jack stands falling (driver, mechanic, cheaper, system)
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All of my jack stands have pins but I also leave the floor jack in place if I'm going to have to be underneath.
Yup. I avoided the ratcheting type for this reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
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".
Same.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tar21
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.
You reduce the odds off the car slipping off the stands when the car comes crashing down if you do it this way.
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?
THAT IS NOT HOW YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO USE THE JACK.
Jacks are for lifting the car, not necessary keeping the car up. Jack your car up using an old jack that may be leaking, keep the car up and check back later. You may be surprised that the car may be in a lower position than before.
My neighbor was killed when the car fell on him. This is true, not a troll post. His teenage son came running over and POUNDING on the door, grabbed my dad and ran him next door, but it was too late. The son was super quiet, so my dad knew something was really wrong and just ran with him. It was awful, horrible. Neighbor was a mechanic too, just a fluke thing. Right before christmas, too. Sued the hell out of the jack company.
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.
Definitely not. A jack is using hydraulic pressure (fluid, valves, and seals) to lift the car up. It's not meant to be a long term support. A jack stand is solid metal and designed for a weight much heavier than the car.
It's more stable to use 2 jack stands on the sides, rather than a jack in the center. With just the jack, it's possible to knock the car off just by bumping into. On jack stands, the car won't budge if you bump it.
Finally, leaving the car jacked up 1" higher than the jack stands is a terrible idea from a safety perspective:
1. The stands may not be perfectly lined up with the jack points. If the car falls off the jack (or it fails), the stand might fall over or punch through the floorboard of the car instead of catch it.
2. If for some reason your hand is in the area, it creates a pinch point. You'd be lucky to get away with just a few broken bones.
3. Dropping the car on to the stands creates an impact with much higher stress than simply resting the car on the stands.
Slowly lower the car unto the jack stands, and then pump up the jack so it's just touching the lifting point.
Definitely not. A jack is using hydraulic pressure (fluid, valves, and seals) to lift the car up. It's not meant to be a long term support. A jack stand is solid metal and designed for a weight much heavier than the car.
It's more stable to use 2 jack stands on the sides, rather than a jack in the center. With just the jack, it's possible to knock the car off just by bumping into. On jack stands, the car won't budge if you bump it.
Finally, leaving the car jacked up 1" higher than the jack stands is a terrible idea from a safety perspective:
1. The stands may not be perfectly lined up with the jack points. If the car falls off the jack (or it fails), the stand might fall over or punch through the floorboard of the car instead of catch it.
2. If for some reason your hand is in the area, it creates a pinch point. You'd be lucky to get away with just a few broken bones.
3. Dropping the car on to the stands creates an impact with much higher stress than simply resting the car on the stands.
Slowly lower the car unto the jack stands, and then pump up the jack so it's just touching the lifting point.
Very good sense here, as a couple of others have also pointed out.
I have never had the ratchet mechanism on a stand fail, I *have* had the base crumple/bend.
When you do 'something' that causes a vehicle to come off the primary support, typically it causes the whole body of the vehicle to shift in some direction, if the stands are positioned below any support point it is highly likely that the falling vehicle will either knock the stands over or miss them entirely.
I once spent eight hours trapped under a '73 Gran Torino, waiting for my wife to get home from work, when I was using a long pry bar and dislodged it from the supports. The edge of the body was resting on my legs and I couldn't reach anything to get it jacked back up. It sucked, don't do this.
Cheap Chinese tools- When I was young and somewhat more foolish than I am now, I bought a set of tools at what seemed like a bargain price. My cheapskate self was very pleased...until I broke down on a dark country road and tried to use them. They were crap and broke. Avoid bargain basement tools, buy good stuff even if they cost more. You may never know if a less expensive tool would have done the job as well, but you will damn sure know when your cheap [stuff] fails just at the time when you really, really need it to work...and you *won't* be happy.
Many people make this mistake, notice the small u shape cutout on the side opposite of the handle, this is your safety catch. From the factory they are just cut out. It is your job to bend these in, many manufactures don't tell you this.
I personally like these types. Notice the flat bottoms, I will most the time weld a metal plate on the bottom to make it more stable. I know this is expensive but remember so it a hospital bill. That and you can't spend your money if your dead.
1. Use 2x6's bolted or screwed together as a back up, if you want a cheap back up. Don't use concrete blocks or 6x6's or 8x8's wooden blocks. They can have internal fractures and can explode with little to no warning, people have dyed this way. My high school teacher was a mechanic for 30+ years. He worked with a guy that dyed because one of the blocks had a defect or fracture in it. Plus, they weren't meant for sudden force to be exerted on them or force at and angle. This will happen if another jack fails or one side of the vehicle falls.
This would be a good example. I do know there isn't anything in the middle to support the blocks, but if a man can do this imagine what a falling car can do.
Many people make this mistake, notice the small u shape cutout on the side opposite of the handle, this is your safety catch. From the factory they are just cut out. It is your job to bend these in, many manufactures don't tell you this.
That is NOT a safety catch. The purpose of these tabs is to prevent the shaft from being pulled all the way out of the frame if you choose to pick up the jack in a manner that would allow it to slide out. They would do nothing to 'catch' the jack in the event of a forceful collapse.
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