Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do you guys let the car fall on the jack stands, or leave the car on the jack and put the jack stands 1 inch below the car in case the jack fails?
I lift it up with my hydraulic jack, put ratcheting jack stands under the car, then ease the tension knob on the hydraulic stand so the weight falls and rests fully on the jack stands. Then tighten the tension so that the hydraulic becomes the "back up stand".
Yes you are right they "aren't made like they used to" but all jack stands need to meet or exceed ANSI specifications regardless of where they are made. You can still find made in usa jack stands by hein-werner they are somewhat pricey. If you rarely jack your vehicle up the chinese crap will work.
there's no one to sue if your flea-market tools fail & crush you. The chinese aren't worried about the safety of the dude who spends $14.99 on a pair of jack stands, or $139 on an engine hoist, or $64 on a trans jack. I bought my basic tools decades ago & I'm grateful that i did, cause I wouldn't want to be buying what is out there now.
As for meeting "ansi standards", Amazon will sell you lots of chinese products with holograms, fake certs & logos that are so good even the manufacturer can't spot the fakes.
The dude who only uses jack stands once a year is the guy in the most danger from cheap stands - he's likely never had a "holy **** im lucky to be alive!" Moment & doesn't realize he needs backups & backups to the backups.
Do you guys let the car fall on the jack stands, or leave the car on the jack and put the jack stands 1 inch below the car in case the jack fails?
For me it varies. If I am going to have two wheels off at the same time, I put the car down onto the jackstands, but leave the jack in place. If I am lifting one side only, I frequently leave the car on the jack with the jackstands about an eighth inch or less below. If the car falls any distance onto the jackstand, then the jackstand will likely just tip over or miss the frame member, or the car can bounce. . .
I always use redundant jackstands and I usually slide a concrete block under as well as a further back up. I use an older concrete block from when they were still pretty strong, and if there is room, I might put a 4x4 or a pair of them side by side on top of it. This is really overkill, but it takes about two and a half seconds to slide into place, so there is no reason not to have an emergency back up.
I have had a car slide sideways off a bottle jack and tip over the jackstands, but never a floor jack. Nice thing about a block - it is not going to tip over. If the car falls onto the block, you may get hurt, but it is unlikely you will be killed.
Generally I would not use lumber, or at least anything less than 4x4, even then I would never rely on lumber to hold the car only as a third or forth level back up. Lumber is no longer reliably strong to hold up a car. I certainly would not use a stack of lumber.
When out on the road, I have rolled a big log or rock under the car while it is jacked up if I had to go underneath it. However those days are gone. Now you just call AAA on your cellphone. No reason to get under a jacked up car on the road. That is just too dangerous.
I usually chock the wheels, use 2 jackstands, the jack, and slide two spare wheels under the car when I'm under it. I've had one of my cars on stands for over 2 years without issue.
It's all in using common sense when setting up your work area. Make sure you are on a level area. If two wheels are on the ground, set the parking brake, and use wheel chocks, make sure your jackstands are positioned in a good spot where they won't slip, and always use your jack in the area you are working in as a backup in case the car slips. And as a added saety measure, sliding the wheels under the car can usually keep it high enough that you can crawl out if it does come down.
I lift it up with my hydraulic jack, put ratcheting jack stands under the car, then ease the tension knob on the hydraulic stand so the weight falls and rests fully on the jack stands. Then tighten the tension so that the hydraulic becomes the "back up stand".
Is there a reason you put it down on the jack stands and don't leave it on the jack with the jack stands just under the car as a backup? A heavy floor jack seems more sturdy than jack stands.
Is there a reason you put it down on the jack stands and don't leave it on the jack with the jack stands just under the car as a backup? A heavy floor jack seems more sturdy than jack stands.
Yes. I trust the jack stands much more than the lift (and in my case it's heavy, but it's hydraulic - what if the hydraulics fail), and the stands are intended to work with weight on them, the force of weight is what keeps the rachet in place. Also you are ensured of a firm lift point on the car on the jack saddles.
Otherwise if your lift fails, the force of a car falling on the stands may result in the stands getting knocked to the side if it doesn't have a firm grip point on the car or the saddle of the stand, and also the rachet may lift up and "bounce" with the sudden weight and collapse. I wonder if that's what happened in the OP's referenced link.
Yes. I trust the jack stands much more than the lift (and in my case it's heavy, but it's hydraulic - what if the hydraulics fail), and the stands are intended to work with weight on them, the force of weight is what keeps the rachet in place. Also you are ensured of a firm lift point on the car on the jack saddles.
Otherwise if your lift fails, the force of a car falling on the stands may result in the stands getting knocked to the side if it doesn't have a firm grip point on the car or the saddle of the stand, and also the rachet may lift up and "bounce" with the sudden weight and collapse. I wonder if that's what happened in the OP's referenced link.
Wouldn't the weight of the car falling be the same as when you lower the floor jack and put the car on jack stands?
...Personally, I would guess something is missing from the story. I don't think the mechanism can slip once locked into place if there is no failure of the stand itself like the video claims.
100% agree. How could the stand come down without something breaking?
Even if the ratchet didn't engage properly, it seems like it would only come down one tooth, not all the way down
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
