pokerFACE

i'm not particularly fond of the scissor jack that came with the car.. too unstable for my taste.

Rowdy Audi

That's what I have in the back of my car. It's a lot easier to use as well as more stable on uneven surfaces, ie. the side of the road changing a flat.

sph17

The type of jack in pix are so much better than jacks supplied by car manufacturers. I use them to change tires, but if I am going to go under the car I alwayse use a jack stand (or two) for safety in addition.

ima55r2

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47246

and for sure, use jack stands to be safe.

peet

So a C Class car is around 3500 lbs. (Coupe 3340).. this jack (harbor freight) is rated at 3000.

Now since we never lift the whole car at one time, how much weight is being lifted? Is it still 3000 lbs? or a fraction because some is still resting on the ground?

I've been wrestling with this notion for a while - in fact since Griot's Garage started selling this jack's original brother. Please someone explain this - no guesses though! I am confused enough already.

Mach430

DO NOT use the MB jack. After repeated use, it WILL FAIL. I used to use mine all the time to change wheels, until one day one of the metal spokes on the bottom (used to keep balance) folded in and made the jack lose its balance. The entire car rolled backwards as it fell. Luckily, the wheel had not yet been removed, but this could have led to serious injuries. After complaining to the dealer, Mercedes replaced my jack under warranty...I don't think it will be getting much use.

Rowdy Audi

I wouldn't worry, my car weighs 4000lbs and I've been using a jack rated at 3000lbs for years with no problems. I would guess that since you're only picking up half of the car then you are only picking up half of the weight.

henry47

same exact thing happened to me. I didnt know mercedes would cover it under waranty though. I must get a new one before my car falls on me.

Mach430

You still use it?!?!?

sph17

I got my "Pensky" floor jack with two jack stands at K-mart on sale for $20 before they went bankrupt.

nukblazi

$20 beans... that is an awesome price...

Sears by me had a nice floor jack on sale for $30 that included a very convenient carrying case. Great thing to have... I took my first look at the MB jack two weeks ago and laughed myself silly... it just "looks" dangerous

sph17

The crank worm jack that came with my three 84 W-123s are still going strong after 19 years and I never would worry about using them. The jack in my 97 W-202 looks similar in construction. Did they change it in the later models?

henry47

no but if I have a flat in the middle of nowhere, i will hae to resort to using the one mercedes supplied me with. I don't carry my jack in my car with me. I was just thinking, my car slipped off the mercedes jack a year x months ago and my rear dust shields are bent. Do you think mercedes would cover this?

pokerFACE

changing jacks, do you have to use different jacking points?

ima55r2 posted those pics. will it fit those cups underneath the side sills?

tonewheel

Good question, PokerFace.

Where are the jacking points on a W203? The point is that with a floor jack, one would want to raise the entire front or rear of the car, not just one wheel at a time.