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PSA: Jacking up the W213 on all four corners (or just rear)
So after much searching/researching on how to quickly and safely get all four corners of my S213 wagon on jack stands, I can now get the car up in under 10 minutes.
Tools used
- 3 ton long reach, low profile floor jack (I used the DAYTONA 3 Ton Long-Reach Low-Profile model from Harbor Freight)
- 4x appropriately sized Jack Stands
- Jacking Puck (I used the Potauto Universal Aluminum model from Amazon)
- Somewhere safe to jack the car, like a concrete pad
Steps
1) Raise the car to its highest ride height (helps get to the center jacking point later).
2) Position your jack stands within easy reach of each corner.
3) Lift the car at either front jacking point using the floor jack and puck, high enough to slide a jack stand under the rear jacking point on the same side.
4) Slowly lower the car onto the rear jack stand.
5) Lift the car using the front jacking point on the opposite side, high enough to again slide a jack stand on the remaining rear jacking point. Do this slowly as the car may initially lean backwards until the weight of the engine causes it to gently pivot/tip forward as desired.
6) Slowly lower the car again onto the now two jack stands at the rear.
7) Use the frontcenter jacking point to lift the entire front end - high enough to slide the remaining two jack stands under the front points. I found that coming in with the floor jack at a slight angle helped steer clear of the front lip.
8) Slowly lower the car onto all four jacking points... and you're done!
When I first heard about this, I was doubtful about it working but the stiffness of the chassis and weight of the V8 make it possible. I'm not an MB master tech or anything, so do this at your own risk.. but the second time around, I was able to get it done in under 10 minutes. And to then lower the car, just reverse the steps!
Yes, it's not as simple as having a rear jacking point, but you can use this method to get just the rear up too by skipping the last few steps.
If you plan to work on your car regularly, you can buy a cheaper version of QuickJacks from a plave like AliExpress for under $700, this is what I bought and I paid $1000 in the summer of 2024 VevorCarLift
This is great. I never thought of doing it this way. I always ended up illegally using the rear diff, but only after jacking up each rear to put wood under the tires to make room to get under the rear diff.
And then the front is now too low to use the center front point.
So then I have to put wood under the front tires too while doing everything else and... just shoot me...
I recently read another post where someone was asking about QuickJacks for S213 wagons. The above post came in the weekly summary, so adding my QJ information here.
I bought my QJs last year (5000TLX, $1700 delivered). They apparently don't sell the 5000 lb rating anymore. Now there's a 6000 lb version. Cars are getting heavier. The "X" in the model means the trays where you support the car are a little further apart. Before you select your QJ model, you need to measure the distance between the front and rear wheels (about 2" off the ground) as well as the distance between your jacking points. There's a table on their website to use to pick your model. The wagon drove the TLX selection and was also ok for our smaller vehicles.
Rightly or wrongly, I'm a worrier. I didn't like lifting on the bare pockets, so I made wooden jigs/bucks on the table saw to provide more surface area for lifting.
After that, it's just a matter of sliding the QJs under the car. I used the shorter rubber blocks (they give you two sets of four... shorter/taller), which fits very nicely under the lifting point. That is, it's very easy to tell that the rubber block is squarely on the lifting point. Then, you just make sure the lifting blocks are in the same x-axis position on the front and rear trays. (x-axis = left-right, driver's to passenger side). This is important because you want the two QJs to lift in parallel. I just feel where the block is with my finger relative to the edge of the tray. It doesn't have to be exact. (I didn't bother activating the car lift since the height difference is so small.)
Push the button and up goes the wagon. I used the QJs because the tires on the wagon (and the McLaren) are too wide to use my long-time serving, 6,000 lb capacity (each) ramps. I changed my oil this time. It was quite spacious. I liked that the vehicle was level and head room didn't decay the further back you went. The only disadvantage of the increased headroom is I had to put a 8" block of wood under the oil bucket so the oil would splash when it came out.
I used a plumber's level to confirm my driveway was under the 3-degree slope limit specified by QJ. I also put the heavy part of the car on the "uphill" side for maximum safety. Other points:
You can disconnect the hydraulic lines once the lift is on the top stop, but for just an oil change, I didn't bother. I put down a painter's tarp over one hose while I went underneath to do the job.
Use safety jack stands as recommended in the QJ manual. I'm not exactly sure how the QJs would fail; the assembly is like a block of granite once raised. Belt and suspenders. No reason to end up as a Darwin Award candidate.
