E39 Jacking Question

[dreulandb]

Hi everyone. I've got a question regarding jacking the E39. I'm a pretty experienced home mechanic and have done a lot of work on my E39 over the last few years. So far, nothing under the car that required putting four corners on jackstands, but now it's time for automatic transmission and differential fluid changes. This car is not easy to put on stands, but I've read the write-ups and gotten an appropriate low-profile jack. My question is this: Once you have the car on jackstands, how hard do you like to push it to assess stability, before you crawl underneath? In the past with other cars I've leaned reasonably hard against the c-pillars, but that was with lighter cars (VW Golf Mk II, etc.) and I was always afraid of knocking the thing down if I did more. With the weight of the E39, how hard do you feel safe pushing? Thanks in advance.

David

[Filehorse]

I just completed the 80,000 mile transmission service on my ZF 5HP19. I use aluminum jack stands - afraid of some of that El Cheapo Made in China cast iron stuff - and am just careful to be sure all four jack stands are squarely beneath the jack pads on each side of the car. If you have good jack stands correctly positioned on a level concrete surface, it would require a catastrophic failure of one of the stands for something really bad to happen. That said, once the car is up on the jack stands, I do add some insurance by snugging the hydraulic floor jack pad up under the jacking pad on the crossmember beneath the engine - just in case. Since the car on jack stands has zero suspension involved, there should be NO movement of any kind and with all the load vertical on the jack stands, I don't worry about lateral stability since something will have to break for that to be a concern.

All the above notwithstanding, if the jack stands are properly positioned and in full contact with the jacking pads, you should be able to push as hard as you want on the C pillar with absolutely no movement of the vehicle body.

If you want a quick rundown on how I get mine up on the jack stands, let me know. It's probably the same procedure you will use.

Have fun.




Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
79,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[edjack]

I ram my butt against the sides, front, and rear.

However, I have to be aware of earthquakes. If it's a big 'un, I may get squashed.
Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.

[juststeve]

give my car the shaking of a life time before I crawl underneath. Can't remember the number of times one or more jack stand legs were 1/16" off the floor causing the body to shake.

[Panos]

just as a secondary measure. I figure a wheel will holf the car up pretty well and buy me a 8" of survival room

[Eurodavid]

takes about 1 min to back up onto two of them (while the front wheels rollup onto 3 inch wooden planks), then roll long handle 5 ton jack under the front onto the center engine jackpad, jack it straight up, slide the other two Gorilla ramps under the front wheels facing the opposite direction, release the hydraulic 5 ton jack, and voila', the car is locked on solid and will withstand anything and/or any kind of work you can do on it. Need to work on a particular wheel, roll the jack around, put it onto the appropro pad, jack away, and those other three Gorilla ramps lock the car in solid.

Eurodavid

[Filehorse]

Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
81,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[Filehorse]

Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
81,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[Craig in Canada]

I know that my Gorilla ramps block access to the jack pad location if used in the way you said. I tried to set something up using ramps when doing my dad's cooler line transmission flush+filter job about a year ago and it wasn't going to work out. If I understand how you described it, you can't get a jack in to all four corners to do work on that corner. Maybe I misunderstood.

[edjack]

Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.

[Filehorse]

Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
81,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[JimLev]

"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

[JimLev]

Sometimes you really need to get it up high enough to pull the tranny out from under the car or replace the front sway bar with a bigger one. Maybe even clean the undercarrage.
Face it, not all of us have a lift in our garage.....right BMW540sans?

[Filehorse]

The idea of having the hydraulic jack integral with the stand intrigues me.


Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
81,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[JimLev]

Got them a few years ago, posted pics and info after I got them.
IIRC they were $25 each.
I saw them advertised in Hot Rod magazine.

Frank Millman Distributers
8 Progress St.
Edison, NJ 08820-1100
800-526-0910
908-561-7300
Alltrade Powerbuilt Jack Stands
Model 640912

[bmwm3coupe]

William
Richardson, Texas
2010 Honda Accord EX, 4-cyl, auto-tranny (her car)
2000 BMW 540i Auto, TiSilver, Sport/Prem Package (my car)

Retired/sold:
2006 Dodge Charger Daytona - Top Banana
2005 BMW 330i Auto, Premium Package
2002 M3 Coupe with SMG
1995 525i auto
1991 535i 5-speed manual

[Filehorse]

Filehorse
Knoxville, TN
BMWCCA #407627

2002 525i Steptronic Sport/Premium | Build Date: 05/02
81,000 Ultimate Driving miles
Xenons
Style 81s | Bridgestone Potenza RE960 AS
Titanium Gray | Gray Leather
35% LLumar ATR LLumaStar tint
Valentine 1 | Hardwired
Steering wheel position memory w/Alzheimers
"Lifetime" ATF replaced at 40,000
StopTech SportStop slotted rotors w/Axxis Deluxe Advanced pads
StopTech SS Braided Brake Lines

2001 E46 325i (Jet Black) Forced Retirement 6/28/09

2001 E46 325i (Orient Blue) Forced Retirement 10/09

1989 E30 325i (Alpine White) Retired

[Whorse]

Andreas
Queens NY
BMWCCA# 186796
86 325es (wrecked by careless driver)
87 325 (project for life)
00 540is 6spd (daily driver)

[Bmw540san]

not as easy as it looks. You have to push and hold that button for 45 seconds. My finger hurts sometimes.




1998 BMW 540i 6 speed
Arctic silver, M sport suspension (euro delivery), prod. date 05/98, non VANOS
Staggered 18" style 32 OEM wheels
3.15 open differential
Remus exhaust
AFE CAI with improved heat shield
Z3 shifter
VDO oil pressure and temperature gauges in place of headlight/fog switches
Powder coated valve covers-satin black
CDV delete
Debadged
AEA DRL module (aftermarket daytime running lights)

1997 BMW 528iA
Alpine white, premium package, prod. date 04/97, single VANOS
Staggered 17" style 32 OEM wheels
Debadged
AEA DRL module
Custom made sun blinds for rear seating area

2000 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner, AKA "The Work Horse"

Garage aids:
Direct Lift Pro Park 8
Campbell Hausfeld 28 gallon oil lubricated air compressor
Newair ACP-1400H portable air conditioner and heater
Auto Enginuity scan tool with BMW enhanced option
Actron 9135 scan tool-for quick readouts

[JimLev]

"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter