Pinch weld damage

[MadMen]

I was about to pull the trigger on the audi jack pads but Im still concerned about the structural integrity of those points. Theres concern that those points are only intended for 4 point lifts and arent designed for the load of a single jack point. These points were originally designed for use during manufacturing.

Im sure you, as well as other users are satisfied with it. However it just makes makes me nervous that theres no official word that its safe. You can press Paul at DAP and even he wont give you a straight answer. To me, the U-Jack makes more sense and is cheaper (if you havent bought a jack yet).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I certainly wouldn't use those points to hold the car up. I just use them to lift the car in order to get the jack stands under the proper area of the pinch weld. I was skeptical at first also, and watched for any type of caving in or anything else peculiar as I slowly lifted from those points. But they were as solid (perhaps even more so) as the pinch weld location.

 

[VAG Parts Bin]

I was about to pull the trigger on the audi jack pads but Im still concerned about the structural integrity of those points. Theres concern that those points are only intended for 4 point lifts and arent designed for the load of a single jack point. These points were originally designed for use during manufacturing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are OEM factory items for the Audi A3/S3s. VW most likely left them off of the Mk7's to cut costs just like they do everything else.

 

[Gogo GTI]

I find it annoying and ludicrous that there has to be so much discussion and ancillary products sold just to do something basic like getting our cars on jack stands. ?

Its not the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd third time using the audi jack pad that concerns me. Its the xx time, when or if it exceeds its stress limit. Yeah Im a bit paranoid as you can tell.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sandman GTI]

I certainly wouldn't use those points to hold the car up. I just use them to lift the car in order to get the jack stands under the proper area of the pinch weld. I was skeptical at first also, and watched for any type of caving in or anything else peculiar as I slowly lifted from those points. But they were as solid (perhaps even more so) as the pinch weld location.

Not claiming right or wrong to use them but after I installed the ECS kit I asked the dealer their thoughts during an oil change.
They did not know those point existed and thought they would work well with the pads installed. The metal points are heavily made so I would be surprised if they would not hold. I use them for single and double lift support. My flat top stands work well with them. The rears are a little close to the pinch welds so hard to jack one and put stand under the other with not much room.

So far no isssues.

 

[VAG Parts Bin]

I find it annoying and ludicrous that there has to be so much discussion and ancillary products sold just to do something basic like getting our cars on jack stands. ?

Its not the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd third time using the audi jack pad that concerns me. Its the xx time, when or if it exceeds its stress limit. Yeah Im a bit paranoid as you can tell.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I guess what I am trying to say is that these are OEM Audi items, not some home brew Chinese creations. You would think that Audi has them engineered for their intended use. Would I use them without jack stands? No. But they suit their purpose for having a place to jack the car up from and still be able to put the jack stand on the pinch weld.

YMMV.

 

[SpaceGhost]

Not claiming right or wrong to use them but after I installed the ECS kit I asked the dealer their thoughts during an oil change.
They did not know those point existed and thought they would work well with the pads installed. The metal points are heavily made so I would be surprised if they would not hold. I use them for single and double lift support. My flat top stands work well with them. The rears are a little close to the pinch welds so hard to jack one and put stand under the other with not much room.

So far no isssues.

Are you talking about the $250 set or the $89?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Gogo GTI]

They are OEM factory items for the Audi A3/S3s. VW most likely left them off of the Mk7's to cut costs just like they do everything else.

Understood. But the speculation is that it is originally intended for a 4 point lift, not a floor jack. You can speak to a number of vag techs and they wont vouch for using it repeatedly with a floor jack. I guess the point being, its probably fine using the jack pads, but the recommendation is you should use the pinch welds for its intended purpose.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StealthGTI]

Hello,

Interesting because that is the proper lift point. Seems like the thinner sheet metal would be easier to bend back. I can't tell if I weakened the structure because of the anti corrosion coating, but a few hits with a hammer and 2x4 didn't move it at all.

I didn't start with the mallot. Instead, I used a crowbar and sinfully leveraged it against the rocker panel to slowly bend the layer a tad flatter. I would have used the 2x4 against the rocker to protect it, but it wasn't necessary.

Once the layer was bent to less than 45-degrees from where I wanted it, then I put the end of the 2x4 against it so I could really get a good swing at it with the mallot.

I hope that explanation is a little better. On the flip side, perhaps the metal I was bending was thinner and weaker than what you're dealing with. Hard to say.

Good Luck,

Scott

 

[MadMen]

Pfft. You don't understand danger until you've used one of these - on the side of a mountain in a severe thunderstorm, in the mud.....

 

[vw671]

I find it annoying and ludicrous that there has to be so much discussion and ancillary products sold just to do something basic like getting our cars on jack stands. ?

Its not the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd third time using the audi jack pad that concerns me. Its the xx time, when or if it exceeds its stress limit. Yeah Im a bit paranoid as you can tell.

I'm in the 20-30's if that helps.

 

[Gogo GTI]

I'm in the 20-30's if that helps.

Sounds convincing enough. Lol

At this point Im pretty sold on the U-Jack unless there are any significant criticisms about it. It seems very straight forward and hassle free.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sandman GTI]

Are you talking about the $250 set or the $89?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I think the $89.
The $200+ one comes with covers correct?
I removed the front panels to access and then cut holes so cover fits back over.
This mod was posted earlier in this thread.
If you have issues pressing the $89 plugs in with a lift, I found if you rotate the plug, lift again, rotate plug, lift again and so on it will go in. Seams to push more on outside edge of hole. Any part not in yet rotate to the outside and lift again. WD40 also helps. The front for me went in easier. The rears needed to be rotated more. I have a write up in my build thread. Should be a link from first page.

 

[VAG Parts Bin]

Best deal if you are going to do the Audi pads is to get them from e-Acca. Even with shipping from Latvia they are still the cheapest. I added the parts to my cart and did a check out and with shipping to the US, it was $86 shipped and it's the full kit (front rubber pads, front caps, front splash shield trim, rear pads - this is the same as the $250 DAP kit) and not just the basic kit (front rubber and basic caps - this would be the ECS $89 kit).

 

[RennWerks]

I agree with VAG Parts Bin that the more professional to avoid damaging the pinch weld on a Mk7 is to purchase a pad kit. And buying one from e-Acca certainly is the way to save a good bit (assuming you can get past the concern about sending personal credit card info to Latvia).

However, I've been jacking up cars on the pinch weld for literally decades without a problem. Thus, when I decided to change the oil on my GTI, I had the same concerns expressed here but I chose to press on. My oh-so-humble precaution was to pad the pinch weld with an old towel while I jacked up the front of my car with a 1-1/2 ton floor jack positioned under the reinforced section of the rocker panel. I then placed a jack stand under front cross-member to ensure the car wouldn't fall on me while I removed the drain plug. I consider raising both sides of the car, but it certainly wasn't necessary to gain access to the drain plug. I removed the plug, reversed the steps outlined here to lower the car and waited for the oil to drain. I then raised the car one more time (and positioned the jack stand again), and replaced the plug. Job done.

As I sit here typing this now, it almost seems as if typing this has taken me longer to accomplish than what I've described above.

So what's my point? Just that I, too, was concerned about bending a pinch weld, based mainly on what I'd read on this board, btw. I still see the potential for that happening, but IMHO almost any padding will minimize, if not eliminate entirely, that possibility. This may not be the Roger Penske solution, but FWIW I don't think a pad kit is essential to avoid bending a rocker panel pinch weld.

 

[cb1111]

You should only use a shop-safe number or prepaid card just to be on the safe side when dealing with unknown vendors and/or foreign countries.