Is there an alternate and safe jack point for the front instead of the pinch welding?

[flowhigh]

I'm prepping for my first brake job and wanted to avoid effing up the underside of the car. I hated jacking up my B7 from the pinch weld and even placing the jack stand on that point. As soon as I let the weight down, it cut right through the paint and rubber like compound. Then it's exposed metal and hated looking it every time I went underneath.

Also:

Any recommendation on a good set of ramps? I was thinking of this route but am kinda hesitant.; had an nissan sentra when I was a kid and almost tipped the ramps forward - never forget that.
-and-
Does anyone remember the actual OE makers of the stock front pads for the B8? You may have seen it stamped on the old pads.

[ELaw]

Are you using a floor jack? If so, put a hockey puck on the saddle to act as a cushion. It's not a perfect solution, but cheap and easy and helps a lot.

[Novarider]

They make pinch weld adapters for floor jacks.

[m1k3d3]

I have a rubber pinch weld adapter for my jack. To be honest it’s basically a hockey puck. It’s now starting to split so I wouldn’t recommend it. I bought the Rhino ramps that you can get a Walmart which work well but don’t give enough clearance IMO. If you’re anything lower than stock you’ll likely be in the same boat.


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[Dr. Awesome]

I use a metal pinch weld adapter or rhino ramps. The ramps are good enough for most stuff like oil changes. Why don't you want to use the pinch weld? Is it rusting or bent?

[NathanGreatScott]

Havent used them yet, but I've heard good things about these Schwaben ramps; https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-B8_A4...eSearch/Ramps/

They have different heights available and even offer extenders for those that don't like/cant climb the steeper grade. Would be great for lowered vehicles

[A4x]

Pinch weld should work fine if you have those rubber adapters .

I'm trying to figure out a way to get my car up on all 4 jackstands without it rolling during the process. I do have 2 jacks, so I can lift left/right side simultaneously.

My idea was to engage parking brake like I usually do when lifting the front and place jackstansds at the pinchwelds on left/right side. Then I would move the 2 jacks to the rear and start lifting, but I'm worried that as soon as the rear wheels get off the ground, the car is going to roll backwards. I k ow the rear parking brakes are preventing the car from rolling when I lift the front.

Anyone have tips to get all 4 corners up on jackstands?

[bhvrdr]

Do not use the rubber/plastic adapters for pinch welds that you get on Amazon and Ebay. They can and have split on many people.


You can use the standard rubber pad for the floor jack just fine on the pinch welds. Then you can slide a jack stand with a rag or other cushion in there as your safety. Some throw the tire/wheel they took off the car under there too.

When I dont have to take off wheels I prefer Rhino ramps or Race Ramps.

Mike

[A4fuzz]

On Honda vehicles, there is a clearly marked jacking point on the front crossmember / subframe that allows you to jack the front end up and put it on jack stands... I've seen no such thing on the Audi. The same goes for the rear on the Honda's, I could jack the whole rear end up by the rear subframe or the even the tie down loop under the spare tire well.

[OK22]

Do not use the rubber/plastic adapters for pinch welds that you get on Amazon and Ebay. They can and have split on many people.
...
When I dont have to take off wheels I prefer Rhino ramps or Race Ramps.

Mike

+1 for the Rhino ramps if the wheels aren't coming off. On my low cars, I use a couple pieces of scrap 2x4 and plywood to lessen the ramp angle. I use Hockey pucks for padding on all my jacks and have not had any damage to the pinch welds.

[flowhigh]

I want to avoid peeling the paint off the pinch welds. When you put all that pressure on that point padded or metal, it squeezes the paint apart. You'll notice that the paint has an layer of a vinyl like substance or just could be very generously thick paint application underneath the topcoat. Then the primer layer after that. On my B7 as soon as it was lowered on the jack stands it was destroyed. I just hated looking at it and seeing little bits of rust forming. I'm anal like that I guess.

I did buy this off ebay last year

but you'll notice the slot is too thin and peeled the paint off even more so I ended up placing it under the subframe and transmission bracket junction. Ended up caving the hollow part in a little bit on my B7 so I started placing closer to the bolts.

