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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
So I had new tires installed at pep boys last Monday and I installed my new intercooler today so needed to jack up the car. Crawled underneath and there jack block in my passenger front side jack point and my drivers side rear. I know this guy forgot to double check and see if they were on his lift pads. I didn’t want to screw anything up by just going to town prying them out and I did grab on an give em a good wiggle bit they are in there.
Ther's a "pin" in the center of the jack block , that when you install the blocks the "pin" is pushed up into the block spreading apart some "fingers" that lock the block in place. You can pry the pins down and out to release the block from the car. Might be easier said than done
Ther's a "pin" in the center of the jack block , that when you install the blocks the "pin" is pushed up into the block spreading apart some "fingers" that lock the block in place. You can pry the pins down and out to release the block from the car. Might be easier said than done
Helps ... maybe? The 'center pin' spreads the tabs you see here ... pulling the pin 'up' releases the pressure on the tabs but may not release them entirely depending on age .... but a trim tool can solve this . . . You can see what you are working with . . . essentially a snap in part.
I know that they weren't on there before my tire change. I have read threads of them missing, so i wanted to take them off and not take a chance of blowing a tire.
These should be left on or if they're not there get some and put them on. These are installed so that you have a place to use the jack that came with the car. If you look at the jack/pad arrangement its pretty clear they are ment to work together it also provides a place for service dept. to place the lifting arms on a hydraulic lift
I’m not worried about jacking the car up, I have had it 4 months and have had it on jack stands, just one corner jacked up, up on hydraulic lifts, which I personally know my mechanic and wife went to school with him so I’m not worried there. PepBoys left one on drivers rear and one passenger front, so I want to take them off and use them when need if at all. I just don’t want to run one of them over when they decide they want to come off.
Well, as to falling off...if they're installed correctly they wont "fall off" speaking as someone with 60k plus since installing and being plastic I don't think you could blow a tire(I may live to eat these words).
PEP Boys didn't put them on and forget to remove. The car comes from the factory with these, permanently attached. More common is a garage beaks 'em and they fall off which is most likely what happened to two of yours. A GRRRRRR item when you find your garage busted yours.
there used to be someone selling aluminum replacements - harder to break ..... and if you want to remove all, go for it. They serve to protect the plastic rocker trim which gets in the way when you try to jack at the pinch weld.
PEP Boys didn't put them on and forget to remove. The car comes from the factory with these. More common is a garage beaks 'em and they fall off which is most likely what happened to two of yours. I GRRRRRR item when you find your garage busted yours.
there used to be someone selling aluminum replacements - harder to break ..... and if you want to remove all, go for it. They serve to protect the plastic rocker trim which gets in the way when you try to jack at the pinch weld.
I’m know PepBoys left them there, when I deleted the turbo muffler, there was nothing there on drivers side, just the holes where they go. When I had car in for clutch replacement I helped mechanic put car on lift and in know nothing was there on passenger side. When I did my intercooler, that is when I noticed them there, which was the same week I got tires from PepBoys. I wrench on this car, I know it sounds weird but after 4 months if there is something wrong or has been added, I will know. I have washed 11 years of dirt off of every surface , regularly check oil, all hose clamps, etc. Hell I checked the torque on my spark plugs after 2 weekends on the Dragon, plugs 2 and 3 were loose when I changed them, so a double check never hurts.
I just got my MINI, I have the Detroit Tuned F54 jack which fits perfect in the block and I also have a massive 3-ton Harbor Freight Daytona floor jack. I didn't lift it all they way but I was curious if I can also use a floor jack saddle right on the rubber blocks as they are and lift or is there a better place to put the saddle ?
I personally would line that jack up straight in. Since I have 2 blocks I line my cup up with them. For the other 2 depends on what I’m doing. 2x4 in different lengths depending if whole side or just a corner, has worked for me for years and I’m comfortable with it. I switched out my mini jack for a much beefier scissor style the I’m also comfortable using.
