Jack Stand Options
 

I was jacking my cabriolet up to remove and clean the wheels and the jack stand bent, then collapsed. Thankfully, I wasn't hurt and the wheel was still on the car. Anyway, I really dislike the OEM jack. Are there any other options that will take about the same space in the trunk? If I have to replace with the same style, any idea which models and years used this jack?

A bottle jack is vastly stronger and compact but just as unstable and very heavy.

Also your terminology is wrong, a jack is a lifting device that can be hydraulic, mechanical, or pneumatic. A stand is a stable platform you rest the vehicle on. You should not use a scissor jack for this task, it is for emergency use only and can't support great loads. You should be a trolley jack/floor jack and 4 stands.

Take a look at these stands (requires a floor jack). Make sure to get the Mercedes adapter. I have had great success with them.

https://safejacks.com/collections/co...ck-single-unit

The factory stand from W211 is identical to W212.

I will do a +2 on pwsharpe's endorsement of the Safe Jacks. I have not used them yet but they seem steady and stable. The slight flare of the jack at the base is to allow the jack underneath to be wheeled in and out. They are pricey for initial purchase but seem sturdy enough.
Personally I would not plan on using the Safe Jacks to support the entire vehicle but this setup allows you to raise the vehicle higher on the initial lift to find a good sturdy place to install jack stands. The typical problem for me at least was the place I wanted to
use to install the jack stand was already occupied by the axle jack pad. The Safe Jack was a bit high for initial purchase...just barely South of $800 That included a set of four Safe Jack axle jack pad adapters.....(Bridge) Four sets of the bridge support legs...(Pier)
Adapter plates for my 2011 E350 AND the 2018 Explorer...four pad adapters per vehicle. Two carrying cases and shipping. The company does not offer FREE shipping but not the end of the world. Made in USA and fairly easy to use and understand the concept
of]how they are supposed to work. Again I personally don't recommend using them to support the entire weight of the vehicle especially for long term but higher initial lifting surface to allow better more stable placement of the jack stands under the vehicle,
Steering Knuckle, K member, you get the idea.

The Safe Jack is pretty easy to use but I would recommend purchasing a cable, chain or something that can attach the quick release pins to the base or the side. I can see them accidentally disappearing, ie getting kicked under vehicle, kicked outside into the great beyond, etc...

Easy to install, and break down, the storage cases are nice. I plan on bringing at least one set with me for any major road trip for lets say Flat Tire, Oil Change etc.. Primarily flat tire but you get the idea.

The only thing I can think of right off the top of my head but could work for "Roadside emergencies" Flat tire etc... Might be Amazon. They sell a pretty good variety of better than OEM scissor jacks or bottle jacks.
They even have Electric scissor jacks that can help the lifting process along. Most have a adapter cord that can plug into the 12V Charging port (Cigarette Lighter) inside the vehicle or directly to the POS/NEG terminal posts of the OEM battery. If you go that
route I would recommend a decent piece of 3/4" or 1 inch board underneath the jack to act as a stabilizing platform for the base of the jack. The electrically operated scissor jacks are about the same profile as the OEM jack and usually come with their own
carrying case for storage. The Safe Jack solution although very good would in my opinion be more practical for Home use but as we all know Tires don't ask...."Are we there yet?" before giving up the ghost due to debris, old age or just bad luck. The reason the Safe Jack
is not as good on the road is obviously you need an axle jack to get underneath the bridge so that means carrying around a Three ton capacity jack in the car at all times...+ the Safe Jacks.

When I use them I will try to remember some "At Work" photos.

Here is a photo of the overview of the Safe Jack. Yes there are more but this one from their website should be enough to show proof of concept and overview of how they operate.



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...bb25b8e493.png

I bought a pair of the Rennstands above and they're actually great. Work perfect out of the box for my Audi, which uses the pinch welds for jacking. For the MB, not so much, at least until they come out wht an adapter for our jack pads. What I do to use them is remove the factory jack pad, and insert an adapter I fabbed up from some 2x2 steel tubing with a few bits and notches welded on to it to take the place of the factory pad. When SafeJack comes up with an adapter for the factory jack pad they'll be perfect.

