Jack Pad....is this right?

[GaBoYnFla]

I think I saw a pic of another jack pad but it wasn't shaped like this one I ordered....is this one right for the 2011 TTS? I haven't gotten under the car to see....haven't even purchased the floor jack yet.... Thanks, Todd

[MaXius]

Might want to invest in a set of ramps too so you can get it high enough to get anything underneath the side skirts..

[GaBoYnFla]

Might want to invest in a set of ramps too so you can get it high enough to get anything underneath the side skirts..

Will the front or rear overhand/splitter clear the ramps to get up on them? I have a slight lowering in the front....more pronounced in the rear.....H&R Sport Springs.....

[kendoist4162]

Hey Todd,
You should be OK on the ramps if you get ones with a longer run up. The jack pad is fit to the jack, not the car. The middle knob would fit into the slot on the frame, but the pad itself is more key. Personally, I use pieces of plywood, but then, I'm analog...(and a cheap ass sob..... ;-)

[MaXius]

You could go over the top and get one made up like this... but why? It's a jack pad.







But the TT has the same long curvy groove.

I just put a piece of flat metal plate on top of the jack and jack the car up behind the wheel, about 30cm in. Big flat area. That's the bit they lift your car with on the mechanics hoist too.

[lcrcr]

You could go over the top and get one made up like this... but why? It's a jack pad.


But the TT has the same long curvy groove.

I've got one of those. A batch of them was brewed up by a guy in Canada. He would probably make another batch if there was some interest. $40 is what I paid (not exactly over the top).

[RaceJetta]

You could go over the top and get one made up like this... but why? It's a jack pad.

Well, it is an R8 jackpad. It just happens to fit the Mk2 TT. It's not over the top if you own an R8

[GERMANCARMAN]

I would pay $40 for one of those, I used a socket on top of my jack that fit OK, but would rather have something I trust more.

[ProjectA3]

Might want to invest in a set of ramps too so you can get it high enough to get anything underneath the side skirts..

just drive up onto a small piece of 2x4 thats what i do and its safer than ramps

i would also buy one because i dont feel safe using my floor jack now that i am changing wheels from daily to track setup

[mageus]

GaBoYnFla:
Be careful about those pads. Apparently if you jack the car up using just one of those pads, it can bend the frame. Those pads are made to lift the car at by the dealer all 4 points simultaneously.
A jack pad is a 'pad' that goes over a 'jack' or 'jack stands'. Harbor freights sells some cheap ones for jack stands.

Here's what I do:
- Place a low profile jack (with flat circular pad) under the mount points described by RaceJetta. Center them well. I tweaked one on my R-class because it was off center. A low profile jack will clear the door trim. Get an aluminum one - Costco has one for $100, and well worth it.
- On not-quite-as-cool cars (e.g. Jetta or other other Audis) I have a jack pad that is basically a circular puck with a cross pattern cut into it. This slots into the crimp weld on these cars. Great for rotating tires - place 'puck' on crimp weld a little behind the mid-point of the car, lift that entire side up, then put jack stands underneath. Swap wheels, and you're done.
- Place jack stand under the inboard point of one the A-arms (well, it's not actually an A-arm, since they're multilink, but whatever). These points are quite strong, as the suspension holds the whole car up. If you use a 'jack pad', it won't scratch the cast iron finish (for whatever that is worth).


RaceJetta:
I would buy one of those pads. I don't need the fancy-schmancy laser etching, if it brings the costs down.

[deadlywingz]

put me in for 2-4 when they become available

[MoreGooderTT]

I see that there's a great interest in this by more than just a couple of people.

I'll make this a priority when I get back to work on Jan 2. Sorry, that's the fastest I can get to it due to the holidays and my travel plans.

[Va_TTer]

GaBoYnFla:
Be careful about those pads. Apparently if you jack the car up using just one of those pads, it can bend the frame. Those pads are made to lift the car at by the dealer all 4 points simultaneously.
A jack pad is a 'pad' that goes over a 'jack' or 'jack stands'. Harbor freights sells some cheap ones for jack stands.

