It is very important to make sure that the car is even from left-to-right. The reason I mention this is that a typical home garage floor will have a slight downward slope from the house to driveway for drainage. Thus, parking the car at even a slight angle from the axis of the garage floor will result in the left side of the car being higher than the right side, or vice versa. Even this small tilt can impart a relative elevation to jack stands (even allowing for their adjustability) that in turn affects the balance of the car on the jack stands. This is an observation from experience.
@@Turbo_Snail I understand the fear. I'm not mechanically inclined, and started working on my owns cars about 5 years ago. Many years ago, I used to watch renovation show "This Old House." One of the hosts gave advice about working with a power tool (e.g., a power saw). His advice was to the effect: always ask yourself, if the tool slips, where is the tool going to move and where is my body? I approach lifting a car with the same mindset: if the jack or stand slips, where is the car going to move, and where is my body?
Yeah, same here, you are right. You can’t often see it in my video but when I jack up the car on the stands, when I work on a corner I add the extra jack on that corner as well. Just to be safe. A 4000 lbs car, a circular saw, any fast or powerful tool, I just double check. I just double check!
I used to use wood. And one day it got wobbly. I used a hockey puck I had laying around and been using it ever since. You can also stack a couple hockey pucks safely, but not so on wood.
I always keep half a dozen hockey pucks in the garage. You might want to have a look at wheel cribs. Those little jacks that comes with the car are death traps.
Also, watch those release levers on the stands. If you are under the car and one of the levers gets touched accidently, that corner of the car is coming straight down. The design of these don't usually have a safety pin, which isn't great.
Actually when there is weight on it, it requires a lot of force to lift those levers. Almost impossible to do it. These are not like your grandfather stands that require a safety pin. If they are old, I would change them for new, non harbor freight ones.
Great video - one question. I have a W220 similar to yours. Only just bought it and want to replace the airmatic pump, so I am going to have to jack her up. I currently have a 2 ton hydraulic jack and 2 ton stands. I know the W220 is rated at 2475kg so am I going to have to get completely new jack and stands to lift her?
Well, if you got jacks rated at 2000kg, and you lift the entire car on 4 jacks. That’s 8000kg carrying capacity for a 2500kg car. I mean it’s always better to go beefier but lifting an axle worth let’s say 3/5 in the front there’s enough room. Also, I always use my jack near where I’m under in addition to the jacks stands. Just in case something fails. Good thinking tho and always safety first. I haven’t done the pump yet so I haven’t looked or made a video yet.
Its very risky to lift one corner of a car placing it on a jack stand (axle stand, if British or Irish), then lifting the other side to do the same.The weight can shift unexpectedly, causing a topple, especially if using one of those axle stand rubber toppers, which can slip or move under load. Always better to raise the car in the middle, under the engine, if you can, then carefully lower it onto the stands.
Even with my extra long low profile jack, I can’t reach under the engine on my car. Also there is no safe jacking point in the middle of the car. Every car has markings where to apply the jacks safely. Also it’s usually illustrated in the user manual. There are tons of TikTok’s where people break their car jacking it up in the wrong spot. I for one, have never seen a professional jack up a car on the side/middle. Most cars are usually front heavy and would pivot forward if you attempted to do that. Be safe out there.
I've seen warnings that you should not jack up opposite sides of a vehicle. When the tire on the 2nd side leaves the ground, the car may shift; the other side's jack stand may wobble or fall over. Maybe this affects certain vehicles more than others. I had the notion to have 2 jacks simultaneously lifting the back (also the front if still using the pinch welds, no centered jack point). Do you think this would be safer/better?
I try to be as careful as possible. I use at least one jack stand and in the corner I work on I keep the regular jack there for extra support as well. It’s not always visible but I make sure it’s as save as possible. Now the Mercedes weighs a lot more than my 200, but somehow I feel the Mercedes sits more secure. I also try to shift/wiggle the car while on stands to make sure it’s stable. When I do videos it is also easier to lift the entire car. I need to run the camera, operate the tripod, still do the job at hand, it’s too much hassle to lift and drop the car for each corner separately. Now that I have lifted the entire car several times, I feel very confident, and I do it fairly quick. Currently it’s my preferred method of doing things. I can’t stress enough that whatever method you use, you got to make sure and triple check the jack stands. And always use a second method of support where you are.
To answer your question, only use the manufacturer recommended lift point. My 200 only has the pinch welds to sit on, whereas the Mercedes has several points underneath the car. I love that I can lift the entire back or front on the Mercedes at once. No such Anker point in the 200. Check the manual.
It is very important to make sure that the car is even from left-to-right. The reason I mention this is that a typical home garage floor will have a slight downward slope from the house to driveway for drainage. Thus, parking the car at even a slight angle from the axis of the garage floor will result in the left side of the car being higher than the right side, or vice versa. Even this small tilt can impart a relative elevation to jack stands (even allowing for their adjustability) that in turn affects the balance of the car on the jack stands. This is an observation from experience.
Excellent point. Thanks for sharing. Car jack safety is very important.
