Up on bricks.

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

Spud
Suspended / Banned
Messages
7,018
Name
Keith
Edit My Images
Yes
Im taking two wheels off my car in for refurbing this week. Already costing a fair bit. I thought of buying a trolley jack and axle stands but this adds another £50 to the bill for this week. So Im thinking maybe I could use bricks and jack up each side of the car at a time remove wheel and gently lower down onto a pile of bricks. The cars an mx 5 mk 3 so fairly light anyway I guess. Where would I position the bricks? suspension arm somewhere? Under the brake disks?
Does the panel think the bricks will support the front of the car for the day it takes to get the job done?

Cheers.
 
DorsetDude said:
Does the panel think the bricks will support the front of the car for the day it takes to get the job done?
Click to expand...
Bricks will take the weight, but a stack of bricks won't take much lateral force. Definitely no working under the car.

But as a pair of axle stands are £13 in Halfords, is it worth the bodge?
 
Buy proper axle stands.
If using bricks, don't put them under the suspension arm or brake discs, as these will move. Put them under the main chassis leg that should run the length of the car, and put them at right angles to the chassis leg.
 
Alastair said:
Bricks will take the weight, but a stack of bricks won't take much lateral force. Definitely no working under the car.

But as a pair of axle stands are £13 in Halfords, is it worth the bodge?
Click to expand...
No danger of me working under. Purely to support it whilst wheels are off is all. Thinking axle stands first then trolley jack later might be best bet. Use crappy car jack to lift car and push axle stand under (somewhere), repeat on opposite side. Wonder if normal car jack will lift high enough though to get axle stands under.

EDIT: just looked at the halfords ones, £7 off. They look ok actually might get those then. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
If your putting it on bricks get them as close to the bottom of the suspension mounting points and put a piece of wood on top. Cars can slide on bricks and can also get damages just by grating on them. The wood will help stop sliding and also cushion the suspension a bit.
 
beyond the blue said:
Just wait a while, I'm sure a Scouser will be along shortly to tell you how it's done.:D
Click to expand...

I had an idea that would get posted. Wheels do not tend to get stolen anymore, the whole car is more likely to go instead.

Axle stands all day long (y) .
 
beyond the blue said:
Just wait a while, I'm sure a Scouser will be along shortly to tell you how it's done.:D
Click to expand...

Top 10 car theft places in Britain

Taken from
https://www.carrentals.co.uk/blog/top-10-car-theft-places-in-britain.html


10th Romford, Essex (post code RM7)
3.10% of local residents have reported a theft of or from their car.



9th New Tredegar, Newport, Wales (NP24)
3.14% of locals have reported a car break-in or theft.



8th Arbourthorne, Sheffield (S2)
3.15% of people living in this suburb have experienced a car related crime.



7th Bradford city centre (BD1)

3.16% of local car owners have reported theft from their vehicles.



6th Banwell, Somerset
3.16% of those driving cars in this Weston-super-mare suburb have had something stolen.



5th Manchester city centre (M3)
3.34% of people living in and parking in this city centre have had something stolen from their vehicle.



4th Hatfield, Doncaster (DN7)
3.38% of this neighbourhood’s residents have had cars stolen or broken into.



3rd Redbridge, Ilford (IG4)
3.39% of local residents here put Essex twice in the top 10 of car thefts.



2nd Wingate, Cleveland (TS28)
3.72% of residents living near Middlesborough have been part of chronic car theft.



1st Chislehurst. Bromley (BR7)
3.82% of residents in this posh ‘brokers belt’ neighbourhood southeast of London have become a favourite target for car thieves.


NO sign of Liverpool :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
DorsetDude said:
Im taking two wheels off my car in for refurbing this week. Already costing a fair bit. I thought of buying a trolley jack and axle stands but this adds another £50 to the bill for this week. So Im thinking maybe I could use bricks and jack up each side of the car at a time remove wheel and gently lower down onto a pile of bricks. The cars an mx 5 mk 3 so fairly light anyway I guess. Where would I position the bricks? suspension arm somewhere? Under the brake disks?
Does the panel think the bricks will support the front of the car for the day it takes to get the job done?

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Keith, use axle stands, these are the ones I have and have been very happy with them and on offer from Halfords for £13 at the moment http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-workshop/axle-stands/halfords-2-tonne-axle-stands
 
jonbeeza said:
NO sign of Liverpool :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
You do know that "break dancing" was invented so they could get the wheels off moving cars don't you? :D
 
Alastair said:
Taken from..

.. where are they taken to.

:naughty:
Click to expand...
I think I read someplace. Most cars that are stolen, stay within 10 miles. A combination of joyriders having a quick burn out, then dumping it locally. Then others taken to a local backstreet garage, to be broken up for spares etc.

Anyway, back on track.

A good pair of axle stands while working on a vehicle. :)
 
Nowhere really good under a Mk3 MX5 to put bricks or axle stands for that matter, doesn't have the big fat solid lower wishbones of the early models. I believe the official jacking point for the M3 is under the rear diff, Should be possible to use the crappy supplied jack at the sills and make a decent brick stack under the diff, will need to get the height right as it'll probably lean over to one side or other as they aren't perfectly balanced.
 
I live in your area and just had mine done, mobile guy did it. He does all the main dealers in the area and does a great job. Four wheels took about 4 hours. It was the second time I've used him and he did a great job both times.
 
andyred said:
Keith, use axle stands, these are the ones I have and have been very happy with them and on offer from Halfords for £13 at the moment http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-workshop/axle-stands/halfords-2-tonne-axle-stands
Click to expand...
Yep, bought them on the way home yesterday and car is now up on them, front wheels off.

Came out this morning and had a flat rear tyre on my golf. Any other day in the last 2 years I would have just got in the mx5 and used that instead and sorted the golf wheel out at my leisure. You couldnt make it up! :mad::mad:

Alan Clogwyn said:
I believe the official jacking point for the M3 is under the rear diff, Should be possible to use the crappy supplied jack at the sills and make a decent brick stack under the diff, will need to get the height right as it'll probably lean over to one side or other as they aren't perfectly balanced.
Click to expand...
Jacking under the diff no help for getting the front wheels off....
 
Last edited:
DorsetDude said:
Came out this morning and had a flat rear tyre on my golf. Any other day in the last 2 years I would have just got in the mx5 and used that instead and sorted the golf wheel out at my leisure. You couldnt make it up! :mad::mad:
Click to expand...
Its called sods law :(
However finally chopped cabbage (+ Extras) is called coles law :thumbs:
 
Do you have a spare like a space saver?
use that for one corner and if you have it use blocks of wood not brick for the other i would say.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top