[MarcoZandrini]

.....floor jack. I just bought 4 snows mounted on alloys from Tire Rack. I'm wondering anyone has a recommendation for a good quality floor jack.

Thanks!

[bcwalks2]

Best jack you can get is this: https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...low-63183.html

I have been through other jacks and this is by far the best and is low profile which you will need. This is virtually the same as the Snap On one that retails for hundreds more. There was actually a lawsuit because these were essentially the same. On sale too, these generally don’t go on sale often snatch it up!

[freakystyly]

There's a bunch of brands that make those 3 ton low profile jacks. I'm not really convinced one brand is better than another when they all look identical with different paint jobs. Maybe if they see daily/weekly use, but that isn't most end users. Anyways, mine's from Costco and has been fine for the past few years.

[Kernel Kurtz]

I have one from Princess Auto (the Canadian equivalent of Harbor Freight) that is very similar to the one above. Had it for about 8 years now. Still works fine, albeit with only occasional use.

You may want to get some jack pads as well. https://www.amazon.com/BMW-Jack-Pad/s?k=BMW+Jack+Pad

[dradernh]

The AC Hydraulics DK13HLQ is the "Cadillac" of jacks for home use. I owned one and it was a joy to use. Specs here: https://www.achydraulic.com/products...13hlq-3602000/.



I just looked around for current pricing; and, like everything else, it's gone way up. I paid $5nn for mine in 2010. Amazon shows it for $1,000 and Northern Freight has it for $937 shipped. Crazy. HOWEVER, Turner Motorsport shows it on their site at the old price of $549 (I didn't look at shipping cost): https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...icklift-pedal/. This is a very capable jack and one that's quite flexible in terms of what it can do.

If a lightweight aluminum "racing jack" is more to your liking, I've used and been pleased with American Forge & Foundry's 2-ton aluminum jacks. I got quite a large number of lifts out of one of those jacks of theirs during the years I was going to the track 30-50 days each year. I now have an earlier version of this one: https://www.asedeals.com/aff-aluminu...ity-model-206/. Other AFF aluminum jacks are shown on their site: https://www.affjaxx.com/service-jacks.

I sold the AC unit and use the AFF exclusively now. I have a Harbor Freight cheapie in an unopened box in case I wear out the the AFF. At the rate I'm going, the HF unit will end up being given away.

Note that both the AC and the AFF jacks can be rebuilt if you ever wear out the seals.

[overcoil]

should be lots of threads about jacks.

I'd do 3-ton Costco jack before anything from Harbor Freight.

https://www.facebook.com/brunnhoelzlracing/

https://brunnhoelzl.com

[aerobod]

I have 2 jacks, A lightweight 1.5 tonne capacity aluminium jack that weights 14kg (about 30lb) and a 3 tonne capacity jack that weighs 45kg (100lb). I use the lightweight jack more than 90% of the time, especially for tyre changes, and it is the only one I take to the track, as it is just so much more wieldly.

[bcwalks2]

Originally Posted by Caravaggio

should be lots of threads about jacks.

I'd do 3-ton Costco jack before anything from Harbor Freight.

https://www.facebook.com/brunnhoelzlracing/

https://brunnhoelzl.com

I would normally agree, except that HF jack is the same thing as Snap On… so much so that there was a big lawsuit involved with the two products. They were coming off the same line. It’s a solid jack, I do all my own work on two BMWs we have and it’s been great.

[ggggbmw]

I have an Arcan XL2T that I really like: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007G83T16

It's lower and longer than the HF jack other people are listing, for similar money.

However, like aerobod , I have multiple jacks (3 of them). The Arcan is my choice in the garage. But for track use I have a light Harbor Freight 1.5T jack that works great for changing tires. Like this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ton...ump-64545.html

The big Arcan jack is awesome, especially for reaching central jack points. But frankly, if you just need a jack for changing tires, and aren't routinely putting the car up on jack stands, the lightweight 1.5T is more than adequate. It's cheaper, easier to store, and even if you don't lift it, just being lighter makes it so much easier to move around.

[nikijack]

I finally bought a good jack, was tired of the cheap jacks breaking after a year. Try Brunnhoelzl,widely used in Nascar. Expensive, but beautiful.

[60_Driver]

Good thread. I was just thinking about buying one. Thanks!

[MarcoZandrini]

Bought this:

https://www.costco.com/cat-3-ton-low...100507254.html

[mecheng77]

Any of the low profile jacks from Harbor Freight work great, I have the pittsburgh for many years. Most all jacks are made in China, and the failure point is the seals which can easily be replaced. I personally, wouldn't trust Aluminum because it eventually fatigues.

[TrboMike]

And I hope you're aware of the factory jack points. You just need a BMW puck (jack point) to go in the sleeves already built into the bottom of the car:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bmw+jack+...f=nb_sb_noss_1

[Shovelman]

My F22 has been up on jacks a few times, at the dealer and at a tire store. Not sure about the dealer but the tire store did not use any special pucks. Should I crawl under to inspect for damage?

[freakystyly]

The pads already on the car are very tough plastic and perfectly strong enough to be lifted by flat pads. If damage occurs, they are more likely to deform than crumble and can be replaced for around $10.

It's when you start using axle stands (not flat) that damage can occur when they move around on the pad. I'll admit the few times I need to lift the car, I still use axle stands even though they do eventually chew up the pads.

[ggggbmw]

The shape and materiel of the jack or jack stand is the main criterion on if you need a jack pad.

If the lifting jack pad is flat, and preferably rubber, it will sit on the perimeter of the lifting socket with no ill effects. My local BMW dealer uses lifts with flat metal pads. And this is what it looks like on my Esco jack stands.


You can use a traditional Y-top jack stand, IF you are very careful to get one of the hooks into the lifting socket. It's a bit tricky to line up, but it puts most of the weight on the horn of the hook, and doesn't deform the lifting socket. Since I don't have 4 Esco's (yet), I do this all the time when I want all four corners up. Like this:


What WILL screw up your lifting sockets is the sharp edged metal cup on most jacks. I ALWAYS use a lifting pad with the raised center pad adapter when using a jack. One time I forgot one at a track day, and had to lift the car with just the raw jack cup. It really mangled the lift socket on the car. So much that I borrowed a pad to do the other side of the car. I was able to file and cut out the mangled bits of the damaged socket, but it taught me a lesson.

[freakystyly]

^

Hockey pucks are cheaper than any adapters. But that might just be the Canadian in me speaking.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

^

Hockey pucks are cheaper than any adapters. But that might just be the Canadian in me speaking.

We like the hockey puck thing here in Minnesota, too.

[MarcoZandrini]

It has arrived! Heavy! Well built! Grade 8.8 bolts! Pix attached!

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini

It has arrived! Heavy! Well built! Grade 8.8 bolts! Pix attached!

Grade 8.8 bolts is metric, and equivalent in strength the Grade 5 bolts
Grade 5 bolts are the minimum in most industries except maybe furniture where you may see Grade 2