Jack Point Failure?

[carx7]

Anyone else here experience failure of a jack point on these cars?

I swapped downpipes this week for 4th(?) time along with some other maintenance. The car was lifted using a hydraulic jack and an adapter puck design to fit inside the approved jack points on the car as always. The front was supported on jack stands during the work. Once finished, I lower the DS side and moved to the passenger side. Bent down, positioned the jack perpendicular to the car, found the points, picked up the car, removed the jack stand and started lower then "Boom". The puck and my jack came out of the side of the car tearing the skirt, crushing the fender and dinging the door on the way down.

Upon inspection of the aftermath, these jack points look to just be a piece of plastic that is resting on the frame and only vaguely supported by the plastic skirt material around it. I assume that it was recessed in a metal cavity in the car or something. I get it's not decide for "side loading" but I cannot make sense of any force vector during my process that should have caused this... I'm also smart enough to know that something went awry... I'm just not sure what. It's not like the car was 45 degrees sideways in the air. 25 years of lifting cars with jacks and this is the first failure of this type I've seen.

I'm just dismayed and figured I'd see if anyone else has seen this.[headbang][headbang][headbang][headbang]

[carx7]

just painted this fender too for paint perfection prior to a clear bra. Doh.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180604/aff877101b4a07219c8d273045e3f1ea.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180604/bac13076fe9989d9299331c273f0b1ed.jpg

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[elptxjc]

Assuming the car didn't have any prior frame damage in that area (plastic 'cavity' is supposed to sit over solid metal), by looking at your puck (I have one of those too), you apparently levered the car against the side of the puck (look at the black mark), since the rounded part goes fully into the cavity, not allowing any side tilt (am I making sense?). That means any tilt starts levering the car against the puck. If you had a jack on one side only, that put the car at a very aggressive tilt. You also didn't mention where you placed the jack stands (suspension parts?). But I'm afraid you just didn't use the appropriate puck to tilt the car that heavily. You'd need a longer protrusion of the puck to allow tilting without levering the car against the flat part of the puck. Sorry to hear about you damage. By the way, I never do that, to avoid twisting the trame, even if it can take it. I use my floor jack and car's jack to lift both sides evenly, when needed. Otherwise I put it on Rhino ramps. Good luck with the fix.

[carx7]

My confusion is that the car wasn't tilted that heavily at all. The black mark on the puck most likely came when the whole thing twisted out of the car. When this fell it was only slightly higher off ground than one would lift a car to change a tire. That's evidenced by the fact that the car only damaged the lower 4" of the fender before the tires hit the ground. The jack stands were positioned under the back of the subframe for near two bolt heads as a safely factor, while the jack is still under the car for added safety.

I also use 2 jacks to lift a car if I'm going to extreme heights. This didn't qualify for that in my history, although I'm going to think twice before doing it again. I've historically avoided ramps as the height of the car requires a runway of stepping stones to get the car to any reasonable height for maintenance. Again, I'll be rethinking with this car.

[wwhan]

I had sideways issues with that same adapter, so I made a custom adapter that controls the adapter location in the jack.

[RAF_S7]

Im using the same method to lift my S7 - hydraulic jack+ puck, and never had any issues.

Sorry to see the damage [eek]

[wwhan]

Im using the same method to lift my S7 - hydraulic jack+ puck, and never had any issues.

Sorry to see the damage [eek]

Which floor jack are you using and what does the jack pad on the floor jack look like? Is it flat or concave (like mine).

[elptxjc]

I've historically avoided ramps as the height of the car requires a runway of stepping stones to get the car to any reasonable height for maintenance.
Unless you're a huge guy, Rhino ramps provide more than ample space. And with the car lowered the max amount with VCDS, hitting the 'raise' button is enough to clear the ramps without anything extra. Left me a ton of room to work on the oil change, which is the only time I've worked under the car so far. If you bought the car new, then it must have been the stupid puck. Or something under your control. If it was used, could have had damage there. Look around. Hope it's relatively inexpensive to fix. I only mess with jacks when I need to remove a wheel.

[hackths]

I had the exact same issue, but as bad of damage. Slightly bent the fender, but was able to pull most of it out. Did tear the side skirt a little and the black plastic piece broke out. It is definitely from the black plastic being tilted when lifting and it cause the puck to slip. Mine was half half way unloaded suspension, so the wheel was not even off the ground. I adjusted from that point and only jacked from the control arm area. I also switched to ramps for under word and still placed jack stands in case the ramps failed. I have been using the same harbor freight rack jack for years and years on all of my vehicles without issue.

I found the plastic “insert” in my S7 to be a joke. I much preferred my built in pucks on my MK1 TT. Unfortunately I have found newer cars are all about pinch weld points or what was on the S7. I keep thinking it’s to further dissuade people from doing their own work.

What sucks more is that I have a BendPak mid rise lift in my garage. I can’t use that because the jack points on the S7 are too far on the corner for the arms to reach. I know I know, my poor life :), but it’s annoying :).

