Jacking the front of the car up
 

Embarrassing that I should have to ask such basic questions at my age, but… it’s been a long time since I did this sort of thing.


So… I want to swap my front wheels, because (as with every car I’ve owned, I think) the outer edge of the n/s tyre is wearing.


But I’m not sure how to jack the front up. I have a trolley jack to get it up, and axle stands to rest it on while I do the job, but not sure whereabouts under the car to put them. Obviously I need both wheels off the ground at the same time.


Thanks all :D

You've got the central jacking point mid-way under the car with a cut-out in the undertray. Exactly in the middle about a foot in from the edge of the bumper. My old jack was too high to slide under, used to put a couple of planks on the ground and drive up on those, got a new jack which manages it now. I change tyres twice a year, otherwise I might forget too :} Soon time again to take off the winter tyres and fit the summer ones - spring's here!

Keep well

Jack it up via the sill Jack pads and place axle stands under the sub frame, I put mine at the front by the bumper.

if you are using a trolly jack (with a flat surface plate) put it under each jacking point and do one side at a time.


If you use the sub frame jacking point I have block of wood shaped to fit into the axle stand and I put that with the axle stand under the jacking pads.


macafee2

Long time since I looked under a car, but I seem to remember last time I couldn't even identify the jacking points :duh:


What do they look like nowadays? I don't think mine have rubber stops or anything...

And I suppose I could jack one side up, take the wheel off, put the space saver on, drop it, lift the other side and swap the two wheels, then back round again...


Incidentally, if anybody's reading this or anything else, and is tempted to hold their car on a trolley jack "just for a minute", I had my M3 up on one years ago, when there was a loud bang, I got an eyeful of hydraulic fluid, and the jack just collapsed - guess a seal blew.


Fortunately, I'm not (completely) stupid, and the Beemer was also supported by a large section of 18" thick tree trunk, so it only dropped a little.

You will see the hole that the jack pad fits into if it's not still fitted, just Jack it there, but use some wood or decent rubber between Jack and the sill.

Trolley jack on the jacking point as below.

https://i.imgur.com/LDYNidkl.jpg1

https://i.imgur.com/fRJITm1l.jpg2

Then add axle stands to the sill jacking points.
https://i.imgur.com/8h9FCYKl.jpg3

https://i.imgur.com/MQxum78l.jpg4

https://i.imgur.com/jxgmCnkl.jpg5

https://i.imgur.com/1Kh89tvl.jpg6

I am sure you get the picture from the above photo's ;)

Roger, hand brake on and break the wheel bolts before you lift the wheels off the ground.

Thanks mate - but... not sure how well the handbrake works on the front wheels :fishslap:


Serious point though.. as it happens, I was felled as I tried to do just that today. Last time I wanted to do something similar, I couldn't get the bolts loose, so took her up to the place where I got my tyres, and accused them of overtightening.


They claimed this was impossible, as their air thingy "only went up to 90" or some such nonsense, so I gave them the correct number and, to be fair to them, they did it for free without protest.


At least I assumed they did, till now. Even with a breaker bar, I was unable to shift the bolts. I could have used a little more force, but I broke a socket trying to do this on a previous car, and didn't want to do that again.


I was thinking of getting a 4-wheel alignment anyway, so maybe just ask the tyre people (a different place this time) to torque all my wheels up properly while they're at it.


The first place muttered something about my bolts must be rusty, so I thought about maybe putting some copperslip on them, but apparently that messes with the torque settings...?