Lifting (hoisting) your W113 Pagoda

[mbzse]

Putting a garage jack or hoist arm in the wrong position under your Pagoda car may cause severe remorse... The chassis floor plates and structure is not able to support the weight of the car, except for some specific places. I have marked the spots that I use in the picture attached (red rings).  Edit: I added four points, based on Forum comments. Dotted red
Be sure to avoid bending or deforming the metal in your Pagoda chassis 

The factory jack points in the sills (thresholds), while of course designed to be used, cause some debate. Using these for lifting very likely produces micro cracks in the metal, and is a place where rust attacks may develop, inside the sill box structure. See picture attached for a device using the factory jack tubes.
Personally I avoid using the tube factory jacking points. I have seen and experienced many M-B cars (not only W113) that have had severe corrosion in this area.

Another note re: the picture: No, the underside of the W113 Pagoda was _not_ painted black from factory! This is wrong, done during restoration work at Brabus. Use search function to find correct info in our Forum.
/Hans S

[Bonnyboy]

Just wondering why it is not ok to lift the car from under the rear axle under the trailing arms.   That is where I lift my car from so that the wheels are not hanging down.   

Am I damaging anything?
 

[mbzse]

.../... lift the car from under the rear axle under the trailing arms..../... Am I damaging anything?

I guess not, if you do it with care. However, I have seen a number of cars (also 108:s, Fins etc) that have shown dented/deformed metal in that area due to close encounter with a jack plate.
/Hans S

[paults1]

I thought the front suspension cross piece is not to be used since it is part of the sub frame which could damage the engine/trans. mountings. Am I wrong?
Regards,  Paul '63 230SL

[TheEngineer]

I am surprised - After 50 years now, since these cars came out, you are still asking where the jack-points are? Why does that remind me off a man, a grown man, who is still looking for his member?

[ctaylor738]

Snarky! 

[ja17]

The attachment points of the rear axel trailing arms at the chassis are also another good lifting point.

[Benz Dr.]

That's where I lift all of my cars on my hoist. Floor jacks use the same spots for individual corners or the sub frame and rear axle on either end. The main thing is to use a solid place so it will bear the weight of your car.
 About half of the cars I work on ( not just 113's ) show signs of someone missing the center of the rear axle and lifting somewhere under the fuel tank instead. I even see oil pans caved in from careless workers. Most of the time you can see where the person doing this realized they were in the wrong place and thankfully stopped lifting but there's always some damage left behind. 

[mbzse]

The attachment points of the rear axel trailing arms at the chassis are also another good lifting point

I´ll repeat myself and say: I guess so, if you are careful. You and DanC certainly have experience, so, if you two are doing it w/o problems, that is reassuring 

However, I have seen a number of cars (also 108:s, Fins etc) that have the triangular plate at the front of the radius arm dented/deformed, due to close encounter with a jack plate.
Also, up for discussion: How sturdy is the structure of the floor of the W113 above this point(?)  Especially if you raise one side (at a time) the full weight of the rear end of the car is focussed there.
I´ll add in these four additional points in my original posting, based on your and DanC:s comments (dotted red)
/Hans S

[Benz Dr.]

I´ll repeat myself and say: I guess so, if you are careful. You and DanC certainly have experience, so, if you two are doing it w/o problems, that is reassuring.

However, I have seen a number of cars (also 108:s, Fins etc) that have the triangular plate at the front of the radius arm dented/deformed, due to close encounter with a jack plate.
Also, up for discussion: How sturdy is the structure of the floor of the W113 above this point(?)  Especially if you raise one side (at a time) the full weight of the rear end of the car is focused there
/Hans S

The places shown are all strong enough for lifting. After 40 years I hope I know how to lift a car. The stud mount, along with the trailing arm, are usually strong on most cars but I do check how the car is raising if I've never had it on my hoist before. Distortion of the mounting plate could be from accident damage or as you said from careless workers.