Do you mean bend the frame at the jack point (like people reported on Mk1 TTs, where the jack point couldnt take the weight and pushed up the floor pan) or bend the frame from the tortion of jackng only one corner at a time? I just jacked mine for the first time at the front corner jack point, and the creaking sound fron the back corner was terrible! I'm concerned that the sound means something is flexing in a way it shouldn't. Do others jack one corner at a time for tire changes?

If yes, I'd buy one on those custom jack adapters to swap my winter rims on and off.

[- Jeremy -]

Do you mean bend the frame at the jack point (like people reported on Mk1 TTs, where the jack point couldnt take the weight and pushed up the floor pan) or bend the frame from the tortion of jackng only one corner at a time? I just jacked mine for the first time at the front corner jack point, and the creaking sound fron the back corner was terrible! I'm concerned that the sound means something is flexing in a way it shouldn't. Do others jack one corner at a time for tire changes?

If yes, I'd buy one on those custom jack adapters to swap my winter rims on and off.

I'm no TT expert (yet) but I'm sure that the frame is certainly stiff enough to take the torsion. In fact, I always found it funny that I could jack up the front end of my MKV GTI's and R32 and the rear would raise as well. Shows how stiff these things are. But the TT's are mostly aluminum, so maybe it's possible it can bend?

The creaking noise you heard was probably the rear brakes slipping. This always happened on my GTI's and R32. Nothing to worry about.

- Jeremy -

[mageus]

Do you mean bend the frame at the jack point ... or bend the frame from the tortion of jackng only one corner at a time?.

I refer to the issue with prior 'A' platforms (Golf/Jetta, A3, TT). To clarify:
- The 'jack pad' that GaBoYnFla refers to is a circular pad that fits in a hole on the chassis. There are 4 of these. The factory lift touches these points to lift the car at all 4 corners simultaneously. The 'pads' are there to protect the underbody. It has been recommended NOT to lift at only one of these points.
- The rectangular holes are made to insert the factory jack (or an aftermarket jack with said $$$ aluminum-und-laser-etching adapter) and can be lifted at a single corner.
- I actually used to lift my old B5, my mom's MkV Sportwagen, and the A5 on the crimp weld about mid-car. Really quick for rotating tires! Never worried about chassis flex.
- The MkII TT doesn't have a crimp weld, so you have to lift at those rectangular socket points.
- The creaking is the suspension/brakes. Fuggedaboudit.

Hope this helps out.

[JohnLZ7W]

I'd be interested in a pair of these too

[blimey]

bump this up to see if there is more interest.

[MoreGooderTT]

I'll be working on it next week. Hold your horses!

[quattive]

I'll be working on it next week. Hold your horses!

Sounds good!

[MoreGooderTT]

I sent a drawing to my machinist today. He's having some challenges with the radius at the top, but I think we'll get it sorted out pretty quickly. I've given him the liberty of putting a couple of tapped holes thru the base for a jig. This will make it less expensive to machine. I'va also asked for a black annodizing quote.

I'll keep everyone posted as progress continues.

[blimey]

I sent a drawing to my machinist today. He's having some challenges with the radius at the top, but I think we'll get it sorted out pretty quickly. I've given him the liberty of putting a couple of tapped holes thru the base for a jig. This will make it less expensive to machine. I'va also asked for a black annodizing quote.

I'll keep everyone posted as progress continues.

thanks for the update. I'm all about function over form. I'm thinking I may buy two so I can use two jacks to raise the car.

[quattive]

I sent a drawing to my machinist today. He's having some challenges with the radius at the top, but I think we'll get it sorted out pretty quickly. I've given him the liberty of putting a couple of tapped holes thru the base for a jig. This will make it less expensive to machine. I'va also asked for a black annodizing quote.

I'll keep everyone posted as progress continues.

