Thanks for sharing those. You are right, they are bullet proof. And are cheap. I had a high school friend, who's dad found him dead under his corvette when he went to get him for dinner. Sad times for the family. Be careful out there !

 

What are your jack points to get the wheels high enough for 4 cribs?

 

I like to use:

For the front:
- front subframe (single center point)
- or frame rails (one point each side like with scissor lift)
- or actual jack holes with tool jack (one point each side)

For the rear:
- differential (single point)
- rear subframe mounts (one point each side - like with scissor lift)
- or actual jack holes with tool jack (one point each side)

 

I will have to try this along with the mobile scissor lift. I wonder if I could:
- raise the car
- put blocks under the wheels
- lower the tires onto the blocks
- connect the pump unit that doubles as a set of front wheels for moving and steering IF THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM TO GET IT FAR ENOUGH UNDER THE CAR TO ATTACH IT.
- roll the scissor lift out of the way

Do work as needed

- roll scissor lift back under
- raise car with lift
- remove blocks
- Lower car to ground

That also begs the questions:
1) how high can you go with these cribs?
2) is there a pattern that would make for a wider more stable base for higher heights?

 

Three cribs plus a chock module gives 11" of lift. Additional levels would require a wider base. For another 3" of lift, I would probably build a 20x17 base unit. An additional 3" beyond that I think a 28x17 unit would probably be fine, using 2x6 rather than 2x4 I think. You've got pretty substantial fore and aft support from the wheels, parking brake and chocks. I don't think I'd go higher than that. I might also consider joining the base units together with glue and screws.

Jack points can be front cross bar, rear differential, lower A arms, frame rails, subframe mounts or rocker jack points. Because you're never in the "fall zone" while jacking you can use a block of wood for additional lift pretty safely to get additional height. I like to use two floor jacks to raise either side evenly. As you're jacking as you get to a height where another crib can slide in, just do so. That way you're never more than 3 inches away from positive support.

 

This is a really good solution Paul. I'm always paranoid and uneasy when I lift my cars to work underneath them so this is by far the best solution I've seen.


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Great write-up Paul...happened to find this pic. One for the floor jack if more height is necessary.

 

Great write-up Paul...happened to find this pic. One for the floor jack if more height is necessary.

I like that a lot more than my normal usage of taller and taller blocks on top of my jack.

One note for safety on this though:
Make sure the jack wheels do have some ability to roll around on the platform as the wheels should be able to move under the stationary contact point of the jack. If the Trolly jack wheels are stuck in place, the car could be forced to move away from the jack pump handle while lowering or closer to the pump handle when raising. That could be dangerous with too much motion.

Basically: make that jack platform big enough for the jack to move around.

 

You'd posted this last year when I was talking about my trailing arm replacement. A very good one, nonetheless. I'm planning to get under mine this weekend for an oil change and a look at the oxygen sensor grounding, and maybe even the parking brake mechanism.

Anyone have a picture of what the places to put the jack look like with the car on the ground? I had mine up by the differential in the rear, and had to reach farther under the car than I liked when jacking it. Still not sure exactly where to put it in the front.

And if you're jacking both front and rear, which goes first?

Time to nominate for the EGv107.

 

And if you're jacking both front and rear, which goes first?

.

Rear wheels have parking brake, which does nothing once tires are off the ground, but of corse the space for a trolly jack under the diff gets real tight if you already jacked the front and rear is still on the ground.

Sorry I don't have a definitive answer. Surely someone with more experience has a reason to jack one end or the other first. Or maybe more experience just says to use a lift. I don't know.

 

My 560SL sits kinda low to the ground as compared with my 380SL.
Part of it is the lower valance and that the springs must have been cut by PO.

So, for my 560SL I would need to get the front up first.

I like this suggestion. Have to give it a go.

Do you see any safety issues in say using the cribs to lift just the front
or rear and working underneath? Course I probably would stuff a Jack Stand
under there with me anyway.

 

Nice!

I was too lazy to build cribs. Went to a lumber yard and had them cut a 4"x12"x12' header board into 18" pieces instead. Cost was like $85 out the door.

I added 2"x2" tire stops on four of them and use 6"x10"x1/2" plywood as wedges between them and the tire. I use this method because the tires on my cars have different diameters.

The extra clearance using these blocks made changing my fuel filter, differential fluid and transmission adapter plug ALOT easier and safer!

Still dreaming about having a lift in my garage though.................

 

Added 05/02/2015

 

While we're here, I'll post this:

I never got around to painting mine. (That's a can of clear polyurethane.) I did glue and nail them together, and at this point, they're damned near indestructible.

You don't have to put them under the wheels, either:

They're positioned with the joints directly under the pinch welds, clear of the floor pan where it dropped lower than the level of the pinch weld, and placed so the forward trailing arm attach bolts are just accessible. This looks a lot more unstable than it is, because what you don't see is the same setup is used on the other side of the car:

(There's an extra board I added at the rear of the stack between taking these two pictures. Both stacks were identical at all times they were supporting the car.)

The car was rock solid supported this way for five months. Pushing the car off of one side would have required pushing it farther onto the other side; pushing it forward would have pushed it farther onto the crib, while pushing it backward would have required raising the rear end. We tried hard to push it off of the supports before ever getting under it.

 

The front suspension sure has a lot of travel:

I'm thinking that, to get the front wheels off the ground enough to slide cribs under them , I'll have to jack each lower control arm individually, then put cribs under the tires, repeating as needed. Am I off base?