This why I am seriously considering selling the midrise for a 4 post with integrated jacks. Just need to sell the midrise :)

[p3u]

Sorry to see this happen. I've had something similar happen on a B6 S4 many years ago.

How I felt reading your post...

https://m.popkey.co/d0597a/N599x.gif

[carx7]

Which floor jack are you using and what does the jack pad on the floor jack look like? Is it flat or concave (like mine).

Not directed at me, but for the record my jack pad is flat.


Unless you're a huge guy, Rhino ramps provide more than ample space. And with the car lowered the max amount with VCDS, hitting the 'raise' button is enough to clear the ramps without anything extra. Left me a ton of room to work on the oil change, which is the only time I've worked under the car so far. If you bought the car new, then it must have been the stupid puck. Or something under your control. If it was used, could have had damage there. Look around. Hope it's relatively inexpensive to fix. I only mess with jacks when I need to remove a wheel.

I have DRC on KW coils, so no raise button for me. This is one of the things I miss about my old car. I'm not a "new car guy" so it is used, but thoroughly inspected before purchase. I do agree that this was likely something I did.... just can't quite put my finger on it. I might have expected an outward force if I was lifting the car and the jack stopped rolling. Since I was lowering it, the forces just don't make sense in my head. Clearly I'm missing something.... or I blacked out due to the agony of it all.[o_o]



I found the plastic “insert” in my S7 to be a joke. I much preferred my built in pucks on my MK1 TT. Unfortunately I have found newer cars are all about pinch weld points or what was on the S7. I keep thinking it’s to further dissuade people from doing their own work.

What sucks more is that I have a BendPak mid rise lift in my garage. I can’t use that because the jack points on the S7 are too far on the corner for the arms to reach. I know I know, my poor life :), but it’s annoying :).


I find myself thinking about the lift points on my Rx7s and how "reliable" the rotary mazda was in this regard. HA! Good to know about the BendPak unit. I'm moving at the end of this month and a lift is on my short list for the new garage. I've been thinking 4 post as my brother loves his, so this provides further supporting information for that direction.

As someone else mentioned, it could have been worse and it's just a car. I've waited a long time for a car like this, so it is a major disappointment. I'm sad/glad to hear I'm not the only one who's run across this, but at the same time hoping someone else will see this and not do what I did.

[RAF_S7]

Which floor jack are you using and what does the jack pad on the floor jack look like? Is it flat or concave (like mine).

It’s a generic hydraulic jack, nothing special.

The lifting plate is concave like yours, however my puck is aluminium and the same diameter as the lifting plate, meaning it doesn’t sit inside the concave dish, but on the edge of the plate itself.

As I said no issues to far, but following your incident I’ll be taking extra care going forward!

[wwhan]

It’s a generic hydraulic jack, nothing special.

The lifting plate is concave like yours, however my puck is aluminium and the same diameter as the lifting plate, meaning it doesn’t sit inside the concave dish, but on the edge of the plate itself.

As I said no issues to far, but following your incident I’ll be taking extra care going forward!

This is the first time I have had a floor jack slip sideways. I think it helps, if the puck that fits the floor jack surface flat and stable from sideways movement, where it meets the jack pad. I had a little sideways slipage happen when jacking for the alu-Kreuz install project. I made a crude, but more stable jack pad adapter, from material I had in the garage, at the time.

http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/504/J2.jpg

http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/504/J1.jpg

[GlacierS5]

Unless you're a huge guy, Rhino ramps provide more than ample space. And with the car lowered the max amount with VCDS, hitting the 'raise' button is enough to clear the ramps without anything extra. Left me a ton of room to work on the oil change, which is the only time I've worked under the car so far. If you bought the car new, then it must have been the stupid puck. Or something under your control. If it was used, could have had damage there. Look around. Hope it's relatively inexpensive to fix. I only mess with jacks when I need to remove a wheel.+1 on Ramps. The jack point on the S6 didn't look stable. Purchased Race Ramps from Amazon and was amazed how fast I got the car up. The clearance to work underneath was more than enough to install my exhaust.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Audizine mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87676)

[goliath1]

That sucks

[tpitale]

I _JUST_ had this same thing happen with my 2016 S6. I'm so forking mad. How is this even possible, Audi?!?

[MyDimeIsUp]

I just lift the car on the pinch welds behind these plastic adapter pieces (whether I'm using a lift or a floor jack). Also when I bought the car it was missing one of the covers for where the adapter would go. Never had problems using the pinch welds and I can't imagine lifting on the pinch welds, like literally 99% of most other cars, would cause any problems.

[Kczach]

Agree about the ramps. Also if you do a bit of work on you cars maybe think about going to Costco and getting a QuickJack. Works great. For what It'll cost to repair the damage you could get a nice setup from Costco.

[Audibellybutton]

Very common on the C7 unfortunately. Thats why I have my eyes on these https://tgkmotorsport.com/products/tgk-motorsport-billet-jack-blocks

[sepheroth86]

I jack it up off the front lower arm mounting location.