Awesome... Thanks for the update. I too would buy two. Black anodized would be cool

[RaceJetta]

Just logged in (I don't come here very often). I'm certainly not going to make another run, but my costs on these was around $25 a puck (for a run of 20 or 25 I think it was for my second run I made) at Alzar in Ottawa, ON Canada. For all the time that somebody is going to spend wrapping, packing and shipping them, the $15 goes to packaging and a tiny pittance for the guy doing all the leg work. Certainly shipping wa extra an charged individually depending on the location and how quickly the purchaser wanted the puck delivered. It's reached time consuming. Undortunatley I'm not going to make another run of these. Certainly the R8 crowd mostly had their fill and I'm not really too interested in making another batch and potentially sitting on a pile of inventory. From a couple of the TT owners that did buy them from me, I hear nothing but positive feedback, same for all the R8 guys that have them. All the details are on my website. Including a google sketchup file with all the dimensions.

http://rmicroys.isa-geek.com/photos/AudiR8_JackPad

[MoreGooderTT]

Not to worry. I am organizing this batch. If you've been following the thread, you'll know that I already have a machinist working on a quote. I spoke to him today in fact to push this along. I believe I tightened the thum screws a bit, and they know it's a serious opportunity for them.

Be forewarned. I don't expect them to do this for 25 a pad. I have no doubt it will be a bit more. I also don't have time to shop it around to squeeze a few more bucks out of the price and give the order to an unfamiliar machinist. I trust the company, and they do outstanding work.

Yes, I know that shipping and handling will be a pain. The way I will handle it is I will only ship on Saturday, and only those that have paid upfront for the part, shipping materials and shipping costs.

I"ll also want firm committments before outlaying the cash to make the first batch.

The goal is for everyone to get their jack pad(s) prior to the spring thaw when we want to swap to our summer setups.

Patience my friends! It's only January 17.

[MoreGooderTT]

Oh, and if someone wants to make their own, or get their own machinist to make it, I'll be happy to share my files. I created a solidworks version, and can save the print in many different formats.

[Stevelev]

Dont want to step on anyone's toes but ... Since I'm in Ottawa, perhaps I should approach the original machine shop to see if they're interested in doing another run of these suckers ?

[MoreGooderTT]

Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I just want the jack pads for the group. PM me with your email and I'll send you the files.

[nj_v-dub]

Just wanted to confirm price on each?

[Stevelev]

Just wanted to confirm price on each?

Still awaiting confirmation. I'm hopeful that costs will be similar to the initial run but will ultimately be determined by number of confirmed buyers. Once I receive confirmed pricing, I'll post this up along with estimated shipping costs. Bear in mind that I'm in Canada so shipping south to the US will more than what within the US would be. For international shipping (other than to the US), I'll have to deal with those on a one off basis.

[Stevelev]

Here's an update:

1) Assuming we have more than 15 produced (and paid for!), cost will be under $30. each
2) Turnaround time will be 2-3 weeks which should work out fine for receipt prior to March 1st
3) Etching can be done for $2. extra per pad BUT a high res vector image file must be provided. I'll revisit this ONLY if someone wants this AND can provide the file.

Once I figure out the shipping details (hopefully by end of day), I'll provide final purchase details.

Cheers !

[TopCarbon]

Excellent! I'm in for 2. Are you going to use PayPal for payment?

[quattive]

Here's an update:

1) Assuming we have more than 15 produced (and paid for!), cost will be under $30. each
2) Turnaround time will be 2-3 weeks which should work out fine for receipt prior to March 1st
3) Etching can be done for $2. extra per pad BUT a high res vector image file must be provided. I'll revisit this ONLY if someone wants this AND can provide the file.

Once I figure out the shipping details (hopefully by end of day), I'll provide final purchase details.

Cheers !

I can provide a vector file if you need it.

[neonova6]

I can provide a vector file if you need it.

Count me in for the etching! Could you post a pic of the design when finalized?

[nj_v-dub]

Still awaiting confirmation. I'm hopeful that costs will be similar to the initial run but will ultimately be determined by number of confirmed buyers. Once I receive confirmed pricing, I'll post this up along with estimated shipping costs. Bear in mind that I'm in Canada so shipping south to the US will more than what within the US would be. For international shipping (other than to the US), I'll have to deal with those on a one off basis.

Assuming price is in the $30 area, I'm in for 4. Count on that.

[nj_v-dub]

RS etching looks great, lets do it.