[BRYANH815]

thank you Hans, I have a 4 post lift and will shortly be replacing calipers. the areas were where I assumed. But it is much better to have someone confirm this. Thank You Bryan Hepper Barrington, IL USA

[ja17]

In these parts, my main concern would be rust damaged factory jack supports, so I never use them for lifting. Using a hard rubber pad on your floor jack will prevent any minor paint damage to the underparts. Most car lifts already have rubber pads on built onto the lift arms. I keep some retired "ice hockey" pucks around for use on the floor jack.

[Benz Dr.]

It wouldn't be the first time I've had to place boards under a car just so I could lift it. Some of them really are that rusty although the trailing arm area of a 113 is not a place that seems to be affected. I've replaced lots of stud mounts on 190SL's but I can't remember ever doing one on a 113. The design and location appears to be well chosen in this case.

[Shvegel]

I too object to the jack point adaptors but for a different reason.  If a floor jack shifts or a hoist arm doesn't lock or slips off the car is going to the floor or the jack is going through the door.   Better under the car where at least you don't destroy the car if it slips.

[Bonnyboy]

I was worried about the car tipping over - front or back so for my mid-rise scissor lift I marked the center of each car (where it will balance on a board going across the car) and marked the center of the hoist.   

No matter where I put the arms to lift the car I know that the center of the car is matched with the center of the hoist. 

[wwheeler]

I agree with all of the above. Using the trailing arms mounts can be squirrely if not careful. It seems solid as long as it is positioned correctly. In other words not haphazardly off center. One place I thought was Ok for the front is the area on the rocker panel just to the inside of the front jack points. Same deal as the rear. I have used that many times with no issues at all.

What do you think? 

[Benz Dr.]

I agree with all of the above. Using the trailing arms mounts can be squirrely if not careful. It seems solid as long as it is positioned correctly. In other words not haphazardly off center. One place I thought was Ok for the front is the area on the rocker panel just to the inside of the front jack points. Same deal as the rear. I have used that many times with no issues at all.

What do you think?

Bad choice. Any rust in those areas and you'll see why.  I hoist a lot of cars every year and the reinforcement under the front floors is a very strong point. Regardless of what's been said here, the stud mounts right at the trailing arms are also your best and safest choice. Or is there no one here who thinks all of the cars who visit my place are perfect rust free examples? I assure you, they're not. Saying that, you can trust me that I've chosen the best places to lift a car and these are it.

[wwheeler]

I always use the reinforcement under the floor as my first option. But there are times when you need two spots simultaneously, one for the jack/hoist and one for the jack stand if the wheels are off. For a DIY, you can't always finish the job and it takes a few days. Hence the jack stand.

In my case with my car, that rocker panel at the front jacking point does not have rust issues as I have already explored that in depth. So I guess the conclusion is that it is safe as long as you are positive there is no rust. If your not sure, then don't do it. What about that?

In regards to the trailing arms, yes I use them al the time. I guess by squirrely I meant that it has to be positioned carefully because there is less area to work with. There is more opportunity here to mis-position the pad than at a frame position. to me, Just a matter of the size of the target area and how flat it is.

[Benz Dr.]

I always use the reinforcement under the floor as my first option. But there are times when you need two spots simultaneously, one for the jack/hoist and one for the jack stand if the wheels are off. For a DIY, you can't always finish the job and it takes a few days. Hence the jack stand.

In my case with my car, that rocker panel at the front jacking point does not have rust issues as I have already explored that in depth. So I guess the conclusion is that it is safe as long as you are positive there is no rust. If your not sure, then don't do it. What about that?

In regards to the trailing arms, yes I use them al the time. I guess by squirrely I meant that it has to be positioned carefully because there is less area to work with. There is more opportunity here to mis-position the pad than at a frame position. to me, Just a matter of the size of the target area and how flat it is.

Can't hit a small target? 

[wwheeler]

Been trying for years......

[Benz Dr.]

HeHEHE HE heHehe.............

[wwheeler]

Maybe one day...

But on a serious note...Thanks Hans for drawing that up. It is very useful!