I want to paint my calipers this weekend, but the kit says they need 24 hrs to dry before I can drive on them. In the meantime, I must keep the wheels off and the car up on jack stands.

With just the four jack points (suggested by the owner's manual) How am I supposed to get the stands under while I'm using that point for the jack at the same time? Or, what is the order of operations to wind up with the car completely on jacks, with the wheels off? I have a little car experience, but I've never had to put the whole car up at once.

Without laughing smilies, can anyone give me some tips?:smile:

Thanks-

-Steve

 

There are a couple of sites that give pointers about jacking up your MINI.

Here's one:

http://www.ultimategarage.com/minijack.htm

and this thread about changing your brake pads talks about jacking up the MINI:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=38346


Another link that I can't find right now suggests getting a foot long 2X4 and put in on your jack then placing it under the car about mid way between and behind the jack points where it will push up against the flat part of the underbody. Lift the car and then insert your jack stands at the jack points and lower the jack. You should probably do only one side at a time.

Oh and loosen the wheel bolts a little before jacking and drive back and forth a little to loosen the wheel on the shaft (if you haven't taken the wheels off ever it can be a bit of a bear to get them off the first time - I understand a few whacks with a mallet might be needed) and then take off the wheels once the car is on the jack stands.

The other piece of information that I recall, is that the calipers should not be used for 24 hours but should be dry and remountable after 2 hours (I think this is in the paint instructions that come with the kit). So you could do 1 side (two caliper sets), reassemble everything, lower that side and raise the other side.

Of course, making friends with someone who has a lift might be easier.

 

Thanks! I'm wondering if I should use OctaneGuy's directions to remove the calipers to paint them now... I have the G2 kit from Moss and it says caliper removal is not necessary, but it may help to get all the nooks and angles.

Anyone have experience with the caliper paint kit?

Thanks, Steve

 

I wondered about this also. During the 2004 edition of the Niagara/ Troronto Pulley party Randy taught me the best way to jack up a MINI and place the jack stands.

I put together a how to on the Southern Ontario MINI Club website.

Read the entire thread before proceeding.

http://www.somc.on.ca/forum/viewtopi...hlight=jacking

Cheers,
Jack

 

I almost painted my calipers last weekend. I took off my wheels and used brake cleaner and brushed out my calipers, but something more pressing came up and I had to stop.

While they say it isn't necessary to remove the calipers, I still would. It really depends on whether you want to paint what can be seen and masking everything else or do a more thorough job.

I put my jack where Randy Web suggests in his writeups. Also to put the rear on jack stands, you can jack from the front pad which will lift the rear as well. I do this because I haven't seen a suitable jacking point in the rear like there is up front.




Richard

 

Put a 2x4 (my piece of wood was about 3 ft. long) along the rail to the rear of the jackstand in the photo, and you should be able to lift up either the front or rear of the car. I like the wood technique more because it allows for easier and more versatile placement of the floorjack cup to the car, as well as distributing the load of the cup across the whole piece of wood, avoiding marring and/or denting of the underside of the car.


(pic borrowed from ultimate garage )

 

Check out my thread

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=12140

It shows the process of painting the caliper. Later on in the thread, someone asks how I jacked it up. I responded in post #39 for how I got it into the air.