[F87source]

Credit: F87Source



Introduction:

In this product review I will be looking at the BMS aluminum Jack Pad adapter for BMW’s (plus the Toyota Supra - which pretty much is a BMW) and all the intricacies that make this the best jack pad adapter on the market. I will also go over why every BMW owner should own at least 1 jack pad adapter, but why it is better to get the four pack (which is what I opted for).

So if you are interested in purchasing the BMS jack pad adapter here is the link to do so: https://burgertuning.com/collections...ck-pad-adapter



Disclaimer:

Damage/Injury Disclaimer: Any information, guidance, technical advice, coding advice, tuning advice, datalogging advice, installation instruction, calculation, experiment, safety information, or product installation demonstrated in my reviews is to be consumed and or done at your own risk. I will not be responsible for personal injuries, injuries to others or any living being, or any damage to your car, or any property damage.

Monetary disclaimer: I do not make commission, or profits or any kind of monetary gain from the sale of the BMS BMW Jack Pad Adapter.

Sponsorship disclaimer: The way my reviews work is that I determine what product that I want to buy and actually use on my own car, and during this process the product that I end up choosing is what I believe is the best option on the market. I then reach out to the company offering the product and ask them if they would be willing to sponsor me in a review, if the answer is yes then I write a review, if the answer is no I would end up buying the product (sometimes at a later date) but I wouldn’t complete a detailed review about it (I might write something, but not to the same extent as my standard reviews). But the critical thing is that I reach out for a sponsorship and not the other way around, this means that the products I am reviewing are actually things I believe in and would use on my own car. This also means that I am not being paid to review something I do not care about. Would I do a review if a sponsor reached out to me? The answer would depend on if I believed in the product, and I would make it clear in my review if this were the case. But at the time of writing this review, such an interaction has not occurred yet.


Time of writing disclaimer: everything I am writing about in this review is described at the time of writing and may not be updated in the future, so there is a potential that things are no longer accurate in my comparisons as parts are changed and upgraded as time passes.


Bias and comparison disclaimer: Throughout this review I will attempt to be as unbiased as possible while drawing comparisons to other products.


Mistakes and Inaccuracies Disclaimer: Throughout my review I will try to be as factually accurate as possible, but there are always chances that I make mistakes and write things that are incorrect/false. If this is the case please point it out to me and if indeed it is true that I am incorrect, I will correct these mistakes and apologize for them. Afterall I am only human, so mistakes can and will inevitably happen.


Subjective Disclaimer: Please note, these reviews are also written in my own opinion, so when I am comparing different products to determine what I see as the best, there are many factors that I go through to form this opinion. Obviously there will be disagreements between people, so I will do my best to objectively determine what I deem to be the best, but at the end of the day it is still just my own opinion whether it be right or wrong. Take whatever I say in my reviews with a grain of salt.



Image Credits:

Images and videos used in this review are all property of their rightful owners as credited below each image, I am just using them for the purpose of this review but if you (the owner of the image) would like them removed please let me know via pm. Otherwise thanks to the respective image owners (I made sure to credit your online name and link where I found the photo) of the photos, without you this review would be so much more bland.



Review Disclaimer:

First and foremost I would like to thank Burger Motorsports for agreeing to sponsor me for this review. Despite this I will remain as unbiased as possible during the review. Please note, the dynamics of this relationship was that I reached out for a sponsorship review and not the other way around. This should demonstrate how I truly feel about the BMS BMW Jack Pad Adapter - in the sense that I truly believe it is the best jack pad adapter on the market, and that every BMW owner should have at least one. In fact I actually have 4 of these Jack Pad Adapters and have been using them ever since I received them in late July (I used them to install: my 034 motorsports front and rear brake rotors, my Spiegler stainless steel brake lines, my paragon titanium brake shims, my paragon brake temperature stickers, and my Automotive Passion rear mud flaps).



