Hi everyone.

Just got my '91 300SE on the road this weekend for the first time! The car had been sitting unused in a garage for about 4 years and with some help of this forum, I was able to get it up and running without much stress.

I finally dug into the trunk thinking I should know how to change the tires and I must say I do not like the jacking system!

Here are my questions.

1. The jack "pole" seems to go in at an angle. Is this right? I would think that the jack should have 100% of its base on the ground flush, but when you insert the "finger" part of the jack into the hole in the car, it is at a pretty good angle. Is this right? What is the point of that?

2. If you are jacking the car on anything but cement, all of the car's weight is focused on one relatively tiny point at the base of the jack. Does anyone use something to disperse the wieght at all? Lets say you had to change a tire on a gravel or dirt road, I imagine the jack would disappear into the ground before it lifted the car! I'm thinking a piece of wood or something, but again, maybe there is a good reason that I am not aware of.

Any thoughts/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!