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If you are a DIYer, likemost here, you should already know that a jack, of any kind, is not all thatyou should use if you plan on gettingunder the vehicle. Jackstands are also needed. However, the surface you are doing the workon is also critical. My neighbor at my shop, and his friend, where working onthe suspension of his SUV. They had a floor jack andaxel stands and thought they were safe. Both front wheelswhere off. But… they where working on his gravel driveway.They where hitting a particularly stubborn piece when the whole lot shifted andfell on them. My neighbor, with adrenaline flowing, lifted the SUV off hischest and then ran to the other sided and lifted the vehicle off his friendsarm. Long story short, his friend had a broken arm and pinched nerve. Myneighbor had 3 broken ribs on each side and a punctured lung. Moral: be VERYcareful when working under any vehicle.
Be safe
Derek
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+1.

Minis aren't that heavy as cars go, but 2700 pounds is still a lot compared to our skeletal structure or cranium...

 

great public service announcement. i shake the car and watch the jack stands to make sure they are stable most times before i get under a ncar.

 

Wow!!! Used to work on M1A1's... Don't know what to say..... or feel!

 

The feel part makes me cringe...

 

I was an officer 01-03, but we had to be involved with maintenance. If the officers didn't work it would be 3 doing the work of 4 and that ain't right. I've done pretty much every thing from pulling engines to replacing tracks in the field! Combat was interesting.

 

Also a reminder: Don't trust the jack stands that only use a ratchet to hold the car up. You can bump the ratchet handle just wrong, and it will let go. A buddy of mine had to have his face reconstructed after one of those let go and dropped his car on him. And that car was lighter than a MINI...

Use the stands that use a pin (or the U-shaped double pin) to hold up the stand.

 

Was under my car all weekend and i noticed that every time i put it on two stands after i put the second under the first is up on two legs.... I always relift and reposition the stand to make sure all 4 legs are down and the car is rock stable.

Is this a common scary problem or am i doing something wrong when lifting and droppeing the car?

 

With the GP - I need two jacks. I can never be too safe so whenever I get under the car, I use 2 jacks to get one side up, one jack stand and I throw my spare wheel under there for good measure. I love my GP, but it's can't drive without it's driver!

 

Thanks for serving our country!