Customer Service, Shipping, and Overall Experience Dealing with BMS:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source

Let’s begin with customer service, shipping, and the overall experience. I have said this in the past and I will say it again, BMS has some of the best customer service in the entire BMW community. They are responsive when answering emails, and are friendly, patient, and polite (Thanks again Payam). Shipping was great, BMS uses FedEx International Connect Plus which allowed for economical and fast shipping even across international borders (USA to Canada). BMS also uses quality ULine boxes (not some cheap Chinese boxes) with proper Box certificates and they package the box incredibly nicely with plenty of brown paper stuffing. Now you may wonder why is this even important? Well to answer that question it has everything to do with shipping insurance. If your package is ever damaged FedEx or UPS or any other carrier will ask for photo evidence of the packaging to make sure it was sufficiently packed and protected. They will then ask for the box certificate number to ensure that the box was strong enough for the items packed within. If any of these are not within spec, then your insurance claim may be denied. This is why packaging is so important, and BMS has perfectly nailed this criteria.

So overall, customer service, shipping, and my experience dealing with BMS has been great, no real complaints!



BMW Factory Jacking Point:

Before we can go on and discuss the BMS jack pad adapters I would first like to go over the factory BMW jacking points, because understanding these things will help us understand why we even need jack pad adapters.


Credit: ECS Tuning https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...h/51717169981/


Credit: ECS Tuning https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...h/51717169981/


So essentially all BMW’s from 2006 and onwards had the exact same jacking point design pictured above, and the part number is: 51717169981 https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...&q=51717169981

The problem with this plastic jacking point is that it was never meant to support the weight of the car on its raised edges. It was actually meant to act as a receptacle to guide an adapter into its rectangular middle section, and then have that adapter be used to lift the car. So the only portion of this adapter that was meant to bear weight was the internal flat section, not the raised walls of the rectangle.

This is an example (and a really mild example as well) of what will happen if you jack the car up directly on the jacking points:


Credit: .Slug https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...21&postcount=1

The soft plastic is not designed to hold the weight of the car, so it will crumble and break apart. This means that these jacking points cannot be used to lift the car, but it isn’t safe to leave the car directly on these jacking points because if it suddenly crumbles the car can drop. This is why you need jack pad adapters.



What are Jack Pad Adapters?

So now the question is, what are jack pad adapters? Jack pad adapters are typically adapters that fit into these recessed rectangular jacking points on the BMW, and adapt this rectangular shape into something that sticks out and has a nice flat surface that can sit nicely on a jack pad (the flat surface of your hydraulic jack pad meant for lifting) or flat top jack stand. These Jack Pad Adapters are typically made of rubber or aluminum.



BMS Aluminium BMW Jack Pad Adapter:

Now let’s examine the BMS Aluminium BMW Jack Pad Adapter:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


So now that we have more detailed images of the BMS Jack Pad adapters, let’s discuss some of it’s features that make it better than the aluminum competition:

1) Textured (grooved) bottom: I haven’t seen this on any other jack pad adapter, and this is a really really nice feature to have. The reason why having grooves cut into the bottom of the jack pad adapter is so nice is because it increases the amount of surface area being in contact with the surface of the jack pad, and therefore increases the amount of grip these jack pad adapters have to the jack. So I know you might be asking, how is this the case? Because slick tires offer more grip than grooved tires. Well the answer to that question is due to the depth of the grooves and material the grooves are cut into. With tires the depth of the grooves have to be really deep to help evacuate water from the contact patch, and the rubber material of the tire buckles easier under load when the tread divides them into individual blocks - and this buckling reduces grip because the tread blocks move around. Whereas with these jack pad adapters, the grooves are very shallow and since the jack pads are made of aluminum which is rigid and doesn’t buckle under load. So the result is that these shallow grooves actually dig into the rubber surface of the jack pad and “bite” into them, this offers more surface area to contact the jack pad increasing grip, and the biting action further helps lock the jack pad in place. So having this grooved bottom is a really nice touch that BMS adds.

2) Height: The BMS Jack Pads have a rectangular section that is a bit taller than the depth of the BMW jacking point. This is a really nice feature because when load is applied to the Jack Pad adapter, the plastic jacking point may compress a bit and this brings the circular base of the jack pad adapter closer to the surrounding raised lip of the plastic jacking point. If the jack pad adapter’s rectangular section’s height was identical to the depth of the jacking point then the circular base would be resting on the raised walls of the jacking point before any load is applied to the jack pad adapter. This means as soon as any load is applied to the jack pad adapter during lifting the car, the plastic jacking point compressed down a bit then the jack pad adapter will immediately begin applying load to the raised walls of the jacking point. This can damage the walls over time and is something we wanted to avoid by having these jack pad adapters. So the small buffer BMS puts in place by having the jack pad adapter being slightly taller than the depth of the jacking point is extremely nice, and I don’t think many other competitors do this.

