Not sure where to put this question ... but I need to remove the jack pads on the MINI so that I can use T-hooks when trailering her. I can't quite figure out how to get them off. Anyone? Thanks!

 

The pads have molded-in hooks at the front and rear, which snap in and catch the edges of the rectangular hole. You will have to bend one of the hooks in, and work that end down. They are a tight fit.

 

Hi LRR, Thanks for the info. Are you prying them out with any particular tool?

 

OK, I figured this out. On the R56, the jacking pads (officially called the SUPPORT LIFTING PLATFORM, part number 51717039760) have a center pin that has to be pried out before you can remove the pad / platform (in my case, to get at the T-hook slots for flatbedding tiedowns).

I used a jeweler's screwdriver and a small hammer at the edge of the center pin to start removing it, and then moved to a bigger screwdriver to continue prying around the outside of the pin. Then I used a small vice grip to twist it out. Once the central hole is exposed, I inserted a large screwdriver into the center hole, perpendicular to the main axis of the vehicle, and the pad popped right out.

The center pins get pretty beat in the process... I do not see them available as separate parts, and the whole pad runs about $10 each... too expensive for replacement every time one gets the car ready for trailering. Perhaps I can kludge a solution.

Here are some pics from a BMW enthusiasts' site that show the part alone and the installation of the replacement pad. Thanks to L'il Red's Rider for guidance in attacking this problem.

By the way, the standard T-hook (such as that available from Mac's Tiedowns) does not fit ... it's too fat ... and being a forging, it really should not be ground down. I'm going to try Mac's mini-J hook as an alternative... will post the outcome of that adventure after they arrive.

 

The mini-J hook does not work ... clearance issues when trying to articulate the hook into the slot. I ended up using a hand grinder on the mini T hooks to reduce their thickness and the length of the top of the T ... very slowly so as to prevent too much heating ... and making sure to not intersect any of the load-bearing radii with the grinder.

 

If you wait long enough, they'll just fall out. Mine fall out all the time.