EDIT: it looks like they finally did come out with an adapter for our cars, which is strikingly similar to what I made for mine:

https://safejacks.com/collections/re...stand-jack-pad

As I mentioned above, I used the Mercedes adapters, and also purchased adapters for my 13' Boxster. They are the tool purchase of the year 2018 for me! I do wish they were less expensive.

I use the same low profile Arcan lift shown in the photo above with a custom jack pad to fit the notch in the frame. You can buy these jack pads on eBay. No biggie. I have 2 ton adjustable jack stands if needing to keep the car in the air.

I got two sets of Adapters, set of four for Mercedes and four Ford pinch weld adapters...………………...FYI I think I know how this phot came about. Take a look at the tire in the photo, about middle of screen near outside of the tread.....Note the white/grey headed object. My guess is he got screwed...Literally.

I like the innovative concept of the SafeJack. That said, it is a very expensive set of tools. To rotate two tires, I understand you will need two stands ($125 ea), two MB adapters ($20ea), plus shipping, maybe sales tax? Let's say $320 or so.

For that amount, one can pay any local shop eight times for a 4-tire rotation ($40 per visit). No dirty hands, no exercise needed, and even "safer" than the SafeJack.

I'm all in favor of DIY work. I change oil on my MBs and Brake Pads/Rotors, etc., like everyone else. But I have to think more about this one. To work on a single tire, I can always find a sturdy suspension jack point for the floor jack and then use a traditional jack stand for safety (I have my own MB adapter).

Yeah but that doesn't account for all the other times you have to jack the car up. Doing an actual service A or B is way more than just a tire rotation, but a lot of it is just simple inspections that you can easily do yourself and save well more than the cost of taking it to a shop just once.

for the price of 4 you are halfway to a 2 post lift which sell for $1500....

THink I would just get the lift and ask wife for forgiveness later.

Because everyone has room for a lift in their 1-car attached garage.

Lifts are nice, but take up a lot of room in any garage, plus a two-post will probably require a reinforced slab where it bolts to the floor. Most garage floors are a simple 4" slab and then you are stuck jacking out a section of floor and pouring concrete, etc. The $1,500 lift becomes a pipe dream at that point. Budget $5,000 for a lift.

check out lifts... 4" slab is ok for most
I have since I have a large exterior building with my house.

Big thing is ceiling height so you can lift enough to stand under versus being crouched.

4 post lifts are cool as well...

No doubt they are nice to have. I would only install a 4 post lift in a garage with enough ceiling height to stack a car up top. Once again, with garage door mods and everything else, including installation, it is a $5K investment.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...afbe56e348.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...4c2ae74716.jpg
My $1900 lift come with casters, so I can roll it whenever I want.

got pics of the lift on casters?
very interesting.

Would allow me to put where ever I need instead of fixed in one spot.

+1 on the photo. Do you have to use a jack to raise the lift so as to attach the casters?

Shuffle puzzle garage. Kinda cool how many cars you can place in the garage.

The mountain range in the background is nice!

Plus it took me a moment to "get the pun" with the California license plate... :D

Here's a 4 post lift for $2125. Doesn't need to be bolted to the floor as 4 posts makes it stable.

https://www.mytoolequipmentguy.com/t...tomotive-lift/


There's a video about it here with the wheels:

No Quick Jack fans? $1250 out the door most places.

5,000 # capacity Quick Jack is $999 at Costco. They always have it on sale. Free ship

these are cool:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...884f4f1b4e.jpg

You tell no lies.

Thanks!

https://www.costco.com/QuickJack-5,0...100460313.html

I'm a fan. Been using mine for several years now. Wanted a two or four-post lift but garage ceiling is too low. The QuickJack lift is great to have on hand.

