty jack for central point jacking and four sturdy wooden blocks should be enough, if you have access to these.

Well I was planning to take the wheels off in a drive way, a fairly flat drive way. But I'm pretty much scared off it now I think.

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

Ah just do it. It's a tiny risk which you can practically eliminate by putting a removed wheel or two under the car as well.

It doesn't worry me, although I don't have much to live for.

mickdw

Buy a few sturdy lumps of timber like railway sleepers or similar and a few short bits of 6 x 2 or so and Jack one wheel at a time, remove wheel and drop car onto the wood.
Solid as a rock.
Repeat at each corner.

Pov06

You can also stick any wheels you remove under the car so you know if the car comes off the stands/jack it will end up on the wheels perhaps preventing any catastrophes.

gctest50

Some BMWs need adapters for the jacking points or you'll damage them

this sort of thing :

http://m.ebay.ie/itm/151104545233?_mwBanner=1