Let's get this cleared up.  The above drawing is from an old BMC publication.  Most of the dimensions are the same as the Jack Blocks I mill and the one's Dean used to make.  The difference is that the BMC drawings show the block at somewhat of a shorter height.  Which translates into the block itself actually tucking up behind the front valance.  The problem with that is when you use your floor jack (trolley) to lift the block you can't actually see where the jack and block make contact.  The blocks I mill and the one's Dean made are actually a little bit taller, making it easier to put the block on the jack and roll it under the front of the Mini.

That being said, I have made them to special sizes for lowered Minis upon customer requests.  If anyone is interested I would be more than happy to send the complete drawings by way of email so you can build one yourself.  Or if you choose, I have a few sitting on the shelf, ready for mailing.

Send me an email if your interested.

Dismissing something that some does as a waste of time is just plain rude, and shows no class!

I thought the drawing Azborn posted WAS the dooder block / BMC shape.  If it wasn't, can someone post that drawing too?


thx,
Norm

The Dooderblocks are made to the BMC drawing, and fit between the front of the sump and the bottom of the subframe crossmember.  I'd be lost without mine.

Azborn chill. I was referring to the Dooder blocks not the one in your pic which the front edge of it rests against the back edge of the front panel lower lip, the cuts look similar to the one you posted but the Dooder one is beefier. No the front panel is not supporting it more like just locating it by sitting next to it so everything is snug before you lift the car.

My question to you was "is that a Dooder block" made originally by Dean W from Dooder wear. I am guessing as you did not answer no it is a block i made from old BMC drawings.

  

These originally designed Mini jack blocks by BMC DO NOT sit against the front valence!  They fit only on the front subframe as when lifting the front of the Mini it is important that the weight is on the jack block from the subframe, no where else.  2X3 does not spread the weight across the front of the subframe and does not lock the block to the subframe.  Safety in jacking a Mini is NOT a waste of time!

This is not complex wood working, it is simple and has been around for a long time.  If I can do it anyone can!

I guess that's my point... you can buy a special piece of alloy...or you can make fancy cuts in your block of wood; which is fine if you'e looking for wood working project...

But, other than that, anything beyond the humble 2x3 (or whatever) is pretty much a waste of time ..

Cheers, Ian

That is what a Dooder block  does Ian. It is cut in a way that it fits snug in between the tie rods and rests on the sub frame cross member and against the front lower valance.

If i have the need to jack one up on the tie rod mount i use a 4 x 4 scrap piece of 2 x 4 which gives it the clearance it needs to not bend the tie rod.

Or just cut a length of scrap 2x3 so it fits across the front of the subframe, move it forward so it rests against the lower edge of the front valance and use your ordinary trolley jack to lift the centre....

Once lifted use axle stands under the front tie rod mounts... or at the rear under the rear bottom section of the wheel openings... or maybe under the subframe depending what you want to get at.

The same bit of 2x3 fits under the rear cross piece of the rear subframe in case you want to get both ends on axle stands.

Cheers, Ian 

I don't own one but saw that Harbor Freight sells an adjustable crossbeam with a 5 inch pad at each end. You remove the original saddle/cup from your floor jack and install the beam and then adjust it to length up to around 3 feet. This allows you to jack up either end fully not one corner at a time but you would need to check the height to make sure it would go under a Mini. Price is $45.00.

Azbornmini. Is that a Dooder block?

No criticism here. It is nice that you are doing what you are doing.

Alex is right, the tie rod is already bent. The mount fits into the jack saddle OK until the car starts to rise. The wheel hangs down and levers on the rod against the rim of the jack saddle, bending it and changing alignment geometry. For a car with that type of guard, you should use a spacer on the jack saddle that will fit against the subframe. You might need to run the car onto blocks to do so as Mike suggests.

Tip on video shooting: don't do it where the background is brighter than the subject... automatic light metering wipes out the subject. Turn off auto metering or at least select centre-metering mode. Use fill lighting (even a shop trouble light would help) to illuminate what you want to be seen. Review and re-shoot as necessary.

Damage has been done - the tiebar is far from straight, which is why you shouldn't jack here...

Too bad im not able to post picture of this certain red mini that was being jacked up from its lower side panel, the owner thought that we would not notice it but yup all the time he's doing it the wrong way, and when we told him about it, he even got mad at me.  I was like... get a life !!

Thank you very much for your detailed response! All those are great points. Its funny how difficult it can be to articulately document something on film that you have done a thousand times. As we put out future tech videos we will be constantly striving to improve on the detail and viewership, I very much agree with you that clarity and conciseness is key. cheers!

More advice (hope this doesn't sound like "piling on").  Good instructional videos can be worth their weight in gold, but mostly when they are short, and to the point.  John Twist has quite a few on youtube, and the Project Binky videos, can be very informative (though, they tread a fine line between being entertaining and being too darn long).

Less video time of guys standing around talking about what the video will be about, and more clear images of actually where you did put the jack and the jack stands would be a bonus (and can speed up/shorten the videos).


It can be very difficult to get good lighting and good images of what is being explained, especially when under the car on pavement.

Suggestions:  hold up the car on a hoist and then position the jack head, or the jack stand, where you need it while you are standing beneath the hoisted vehicle with lots of ambient lighting can really help to improve the clarity of things like that, and allow you to get your camera view right where you want it.

Illustrations / line drawings also go a long way to conveying the best places to support from, and the places to avoid.  Words, on the other hand, are very subjective (people interpret differently) but images can be quite clear.

Example:  photos from beneath while the car is up on a hoist, you can mark up with OK and NG areas and then edit those images into your video as stills.


Attached is an example from my Midget, for reference of how good a view you can get from there.


N

drive the car onto a pair of 2 x 10" board scraps about 20" long and then you should have the height to slip a jack under the car, or you can stack and stagger the boards (nailed together) and make a "ramp" up to get the height you need to get the jack under the car.

Thank you for your comment. I will note that I don't normally lift the car via the tie rod mount but as I quickly noted in the video, our car is a jdm autobox car and has a very obtrusive oil pan skid plate that wouldn't allow me to place the jack anywhere else (i tried off camera). No damage was done but I am aware it isnt ideal. Cheers

1min 26sec in to your video shows EXACTLY why you do NOT jack a car up in the manner you demonstrate.

1min 37sec in shows you bending the front subframe by putting an axle stand in an inappropriate position - it needs to be further forward (as shown later on) and with a rubber pad for grip, the axle stands you're using are notorious for slipping.

We are starting to make monthly tech tips and decided to start out simply with a how to jack up the mini and put it on jack stands (have seen enough dented floor pans to know that not everyone knows how to do this correctly). 

 

Anyways enjoy the video and stay tuned for more! 

https://youtu.be/vZnoBsGfJBw