I'm going to be installing a rear sway bar tonight so I only need to lift the rear of my car. I was wondering if there was a point in the back I could jack from to lift the rear in one motion (similar to using a differential on a RWD car) so I don't have to lift one side along the rail then repeat for the opposite side. I realize this would only save me ~5 minutes, but I'm just curious if I could do such a move and save myself some time.

Car is an '04 MC (not that I think it matters that much).

 

Short answer: no. Long answer: no, the only place to lift the Mini is the side rail. Unfortunately you just have to get used to doing it. I use 2 race jacks and it doesn't take much time at all--I have it down pat these days after lifting it about a brazillion times.

 

If you are careful, you can lift from the rear subframe, where the control arm mounts (near the center of the car). You have to watch out that the lifting pad on the jack clears both the gas tank and the control arm as it pivots down when you lift.

Jason

 

BUT......if you lift by the rear subframe then you cannot loosen the subframe to replace the sway bar.

 

When I installed my rear control arms I only lifted the rear. I used the front jacking point and lifted the car high enough to be able to get a jack stand under the rear jack point, then repeated on the other side.

Seemed stable to me, I actually had the car on it for a couple days.

 

Well, looks like I'll be doing it one side at a time; man I miss RWD.

 

Not really.....if you lift from the rear subframe and place your jackstands under the rear jacking points then remove the jack, you are free and clear to do whatever you wish with the subframe. It allows you to lift from one central point to get the jackstands under both sides.

Jason

 

I'd still be worried about lifting the car from the rear center: the jack points are placed on an incredibly strong seam made of two vertical elements. An important and significant share of the rigidity of the car derives from these side pieces. Although the rear control arms are connected to the center piece, it doesn't bear a lot of load normally and it's not well supported to lift the car. Remember the car is so short that you lift a large proportion of the car from almost any point located within the wheelbase. The fact that you can lift the entire side of the car up from a point just below the door attests to this.
I'd stick with jacking the side seam between the jack points...