3) Shape: The BMS jack pad adapters don’t have a perfectly rectangular top section, they are actually slightly trapezoidal (it’s hard to see in the images but that is indeed the case). Again this is a really really smart design choice by BMS that I haven’t seen on any competitors. So this shape is smart because it allows the BMS jack pad adapters to be easier to locate into the plastic jacking point because the top is slightly smaller than the rectangular opening of the jacking point. Then the trapezoidal sides also allows the jack pad adapter to self-adjust as it slides into the jacking point if it is off center. So if it is slightly off the angled sides will push it over a bit as the jack pad adapter slides into the rectangular recess, so this is a really nice touch by BMS.



BMS Jack Pad in Use:

Next I would like to add some images showing the BMS Jack Pad Adapter in use:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source



BMS Jack Pad Adapters vs. the cheaper rubber Competition:

Now I would like to compare the BMS Jack Pad adapters to the cheaper rubber competition typically found on aliexpress, ebay, and amazon:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source

So from left to right we have the: BMS BMW Jack Pad Adapter, an Aliexpress/Amazon rubber BMW jack pad adapter, and an Aliexpress/Amazon Mercedes jack pad adapter. I am including a Mercedes specific jack pad adapter because the rectangular portion is the same width and length as the BMW jack pad adapters, they are just taller which is something that I will go into more detail shortly.


Now let’s look at how they fit into the BMW jacking point:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source


So the first thing we notice is that the Aliexpress/Amazon BMW jack pad adapter has the shortest rectangular top out of the 3 jack pad adapters - and this is a huge issue because it forces the base to press up against the jacking point and cause damage over time (this is an even bigger issue because rubber compresses a lot). The Aliexpress/Amazon Mercedes jack pad adapter has the tallest rectangular top out of the 3 jack pad adapters, but as a result it sticks quite far out of the jacking point which can cause instability if the rubber buckles, but it doesn’t risk damaging the plastic walls on the BMW jacking point. The BMS jack pad adapter is the best out of the 3, with it being just a tiny bit taller than the depth of the BMW jacking point so it doesn’t ever touch the plastic jacking point. It also isn’t so tall that it would ever cause instability issues, and since it is aluminum it will never buckle.

Finally I would like to look at long term use of these cheap rubber jack pad adapters and why you shouldn’t waste your money on them:


Credit: F87Source


Credit: F87Source

So these are my Mercedes rubber jack pad adapters (images above), and what you will notice is the rubber has cracked all over the place due to the plastic buckling under load. Eventually if you keep using them too much they will fail all the way through and break apart, this is what happened and I had to throw one of them away.


This is why you shouldn’t waste your money on cheaper rubber jack pad adapters, because not only are they not the correct height, but imo they are not durable at all and will fail over time.



Summary:

So overall the BMS jack pad adapters are an extremely nice and high quality tool that all BMW owners should have, and I personally think you should have a set of 4. If you work on your own car you should have these adapters to properly jack up your car and place the entire car on jack stands. If you don't work on your car having a set of 4 means you will always be prepared to have your car properly lifted up no matter where you go. For example if you take your car to the tire shop where they may not have BMW specific jack pad adapters, you can lend the shop these adapters so that they won’t ever damage your car while lifting it up in the air to do the tire change. So having a set of 4 will always keep you prepared no matter where you take your car.

So if you want to buy a set of BMS jack pad adapters here’s a link: https://burgertuning.com/collections...ck-pad-adapter

[F87source]

Reserved for future posts.

[Maynard]

Nice review - new info even for such a simple item. I had not really considered that it is better for them to bottom out - I've been beating up my jack-points all this time. Review is just in time, as I'm about to order a full set (have just a single cheapo now). I do wish they had some kind of 'grabber' to hold up inside the jack-point so you don't have to be as picky about alignment, but with a taller rectangle it won't be as difficult to get it to insert cleanly.

[///MPhatic]

Great review, as always.

What I've been looking for is a low-pro jack point + pad adapter in one, so I can just slide the jack under without having to use the pad at all.

I think a company could make a lot of money if they made such a thing...

