Use a hockey puck as a cushion between the jacking block and your jack or jack stand.

 

if you read above I gave you a link.

http://www.reverselogic.us/bmw_jack_pad.html

 

Or you can use a 2x2 cut to length - really cheap and works great (picture prior to me adding the aero kit)

 

Jack stands don't damage the jacking points, at least mine don't. The jack on the other hand can play havoc with them, particularly the new style which seem to be more fragile.

 

I already have a floor jack pad adapter that fits in the jacking point blocks. I was concerned with placing the jack stand with its oddly shaped head (example: http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...nds-91760.html )

against the jacking block since it has a raised border which looks like it would be crushed with all the wait pressing against it.

I can also get these rubber jack stand pads ( http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...and-95952.html ) but they'd still be an incompatible shape.

Perhaps a block of wood cut to fit into the jack pad indentation (making a flush surface with support for the raised border) as Cerenkov suggested would be best.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...set-68365.html

Go to Harbor Freight pick up an auto ramp, no need for jacks/jack stands. Easy for oil change.

 

Unfortunately, you DO need to safely put the car on 4 jack stands for most other projects.

Jacking via a 2x4 placed between the two jacking points has worked for me for the past four years.
You do NOT need any ramps if your jack is low-profile enough.
You DO need 4 quality jack stands, preferably with rubber pads on top, to securely support the car. I personally love ESSO jack stands. Not the cheapest, but among the best: http://www.reverselogic.us/jack-stands.html

a

 

i definitely broke one of these trying to use it, and i always lift and put stands under the plastic covered pinch points, which seems to always surprise people. do the side skirts cover that?

anyway i also just use ramps for maintenance stuff like oil changes

 

Im considering cutting the tops off a pair of jack stands and screwing on a block small enough to fit inside those lift point inserts.

 

i used puck like things that fit inside those lift point inserts - but it moved around when i was lifting the other side of the car with the jack, and that's how i broke one of them

 

Do you mean those discs with the raised part in the center such as the ones sold by ECS? I think those are only good for actual jacks because they have a round saddle to fit the puck into.

 

yeah, except they were custom made to fit on stands. anyway, i see what you're saying

 

You can do that, or at some point in you life you realize that's it is time to invest in life-long tools. That's when you do a little research and buy a jack stand with rubber flat top:
http://revlimiter.net/blog/2010/07/m...tand-review-1/

There are a few on the market, the ones I have and love are made by ESCO:
http://www.mile-x.com/Esco-10498-3-T...pmehxUfd_w_wcB

a

 

If "time to invest in some life-long tools" means dropping around $80 per jack stand- I'll be happy retro-fitting some Harbor Freight aluminum jack stand I can get on sale with a coupon to with some round steel plates to accommodate the jack pad adapters.

I'd rather spend the money I save on some fine ale instead.

 

or...

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...ad_spacer.html

 

Go to the Home Depot buy a 2x2 and cut a small piece out. It will fit nicely in the plastic piece.

 

... or get a hockey puck: fits perfectly in jack's saddle, offers some give, provides increased degree of friction, virtually indestructible.

The plastic saddles are very strong, I've never heard of anyone breaking them. Your only concern is getting a solid connection between them and the jack, which the hockey puck provides in spades.

I've been using the same puck in my jack's saddle for the past 20+ years. Hardly any worse for the wear.

a

 

Do you mean lay the hockey puck flat in the jack saddle? What about holding fast with the jack insert on the car? Shouldnt part of the puck somehow fit inside that jack insert to hold everything steady while jacking?

 

Yes, in the saddle.
It fits perfectly, and the edges of the saddle prevent any possibility of a slide.
See the pic below.

No need for that.
The weight of the car, coupled with hockey puck's rubbery, slightly yielding, high friction surface, make for a rock solid connection point.

I do remove the puck when I jack both wheels with a 2" long 2x4 right behind the front jacking point. That allows the jack's saddle to dig into the 2x4, providing additional insurance against slippage.

a

 

Interesting. Thanks for the pic. I guess if I wanted to add a little bit of "security" to your idea I could just drill a hole in a small piece of wood and screw it into the center of the that puck.

 

I built these for my oil change and under car needs.