I googled the lift model and this is the best picture on the casters I could find.
It is ingenious design, where you attach the brackets/casters to posts with pins and then you lower the lift floor, who's weight will cantilever posts off the ground.
Lift is 7' tall, so goes under garage door just fine.
Having it roll-able made for several uses, like when I brought 3000 lb garden sculptures and had to unload them fast for trailer return. I raised the floor 1/2 way up, pushed the trailer under, strap the sculptures to lift floor and lifted it all to drive trailer away.
BTW having truck & trailer, I picked up the lift at local warehouse for $200 easy discount.
The only sad truth is that when you are DIY hobbyist 900 sq-ft garage is just too small.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...174e012efc.jpg

For most maintenance items, wouldn't the quick jack or 2 post lift be better? The 4 post lift seems mostly for storage.

The two post would probably be better, maybe cheaper. But you have to bolt it to the floor. The four post doesn't need to be and also serves as storage and there's a jack option which allows you to lift the tires off the ramp. I guess it depends how much space you need/have. Plus if you're changing your oil, the ramps are probably quicker, just drive up and start working, no need to line up the jacking points on a 2 post lift.

OK, now we're getting really expensive. Not to mention...:topic:

Well in that case I just use an old $20 jack that I got probably 10+ years ago at Sears, about $30 now. Then I have a couple of regular jack stands. I usually just have the jack support the car, take the rod out so no one trips over it and position the jack stand in case the jack fails. Regular jack stands these days are $30-$40.

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-prof...p-00950163000P

https://www.sears.com/ac-delco-2-ton...p-00950193000P

Or pick up a set for $40.

https://www.sears.com/ac-delco-2-ton-floor-jack-and-jack/p-010W006244419001P

Don't count standard garage slab will qualify for 2 post lift
I replaced pretty complex OM642 engine using 4-post and never had a desire for 2-post lift.
IMHO 2-post is good for tire/brake shop and that's about it.

all you need for 7000lb 2 post is 4" 3000 PSI concrete which is pretty much standard around here..

lowest denominator will get you killed. You need to take core samples and crush them to determine if you have that strength concrete, and the pour was indeed 4" throughout.
Then you need to rely on the proper fastener installation so they do not pull out under load. Not my cup of tea and a project I would only hire out, so I had someone to sue if it all went to hell.
I'm an architect and have some experience with observing poor installations of many such things. 4 Post reduces that stress on the slab considerably.

Spend 25 years in construction on West Coast and yet have to see a concrete slab without crack.
If they crack under "their own weight" what you can expect from anchors under big stress?
Main problem with the industry is that concrete contractor are not using vibration for slab pouring. Such concrete will never have good consistency.

^ Yes, especially in a residential garage. A commercial apparatus being installed in a residential garage. No f-ing way

Oh well the engineer in me says no issue in my detached garage.

Read instructions they tell you when installing (drilling and tightening anchors) if slab is acceptable.
very interesting reads - I read 3 or so manufacturers instructions.

I will say if anyone is worried contact a local civil engineer or concrete supplier for them to review.
Drilling hole somewhere to find thickness is not a big deal.

Post some photos once you get it installed.

Doesn't look like you know much about industry.
Concrete supplier can be a lady with 2-weeks sale training.
Engineer will not drill, nor test your concrete.
You'd have to hire sample drilling Co, and send the chunks to lab.
Still even if you manage to install 2-post lift safely, why run all the hassle only to increase risk, while loosing portability?
4-post lifts are cheaper, although between Chinese and Mexican manufacturers, it is hard to compare the value.
My Chinese lift had couple of assemble flaws, with 1 potential for disaster, but nothing I could not fix in couple of hr spend on reassemble.

If you have residential post-tensioned concrete slab, then drilling thru that concrete could be disastrous, as those cables could snap and cause death plus destruction to property. I'm not an engineer, but I know this because recently I had a hot water leak under my foundation. One of the options to repair this was to X-ray the area where the leak was occurring in order to not drill and sever embedded tension cables. So, I'd say the 4-post would be an appropriate option in that case and also for reasons outlined by Kajtec and KEY.

Have not bought one yet - Still researching what I want and where I want to place it in garage.
I am not worried about garage as it was designed to house a race car trailer and tractor truck

I am an engineer ... and do know the industry around where I live as I use them.
Our concrete companies have techs on staff as they come to sites to take samples and test in their labs.

