Sponsored by The Tire Rack

[mrh335]

I have done some searching, but would like to see some pictures which detailed instructions for jacking up an E90 sedan and using jack stands.

I have a hydraulic jack from Sears (2 1/4 ton) that does fit under my 335i sedan with sport package. I can jack the car up by one of the four jack points under the vehicle.

My question is, how do I jack the car up and then place a jack stand under it?

First, it is not safe or too smart to work on a car or take wheels off just using a jack to hold it up.

Second, if you need to lift the whole front or rear end of the vehicle, you need to place a jack stand on one side at least to move the jack. Help is appreciated on this.

[Dascamel]

+1 was also wondering about this. Need to figure a better solution for safely switching out my track tires....

[oddjob2021]

i think you jack it up by placing it under the differential and putting the stand where the jack points are

[nj335i]

Originally Posted by oddjob2021

i think you jack it up by placing it under the differential and putting the stand where the jack points are

That works for the rear, but not the fronts... I've been jacking the car up through the rear jack points and then putting the jacks in the front... Not sure if this is the best way, but it has worked for me so far.

[ohsnap]

There some nice pictures in HyperM3's fender rolling DIY for jacking the rear end.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88097

[e93]

There is a jackpoint in the middle of the car (e92/e93) at the front behind the oil drain point. (looks the same as the other ones) - you need a very long and low jack to get to it though.

[mrh335]

I had heard that there are no recommended jack points on the differential or at the front of the car for E90 sedans. I hesitate very much to do this even though it has worked for some doesn't mean it is not causing some damage.

[HyperM3]

Originally Posted by hoehne

I hesitate very much to do this even though it has worked for some doesn't mean it is not causing some damage.

Ive been jacking up cars by the diff for over 15 yrs. Its usually connected to the subframe somehow on most cars. Its a VERY substantial part and theres hardly any damage that can be caused by it. Especially since youll have it on the jack for what, maybe 1 minute, before you slide the jackstands into place?

Unfortunately I havent found a place in the front to jack it up by. The xi owners are lucky as they have a diff in the front too to jack from.

The one poster who jacked up from the rear and then placed the jack under the front is taking a risk. Reason is the car becomes unbalanced when you let the jack down and then try raising it up via the other side. Jackstands move when the car is raised and lowered, if youre on the otherside of the car, you cant be sure its resting properly. You should definitely have a spotter and a second jack handy in case the car wants to fall off the first stand.

[stewie]

I'm interested in this question for a different reason... this is my first RWD car. In the past, I've had no problem just using a jack to swap tires... no jack stand. By leaving the car in gear and putting the parking brake on, effectively, all 4 tires are mobilized well enough to swap a tire.

Now with a RWD car, when swapping out the rear wheels, what precautions need to be taken to ensure that the front wheels don't slip out on you? If jack stands are the answer, I'm with the original poster - how can you use them if you're jacking up one wheel at a time?

[HyperM3]

Originally Posted by stewie

Now with a RWD car, when swapping out the rear wheels, what precautions need to be taken to ensure that the front wheels don't slip out on you? If jack stands are the answer, I'm with the original poster - how can you use them if you're jacking up one wheel at a time?

If youre only jacking up the rear and the front wheels will not lock(ie: rwd car) then put wheel chocks behind them(or bricks or big rocks).

http://www2.northerntool.com/cat-1/89+769355.htm has many options

Even Amazon has a set http://www.amazon.com/Blitz-11930-Hu.../dp/B000BQYH6Q

If youre using jack stands to jack up one wheel at a time, you really cant. Just use the jack itself to lift up that specific corner. Theres no reason to spend time getting a jackstand in there if youre only doing one wheel at a time.

[Grumpa72]

Originally Posted by HyperM3

Ive been jacking up cars by the diff for over 15 yrs. Its usually connected to the subframe somehow on most cars. Its a VERY substantial part and theres hardly any damage that can be caused by it.

I used to jack up cars by the differential until I started reading that this puts a lot of stress on them. Just because you have done it for 15 years doesn't mean that it is engineered to do that. I see the local tire shop jack cars like that all the time. When my son needed tires on his car, I told them they were only authorized to use the normal jacking points. If they couldn't manage that, then i would buy somewhere else.

I would call BMW and ask the service department for information on jack stand points. I know that I have seen cars suspended on jack stands so they must have information on this.

Gary

[HyperM3]

For the amount of times Ive jacked up each car by the diff, I can count it on one hand minus a few fingers. Its not like youre doing it on a daily basis. It will be fine the one or two times you do it.