I guess you don't have any 2x4 scraps laying around. I prefer to do the same as you but with wood shims between the jack stand and car

I like the protection also of the wood between the stand and the frame insulation, but I had a piece of 2x4 split one time, and that pretty much ended that practice.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I use small pieces of plywood to "cushion" the stands -- doesn't split -- and put my jack stands under the jacking points, while using the factory jack to raise the car.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

well, i went over to Harbor Freight on Friday and got a couple of the 6 TON stands for $19.99 and a pair of the rubber pads for $8, and popped 'em under the subframe mounts.

Seems very sturdy...like a really good 'plywood and damage-free" solution for those having "knotched" stands.

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

I have hockey pucks for this purpose. They conform to the irregular surfaces.

On my Merkurs, I didn't use a pad, and over time, the unibody 'frame rails', were nicely smashed (as in not nicely crushed) by repeated lifting.

I've got this kind of damage on my SD. I'm thinking of welding in a section of C channel to cup over the frame rails.. that should solve that, and i should be able to jack on it all day long.

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Full woodworking shop. So I do. But I choose not to install them. I place the car on the jack stands and give it a shake to make sure that all 4 stands are positioned evenly. I feel a 2X4 would provide "slop" in the jack points and could allow the car to move or tilt. I guess some hard rubber in a pad shape would be useful.
If you choose to use the 2X4's I could see doing that. I just have never done it.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Thanks Dave-
I've kind of struggled with the placement of my 'notched' stands in the rear. As far as padding/buffer, maybe the thing to do is get THESEfor the Harbor Freight stands...

__________________
-lee
'83 300CDT (286k)

former proud owner of:
'85 mercedes euro 300TD
'80 mercedes 300TD
'77 mercedes 280e
'80 mercedes euro 250
'82 mercedes euro 250

I've seen those, wish they had them for the 12 ton stands.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

You both are correct.

I'd desirable to have a block of wood between the stand and the vehicle so that the contact point is larger. A typical jack stand such as the one Dave is using will cause localized damage to the sheet metal. Not a big issue, but, it's a point where rust will begin, if given half a chance.

However, wood on top of such a stand is dangerous. The platform on top of the stand is insufficient to support a block of wood and it's quite easy to split it in half.

The final solution involves finding a jackstand with a nearly flat top. I found a set of aluminum stands with just a slight depression and I had the machinist turn that flat. So, I've got a platform of about 2" x 2" that will safely support a 2" x 4" and won't run the risk of splitting it in half.

These stands are available at various outlets and I like them quite a bit.