I guess I might try the rhino ramps with the skid proof tabs as dusty as my garage floor is. Once raised I'll use my crossbeam attached the jack to lift it higher and set the car on the stands. Then just bite the bullet and set some rags in between the car and the jack stands; plastic bags scrumpled up works well for this too. Damn I wish I had the space and money to buy a lift.

[jfo]

Damn I wish I had the space and money to buy a lift.

The Quickjack system is a great compromise. Not as nice as a full lift, but much better than jacks and stands. It's not inexpensive, but doesn't take up room to store. I just prop it against the wall.

https://www.quickjack.com/car-lift-s...-car-lift.html

[flowhigh]

The Quickjack system is a great compromise. Not as nice as a full lift, but much better than jacks and stands. It's not inexpensive, but doesn't take up room to store. I just prop it against the wall.

https://www.quickjack.com/car-lift-s...-car-lift.html

Anyone here have this?

[jfo]

Anyone here have this?

Do you mean other than me? Do you have any questions?

[ELaw]

Anyone here have this?

I do... what would you like to know?

[doc_oc]

Anyone here have this?

I don't have that one. I have one like this: http://www.babco.ca/Automotive-Equip...ak-MD6XP<br />
It goes up 5 feet. It stores under the car.
Best thing ever. I use it all the time.
I highly recommend this type over the one posted earlier. The extra height it's worth every penny. I had one that was only going 40" and I found it a pain. It was never high enough.


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[Novarider]

I don't have that one. I have one like this: http://www.babco.ca/Automotive-Equip...ak-MD6XP<br />
It goes up 5 feet. It stores under the car.
Best thing ever. I use it all the time.
I highly recommend this type over the one posted earlier. The extra height it's worth every penny. I had one that was only going 40" and I found it a pain. It was never high enough.


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Link doesn't work

[ELaw]

Link doesn't work

This one should: http://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/spe...ts/md-6xp.aspx - or just Google "BendPak MD6XP".

Honestly to me, with a jack like that it seems like the jack mechanism would get in the way of a lot of areas when working under the car. For "side-of-car" work like tires, brakes, and shocks it looks like it could work well, but I don't see where the added height helps that much. Doc_oc, what do you use yours for, and do you find it gets in the way?

Regarding storing the jack under the car, I've thought about that with my QuickJack but I don't like the idea of water or slush dropping off the car onto the lift when I bring the car in during bad weather. So for that it probably depends on the climate where you live.

[doc_oc]

This one should: http://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/spe...ts/md-6xp.aspx - or just Google "BendPak MD6XP".

Honestly to me, with a jack like that it seems like the jack mechanism would get in the way of a lot of areas when working under the car. For "side-of-car" work like tires, brakes, and shocks it looks like it could work well, but I don't see where the added height helps that much. Doc_oc, what do you use yours for, and do you find it gets in the way?

Regarding storing the jack under the car, I've thought about that with my QuickJack but I don't like the idea of water or slush dropping off the car onto the lift when I bring the car in during bad weather. So for that it probably depends on the climate where you live.

Sorry, posted from my cell:)

It's powdercoated and I'm in Canada. So, lots of salt, sand and slush :(
I'm lucky and have 2 double car garages, so no need to drive over it every time. But I was saying that as an option.
I use mine for all suspension work, tire changes, brakes....etc
If you are working on the exhaust or prop shaft, it would take some figuring out.
But it comes with adapters for truck, which would keep the car floor about 4" away from the jack frame. And that can be augmented with 2x4, 4x4:)
Also, because the way they work, the frame of the jack ends behind the jacking points. So it gives you plenty of clearance even for transmission work.
I dropped my transmission pan on my b6 and my oil pan on the b8.
I did the timing chain/belt on both cars and it's so convenient to lift and drop the car when needed.
For suspension work, you can strand up and work at chest height instead of all bent over on your knees. Way friendlier on your back:)


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[jfo]

Sorry, posted from my cell:)

