Revisiting jacking the w123 rear

[JHZR2]

I know there’s a pelican DIY on jacking, and it talks about jacking the diff (I know it’s generally accepted as ok on the w123 and questionable on the w124 - not sure about the w126). I also know that the place to put a post lift or jack stand is generally the cross piece with the bolt in center in the subframe mount bushing.

But I have my car up on a kwik lift, so it’s 20+” in the air, and I want to get a wheel off and stay off. I have borrowed a bottle jack, but that’s not a good week-long type securing system.

So.... what’s another option?

Note I’m only lifting a corner. But since it’s rolled up on a steel platform maybe 20” wide, it’s not like a trolley jack is useful to me.

Does that little divot in the subframe look ok to lift from with a bottle jack? I think if I jacked there, I could put a stand on the cross piece where the bushing is.

Is that little piece of metal that comes down in a J shape suffice as a jacking point? Maybe not with a bottle jack but via a piece of metal with more surface?

Other recommendations?

Thanks!

[Usaguy]

if you jack the diff then clean all the grease off first so that your jack won't slide off and even then you have to be careful.


your car should have rubber pads near every wheel for jacking.

[Sugar Bear]

Be careful. Is the Kwik lift capable of supporting unbalanced weight?

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by Sugar Bear

Be careful. Is the Kwik lift capable of supporting unbalanced weight?

The kwik lift is around 1000 lbs of steel with a pretty decent structure under the horizontal surface. Could the steel give under the local pressure of a bottle jack or stands? Possibly. But they sell a heavy cross piece intended to jack up an axle to work on a vehicle, so it’s pretty strong. I’m not sure the weight distribution of a big bottle jack or a jack stand with decent base is that much less than a tire.

[Alec300SD]

Do you still have the stock screw jack in the spare tire well of the trunk?
It looks like there is room for that to work.
Put a 2x4 under the small disc shaped foot of the screw jack, as shown in the attached photo.
Also use a 2x4 spacer between the jack stand and the rear sub frame bushiing.

[rocky raccoon]

I use hardened 3/4" bolts slipped into the existing jack points. Lift under the pumpkin and let down onto jack stands under the bolts. I have had all four off the ground this way whenever I rotate tires.

Stable and secure as can be assuming your jack points are not rusted out. Check first.

[Mike D]

The center bolt on the subframe is acceptable ONLY if the lifting device is round and fits into the subframe socket/cup. If you look at the brace between the body and the subframe center bolt you will notice the existing formed sheet metal brace has been deformed from a previous lifting.

[JHZR2]

I don’t know that it has been deformed, but my plan was bottle jack on the bolt... or into the small divot in the subframe just inboard from the bolt.

I’d assume that even the dealers put a lift pad on the sheet metal in that location, not on the bolt or the little recessed square area.