Yet another jacking question

[autostaretx]

I din't think you'd flattened the saddle, merely that you'd filled it with the flat-on-top "temporary wood spacer"
(and only in the photo that had the pointer)

Patrick wrote:
"Speaking of which no one reminded the OP not to depend solely on a hydraulic jack."
Bob's final photo clearly showed additional bracing (i use jack stands, myself)

--dick

[Aqua Puttana]

The jacking points are provided to be used with the included OEM tire changing jack.

They are not the only safe places to use to lift the truck.

Even the hydraulic lifts at the Mercedes dealerships don't necessarily include using the OEM tire jack lift points.

Both my 2004 and 2006 have fully operational OEM hydraulic jacks/tools. I have used them on trailers, I have yet to use any on the Sprinters. That 2 stage high lift jack does work great on trailers BTW. I carry a small floor jack in each Sprinter complete with some blocking. The times I've needed to lift a Sprinter when not at home, those floor jacks have worked fine.

Personally I wouldn't get too hung up on exclusively using the OEM tire change jack points. That approach will leave many perfectly fine tried and true truck lifting methods off of your list. A Sprinter is afterall just a truck.

Added:
This for example.

AxleJack.jpg

NOT this.

JustStupid.jpg

Before anyone jumps in with "Don't lift on the axle tube", that official warning is included under the Floor Jack cautions.

fluid.JPG


vic

P.S. - Many fleet vehicles have had their jacks/tools removed as SOP. Not all missing OEM hydraulic jacks were stolen.

[flylikeabanana]

My jack is precisely the one that Bob posted, and facing the jack saddle was definitely one of the options I was thinking about. I have access to a hammer though, not a grinder, but I'll hunt around and report back.

[Bobnoxious]

Made some minor mods to jack.

[autostaretx]

There was once a looonnnngggg thread about jacking on the differential pumpkin.
I'm amused to see that the "hoisting" chapter does NOT forbid it.

--dick

[Patrick of M]

Originally Posted by autostaretx

There was once a looonnnngggg thread about jacking on the differential pumpkin.
I'm amused to see that the "hoisting" chapter does NOT forbid it.

--dick

Was the long thread forbidding lifting via pumpkin? I sometimes lift cars by the pumpkin, don’t think I would lift a sprinter like that, although empty and in a rush to put winter wheels on, I might/might have?

[autostaretx]

It was a looonnnngggg thread because it had proponents of both camps: "lift" and "don't lift".

No final "resolution", the two camps still happily exist.

(i'll see if i can find it)(watch this list grow....) ... done.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...0965#post90965
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1325
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=20493

Msg#7 in this thread ended up with a damaged differential:
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=61664

--dick
p.s. this is about a 2008 and an MB tech saying "don't use the diff":
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=33506

[Aqua Puttana]

Again.

Yes Sprinters are damaged by people using incorrect jacking methods.

Shock mounts are damaged, body metal gets damaged, front structures get bent/metal tearing by not using blocking, differential covers get bent to the point of leaking because proper pads aren't used, etc., etc. All that stuff happens because the correct locations are not selected and proper methods aren't applied.

I have yet to see any documentation where jacking a Sprinter up using a properly padded floor jack cup against the differential case has caused axle tube failures. Please provide the data if you have it.

Back in 2010 I searched for any documented axle tube failures related to jacking the differential case. I found none. I have been asking for some documented axle tube/differential failures since 2010. I have yet to have anyone produce any data.

Lift your Sprinters however you wish. I have no problem with members telling others to apply caution and offering specifics as to lifting their Sprinter. I don't believe that fear mongering is productive.

vic

Originally Posted by Aqua Puttana

From my earlier post here.

To safely use our Sprinter tire jack points you would need a special design post hoist. This design doesn't even exclusively use the tire jack points. (It must be official because the audio is in German.)



I suggest watching the above video for the general information and diagram it contains about Sprinter lift points.


From another thread. At the end there are 2 ea. PDF files. One for T1N. One for NCV3.

[Bobnoxious]

Vic, following manufacturer's safety recommendations should not be construed as "Fearmongering." I have, as well you and others, have lifted many vehicle's from the pumpkin without damage. However, in my case, the vehicle's were much older and more stoutly constructed in contrast to today's vehicle constructed and scaled to reduced weight. Many pumpkins now have plastic covers.

There's at lest one post documenting a pumpkin leaking as a result of a tire shop lifting at the pumpkin.

Video was certainly informative but too fast paced for my low bandwidth visual cortex. So, I took screen shots of the alternative lifting points.

[pfflyer]

I can say Bob's solution of milling/grinding a little off the jack/jack stand saddle works. It doesn't take much effort or heat generated to get the excess off. The curve of the jack/jack stand saddle is close to the factory jack point as well.