It's powdercoated and I'm in Canada. So, lots of salt, sand and slush :(
I'm lucky and have 2 double car garages, so no need to drive over it every time. But I was saying that as an option.
I use mine for all suspension work, tire changes, brakes....etc
If you are working on the exhaust or prop shaft, it would take some figuring out.
But it comes with adapters for truck, which would keep the car floor about 4" away from the jack frame. And that can be augmented with 2x4, 4x4:)
Also, because the way they work, the frame of the jack ends behind the jacking points. So it gives you plenty of clearance even for transmission work.
I dropped my transmission pan on my b6 and my oil pan on the b8.
I did the timing chain/belt on both cars and it's so convenient to lift and drop the car when needed.
For suspension work, you can strand up and work at chest height instead of all bent over on your knees. Way friendlier on your back:)


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While there are times I would certainly like the added height over the QuickJack, this wouldn't work in my garage. I use the space for a number of things and leaving it on the floor isn't an option. It looks too big and heavy to be stored up against the wall, which I can easily do with the QJ.
I also prefer the flexibility of being able to access the entire underside when needed. Last week I had to replace a broken exhaust connector and also drop the crossmember support for the trans. The latter required a support jack for the back of the trans. Not sure these could be done with the larger unit.
I can easily move around on my creeper from front to back using the QJ and have adequate room to work. Not as nice as being able to walk around under there, but far better than the alternatives!

[doc_oc]

For sure there are pros and cons to both models. That's why even pro shops have multiple style lifts (2/4 posts, mid rise, platform, etc) There is no lift to fit the bill for every possible scenario.
You are right: there is no way you would lean this against a wall. Way too heavy.
I chose this one because of the height and most of the tasks I do on my cars, are suspension and engine/transmission related. If I would do exhaust work more often I would look at a different model. But for now, if I need to do that, I would suspend the car on jackstands.
It all depends on space available as well. In my house garage, I could put a 2 or 4 post because it's a double door. But the slab is only 4" and it's 9 foot ceilings. The shop on the other hand, it's a single 12' wide door, so a 2/4 post is out of the question. Although the ceiling is higher.
To be honest, a used 2/4 post can be had for 500. But you need the right garage for it. Yours or mine on the other hand, even used and abused, are still in the 1000 range.
I also like my style because of the jacking pads. They can be used on the suspension mounting points and you never touch the pinch weld points. Or you can use them if you want. It's really flexible. Also, the car can be situated forward or back, based on where you need to work. For the rear differential, for example.
Anyways, I sound like a sales guy:)


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[flowhigh]

Stupid question: Are these things safe?

Do you experience any drop if you leave the car lifted for extended period of time?

[ELaw]

The QuickJack has a mechanical locking arrangement. The manual clearly states that the hydraulic system is for lifting the car only, and the mechanical lock is used to support the car once it's raised. I'd imagine other jacks have a similar setup, as do all the lifts I've used.

[doc_oc]

The QuickJack has a mechanical locking arrangement. The manual clearly states that the hydraulic system is for lifting the car only, and the mechanical lock is used to support the car once it's raised. I'd imagine other jacks have a similar setup, as do all the lifts I've used.

What he said. Any type of lift had some type of safety lock. When you're done your work, you lift a little, manually release the lock, then lower the lift.
All of them have a certain weight rating. Mine is 6000lbs.

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[jfo]

Stupid question: Are these things safe?

Do you experience any drop if you leave the car lifted for extended period of time?

This test is reassuring. They loaded the 5000lb model with over 16,000lb and it hadn't yet failed when they stopped.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ea-5ifRRYI

[OK22]

The "BendPak MD6XP" looks pretty good (found it on Amazon), but if I had the room for that, I'd probably go a little further and get a full 4 post lift. For my residential size 1.5 car garage I think the best one is the QuickJack and I'm hoping Santa gets me one (but expect I'll have to remodel her kitchen first). It also looks like the QuickJack provides batter access to the middle of the car.

[skis4hire]

re: Brake pads

I recommend akebono euro ceramic 1322. NO DUST!!