Are there front and rear central lift points on the MINI S that can be safely used with a floor jack or botle jack? I couldn't find mention of this in the manual.
Thanks in advance.

 

Check out http://www.ultimategarage.com/minijack.htm

 

There are four plastic pads in place that are the Minis jack points at each corner of the car. They are close to each wheel on each side, in-between the wheels. If you need to jack one side of the car up, like for rotating tires, you just jack up at the front jack point, and it lifts the entire side of the car.

-Keith

 

Thanks,Mineon, I understand that. I am asking about a central lift point that would lift both front tires or both rear tires, from one point under the front middle or rear middle of the car.
I suppose this car might not have them, but it would be the first in my experience. I'm just not certain and don't want to put a bottle jack under the car and damage something.

 

2fast2: There are *no* central jack points for the MINI, sorry. I have spent enough time under my MCS to assure you that there are none. I have thought of making a special tool that spans from the existing side jack points to the center, so that you could put a jack under it and lift the front, or the rear of the car. But the ground clearance is so small that I can't design one.
What I do is use 2 jacks, on either side, and raise the front of the car up alternating between the 2 jacks until it's high enought to put the jack stands under the jack points.
The weight distribution of the MINI is so forward that in this mode, there is very little weight on the rear wheels and the car is -almost- balanced on the jack stands. Scary.

cheers,
cheers,

 

Ah poop.

I'm not sure I understand your technique, DrPhilGandini. Do you jack the car from the forward lift points at the rocker panels? If so, where do you place the jack stands to safely support the car?

Thanks for the news, even if it isn't what I wanted to hear.

What I am trying to do, is lift the entire car up and safely support it, while it is parked on my four post lift. I have a jack tray and various jacks that I could lift centrally, except that isn't a possibility for the MINI :(

Hmmm.

 

I have never tried a front or rear lift, only one side or the other.

To do that, I place a board on the floor jack lift point and then lift the car using the frame under the front floor boards. If you look under the car, there is a section of the floor pan that looks like an enclosed frame. I lift using that and the whole side comes up. I then place jack stands under the two factory jack points (the black plastic things).

 

Yes, if you look inside the welded seam (where the jack points are) you will see a small flat area (with a plugged hole in the center) just ahead of the front jack point. This is a box section of the monocoque, and the metal is very thin here. I lifted the car here once and it collapsed about 1/2". What I do now is use a piece of wood (maple coz it's harder than rock) about 6"x4" and put it on the welded seam and this flat area just ahead of the front jack point. I lift the car both sides (2" one side, 2" the other, back and forth) then put the jack stands under the jack points. Does this make sense?
If you want to put the car on 4 jack stands, like this

then just lift is from either side first (I just put a long piece of maple under the welded seam behind the front jack point and lift the entire side up, al la Randy Webb) and then do the other side.

cheers,

 

So you're talking about the seam that runs front to rear along each side of the car? (If so, this is the same way I used to jack up our Miata)

 

Yes, it's clearly the strongest part of modern unibody cars these days! The jack points are directly part of this seam, and I've seen Randy Webb lift dozens of MINIs using one jack on this seam. It's the only part of the car I use. It is covered with a plastic sheath, and this may get partially damaged I suppose, but it's a small price to pay as it's not structural and rarely seen by anyone other than who you've just run over...

 

This might be helpful to lift from the welded seam. I'm thinking of ordering one:
http://www.toolsusa.com/ProductSearc...tand|627921799

 

Thats a great idea. I made mine out of a 2x4 about 18" long, drilled hole in center, counter sunk hole on top side (for bolt head) and with long bolt and old socket with same OD as hole in jack, bolted to bottom of board. Now I just remove the standard plate from jack, insert my "Lift Board" and jack it up.
One down side, because of extra thickness of 2x4, jack & board won't fit under Mini unless I drive just the front wheels up onto 2x6's.

 

I pull the car up on 2x6 blocks first, then jack it up by the subframe in the front.

 

That may be OK if you wanted to just lift the fronts but don't think if would work to lift the whole side to but on 4 jackstands. Need to jack from a more centered location to lift the entire side high enough to get jackstands under the rear. BTW I did order the neat tool that mitchman suggested. Will see if I can get it under car without having to drive fronts up on 2x6 boards.

 

Don't bother ordering this tool for the Mini. I received mine today and slot in the tool not wide enough for the seam on the Mini. Also the solid round bar that goes into the jack smaller than the hole in my jack so it wobbles around in the hole.
I'm sending it back and they will credit my credit card less S&H. Wasted $16.00 in shipping both ways. May fab-up one on my own as I still like the idea of this tool.

 

Maybe a piece of wood with a saw kerf wide enough for the welded seam?

 

I currently use a 1.5 foot long 2x4 on seam and it works fine. Only down side is that to clear the seam I first have to drive the front wheels on to a 2x6.