News:

Please add your location to your profile. It will help others to help you!

Main Menu

Lifting Points, Again

Started by Mattr, 07 May 2023, 05:05 PM

Mattr

Hey Folks,

I've found a bunch of threads on here about how/where to lift the car, but all of the photo links are broken.

I need to figure out a spot where to lift the front of my 450SE. I've seen several posts saying that the spot where the cross-member attaches to the frame is where they lift, but I need to re-install my cross member, so I can't really use that, since I don't want my lifting arms that close to where I'm working. I did manage to remove the cross member with it lifted there, but it was VERY sketchy when I did that 2 years ago, and I don't want to repeat that for the install.

Note that I am using a 2 post lift with arms, rather than a drive-on lift. That has a different project car on it, and isn't available.
1976 450SE 6.9 FrankenBenz (#2288?)
1977 450SEL 6.9 #2333

daantjie

No don't lift by the cross member connecting point. 

You will see a flat angled section inboard of the rocker panel  roughly 2 inches wide.  That is where you should place the jack and jack stands.  Always use a piece of sturdy pressboard or such between the jack saddle and the frame to prevent it getting chewed up.
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

Mattr

Quote from: daantjie on 07 May 2023, 08:15 PMNo don't lift by the cross member connecting point. 

You will see a flat angled section inboard of the rocker panel  roughly 2 inches wide.  That is where you should place the jack and jack stands.  Always use a piece of sturdy pressboard or such between the jack saddle and the frame to prevent it getting chewed up.

I'm not using jacks. I'm using a two-post lift. This one, to be specific. It has rubber circles about 4" across that are used for pushing upwards.

I'll check for that tomorrow evening. I just smashed my fingers pretty good, so going to sit, ice, and rest.
1976 450SE 6.9 FrankenBenz (#2288?)
1977 450SEL 6.9 #2333

daantjie

#3
OK try for this area (in red).  I use it with no issues.  I would still use a piece of sturdy wood to spread the load, even with rubber saddles you can still cause dents.  If you see in my pic due to previous poor jacking the frame rail got dented.

Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

rumb

You can put a 3/4" x 12" bolt in the jack hole and lift that, or if you have grooved rubber jack pads put directly under the jack point using the pad to not crush the seam.

Only do above if you have non rusted and solid jack points.
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

Mattr

I wound up getting it jacked up using the spots Daantjie mentioned... and discovered that the safety on one side of my lift is malfunctioning, and won't engage, so I can't safely use it. I'm starting to feel like this car doesn't want to be fixed.  :'(
1976 450SE 6.9 FrankenBenz (#2288?)
1977 450SEL 6.9 #2333

raueda1

Quote from: daantjie on 07 May 2023, 08:15 PMNo don't lift by the cross member connecting point. 

You will see a flat angled section inboard of the rocker panel  roughly 2 inches wide.  That is where you should place the jack and jack stands.  Always use a piece of sturdy pressboard or such between the jack saddle and the frame to prevent it getting chewed up.
I've followed this with interest.  If I understand right the area pictured below is exactly what you're saying NOT to use.  And if so, Yikes!!  That's exactly what I've been using as the front lift point.  The lift is virtually identical to the OP's.  I've placed a wooden shingle on top of the lift's rubber pad to protect both the jack and lift point.  I don't think anything bad has happened, but who knows?  My reasoning has been that this point is farthest forward so weight is more evenly distributed between front and rear lift arms. I'm assuming that the car is front-heavy.  Comments welcome! Thanks and cheers,
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

daantjie

Dave, if this pic here is yours, it looks like your idler arm bolt is upside down :o
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

raueda1

Quote from: daantjie on 15 May 2023, 12:36 PMDave, if this pic here is yours, it looks like your idler arm bolt is upside down :o
Not mine.  And my car is a lot cleaner than this.
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

daantjie

Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber

rumb

I prefer to use the cross member as a lifting point.  The front subframe most definitely was not made to jack on - it only crushes everything.

The saddle under the engine is much stronger than the sub frame, but you can dent that also unless you keep jack with  pad under the edge. It's much thinker gauge of metal also.

The cross member is firmly attached to the subframe and is of such design you cant damage it.( with appropriate wood block or such.)

Pretty much every photo I have ever seen of underside of W116's the sub frame is crushed, but I have never seen any with damage to the cross member..

If you have solid jack points you should use them with the guidelines I mentioned earlier. 



'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

raueda1

Maybe it would would be helpful to clarify some nomenclature here.  I don't really know what any of this stuff is called and maybe people call them different things in different places.  So...

1. The frame pictured by Daniel is called the ______________________.
2.  The lift pads here are resting under the ______________________,
which the [same] OR [not same] as above.
3. The rectangular box pictured by me is called the ___________________.
4. The tubular thing running crosswise under the engine is called the _________________.

Picture is attached for reference. If I understand right, this is correct front jack placement and I've been doing wrong all this time, although without apparent damage. :o  Again, car is not mine.

[Sidebar - Late July I'll have the pleasure of driving cross country from Utah to CT by way of South Dakota (Black Hills, stop in Sturgis, etc).  Ought to be a lot of fun!]  Cheers,
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

rumb

Daniel, what are your reasons for avoiding the cross member, or it's square box? (BTW I mean using a jack only on the very end by the box, not in the middle.)
'68 250S
'77 6.9 Euro
'91 300SE,
'98 SL500
'14 CLS550,
'16 AMG GTS
'21 E450 Cabrio

raueda1

OK, I'm relieved.  I've been using the subframe box with a piece of wood underneath.  Sounds like that is OK.
-Dave
Now:  1976 6.9 Euro, 2015 GL550
Before that:  1966 230S, 1964 220SE coupe, 1977 Carrera 3.0

daantjie

For me my thinking is that to truly unload the front suspension you need to have no "anchoring" on any point that influences the suspension and its components.

Maybe I'm off base and I guess if you are not concerned with unloading the front suspension then lifting at the cross member "box" is fine.
Daniel
1977 450 SEL 6.9 - Astralsilber