I do not have a post tension slab

Our local Civil engineers come out and would check slab for thickness for a fee of course.

Different state different laws and industry practices.

I saw your review of the lift and cable rubbing hydraulic fitting... Well done review ..
Crappy design to me so I am leary of that brand...
Also notice they tend to be damaged a lot in shipping.

so on to more research

It's good to research and draw your conclusions. I know you won't install something that may be a danger to yourself or someone else. Careful inspection of the existing conditions is paramount and you know this. Who would think that a garage slab may have post-tensioning in it? Yet, I'm sure there are installers out there or plumbers, etc who have drilled right through a post-tensioned slab and suffered the consequences of opening a huge can of whoop-ass.
Quick story- I had a project in the lower level of the Museum Of Science and Industry here in Chicago and we had to saw cut the concrete floor for extensive new under slab plumbing. We assumed we would find a 5-6 inch slab. Wrong. The building was constructed for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and for whatever reason the concrete was 18" thick. The contractor had to use giant road saw blades to cut it. inspect and verify.

Not really. Chinese weld special crate for shipping, so the floors are bolted on top & bottom, when all smaller stuff is packed between.
The crate is so impressive that with 20 minutes of welding and chunk of granite it made very strong patio table.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...c596c3927f.jpg

I don't know why I even get involved in these debates, but here goes....

While everything mentioned about 4-post lifts is correct, for my money they're pointless. What good is a lift where you can't remove the wheels to rotate tires, do a brake job, or anything? The only thing they're good for is storage (and in a normal garage you're NOT getting a second car underneath them) and oil changes. Sorry but 90% of the work I do on my cars requires removing a wheel or four, and I do ALL the work on my cars. You're definitely not getting an engine out on a 4-post lift. Why pay double for something with 10% of the utility?

Best bet for my money is the two-post with a crossbar, which reduces the lift height somewhat but also greatly reduces the axial load on the concrete anchors. Or, as much of a "band-aid" as it may be, the Quick Jacks.

Oh and if you're drilling into concrete, you're using a masonry bit and a hammer drill, and NO masonry bit is cutting through pre-tension cables, and really, who's got pre-stressed concrete in their garage floor? Is that really a thing? That's for bridge spans and stuff.

Flame suit on.

No reason at all for a flame suit. I think we are all very civil here and I certainly understand everyone has there own preferences. I’d like to see your setup, so post some photos. I do everything with 4 jack stands and a rolling low profile jack, so pretty low tech. I have jacking rails on my Shelby that allow me to raise the entire side of the car at one time to place 2 jack stands. Go to the other side jack it up and place the other 2 stands. I can have the car completely off the ground in 5 minutes. No lift

I only have 2 of the Rennstands above, no room or money for a lift of any kind. If I need to get all four wheels off the ground I'm working under a floor jack. Although, your rail you mention gives me an idea, I could probably fab up a rail for this car that lets me lift one whole side at a time with one jack.

This is what I have. If you could fab something like that for the W212 it would be a big hit. The problem with getting most cars completely off the ground is being able to jack it from a point away from the factory jacking points so you can use those points for placement of your jack stands. These rails mount into existing holes on the chassis and literally take 20 minutes to install. A game changer.

https://www.steeda.com/steeda-s550-m...-555-5205.html

You can tell me that again.
For tire rotation I can put central jack and lift front or rear, but even big garage is not giving you that much space around to play with it.
Having floor jack, I prefer to do it on driveway. That also saves me lifting the wheels.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...20ca58c7b9.jpg

Yeah, I am thinking just some 4"x2" square (ok, ok, rectangular) steel tubing running the distance between the two jack points, with little "pads" of 2x2 welded to fit into the factory jack points at either end. Only question for me would be 1. keeping it thin enough that you could actually fit a jack under it and 2. thick enough that it doesn't bend in the middle and you just end up jacking your car up by the middle of the rocker panel anyway. Hmm, I might need to play with this.

I stand corrected. Was definitely not expecting photographic evidence. This isn't exactly the most DIY-friendly board. Kudos to you, my friend.