20 replies to this topic

[brivinci]

Maybe its just because I have had this car up in the air more then on the ground lately. I was thinking of a better, faster way to get it up and down. I currently have the wooden block for the front and that is really great BUT nothing for the rear. I would just love to be able to get the wheels off the ground 1-2-quick. All dealers sell these:


But none sell the jack to go with:-) I am sure I have seen a post or two on the topic but did anyone build their own and have pix? Would love to see how long (or short really) these are and how exactly they "clip" into the brackets above. Are there any issues with using these for more then just for that "Works" look? What do the current Mini Racers use?

[rally515]

Wouldnt be hard to fab up those .

also intrested in this subject as today i was pondering the same thoughts, had a few good ideas too

[Old Bob]

It's just a big lever which hooks under the two 'Works style brackets' front or rear. It lifts the car and holds it in position (not very securely) by going past the vertical. To work easily it needs to be almost as long as the car so not really practical for anything other than pit-stops or use in your garage.

Bob

[ibrooks]

I also wouldn't trust it on a post'76 Mini with a rubber mounted subframe since that front panel has far less support when it's not solidly affixed to the subframe.

However..... I keep wondering about a quicklift jack to use in my garage for all my cars. I'm thinking of the style that's basically two frames hinges as a parallelogram with a long handle to pull them from practically flat to the raised position. Once the "verticals" of the parallelogram have gone past the vertical point then the weight of the car is going to try and keep them going but you set it so that the handle is flat on the floor at that point so it can't go any further. Obviously for my intended use I'm then going to be looking at putting an axle stand under the car but it would be a hell of a lot faster than the trolley jack. I do wonder if it could be made to do the initial lift on the wheel so that the subframe/jacking point is free for a stand as that seems to be a common problem (the jack is where you then want to stick an axle stand).

Iain

[jaydee]

As above, they're on the market today just for the look.
Always use jack stands to work on your car, your life is more important than 30 secs spent on putting a jack stand under the subframe.

[Spud_133]

You need to be careful you don't smash your teeth out with these as when you let them up they go quickly! Also if you need about two foot in the direction you're pulling the jack as they work by pulling the car.

[surfblue63]

There's a thread on the Mini Cooper Register forum with some excellent pictures of the works jacks.

http://forum.minicoo...ead.php?t=17882

[brivinci]

Thats a GREAT link. Thanks! Maybe this isnt for me then. Looks like you have to have a LOT of room for the jack itself and the forward motion of the car. Would be sweet to have though.



That thing is like 6 feet tall! I wonder what the shortest you could make it before it gets too difficult to operate?

[splitpin]

looking at it... it looks like they wanted it to be 4ft long and had to add a bit!

[KernowCooper]

Its all down to leverage as you've pointed out and is really a large version of the rear paddock stands used on todays bikes with no centre stands. I'd never find the room for one the size of the thing.

[62S]

I was at an event a few years ago where someone turned up with a genuine works jack just like the one in the second picture with GRX 5D on the Marathon de la Route. None of the owners of replica works cars would use it but the owner of a genuine works car, which was a Mk 2 Cooper S, did use it on his car and it lifts it just enough for the wheels to clear the ground. I thought with a hydrolastic car it might struggle to get it high enough. The raising and lowering was no problem and seemed easily controlled.

[iwatkins]

Air jacks? Very quick to get a car in the air but need external compressor feed. Or how about in car hydraulic lifting rams? :)

[Pap401]

Used to have something similar in the garage I used to work for many years ago but lift part was a triangle and it went in sideways on the standard sill jacking point

[Cooperman]

From memory, and it's a long time ago, I think there was always someone standing on the end of the jack when the car was raised to ensure it didn't drop down onto the mechanics. That makes sense. If they were going to do serious work under the car they used a more normal trolley jack. That quick-lift device is really only for changing wheels and brake pads. It doesn't really lift high enough for getting axle stands underneath or for fixing the exhaust.

[Alex_B]

I use these type of jacks on the single seater I work on, they are far from the safest option, we normally either keep a team member standing on the end or a couple of spare wheels because they can just go and drop the car which isnt safe at all. Ours are about 5.5ft long and need two people to get the back of the car off the ground, the car weighs 600kg so you would struggle to use one of these on your own safely. 

You can get some jacking points welded into the sills like racing minis use which make use of an axle stand with a modified post that slips into a 1.5inch bit of pipe in the sill panel and keeps the axlestands out of the underside of the car whilst making it a little quicker to get the car on stands. So that might be worth considering (what I am going to do on my hillclimber when I get round to building it)