best jack?

[Periclaws]

I went thru the search as see there are few
possibilities
,any concensus on the best jack for the 451?
I would prefer to order thru dealer and spend a less than $80.
Passat year? Mercedes model#?don't wish one I have to modify.
Quick look on ebay seems like it might be better to buy new.

[jwight]

Even though I have a Mercedes jack, and have used it on the smart, I don't think it's the best solution. Maybe if you want one to carry in the car for an emergency it will do, but the big drawback is it doesn't lift vertically, but on an angle. Unfortunately, that puts a side load on the plastic side skirts and if you are not careful you can force them off of their locating pins and break the attached square clips. So, for around the garage I got a small floor jack that lifts vertically and works fine with the side skirts.

[Periclaws]

Thank you for your reply I am looking for a spare to carry in the car incase of a flat.

[mvaldes]

I have a small scissors jack. Works fine and fits inside the spare inside the bag lady bag. Also have a hockey puck that I stick in the circle where you lift and the jack goes under it. It spares the plastic - may not really be necessary but I haven't tried it without.

[JOHNSTEICHEN]

Walmart bottle jack 7-1/8 in high $10 works good.

[Old smart]

If you can find one on eBay (or a UK car breaker), your best bet would be the jack and wrench from the smart forfour (part number: A 454 580 0118). The forfour (W454) carried a spare and jack, and the head of the jack was designed to engage the bottom edge of a tridion.

[Periclaws]

Since it will always be in the car and in the spare bag it should be small and easy to use.small scissors jack details?

[mvaldes]

It's just a no brand scissors jack that I've had on the shelf for years. Prior to the Smart, the last time I used it was to jack up the deck to replace some rotten wood. I'm sure you could find something comparable at a junk yard. For proportion, here it is inside the tire. (I wrap it in a towel and put the jack and the hockey puck in a plastic bag and put the bag inside the tire. No rattles that way. Oh, the jack handle is in the tailgate.
Hope it helps.

[mvaldes]

Two words of caution about the bottle jacks - check clearance. A lot of them, at least by my measurements, fit fine with the tires inflated, but don't seem like they'd fit with the tire flat.