Small Car Problems

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
03/03/2015 at 10:02 • Filed to: None

After I fixed my alignment and took it for a drive around campus to make sure it's right, which it is thank god, I was going to put my car on a arm-type lift and get under there to see if I can trace down the rattle through the wheel and see if I could fix my back bumper.

The arms are too long to hit the lift points on the car. The fuck.

No matter how I tried the arms they wouldn't go in the right place. Guess it's exclusively drive on lifts for me, which my skirts scrape going on to.

Something something German car in a shop so typical something something.

DISCUSSION (28)

Cherry_man1 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:06

take it to newbold bmw and see if they can find it

Agrajag > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:09

Kinja'd!!!

Just move these back a smidge...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:10

Kinja'd!!!

Looks great from this angle.

4-door M3s FTW!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:13

Your car isn't that small.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/03/2015 at 10:15

Its small enough that a Cruze dwarfs it. I feel like I'm going to be squished when there's a truck behind me.

Klaus Schmoll > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:16

This is the first time I've heard of that. Judging by the picture, you just parked it at a weird angle.

crowmolly > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:16

Are there no "frame" rails or crossmembers to lift with?

I haven't used a rocker panel lift point to raise a car on a 2 post in a long time.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:17

I spent my morning commute today almost having a sliding garbage truck shove me into a cop car (video later). So yes I know that feel.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > crowmolly
03/03/2015 at 10:19

If there are, they're covered with plastic underbody stuff. The only points I could see we're the rocker points under where you'd insert the tire jack into the skirt/rocker

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/03/2015 at 10:19

I'm assuming it's snowy and slick where you're at?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:22

Not snow. It's in the 20s and raining. Roads were like a slip and slide, although amazingly I had no issues stopping. In snow, thanks to the all-seasons, the A8 stops like a *insert funny Clarkson metaphorical thing that doesn't stop*.

crowmolly > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:23

For an E46, maybe it can help. Sucks there are no obvious places.

Kinja'd!!!

JGrabowMSt > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:46

the shop I go to has a million E36 cars constantly, and lifts exactly like that. I think you just need to position the car correctly.

Also, there are more lift points than just the jack points on the corners.

Imirrelephant > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:48

Kinja'd!!!

Dat Hofmeister kink, doe...

Scary__goongala! > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/03/2015 at 10:49

Its not small, new cars are just to big.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 10:51

mine has been on lifts innumerable times. Was this your first time using one? Need lessons?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
03/03/2015 at 10:52

I use the lifts all the damn time, it just wasn't cooperating today.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 11:12

I remember my first time using a lift.....

Memories

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Scary__goongala!
03/03/2015 at 12:11

This. Every time I see a hatchback that's bigger than my Alfa 156 (with less interior room), or a 5-series that's longer, wider and twice as tall as my '92 Jaguar XJ6, I think this exact thought.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 19:28

Ah, the good old days of lifting the M3/4/5 on a lift. My shop teacher at school always used to inform me that my jack bushings fell off, and I needed to fix it. "There never were any." "Yes there were." "Not even from the factory." "You're wrong."

Word on the street is you may be having some trouble sourcing parts. Check fcpeuro.com, located in Milford, CT. They have the majority of parts you could ever need, and if they don't, they can find them; The head of their AMG branch not only contacted the majority of suppliers who may have had a radiator for me when I needed it, he even emailed me a week after I told him I found one to see how things came along.

Good people, good OE parts, and very helpful.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 19:29

Kinja'd!!!

This is a very, very nice looking M3.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 19:32

Also, just an FYI; I found some Blizzaks mounted on some Brand-X wheels via Bimmerforums when I had mine. On those, the M3 was about as good as my 1991 Audi Coupe Quattro (with early TorSen- the REAL Quattro system, like in the UR) was on it's half-finished, brand-x all-seasons. Just a bit more tail-happy if you're a bit too eager on the gas. Seriously, a phenomenal snow car.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
03/03/2015 at 19:37

I've noticed even on the performance all seasons it's on right now that it handles snow surprising well. I can't imagine what some winter tires would do to it.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
03/03/2015 at 19:42

I figured the lift points would be right under the holes for the car jack to slide into the skirt. I'm kinda glad it wouldn't work because I have a feeing this isn't the case.

I actually haven't had trouble yet. eBay and my dads friend who owns a parts store have been my main sources so far. I'll have to keep them in mind next time I need parts though.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/03/2015 at 19:47

And I probably should've added this, since it's relevant to the post; the only way I got it up on the lift was by grabbing the fenders and lifting it on it's suspension, then sliding the arms under. Best with two people, and extremely painful on los manos.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/04/2015 at 14:16

Classic German car of "Widowmaker jack uses the pinch weld, but screw you, no jack bushings".

I have front lift points on my B5, but I need to really find proper rear lift points. The way that unibody is laid out, it's easier to lift it on a lift as opposed to floor jack and jackstands.

KirkyV > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
03/07/2015 at 19:52

This is essentially the root of all my problems with BMW's MINIs. It's not that they're too big, or too expensive, or whatever else; they simply do a piss-poor job of living up to the original's reputation for incredibly efficient use of space, even when you make allowances for modern safety concerns.

brianbrannon > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/07/2015 at 21:44

I have had this issue before and solved it by parking the car much farther back than normal