I didn't mind paying more for the QJs, which is owned by Bendix and is a very reputable, U.S. company. The cost of the QJs is trivial compared to the cost of dealer service on these high-end cars. Since this is a life or death piece of equipment, why scrimp?
Last edited by SerottaD; Jan 12, 2026 at 01:36 PM.
+1 for Quickjacks. Bought the 6000TLX for black friday, already used them to swap to winter wheels, refresh the clear coat on the brake calipers, and for an oil change. Will probably end up using them to check the rear main seal at an absurd frequency as well.
@SerottaD clever solution with the wood blocks. I ended up buying some rubber pucks, just stacked them on top of the QJ-supplied blocks:
@manbat Another Amazon delivery. Sigh. I like these plugs better. I remember looking at these a year ago, but forgot about them at the point of attack. I don't mind upgrading to a better idea. Definitely more resilient than wood.
I recently read another post where someone was asking about QuickJacks for S213 wagons. The above post came in the weekly summary, so adding my QJ information here.
I bought my QJs last year (5000TLX, $1700 delivered). They apparently don't sell the 5000 lb rating anymore. Now there's a 6000 lb version. Cars are getting heavier. The "X" in the model means the trays where you support the car are a little further apart. Before you select your QJ model, you need to measure the distance between the front and rear wheels (about 2" off the ground) as well as the distance between your jacking points. There's a table on their website to use to pick your model. The wagon drove the TLX selection and was also ok for our smaller vehicles.
Rightly or wrongly, I'm a worrier. I didn't like lifting on the bare pockets, so I made wooden jigs/bucks on the table saw to provide more surface area for lifting.
After that, it's just a matter of sliding the QJs under the car. I used the shorter rubber blocks (they give you two sets of four... shorter/taller), which fits very nicely under the lifting point. That is, it's very easy to tell that the rubber block is squarely on the lifting point. Then, you just make sure the lifting blocks are in the same x-axis position on the front and rear trays. (x-axis = left-right, driver's to passenger side). This is important because you want the two QJs to lift in parallel. I just feel where the block is with my finger relative to the edge of the tray. It doesn't have to be exact. (I didn't bother activating the car lift since the height difference is so small.)
Push the button and up goes the wagon. I used the QJs because the tires on the wagon (and the McLaren) are too wide to use my long-time serving, 6,000 lb capacity (each) ramps. I changed my oil this time. It was quite spacious. I liked that the vehicle was level and head room didn't decay the further back you went. The only disadvantage of the increased headroom is I had to put a 8" block of wood under the oil bucket so the oil would splash when it came out.
I used a plumber's level to confirm my driveway was under the 3-degree slope limit specified by QJ. I also put the heavy part of the car on the "uphill" side for maximum safety. Other points:
You can disconnect the hydraulic lines once the lift is on the top stop, but for just an oil change, I didn't bother. I put down a painter's tarp over one hose while I went underneath to do the job.
Use safety jack stands as recommended in the QJ manual. I'm not exactly sure how the QJs would fail; the assembly is like a block of granite once raised. Belt and suspenders. No reason to end up as a Darwin Award candidate.
I didn't mind paying more for the QJs, which is owned by Bendix and is a very reputable, U.S. company. The cost of the QJs is trivial compared to the cost of dealer service on these high-end cars. Since this is a life or death piece of equipment, why scrimp?
I liked QJs too but I have limited space in the front and rear of my car in the garage. The Vevor lift goes straight up and down versus QJs which move forward and up while lifting. And after looking at, and feeling both side by side, I was more than satisfied with the Vevor's construction. I'm not advocating for one brand or another, just pointing out the difference, which was important for me. I might make some wood blocks like yours...nice
carlosinseattle Too bad you're not near by. It'd be fun to compare side by side. I went to look in the manual, but I couldn't find the longitudinal shift distance. I was happy I learned I could use them in the driveway. A lot more room. My garage is tight unless I move one of the cars into the driveway, in which case, why don't I just move the car I want to work on outside. California, so non-rainy days more frequent than your Seattle.
I do see I need to go through the manual and make a cheat sheet of important points, especially lubrication/maintenance (and make sure I have the grease fitting I need). What with the lawyers deeply involved on a product like this, the manuals aren't always arranged for ease of use.
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I like these plugs better. I remember looking at these a year ago, but forgot about them at the point of attack. I don't mind upgrading to a better idea. Definitely more resilient than wood.
