What is the best/safest method to put a MINI up on jack stands (the entire car, not just one side or one end). I'm thinking one side at a time but I'm not sure.

 

Yeah...if you jac kthe mini from a center point...that being the fram bar that stops and rounds off under the seat ruffly....you can get the whole side off the ground...but to not extend the jack stands more than one ot two clicks....then go to the other side and from the same point jack the Mini again...just go slow this time as you have the jack stands on the other side

 

I just do one side at a time. worked fine for me.

 

I had this one in my browser's favorites:

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

 

Jacking the MINI takes some time, to do it safely and not damage the underside of the car....

My method, is my method, not a recomendation.. so saying that, I use very expensive jack stands with round flat tops (with rubber covers). I did have a 15 year old heavy duty jack stand fail (junky stand from china bought at a department store when I was young and stupid trying to save $) Everything was fine (I had back up jack stands) and the car balanced on 3 stands..... Also, I do not remove the wheels until the car is up fully on jack stands....

I jack up the front of the car at the rubber jack points on the car with a hydraulic jack, and then place my jack stand under the rear of the car at the factory rubber jack pads.... I do the other side the same way and have the rear of the car safely in the air..... Make sure the car rests safely on the jack stands, etc....... the front of the car requires jacking with a jack pad under the front frame rail and lowering on the factory jack pad point... then the other side... Sometimes, if I am lazy and only working on one front wheel brake system, I jack up the front of the car at the factory jack point, and place a jack stand under the front frame, but don't lower it, which is really using the jack as a backup to the hydraulic jack then I will change the brakes, but never put myself under the car... One should also place any removed wheels under the car as a backup if the car came down it would land on the wheel..........

I find jacking the car can take as long as the project I am trying to complete on the car...

how do others get the car safely in the air...........

 

Thanks! Now to decide which method to use.....hmmmmmm:impatient