[c0riolis]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

What I've been looking for is a low-pro jack point + pad adapter in one, so I can just slide the jack under without having to use the pad at all.

I think a company could make a lot of money if they made such a thing...

You mean this [1]?

[1]: https://jackpointjackstands.com/prod...th-block-pads/

[F87source]

Originally Posted by Maynard

Nice review - new info even for such a simple item. I had not really considered that it is better for them to bottom out - I've been beating up my jack-points all this time. Review is just in time, as I'm about to order a full set (have just a single cheapo now). I do wish they had some kind of 'grabber' to hold up inside the jack-point so you don't have to be as picky about alignment, but with a taller rectangle it won't be as difficult to get it to insert cleanly.

Thanks!

Yeah my jack points aren't perfect either, they have seen a bit of damage from the cheapo rubber jack pads deforming.

In terms of alignment I haven't had too many issues, I just jack it up as close as possible so it's touching, make a minor adjustment, and finish jacking up the car.

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by c0riolis

You mean this [1]?

[1]: https://jackpointjackstands.com/prod...th-block-pads/

No, but I don't want to clutter up F87Source's thread with an OT discussion.

[terrywang]

Thanks for the review, this seems to be an often ignored must have.

I have question regarding how to use the jack pad adapters

I understand I'll be using the adapters when using my low profile (3000kg) trolley jack to jack up the car, the jack is like below



I have purchased a rubber pad to make it work with my other cars without doing damage



https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07V32536W/

Based on your image, under the adapter there was something lese (aluminium), is it something else I need to buy to make it work with the BMS jack pad adapter?


Once the car is jacked up, I need to use the jack to slowly lower it onto the jack stands, are t he adapters supposed to directly sit on the stands (like below)?



Thanks

[David.m]

Originally Posted by terrywang

Thanks for the review, this seems to be an often ignored must have.

I have question regarding how to use the jack pad adapters

I understand I'll be using the adapters when using my low profile (3000kg) trolley jack to jack up the car, the jack is like below

I have the same jack except when I bought mine a few yrs ago it came with a solid rubber insert in the lift plate, it's particularly good for lifting at the rear subframe as it both grips the frame & protects the paint finish. I'd suggest you just use a Stanley knife to trim the underside of that rubber pad you've bought so it fits into the lift plate.

I have the Toolpro jack stands (the 3 ton 2 pin type rather than ratchet you've shown) which have a similar V top. For safety reasons I would not use a solid metal jack pad directly onto those jack stands (or any jack stand that wasn't designed to receive/hold the solid flat surfaced jack pad). I just wouldn't trust my life to the vehicle weight preventing movement of metal on metal especially when tightening some of the higher torque bolts. I've been using the same rubber pads (will put a link below) for 6yrs and they are still in perfect condition, they flex into the jack stand top making for a very solid/sturdy hold, literally you cannot move the car when it's up on 4 stands no matter how hard you push on the car. Just make sure you get the pads where the rubber circle base extends out beyond the raised rectrangular part, there are cheaper types which are smaller and the rubber not as durable (I'd bought a set to take to track not knowing).
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/23528848...3ABFBMqMfFj89j

[F87source]

Originally Posted by terrywang

Thanks for the review, this seems to be an often ignored must have.

I have question regarding how to use the jack pad adapters

I understand I'll be using the adapters when using my low profile (3000kg) trolley jack to jack up the car, the jack is like below



I have purchased a rubber pad to make it work with my other cars without doing damage



https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B07V32536W/

Based on your image, under the adapter there was something lese (aluminium), is it something else I need to buy to make it work with the BMS jack pad adapter?


Once the car is jacked up, I need to use the jack to slowly lower it onto the jack stands, are t he adapters supposed to directly sit on the stands (like below)?



Thanks

So the jack pad adapter sits on the rubber jack saddle as is, just center it and you are ok.



For the jack stands you can't use the jack pad adapter with conventional jack stands - it is not safe. You will need flat top jack stands like this:

https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/



Then take the rubber tops off these esco jack stands and there is a little recessed "cup" where the jack pad adapters can sit and not risk sliding off.

[terrywang]

Originally Posted by F87source

So the jack pad adapter sits on the rubber jack saddle as is, just center it and you are ok.



