Buy quality tools!

[Mike CLK Black]

Okay, I've been using a hockey puck on my floor jack for years.
I know that there is an aftermarket fitting for MB's offered on the the internet for $38 ... I even used one this weekend at TWS, Q-ship has one, it worked fine.

But the puck has served me well and I even cut it to fit the jack point better. Aren't I smrt?
DOH!

Well tonight my frugal approach failed.

Lesson 1:
NEVER be under your car without jack stands.
(Thankfully this isn't a story about someone getting hurt because they were stupid.)

Lesson 2:
Buy the correct tools.
(This is where I screwed up.)

After pumping the jack an inch higher to remove the jack stand, I was walking back to the car and heard the jack groan and then the car moved .... directly to the floor. My first thought was that the jack failed.

The forensics (by CSI Garage) showed that the puck was not correctly positioned in the jack point and it shifted after the stand was removed. Once the weight started to shift it just kept on going.

I'm pleased to report no personal injury (except for my fragile ego.)

Bottom line (at least for me), buy the correct tools and don't be a McGyver!
It cost me a rocker panel to come to this conclusion, maybe a $2k lesson in MB parts. (I'm still thankful that I didn't get hurt.)

The picture below shows the left front brake cooling vane on the floor and the jack going through the rocker panel.
Well done genius!

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r261/altemail2/DSC01994.jpg

Not so hideous in the end, but I'm turning in my MacGyver decoder ring.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r261/altemail2/DSC02001.jpg

[Qship5]

Ouch!!! Sorry to hear about the mishap. It makes me glad I bought the jack point tool. $38 well spent!

[Raven]

Damn $2k! It might have been worth calling it a hit & run and let insurance help out.

[DallasM5]

that sucks, now why exactly do you need a hockey puck down there anyway? why cant you just use the jack?

[Mike CLK Black]

that sucks, now why exactly do you need a hockey puck down there anyway? why cant you just use the jack?

The jack point is recessed and the jack saddle by itself would crack the aero panel under the car.

[DallasM5]

nice...

well while we are on the subject of tools, i scored a snap on cordless impact gun with 230ftlb of impact for a stupid cheap price!
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=yes&tool=power&item_ID=81858&group_ID=21565&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

ftw!

[jragan]

Hockey Pucks have been used for this for a long time! I've never heard of a puck-related-failure before, though!

[Mike CLK Black]

Hockey Pucks have been used for this for a long time! I've never heard of a puck-related-failure before, though!

More like user failure.
The puck must not have been centered perfectly in the cut out and on the jack. So when the other front wheel was jacked it must have caused a shift, then when the stand was removed another shift and the back and forth caused it to compress the jack point on the outside edge, resulting in another shift and the final slide.

[jragan]

nice...

well while we are on the subject of tools, i scored a snap on cordless impact gun with 230ftlb of impact for a stupid cheap price!
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=yes&tool=power&item_ID=81858&group_ID=21565&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

ftw!
I'm assuming your price was far less than the $399.95 quoted on the linked site?

[DallasM5]

way less

[UTamg]

That looked a little painful on the BS, but the car looked great today. Awesome meeting you today.

[Mike CLK Black]

That looked a little painful on the BS, but the car looked great today. Awesome meeting you today.

Thanks UT.

The fix came out pretty well although there is still a 1" scratch on the door.
Duct tape and super glue, no man is complete without them!

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r261/altemail2/DSC02016.jpg

[mpulse]

Oh no Mike!!! That is a sad sight!!! Sorry about that!!

Brad

[Qship5]

Thanks UT.

The fix came out pretty well although there is still a 1" scratch on the door.
Duct tape and super glue, no man is complete without them!

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r261/altemail2/DSC02016.jpg

I bet we can clean up that scratch on the door with the PC and some Menzerna.

[DallasM5]

if its a crack, fill it in with touch up, sand it down, buff it out, clear coat, and it should not even be noticeable if you do it right.

i did that for a customers MBZ last week and it looked great, except his was a key mark.

[Mike CLK Black]

if its a crack, fill it in with touch up, sand it down, buff it out, clear coat, and it should not even be noticeable if you do it right.

i did that for a customers MBZ last week and it looked great, except his was a key mark.

I bet you're right, but I specialize in making marks not repairing them!


Qship, that door scratch is down to the primer deep.

Thanks Brad, all in all I was lucky.

[Qship5]

Primer deep means touch up paint, blend and then polish. I'd suggest the Autosharp pen as it makes it easier to apply in thin layers.

[RaceMX-M3]

I've done something similar so don't feel too bad.

[mikem]

You forgot lesson 3: don't be an idiot.

If it makes you feel any better, the guys at Classic did something similar to my M3, only they missed the jack point with a lift. Needless to say, there was a little more than just rocker panel damage. I think you got off easy, considering. How did you manage to get it back off the ground, if I might ask?

[Mike CLK Black]

You forgot lesson 3: don't be an idiot.
... I think you got off easy, considering. How did you manage to get it back off the ground, if I might ask?

I invoked your lesson 3 (for just a moment) and noticed that there are 2 jack points on each side of the car and I had only fractured 1.

[Rlhay2]

Bought lessons are the easiest to remember.

Glad it was no worse, that could have been disastrous.

[jragan]

A similar thread came up on zpost and this manufacture of "jack pad adapters" was mentioned...Would definitely be applicable here: http://www.reverselogic.us/ReverseLogicLimited/Home.html

They even make reference to how to handle the AMG side skirts that hang lower -- http://www.reverselogic.us/ReverseLogicLimited/FAQ/Entries/2009/4/11_Which_tool_is_needed_for_cars_with_the_AMG_side _skirts.html

[Qship5]

A similar thread came up on zpost and this manufacture of "jack pad adapters" was mentioned...Would definitely be applicable here: http://www.reverselogic.us/ReverseLogicLimited/Home.html

They even make reference to how to handle the AMG side skirts that hang lower -- http://www.reverselogic.us/ReverseLogicLimited/FAQ/Entries/2009/4/11_Which_tool_is_needed_for_cars_with_the_AMG_side _skirts.html

That is the jacking adapter and jack stand adapters that I have and MikeCLKBlack now has. Very well made product.