Rear Differential

[nookatee]

ok, this is a stupid question, but i want to be sure and safe. I've always used ramps to raise my car up but i recently bought a pair of jack stands with a floor jack in order to be able to do work on my wheels, tires, brakes, as well as the rear muffler (it was a requirement on my old audi quattro but i think it'll just make it easier on this E36). So...my question is, does anyone have a picture of the rear differential on an E36, mine's a '93 325i if that matters. I just want to make sure that I'm putting the floor jack under the right thing considering it's going to carry the weight of the car. I'm pretty certain, but i want to be absolutely certain. Thanks for the help

Also, is there a good way to jack up the front of the car? i don't think I'll need to do this in the near future but will in the eventual future. I've read about jack pads. Are they my best bet? Thanks again.

[93 325i]

Originally posted by nookatee@Feb 23 2005, 11:36 AM
ok, this is a stupid question, but i want to be sure and safe. I've always used ramps to raise my car up but i recently bought a pair of jack stands with a floor jack in order to be able to do work on my wheels, tires, brakes, as well as the rear muffler (it was a requirement on my old audi quattro but i think it'll just make it easier on this E36). So...my question is, does anyone have a picture of the rear differential on an E36, mine's a '93 325i if that matters. I just want to make sure that I'm putting the floor jack under the right thing considering it's going to carry the weight of the car. I'm pretty certain, but i want to be absolutely certain. Thanks for the help

Also, is there a good way to jack up the front of the car? i don't think I'll need to do this in the near future but will in the eventual future. I've read about jack pads. Are they my best bet? Thanks again.

[snapback]297711[/snapback]

Here is a pic of the differential being jacked. This shot was taken from the driver side rear of the car:
[attachmentid=18755]
As for the front I have heard you can do the same thing under the tranny..I would assume jack pads would be ideal rahter than using the differential and tranny methods..I don't like the thought of the car's weight being on these, but I hear it's quite alright to do..

[triggrhaapi]

there are good hard points right under the stock jacking holes (the little round plugs in your side skirts) you can jack the car up from the side skirts and rest the car on the jackstands from those points.

[CiscoKid]

there is a metal brace behind the diff... i jack mine from there

[tomctx]

Originally posted by CiscoKid@Feb 23 2005, 04:00 PM
there is a metal brace behind the diff... i jack mine from there

[snapback]297811[/snapback]

There is also a metal brace in front. It's right in front of the engine and I believe part of the power steering is located on it. It goes all the way across the car and there are several places to use a jack.

[CiscoKid]

the black bar under the diff

[nookatee]

I dig it. The rear makes sense now. Any pictures of bar in front of the engine? thanks for thelp guys.