For the jack stands you can't use the jack pad adapter with conventional jack stands - it is not safe. You will need flat top jack stands like this:

https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/



Then take the rubber tops off these esco jack stands and there is a little recessed "cup" where the jack pad adapters can sit and not risk sliding off.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I've never seen these type of flat top jack stands in AU via mainstream auto shops...


After searching, I am surprised to see a local tool shop that sells ESCO jack stands! Wow.


10498 pair - 10 adjustable positions
https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/
https://au.jbtools.com/esco-equipmen...ight-capacity/

10499 pair (shorty) - 7 adjustable positions
https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/
https://au.jbtools.com/esco-equipmen...w-flat-rubber/

The 2 cars I work (plan to work) on both are very low (< 13cm ground clearance), would you recommend getting the regular 10498 or the shorty? They are 3x the price of regular jack stands I've seen in the shops but it's something I am willing to invest in in the long run since I am gradually taking over the regular oil services of these 2 cars.

[David.m]

terrywang it's your money but these are currently on sale at $49 a pair (& what I have) compared to $184 a pair for the esco, and the SCA's have dual pins. If you've already bought the metal jack pads and really want to use them fair enough, but from my experience your spending money for no practical benefit.
https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...kg/563871.html

[F87source]

Originally Posted by David.m

terrywang it's your money but these are currently on sale at $49 a pair (& what I have) compared to $184 a pair for the esco, and the SCA's have dual pins. If you've already bought the metal jack pads and really want to use them fair enough, but from my experience your spending money for no practical benefit.
https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/...kg/563871.html

The issue is where would you put this on the front end of the car? If you put it on the lower control arms you risk damaging them and the bushings as they're not meant to take weight. On the rear end you can use the subframe. So it's not an all encompassing solution. Its also a reason why I don't use standard jack stands to lift my car.

Originally Posted by terrywang

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I've never seen these type of flat top jack stands in AU via mainstream auto shops...


After searching, I am surprised to see a local tool shop that sells ESCO jack stands! Wow.


10498 pair - 10 adjustable positions
https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/
https://au.jbtools.com/esco-equipmen...ight-capacity/

10499 pair (shorty) - 7 adjustable positions
https://esco.net/product/3-ton-perfo...ck-stand-pair/
https://au.jbtools.com/esco-equipmen...w-flat-rubber/

The 2 cars I work (plan to work) on both are very low (< 13cm ground clearance), would you recommend getting the regular 10498 or the shorty? They are 3x the price of regular jack stands I've seen in the shops but it's something I am willing to invest in in the long run since I am gradually taking over the regular oil services of these 2 cars.

My advice is as follows:

1) if you're looking to save money buy 2 jack pads, 2 jacks, and use ramps. You'll use the jacks to lift the car onto the ramps - 2 jacks to simulatenously lift the back up onto the ramps and then do the front. You want the rear on ramps first because it has parking brakes and you can leave it in gear.

4 ramps are also really cheap compared to 4 esco jack stands, and this is what I use currently. The only con is that you cant do any jobs that require the wheels to be off, so that's what I currently use my jack rod for (plus axle stands etc, but that's a different setup and story).

2) buy the jack stands, then you want to measure how high your jack can lift the car rather than how tall the jack stand is. That influences what jack stand you can get. If the jack is too short you'll prop it on something like I stack large planks of wood to give my jack extra height to lift my SUV. Make sure it's really wide so there's no chance it can roll off.


3) renn stands: these are the most convenient jack stands. But they're not cheap.


4) quick jack: really expensive but very convenient, problem is it's hard to store since they're big and take up a lot of space.

[David.m]

Originally Posted by F87source

The issue is where would you put this on the front end of the car? If you put it on the lower control arms you risk damaging them and the bushings as they're not meant to take weight. On the rear end you can use the subframe. So it's not an all encompassing solution. Its also a reason why I don't use standard jack stands to lift my car.

I only ever use jack stands (with jack pads) under the side jack points of the car after I have raised it using a jack under the front centre point and centre of rear subframe. I first drive onto some diy ramps to raise the front 60mm so I can get the jack under the front.

