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Never done this before, and am thinking about safe jacking of a car for starters, and proper tools. Chocks and a good jack.
Just wondering -What are the pros/ cons of trolley jacks vs bottle jacks?

I find trolley jacks a lot easier to use, and they have a larger footprint as well.

A set of jack stands wouldn't go astray either.

For the chocks, I just use old house bricks.

Other important tools for working on these cars are 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19mm combination spanners and fully featured socket sets 1/4" and 1/2" drive (you could get away with just the latter). Also, a set of metric hex keys, plus inhex sockets up to 17mm wouldn't go astray in the long run. Sidchrome offer a good compact set.

Last but not least, a 1/2" drive torque wrench, even if you'll only use it on the wheel bolts to begin with.

Tim

Thanks for the reply Tim!Ok ill go the trolley jack. yep jack stands a must! got a good  set of hex keys and spanners. The torque wrench i still need, and an oil filter wrench, 

Thanks major tom! Super shit auto it is then :) Think you mentioned on an earlier post 6.9s dont like sitting pretty? do you dangle your car off 4 stands museum style?

Primarily I use 3/8" drive as it's far more useable in tighter confines.  And if you buy quality stuff not only will it be strong, but last for decades.  Snap-on's my tool of choice, but I also use Sidchrome for larger stuff...

Oh and if you get a trolley jack with a low profile, it'll be far more useful than a bottle jack

No question about it - for jacks use trolley jacks.  The bottle jacks have too small a contact point and it is too easy to damage whatever spot it is you choose to jack from.

I use some heavy plastic ramps I bought a couple of years ago at Wal-Mart; I like the convenience and they are light enough to hang on the wall when finished.

Steel ramps, 4 ton Axle stands (The ones with the ratchet) and 2 ton screw axle stands.

buy a quality trolley jack with a low entry point and high lift, the smaller cheaper units are not much chop and dont have enough lift to really do the job properly.

Buy a set of large rubber wheel chocks as bricks (Really Tim?) skid on concrete when pressure is applied whereas chocks use the weight of the car to stop sliding as evidenced by the fact that properly placed chocks cant just be kicked out from under the tyres once used.

Id also keep handy an array of pine 2 x 4 in 6 to 12 inch lengths for a friction bed and to protect the jacking points and spread the load a bit especially when it comes to taking the load of a transmission or engine to change mounts or provide access.

I have also found that using 2 OEM jacks will do a reasonable job of raising the bum or front of a car IF you chock both sides of the tyres staying on the ground and make it far easier to get your Benz in the air.

I've never had an issue with bricks, as I make sure the car has been rolled onto them, but I'm sure the rubber chocks would be better.

A nice piece of timber would work well too.

Tim

For a while there, Mercedes-Benz actually made a special wedge-shaped device which could be used as a chock for their large flagship models. I don't see why it couldn't be used on older models such as the W116. They're probably only fractionally better than a brick tbh, but here's some info on them: Link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_A-Class#First_generation_.28W168:_1997.E2.80.932004.29)

Excellent, I'll grab my Mum's A-Class next time, LOL.

Tim

Thanks for the replies guys! Think I know what Im looking for now! Steel ramps- I really like the concept but im such a shit parker I think Id risk actually driving over the top of them! Some one told me with the Wood blocks to go for thick ply- in case the wood splits?

I couldn't use ramps.  The first lot I tried to use were work ones that used to hold up F250s, so strong enough but too damn tall.  Body work front and back would threaten to hit the ramps before the tyres made contact.  Smaller ones there would slide and ones I looked to buy just didn't seem strong enough.  So I went trolley jack and 4 x 4tonne jack stands below.  When I do oil the whole car goes up and I go right under to look at other things.

I agree bottle jacks are a waste of time, not secure enough nor high enough..  Prior to the jacks I'd use two OEM jacks up front and chock rear wheels with a long bit of timber, trans in park and park brake on.  The thing you have to watch out for with trolley jacks and jack stands is placement so you don't damage the underbody.  Steel rolley jacks with a cup like the one below can be savage on the square channels underneath the car.  I use timber in the cup with sometimes a rag on top folded to avoid damaging the front square channels.  For the rear I position the cup over the sub frame mount bolt thing, man I've forgotten what they're called.  The front stands I put at an angle where the yoke is attached via kingpin to the body.  The rear stands I put either on a laterally positioned square channel or directly on the bolts and plate holding the rear torsion bar in place. I've got a 280S in the air at the moment and might take photos to see what you guys think of stand placement but that has worked well for me.

Oh and if you got the dough, buy an aluminium race style trolley jack.  So much lighter and easier to use, plus have flat pads.  Kinchrome ones start from around $300 I think.

