Broken Jack - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 09-10-2002, 08:53 PM

Got a flat tire the other day so I changed it only to have the jack break on me.I could not believe it.My car is a 1987 420 sel and it is in near mint condition;best car i've ever had.What do you think mercedes will say?The jack is pitiful.Will they give me another and explain?I could of seriously damaged the brakes and almost damaged the paint on the door.I'm very dissapointed.Chunky

#2 09-11-2002, 12:54 PM

Time should not be a factor in the breaking of a jack - only usage, and it shoud not brake if used weekly if kept properly lubricated. I have a Ford T Model jack in my basement that still works great. I would call MBUSA if your dealer will not listen to you.

My 96 C280 has one blemish - right above the jack tube near the right rear wheel where obviously the jack fell.

The only jacks I have ever encountered that is worse than the Mercedes-Benz jack were the bumper jacks of the 50's and 60's - an accident waiting to happen.

G-Benz · #3 09-11-2002, 01:20 PM

Must be a German thing...the jacks in my MBs are similar in design as the original jack in my old VW...

...anyway, I put one of those cheapo creeper jacks in each of the cars for emergency. I feel better using one of those in a pinch than the OEM jacks any day!

#4 09-11-2002, 11:10 PM

Those MB jacks are definitely shady. i had my car roll off the jack twice in one day. The jack breaking may seem trivial but if you were changing your tire you might have had your feet or hands under the brake assy for some reason. i think that the death of your jack is a good opportunity to get a better jack. maybe a small hydraulic or a scissor jack. i also keep one small , medium duty jack stand in my trunk just in case some thing like your jack incident occurs.
you are fortunate it wasn't worse.
Karl.
other pitiful features of the MB: Window regulators, AC.

Mockles · #5 09-12-2002, 09:21 AM

I used to pal around with a friend that had a 1939 Buick, and he had the original jack, although I never saw him use it. Because the car was all original, what he did was keep the original jack nice and clean and oiled, etc, and held in it's proper place in the trunk, for "looks" sake. Then, because the trunk on a 39 Buick is somewhat violently cavernous, he had a small hydraulic jack in the car specified to the car's weight that he would use if something happened.

Since you can fit several bodies in the trunk on most MB's, I was going to do the same, although I got my 75 450SE used from a front yard so I have a little scissor jack and that's it. Once up and running, though, I will have to find an original.

peterhardie · #6 09-12-2002, 11:49 AM

IMHO, very few of the jacks in cars make me feel secure about even changing a tire. I like bottle jacks (one came in my old Toyota Land Cruiser) under heavy suspension components.

When you use one of these point jacks, chock your wheels, no matter how flat the ground seems. I carried around a couple 6" pieces of 2x4, until I found some metal folding chocks at Walmart for $5-6. They lie flat and carry easily, and they work. My wagon got a flat on the ramp between 87S and the GW bridge in NYC. At night, no less, on the curviest section. Major incline! The chocks made the difference between getting home 20 mins later and being on a dark and dangerous ramp for a few hours waiting for a tow truck. And most of the cars weren't expecting to see a disabled car as they came around the corner towards me at 40+mph.

I have had a few jacks swaying under the weight of a car (VW Beetle, Grand Wagoneer, lots of Japanese cars). Not happy! Now that I think about it, time to get a few chocks for the wife's new car!