I like this video. Your approach is conservative and cautious.
Thanks. Yeah, no matter how often I’ve done it, it scares the shit out of me.
@@Turbo_Snail I understand the fear. I'm not mechanically inclined, and started working on my owns cars about 5 years ago. Many years ago, I used to watch renovation show "This Old House." One of the hosts gave advice about working with a power tool (e.g., a power saw). His advice was to the effect: always ask yourself, if the tool slips, where is the tool going to move and where is my body? I approach lifting a car with the same mindset: if the jack or stand slips, where is the car going to move, and where is my body?
Yeah, same here, you are right. You can’t often see it in my video but when I jack up the car on the stands, when I work on a corner I add the extra jack on that corner as well. Just to be safe. A 4000 lbs car, a circular saw, any fast or powerful tool, I just double check. I just double check!
Love the hockey puck and slotted pads idea Daniel. I use wood, but I'll buy a pads now. Thanks!
I used to use wood. And one day it got wobbly. I used a hockey puck I had laying around and been using it ever since. You can also stack a couple hockey pucks safely, but not so on wood.
I always keep half a dozen hockey pucks in the garage. You might want to have a look at wheel cribs. Those little jacks that comes with the car are death traps.
@robertfontaine3650 yes they are. However it doesn’t really even matter anymore. Most millennials wouldn’t know what it’s for anyways.
Also, watch those release levers on the stands. If you are under the car and one of the levers gets touched accidently, that corner of the car is coming straight down. The design of these don't usually have a safety pin, which isn't great.
Actually when there is weight on it, it requires a lot of force to lift those levers. Almost impossible to do it. These are not like your grandfather stands that require a safety pin. If they are old, I would change them for new, non harbor freight ones.
Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching.
Holy moly that’s a janky Jack
It’s old but it works. It lifts a 5000lbs van. It can handle a 3500lbs 200. That being said. I always use jack stands.
@@Turbo_Snail I was referring to the factory Jack..... yikes
Uh yes. That thing is wanky!
Great video - one question. I have a W220 similar to yours. Only just bought it and want to replace the airmatic pump, so I am going to have to jack her up. I currently have a 2 ton hydraulic jack and 2 ton stands. I know the W220 is rated at 2475kg so am I going to have to get completely new jack and stands to lift her?
Well, if you got jacks rated at 2000kg, and you lift the entire car on 4 jacks. That’s 8000kg carrying capacity for a 2500kg car. I mean it’s always better to go beefier but lifting an axle worth let’s say 3/5 in the front there’s enough room. Also, I always use my jack near where I’m under in addition to the jacks stands. Just in case something fails. Good thinking tho and always safety first. I haven’t done the pump yet so I haven’t looked or made a video yet.
Its very risky to lift one corner of a car placing it on a jack stand (axle stand, if British or Irish), then lifting the other side to do the same.The weight can shift unexpectedly, causing a topple, especially if using one of those axle stand rubber toppers, which can slip or move under load. Always better to raise the car in the middle, under the engine, if you can, then carefully lower it onto the stands.
Even with my extra long low profile jack, I can’t reach under the engine on my car. Also there is no safe jacking point in the middle of the car. Every car has markings where to apply the jacks safely. Also it’s usually illustrated in the user manual. There are tons of TikTok’s where people break their car jacking it up in the wrong spot. I for one, have never seen a professional jack up a car on the side/middle. Most cars are usually front heavy and would pivot forward if you attempted to do that. Be safe out there.
I've seen warnings that you should not jack up opposite sides of a vehicle. When the tire on the 2nd side leaves the ground, the car may shift; the other side's jack stand may wobble or fall over. Maybe this affects certain vehicles more than others.
I had the notion to have 2 jacks simultaneously lifting the back (also the front if still using the pinch welds, no centered jack point).
Do you think this would be safer/better?
I try to be as careful as possible. I use at least one jack stand and in the corner I work on I keep the regular jack there for extra support as well. It’s not always visible but I make sure it’s as save as possible. Now the Mercedes weighs a lot more than my 200, but somehow I feel the Mercedes sits more secure. I also try to shift/wiggle the car while on stands to make sure it’s stable.
When I do videos it is also easier to lift the entire car. I need to run the camera, operate the tripod, still do the job at hand, it’s too much hassle to lift and drop the car for each corner separately.
Now that I have lifted the entire car several times, I feel very confident, and I do it fairly quick. Currently it’s my preferred method of doing things.
I can’t stress enough that whatever method you use, you got to make sure and triple check the jack stands. And always use a second method of support where you are.
To answer your question, only use the manufacturer recommended lift point. My 200 only has the pinch welds to sit on, whereas the Mercedes has several points underneath the car. I love that I can lift the entire back or front on the Mercedes at once. No such Anker point in the 200. Check the manual.
God dam it I don’t have a mercedes benz that was way too easy!
It was nerve wrecking the first time, and I’m still super cautious. But this pretty much applies to any car you lift.
جميل
Thank you. I hope it helps.