Thanks oscar! The little details will definately help! Im much happier to buy a product someone has tested already and recommends. photos of the car jacked up would be great! 300 bucks for a good jack if i were to use it every few months wouldnt be a big expense at all!

Quote from: gf on 17 October 2012, 02:48 AM
Thanks for the reply Tim!Ok ill go the trolley jack. yep jack stands a must! got a good  set of hex keys and spanners. The torque wrench i still need, and an oil filter wrench,

Mercedes don't need oil filter wrenches, you'll waste your money. Instead they use canisters so you can make a huge mess of oil all over yourself. Buy some nitrile gloves instead.

Oh thanks casey! Best thing about working in a hospital is unlimited free nitrile gloves!

Me too, kind of.  8)

Here's some pics of where I do trolley and stand placement,

Front jacking point


Left front. 


Closer shot of the left front.  Right side is similar.



Rear jacking point on rear subframe mount.


Rear left on swaybar retaining plate bolts.


Alternate placements for the rear left on the crossbeam


Right rear stand, lots of space depending on model, this a 280S

Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 18 October 2012, 03:29 AM
when you go shopping at super-shit auto to buy your ramps etc, you can buy suitable chocks there, i saw them there when i got my stands ;)


BTW ramps are a pain in the ass on a smooth floor, they simply turn into high speed projectiles when you try to drive up them. they need to be somehow prevented from moving back. Youll see what im talking about the first time you try use them ;)

Im laughing my arse off at the "High speed projectile" ramps comment, Been there/Done that/Shot one thru a Fibro garage wall..............

So now I have rubber mats underneath each ramp and its been working well for years.


Oscar has pretty much echoed my equipment spec to a Tee and his stands are the best kind to use as they are far more stable especially when you are hauling on a breaker bar trying to undo something big.

As for Ramps?

I find some marine ply with a bit of 2" x 4" underneath tends to lift the car enough so the skirts dont catch on the ramp on the way up or down and having worked on Jags for many years which are notoriously low and have unreasonable overhang at the rear you get used to working around angle of approach.

...and to think, I don't even like having to use my lift much, which is much easier in comparison.  However, the lift just has flat plank iron with rubber pads on each end, though per Oscar's post it looks like I'm getting them under the right points more or less.  Sometimes I use pieces of a 2x4 between the rubber and the car to distribute the pressure along the channels better.

Also before you envy using a lift, imagine draining oil under a car lifted 6 feet.  The collection bin needs to be raised quite high to avoid splatters, and you're probably too lazy to sit there holding it the whole time it's draining.  So you cleverly pile up some boxes and balance your oil collector on top and tend to some other tasks.  Then suddenly, you hear a dreadful crashing sound and see that the wall, floor, and many of your parts are drenched in black motor oil.  Don't ask me how I know about this possibility...

I have a set of those ratchet-type heavy-duty jack stands, but I don't think I've ever used them.  They were pretty inexpensive though.

Do you have any pics of that Casey??  LOL!  Unfortunately I've been present when this has occured (even using the correct drain bowl and stand) and the result isn't pretty!

GF I like the position of your stands, but I tend to jack my cars with a trolley jack under the centre of the front subframe and under the diff housing.  The floors are extremely susceptible to crushing, even when using timber to distribute the load.  On a low 6.9 I drive the car onto a set of 2" timbers to allow the jack to roll under without hitting.  It also aids getting the jack out again when the suspension has de-pressurized.

Tony that's a great idea using a rubber mat under ramps!  I wish my dad knew that trick when he was trying to drive the Buick onto them!!!  Even using nails into the seams of the concrete, the car was so heavy it acted like a plow, tossing the ramps aside like leaves!

I think Ramps are a bit "Old School" Mark so people dont really bother with them all that much, the other issue is that most cheaper modern ramps are pieces of Angle so a bit harder to drive up hence the Unguided ballistic projectile effect lol

My Ramps are plated and reinforced with rolled bar and chunks of pallet rack after I flattened them 100 or so years ago driving a very heavy Jagwah onto them, a work of art and weld that have copped far more use than most I suspect in the 30 years I have had them.

BTW I too used the concrete nail trick and had them dynabolted in one garage but only because they were the ramps to a full length ramp set id cobbled together lol

Man how I didnt end up killed when I was younger, Mates used to speculate if it would be jealous boyfriend/Homicidal Husband or something automotive that killed me before I hit 30....................

Bad bad Tony  :-)

Thankyou very much for the photos and detailed descriptions Oscar and oversize! Got the car back from the panelbeaters just then! anyway got to rush to work now. Next day off its off to supershit auto!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much everyone!