 

Even stronger.
You can use them as a garage coffie table, as a stool or as a door stopper
and if winter comes real cold...

 

 

I know this is an old post, but the idea is timeless. So good, in fact, that I ran straight down to Home Depot after reading it to buy some 2x4s and deck screws. However, before I start cutting I do have one question for the OP or anyone else who wants to chime in: shouldn't the cribs be longer than 17" to accommodate the tires?

The reason I ask is, I placed 2x4s on the ground fore and aft of my rear tire just to get a rough idea of the dimensions. The 12" width seems spot on, but for the length I measure 22½” edge to edge (see photo). Even allowing 2 inches if the chocks are made of 2x3s, doesn't that make the length closer to 20"? Or am I way off base here?

For the record, I'm using the factory 14" wheels and 205/70 tires, inflated to 36psi... the same ones (presumably) as the 380SL in the original post. They should have the identical circumference.

 

I also wonder about the 17”. Who came up with that size? A size that would result in less scrap seems more logical to me. Dropping to 16” (to get something divisible by 96”, the length of the most economical lumber) would present problems? The 2x3 is going to press into the tire anyway. Maybe it’s good to take pressure off the underlying plywood.

And regarding stability, I would think the 12” width would be a limiting factor.

 

I watched some videos of people building cribs for other (non-Benz) cars, some as small as 14”x10”. Obviously variations in wheel size and tire circumference drive the dimensions of the crib. I’m definitely not an engineer, but my gut tells me that would be way too small (and therefore unstable?) for our 107s.

Any thoughts?

 

My only concern with 16" (other than its potentially being too short for the tire) is that the kerf of the saw blade will prevent getting a full six pieces from a 96" board. Of course, you could make each piece slightly smaller than 16", but you'd still have to factor in the material loss from blade width.

 

You're overthinking it

Read my post #15. Cost a little more, but simple and easy.

 

@ Fonzi..............good points

1) Yes they are heavier. I'm an old man and I can carry two at a time without any problem. Just don't drop them on your toes! 😖
2) Never had one spin or move more than 1/2 inch. With 11" x 18" surface area, they can slip a lot and still not compromise safety.
3) I paid a little more for them because I had to buy them from a small local lumber yard. Home Depot doesn't cut header boards anymore. Cost includes cutting fee and taxes which is close to 10% here in the Bay Area, Kalifornia.
4) I've been using these for over five years. With five cars, they don't stay stacked very long. No sign of splitting yet. 2x4s would have a higher chance of splitting under weight especially if there are flaws like knot holes and when used as cribs because there is no support between boards except at the corners. Anyone building cribs should pre drill smaller holes for the screws, even when using shelf drilling deck screws!
5) I would NEVER EVER use jack stands on a vehicle I'm going to crawl under again.

As you stated, both have their pro and cons. Blocks are easier, safer but heavier and cost more.

I've been toying with the idea of purchasing a Quick Jack lift for quite some time. Only reason I haven't pull the trigger yet is all the bad reviews they have regarding quality control, shipping damage and POOR customer service. Guess I can buy it through Costco and be able to return it at my local store if necessary. Only thing is, Costco only carry the SLX model.

 

I‘ve been toying with the idea of getting a jackhammer and creating a “grease pit” in my garage floor. The downsides I can think of are the cement dust getting everywhere, even with a sheet plastic barrier, and the water level gets kind of high during Oregon’s drizzly season, which is why I don’t have a basement and I have two sump pumps.

 

I know someone who did this. He accidently fell into it backward and hasn't been the same since.

BTW: No jackhammer needed. Concrete saw and sledge hammer.

 

In the past, summer was always the time I put my car projects on hold while the kids were out of school. Ironically enough, this year I actually have more time now that remote learning is over. Thank you, COVID-19.

Anyway, here are the cribs I built from mach4's excellent description, and from the other insights in this thread. I wound up making mine 20"x12" to accommodate different vehicles (actually the width is 11⅞", which allows you to get a full 8 pieces from a 2x4, taking into account the ⅛" saw blade kerf). I haven't field tested them on the SLC, but I suspect I'll need to slip in a piece of wood inboard of the 2x3s to ensure a tight fit to the tire.

The only other mod I made is adding two 2"x2" crossmembers under each chock platform. I doubt they afford much additional support, but they do limit fore and aft movement. You can slide the chock platform directly into the top crib from the side if clearance is an issue.

I took the liberty of painting the chock platforms a hi-vis HEMI Orange, in part because the bold color flatters the subtle metallic green of my SLC, and in part because my "other car" is a GoMango Challenger.

 

Pits have been outlawed in most residential areas for a long time. Too hazardous for fire fighters, etc in an emergency.

My choice for this issue:

 

Pits have been outlawed in most residential areas for a long time. Too hazardous for fire fighters, etc in an emergency.

My choice for this issue: View attachment 2638882 View attachment 2638883

Old #77 is awsome even with the flat. What's powering it?

 

That's a 1969 Beach Mk5-C. Formula Vee, powered by a 1200 VW motor. Very fun class to race in.
The tires are very thin to reduce weight, and leak down within about three or four days...

 

The crib lifts are great... but I really don't want to stack and store them...
I use a floor jack, and jack stands. Weight on the jack stands, but the floor jack placed to "catch" the car if it were to fall so that it wouldn't crush me.

 

When I must work outside under a car, I use at least 2 jack stands and a floor jack and I pull the tires and slide them under the car to catch it if all 3 fail. I really don't want to get crushed.