Jack stands like that have been around for 40+ years. Yes, they are very safe as long as you place them in the appropriate locations.
Bought these stands for my full sized van. They seem to be a bit tall for my car even with a floor jack. Tried this today changing oil and it felt stable, but sketched me out so I just threw some bricks under the tires to get room to be comfortable. But this weekend I'm changing a tie rod end and want something safe and stable.
It seemed stable and supportive, but there was just a voice in my head saying ehh mayby not. Didn't damage the car at all
On a side note, how taboo is it to just toss the wheel under the frame doing brakes since your not fully under the car. I am just a home gamer and that's what I was taught. Don't do it if I'm actually under the car.
Jack stands like that have been around for 40+ years. Yes, they are very safe as long as you place them in the appropriate locations.
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The rocks under the tires won't help much if stand failed because the suspension will allow the car to come down several inches.
Since you have one of those low profile jacks, why not raise the jack up by supporting it with 2x12 lumber, get the truck high up enough in the air so that the stands can be used properly. The reason the stands have those "y" shaped heads on the riser tongue is so that the vehicle can't move laterally when supported on the frame.
It would also give you better clearance under the vehicle by raising it up the height of those "Y" heads.
Or if you don't feel comfortable with the jack sitting on top of the blocks, make some square blocks, nailed together, and place them on top of the jack, then jack the vehicle up with the wood between the jack and frame. This "temporarily" will give you the increased height you need to get the stands under there with their tongue in place as they were designed.
You can leave the jack under the front as well, creating a 3rd point of support.
T man.
15 + years working for myself, and by golly, I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.
Be a whole lot safer if the jackstand base was sitting on an 18" square of 3/4 plywood, or even a 1/4 steel plate.
On blacktop the legs can sink into the pavement and the jackstand can tip.
Dave J.
Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~
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Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Oddly enough I have had alot more problems with jacks sinking in than stands. I had a "quick" brake job where I left the car on the jack with the wheel under the suspension in case it failed that ended up sitting over night and the jack had sank so far it wouldnt lift the car high enough to get the wheel out.
I think i could get it high enough if I can find a good way to get under the control arm with the jack. Today I was lifting by a cross member but it put the jack right under the oil pan.
Since I am only doing one side tommorow, is it good to only lift one side that high and place it on a stand? or do I need to keep it level and lift the whole front together?
Its an old subaru not a jeep with a ton of suspension travel.
This if you need to raise a vehicle but not remove a wheel.
Much easier than a jack and jackstands and safer too!
https://www.target.com/p/hopkins-rhi...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
Placing a crooked car on a stand can spit them out sideways if not "hooked" into a recess.
Same goes for raising the front. The vehicle is tipped so care is required for stand placement.
When I was young, I had stands slide forward on the frame, and drop the car, because they didn't have a spot to "catch" the top.
Over time, I learned to grab the bumper and shake a car real hard before getting under them...
Last edited by MinnesotaDave; 05-16-2018 at 09:38 PM.
Dave J.
Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~
Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
I have used the old metal ones and I have never been a huge fan of them. Annoying to store. Annoying to carry around. Cant change a tire with them. Have to line them up perfectly, slide forward because you didnt sweep the wet leaves off the driveway first. I have never been confident stopping in the right spot without a spotter.
That said most of my biggest issues look like theve been solved with those ones. Nice and wide with a very positive stop on the end. Do they slide when you drive a rear wheel drive onto them?
Been using jack stands like that (or similar) for almost 50yrs, never a problem. Try to use a pc of ply under it when possible. It doesn't look like you have them extended very much either. Even though I've used everything from rocks to lumber, with these if you set them straight as possible and try and stop them from sinking into the surface, I trust them most.
I know exactly what you mean about the metal ramps. My old
metal ramps went in my scrap pile after I got the plastic ones!
I have a set very similar to the ones I posted and love them.
I will never use the metal ones ever again.
The only time I have had an issue was because my shop has vinyl on the floor(long story).
I was trying to drive a rear wheel drive car on them and they just scooted across the floor.
I've never had them move on concrete or dirt. Front wheel drive cars go right up even on the vinyl floor.
The ones I posted are slightly better than mine in that they nest together when not in use so
they only take up the room of one ramp.
I've used mine on everything from '69 VW beetle to a 2000 Ford Super Duty with the Powerstroke diesel!
Never had one moments concern.
Doesn't look good to me; better to raise the vehicle higher with the jack, use wood blocks if needed to get height, then use the jack stands as intended without removing the insert.
[QUOTE=Max Zubrenic;8617131]
Since I am only doing one side tommorow, is it good to only lift one side that high and place it on a stand? or do I need to keep it level and lift the whole front together?
[QUOTE]
Yes you can just lift one corner if that is all you need to work on. This past week end I replaced a grease seal of the front left rotor of my truck. I just put a hydraulic bottle jack under the "A" frame and jacked it up enough to get the tire only an inch or so off the ground. Then removed the wheel, caliper, & rotor, replaced the seal added some more grease to it and put everything back together. The truck didn't seem to mind that I only lifted the one wheel. I think he knew I was only there to help him out with the leaky seal and never complained or try to fidget around while I did what I had to do.
Looks kind of sketchy to me, aside from the asphalt, that stand isn't designed to be used that way and could slip or damage the undercarriage of the car. Is that the proper support point? Usually it's at the pinchweld in the rear. Not a setup I would feel comfortable with at home, and if I caught one of my people at work doing that, he'd be doing the safety dance for sure.
Last edited by lotek; 05-20-2018 at 10:25 AM.
I gave away my stands and ramps many years ago and use old (preferably aluminum) rims. I nest small and large when I need more height and 4x4 or larger blocks work fine as shims. It never hurts to collect wood dunnage in various sizes. I sometimes soak wood in waste oil so it doesn't rot since I leave it outdoors.
Rims don't sink (thousands of cars in salvage yards sit on a horizontal rim with a vertical rim inside it), don't crush and don't tip.
BTW you can buy pinch weld jack and stand pads and use them on more than just jacks or stands. I only own trucks so no need at home but they work nicely and don't slip.
id buy or make a riser for the saddle of the floor jack. Theyre overpriced pre made and wont fit every jack but i think this is where i got mine: https://www.autobodytoolmart.com/cha...s-p-11539.aspx
makes the jack even less safe to support the car while you're under it, which no sane person does anyway right? I have almost been squished twice when I thought I did everything right. I tell new hires at work when I see them under a car with no stands that I wont call 911 and extricate them until I stop laughing at them. Sure its cruel, but they all use jack stands now. Put the posts back in the stands, please! bend the tang over that hold them in the body of the stand too and make sure the lever is out of the way so it doesnt end up hooked behind your safety glasses in your eyesocket or brow. Im no expert but I am plenty clumsy.
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No, that's not my car.
I liked to use wood blocks. Felt safest with them under the car
ill use a combination of jack stands and make sure the tops are secure in where they catch on the chassis or axles, chock the front tires so truck doesnt roll and floor jack tight to whatever spot i used to raise the truck...I have read too many stories of people getting crushed under their car doing work...so for the few extra minutes it takes to be safe ill spend the time to do it..
Not a good idea.
The load can spread the ears at the top of the jack. It was designed to carry the load on the pawl, which bears on the vertical plates via the lever pin. The thin plate only restrains the cast steel ratchet (rack?? not sure what to call the white thing) from moving away from the pawl.....everything counts on the pawl for load bearing.