Anyone have feedback on either the modified Torin or Esco jack stands by Reverse Logic. Looking for some good stands for my R56 JCW.

 

Yea, thats a lot of money for what can be replicated with some composite decking.

I mean, were talking jack stands here.. that are what $20-$30 a pair on sale?

I made my own jack adapters out of free samples of composite decking. Cut, notched, fits under the little jack block on the Mini just perfectly. Also made one for my wife's Golf.

http://burgertuning.com/BMW_jack_pad_adapter.html - something like that but home made.

http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=983883 along these lines, but much cleaner.

 

Actually, those ESCO jack stands are not your $30/pair Harbor Freight ratchet-post stands. They have pinned-posts as typically seen on higher load stands. The pinned posts seem safer to me, but use your own judgment.

That's about the best price I have seen on the ESCOs and I have been watching for them.

Cactusjk, thanks for the link. The modification that Reverse Logic makes to the post is interesting, but yeah, maybe something could be cobbled up to replicate it.

 

I actually went with the red Torins and they are perfect.

 

They also seem safer to OSHA. And to one friend of mine, whose ratchet-type stand failed him (he bumped the lever, I think?) causing the car to fall on him. His face needed surgical reconstruction after that.

So yeah, pinned are better.

 

Uggh. It is unsettling to visualize that.

I have to admit I do not understand why bumping the ratchet handle should allow the stand to collapse. After all, if the handle is properly seated on the tooth of the post, you would think the load of the vehicle would be too much to overcome by merely bumping the handle.

Still, on a pinned unit, the pin goes through, and you know it is seated properly, or it doesn't, and there is a problem.

Nothing protects you from a defect in the material.

 

I use an aluminum puck like the first link in post #2, then I use a jack stand under the front or rear subframe to support the car. It depends what I'm doing.
If I'm doing wheel work, then I normally only have one side up at a time, and keep the car on the jack (using the front jacking point). Then the jack stands are just for safety (I keep most of the weight on the jack), and I try not to get under the car.
If I'm doing work under the car and the wheels are staying on, then I put blocks under the wheels after jacking the car up. This gives me total access under the car for whatever is required.
Having a good point in the rear to support the car with jackstands is difficult, so I usually use a block of wood in the jacking point.
Just another opinion.

Mike

 

Not sure how you use two jack stands if you jack up one side using the front jack point and a puck and put a jack stand in the rear jack point? I know it is not recommended to use a jack but not sure if there is any other way with an R56.

 

Front jack stand goes under the front subframe near the rear A-arm joint.

Mike

 

Thanks. Would love to see a picture of this setup.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-the-mini.html

 

I learned to jack one side at a time by placing the 2" long 2x4 right behind the front jack stand point. Slide towards the metal 'edge', and it seats in nice, solid and safe. Than one side, install jack stands under front & rear factory jack points, then repeat on the other side.

Since we are talking jack stands, nothing beats flat-top Esco stands for stability and your piece of mind. Details here:
http://revlimiter.net/blog/2010/07/m...tand-review-2/

A bit expensive, but worth it.


HTH,
a

 

Why does everyone seem to be so against just putting jack stands under the jacking blocks on the car? My car has been on jack stands more than most and I've never had an issue using regular old jack stands under the factory jack points.

I use a 2x4 under the car to lift the whole side of the car when necessary. Not my car but it gives you the idea. Put the 2x4 where the red rectangle is...

 

I always rest the car on the jack stands at exactly the plastic jacking blocks. It helps that I have flat-top ESCO jack stands that mate perfectly to those jack points. If I used cheap-o saddle jack stands, the contact patch between those stands and the plastic jack points under the car would be less secure and more likely to damage the plastic.

2 problems arise when you try to jack the car using plastic jack points:
1). You can no longer put the jack stands under them, since the jack itself is using that lifting point. Thus the need to lift the car by 2x4 so that the jack points are free.
2). Plastic is brittle, and if you have a cheapo jack with a small saddle, it can chip and break the car's plastic jack blocks. To mitigate that for the times when I need to jack just one wheel quickly, I always place a hockey pluck on top of my jack's saddle. The puck adds both friction and cushioning.

HTH,
a

 

I like the 2x4 but would like to see placement for a '13 R56 JCW.

 

Not a chance I would pay $130 for those stands. I picked my current pinned stands at a farm supply place for $30.

My jack on the otherhand I bought a Blackhawk jack, because Torins and rebranded Torin jacks are junk. I've always had problems with them leaking.

 

When I have to take the wheels off and work under the car on one side, I jack up the car at the front jacking point. I use one of those aluminum pucks so that my jack doesn't break the plastic. When the car is in the air, I put a jack stand under the front subframe, and the other stand on the rear jacking point. This allows the car to be stable and both wheels on one side to come off.

If I'm just working on the front axle, I only use the front jackstand, then jack up the other side of the car.

Another opinion.

Have fun,
Mike