Depending on the working height I need/want I'll first get the car on 4 stands at their lowest setting then jack front again & raise before raising the rear again. To go to the stands highest setting takes more time, likewise when lowering I'll only do 1 step each end. Better to be safe than rush and make a mistake. I did think about a quickjack, lifting would be quicker but I don't know under car access would be any better and it's $$$ more expensive and bulkier to store away.

I just find the good rubber jack pads with those jack stands I linked to provide a very secure and stable working environment, even using the stands at their highest setting the car won't move.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by David.m

I only ever use jack stands (with jack pads) under the side jack points of the car after I have raised it using a jack under the front centre point and centre of rear subframe. I first drive onto some diy ramps to raise the front 60mm so I can get the jack under the front.

Depending on the working height I need/want I'll first get the car on 4 stands at their lowest setting then jack front again & raise before raising the rear again. To go to the stands highest setting takes more time, likewise when lowering I'll only do 1 step each end. Better to be safe than rush and make a mistake. I did think about a quickjack, lifting would be quicker but I don't know under car access would be any better and it's $$$ more expensive and bulkier to store away.

I just find the good rubber jack pads with those jack stands I linked to provide a very secure and stable working environment, even using the stands at their highest setting the car won't move.

Well the issue is any claw style jack stand only supports the jack pad from the edges and that isn't really ideal in terms of stability - especially with rubber jack pads which literally deform and crack even when fully supported from the bottom. For instance how confident are you leaning back and then lunging forward and shoving your car with full body weight as hard as you can? Because I wouldn't be with a car supported on a jack pad that is supported by only a few cm's of surface area by a claw jack stand. especially with a rubber jack pad that cracks and deforms under the cars weight. I've had almost every single style of rubber jack pad on the market and they all sucked.


Now the reason why I prefer ramps (and utilize the bms jack pad adapters sheerly for jacking up the car, and for jobs where I need to remove all 4 wheels) is because of the significantly larger contact patch and stability this provides. I can literally run full speed and body slam the car and it will not move. This is great for high torque applications under the car - i.e. those massive torque to yield fasteners. I also have 4 bmw x5 scissor jacks at all 4 jack points + 2 jack stands on the rear subframe for even more additional security (I have 2 additional jack stands that I can use on the front subframe too - if they dont get in the way, but they don't hold much load so I don't risk damaging the frame), because I will take no chances while working under my car. The combined weight rating of all of these lifting devices also exceeds 20,000 lbs, so im fairly confident nothing will ever happen with my setup.

[jefe2000]

Originally Posted by F87source

quick jack: really expensive but very convenient, problem is it's hard to store since they're big and take up a lot of space.

I’ve found they store out of the way quite nicely. See photo.

And yeah: definitely expensive. Though they pay for themselves after a couple years by allowing me to not visit the dealership service department for common maintenance tasks on both my vehicles.

[David.m]

Originally Posted by F87source

Well the issue is ................

We'll just have to agree that our opinion/experiences differ regarding the jack stands/jack pads and I wouldn't concede mine are less valid/reliable.

In the 6.5yrs I've had this car it's been up on these stands using the same set of rubber jack pads probably 90-100 times, never any damage to the car mount points & pads are as good as when I first got them.

No I haven't 'lunged' at the car (doesn't sound good for the body panels but have pushed against the top of the roof rail as hard as my 180cm 83kg body can and car was rock solid, likewise firmly shutting door even starting engine.

Maybe the most challenging work I've so far done for the stands was the rear springs/coilovers. Torque for the rear eccentric bolt/nut is 165Nm and to get leverage with my big torque wrench I had the stands in the highest position (had to put jack on a platform to get the height) and car was still rock solid.

Your reviews are great but I think it's fair to say not necessarily the last word. eg the oil filter cap tool, I have one which looks identical to your 'Amazon' one though I bought from ebay over 6yrs ago. Mine is a perfect fit on the cap, I've done I think 17 oil changes and not a mark on the cap. I did buy the spark plug gap tool you reviewed, it's fantastic compared to the old way of tapping plug on the bench. I only posted in the thread as I didn't see the point of Terry wasting (my opinion) money when other tools much cheaper are available, down here at the bottom of the world availability is often an issue not to mention crazy pricing. cheers

[F87source]

Originally Posted by David.m

We'll just have to agree that our opinion/experiences differ regarding the jack stands/jack pads and I wouldn't concede mine are less valid/reliable.

