So, I jacked up the MINI by the area between the two OEM jack points (door sill, I guess) so that I'd leave the OEM jack points free for jack stands. Seemed to go well, using a 39" 2"x4" with the floor jack hitting roughly in the center of the 2"x4". However, I found that the pin that seemingly keeps the jack point housing up flush had descended somewhat in the left side passenger OEM jack point. My two questions are: 1) Could it be the technique I used to jack up the car that caused the pin to descend? AND 2) How do you get the pin to go back up flush into the OEM jack point? I assume I could use the OEM jack to jack up the car at that point and the pin will be forced up... Or should I use some other technique to ensure the pin is pushed back up into place properly? Please let me know. Also, do you "condone" the 2"x4" jacking method?

 

I am not sure what pin you are talking about at the jack point.
What year and model is your MINI?
Maybe your jack mount is missing (broken off).

 

Must be the pin holding the plastic jack pads onto the car.

 

Sorry for a potential hijack but I thought I'd share

Some might remember that for a time Sears had a jacking system where you could jack using the jacking point and then put the car on a jack stand ALSO on the jacking point. They stopped selling this a while back so far as I know.

Another company has introduced a similar system. You place a special pad on your jack which has a plate wider than your jack pad and lift the car. Then you slide into place a special jackstand that stradles the jack and lower the car, and plate, onto the stand. You can remove the jack . . .

It ain't cheap; but some folks have lifts in their garage too ... so I thought I'd share

http://www.imgt3performance.com/jackpoint-jackstands/

I've never been a fan of the 2x4 method but have successfully lifted my car and many other MINIs onto stands since 2002.

(p.s. moderators .... many similar car sites have a TOOLS forum . . . very popular ... very useful .... I go to Miata.net just for their tool forum . . .)

 

The Sears system was called "Lift-N-Secure." Didn't last long; don't know why; must have been a liability issue of some sort.

 

There is a pin that is driven upward to keep the jack point (i.e., the hard plastic "box") in place. I have subsequently realized that upward pressure with just a finger is enough to driven the pin back up. However, before I use a jack point going forward, I will first lift the car using my alternative method (via a 2"x4" under the door sill) to see that each pin is fully inserted flush with the top of the jack point. I believe that issue is resolved, now another 10 to go...