FWIW, I have seen several instances where the outboard tie bar mounts on the front of the subframe have broken off. Also, if they deform or if the jack lifts the car by the tie bars, your suspension geometry changes.

No.  It's a common occurrence when I lift my '84 sedan up for work.  But it does depend on how high I lift it up.

So, is it just my (stiff) car that lifts 3 wheels when jacked from a corner, or do all Minis do that?

Its not rocket science.... I think many of you just overthink things.   

There are many suitable points that can be used to lift a Mini.  It really depends on where you are (home on your flat concrete garage floor/side of the road on a loose slope/etc etc), what kind of jack you choose (I have 4 options) and what you intend doing once the car (or bits of it) is of the ground (change a wheel/swap a set of wheels/crawl underneath to fiddle with the exhaust etc etc).

As stated, the standard screw driven side jack using the holes in the sills is fine (as long as you have good sills , Some Minis came with scissor action screw jacks that can be placed under font or rear subframes to lift single corners.  Trolley jacks can be used under the subframes (same points as scissor jack) or the front tie rod mounts (as per Rosebuds pics) or to lift the front or rear using a suitable piece of wood to bridge the front or rear of the subframe... When I work under the front, I lift from the centre of the (supported) front beam of the subframe and place the axle stands under the tie rod ears.

I must say I would never use an asymmetric lift point that would raise three wheels...the thought is kinda scary...

When using my mate's two post hoist I place the lift pads under the floor where it joins the heel board at the rear or the rear of the inner wheel arch at the front (the centre of the pads go directly under the vertical panels) .... the body won't bend or deform.

Just think about it a bit before proceeding..

Cheers, Ian

Slime's a green gloopy concoction that comes in a squeeze bottle.  Supposed to seal leaks temporarily, until you can get to a repair shop.  (Don't use it if you have a modern car with TPMS sensors or you'll have to replace the sensor.) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKlS7I-gwW4

Slime??

Never had a flat in 50 years?  Really?!  In just the past 3 years we've had a chunk of metal destroy a 911's tire (rear, of course), another chunk of metal some 400 miles away destroy a modern MINI's runflat (and dent the wheel because runflats don't always run flat), and a piece of loose rebar destroy a brand new Mazda tire PLUS put a gaping hole in the wheel.  I wouldn't have believed that one if I hadn't seen it.  You don't have to be down the street from a nail factory!  And that doesn't count half a dozen other flats I've personally gotten over the past 50 years!  I'll claim the MINI's flat, but Hubby got the other 2.

The sad thing is, modern cars often don't come with spares.  The 911 has no room anywhere, and the MINI was designed to use runflats, although they're so horrible I replaced them and carry a donut behind the front passenger seat.  I also carry Slime, compressor, tire plug kit and tire tools and jack.  Plus have towing insurance.  At least old cars usually have spares...but you need to know where to put the jack, right?   

I'm gratified to hear that jacking up a Mini poses problems even for experienced Mini owners. I thought I was the only one scratching my head over this. I'm sure you've noticed that most of the suggestions involve where not to place the jack. That's because there are plenty of those places, but few good places.

I seem to have my Mini on jackstands at least once a month for various reasons. After 8+ years of ownership, that's a lot of jacking. It's always a dicey operation. Admittedly, my car is unusually stiff, but jacking up one corner always results in lifting 3 wheels in the air; not a comfortable experience—it's tippy and seems like the car is ready to slide off the jack at any moment. I'm no expert, but I have learned a few things... 

Don't trust a jack (esp. the standard Mini jack) for longer then 5 minutes. I've had two good quality hydraulic jacks fail to hold pressure. If you're planning to use jackstands, don't use up your precious sweet spot for the jack because you won't have it available for the jackstand. Place the jack far enough away from where you're going to place the jackstand so you'll have room for the jackstand. Never place a jack or jackstand under any bodywork, engine, transmission or suspention component. I've seen videos of no less than Vizzard jacking up a Mini from under the transmission. I wouldn't do it.

To jack the front, I initially lift from the outboard tie-rod mounting point, then place the jackstand under the sub-frame at the desired location (see pics). I was a little iffy using the tie-rod mount, but my professional mechanic buddy who's owned plenty of Minis sez this is fine. To jack the rear, I lift on the side of the sub-frame as far forward as possible that still allows room to place the jackstand at the desired location (see pic). I've tried constructing wooden cradles, etc. but they all seemed more trouble then they were worth. 

When I was considering tossing my spare tire in favor of a fuel cell, I realized that in 50+ years of driving I've never had a flat. So, no spare, no roadside jacking issues. Unless you live down the road from a nail factory, I figure that a triple-A card and/or a bottle of Slime and 12v compressor will get you where you're going. 

There is only one proper lifting point that was designed for jacking up a classic Mini, and that is the square hole in the sills about in the middle of the door opening. This is where the factory jack is used and it lifts the entire side. Putting a jack under any sheet metal (floors, sills, etc) will severely deform it. Jacking under the transmission is a good way of destroying your motor mounts and having you Mini drop violently. Using a "jacking block" between the front subframe and transmission is not a good idea either IMO. There's a couple of good flat spots on the subframes that lend themselves to be suitable jacking points, but again, are not recommended by the factory. Do not use the rear cross member of the subframe, as it's easily deformed. At any rate, whatever you use, please put jack stands under it if working underneath.

At the top of the web page, just above the yellow "Live Help" button and to the left of the search bar is a pulldown box with "default" showing - pull it down and select "forum".

Thanks, but I tried that.  Maybe I'm not looking in the right place?  Where IS the search box just for the forum?

Hi Deb, search "Jacking up a classic mini" under forum search, there is a good description/picture of the recommended wood structure to carry, and some arguments.

Just for future reference, does anyone have any photos or diagrams of the proper lift points on a classic?  I keep hearing about people bending Bad Things when they pick the wrong place.  I need something that would help me if I'm on the side of the road with a flat, or need to raise the car for maintenance.