In the 6.5yrs I've had this car it's been up on these stands using the same set of rubber jack pads probably 90-100 times, never any damage to the car mount points & pads are as good as when I first got them.

No I haven't 'lunged' at the car (doesn't sound good for the body panels but have pushed against the top of the roof rail as hard as my 180cm 83kg body can and car was rock solid, likewise firmly shutting door even starting engine.

Maybe the most challenging work I've so far done for the stands was the rear springs/coilovers. Torque for the rear eccentric bolt/nut is 165Nm and to get leverage with my big torque wrench I had the stands in the highest position (had to put jack on a platform to get the height) and car was still rock solid.

Your reviews are great but I think it's fair to say not necessarily the last word. eg the oil filter cap tool, I have one which looks identical to your 'Amazon' one though I bought from ebay over 6yrs ago. Mine is a perfect fit on the cap, I've done I think 17 oil changes and not a mark on the cap. I did buy the spark plug gap tool you reviewed, it's fantastic compared to the old way of tapping plug on the bench. I only posted in the thread as I didn't see the point of Terry wasting (my opinion) money when other tools much cheaper are available, down here at the bottom of the world availability is often an issue not to mention crazy pricing. cheers

Personally I think there's no way around it rubber jack pads degrade and deform, whereas aluminium ones do not. So this always will pose more of a chance that they fail when on claw style jack stands.


I don't intend for my reviews to be the last word, I just give my take and you the buyer make the decision if you want it or not. I don't control how you spend your money, I can just offer my opinion.


Yeah my amazon oil filter tool is a tiny bit too large, and every time I put torque on it, it rotates on the cap and the cap gets stuck inside, and this "mars" the corners of the oil filter cap. Then the ebay stamped steel one just doesn't fit at all. The reason why yours likely doesn't have an issue is production tolerances of the tool and the cap, then the issue is compounded because the tool is designed to be a tiny bit larger for additional wiggle room on all sorts of filter caps - not just bmw. Then that causes issues for caps that might be a bit too small like mine. So I find the BMS tool to be better because they removed some of the extra tolerance that wasn't needed, because it only has to fit BMW's so the fitment is alot more snug and doesn't spin.


I opted out of the spark plug tool because I don't like magnets picking up weakly ferrometallic debris that could end up falling off and into the cylinder. So I use a friction retention style spark plug gap tool instead. The BMS spark plug gapping tool is indeed excellent.



But my opinion on the jack pad adapters remain the same, it is really nice to have aluminium ones that don't fall apart. I've had many sets of rubber ones and all of them failed - as you can see from my pictures. So after spending a bunch of money buying the same part multiple times, I deciced it is probably best to buy metal ones that wont have to be replaced.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by jefe2000

I’ve found they store out of the way quite nicely. See photo.

And yeah: definitely expensive. Though they pay for themselves after a couple years by allowing me to not visit the dealership service department for common maintenance tasks on both my vehicles.

Yeah I thought of wall hanging mine too, but I don't have room for 2 on my wall just 1. Since I have a giant window where my car is parked. Then the other areas in my garage is where I park my 2 other cars, put my bikes, lawn mower, snow blower, leaf blower, air compressor, tools, etc. So for me I don't have room for the quick jacks and the hydraulic motor. I like ramps because they're small, very light weight and I can stack them on top of each other and they take not much space.


Maybe one day I will get a set of quick jacks but probably not soon. Maybe when I get an attic lift then I can store them in my garage attic. But that would involve me having to actually put plywood boards so I can actually walk up there.

[ggggbmw]

I have one of the BMS jack pad adapters, and it is a nicely made solid piece. But, I find that I rarely use it. Mine is black, and I found it hard to line up because I couldn't see it well. I have some cheaper hard nylon jack pads that are a light grey. The nylon is much stiffer and more durable than the cheap rubber adapters. Work just as well as my fancy black BMS jack pad, and I can see them. Sadly, I can't find them on Amazon anymore to provide a link.

I also don't bother with the jack pads when using my Esco flat top jack stands. The pads add a fiddly step to line them up perfectly. I just let the plastic jack sockets on the car rest on the rubber pads on the Esco jack stands. There has been no noticeable impact on the jack sockets. And I figure if the BMW dealership is just using flat rubber pads on their lifts, it will work fine on my jack stands.