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Hi All,
Happy New Year.
A few questions about jack stand safety and general safety working under the car.
1. is it safe to adjust the height of jack stands? At which height can they be adjusted that you might not fear them falling off?
2. Do you trust the jacks well enough to work under the car? Are you really confident working with jack stands? Aren’t you sometimes afraid
one jack stand might suddenly break? I believe others use six jack stands as a safety precaution and use tires as safety measure.
Would it be possible to hit the lever on a jack stand by accident under a car example by using a roller so it could come crashing down?
3. As a mechanic, did you do any major work before under the hood using jack stands like changing the transmission, fuel filter,
axle?
4. As a beginning mechanic weren’t you intimidated at all going under the car?Thank You.
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Replies
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Hi All,
Happy New Year.
A few questions about jack stand safety and general safety working under the car.
1. is it safe to adjust the height of jack stands? Anywhere a couple of clicks below their height limit.
2. Do you trust the jacks well enough to work under the car?It’s a good idea to inspect the stands prior to use.After the vehicle is lowered on the stands you should rock the vehicle to ensure it is stable. If your fearful of a jack stand breaking, what’s to say it wouldn’t or couldn’t fall off a lift (which happens)
I believe others use six jack stands as a safety precaution and use tires as safety measure. No doubt, always safety first but using correctly sized stands should cover all the bases.
Would it be possible to hit the lever on a jack stand by accident under a car example by using a roller so it could come crashing down? Doubtful, the downward weight prevents that.
3. As a mechanic, did you do any major work before under the hood using jack stands like changing the transmission, fuel filter,
axle? All the time.
4. As a beginning mechanic weren’t you intimidated at all going under the car? No, never even thought about it.
[color=#00bbff]If your fear is about jack stands failing, be it, falling over or the catch system breaking and the vehicle coming down.
You can always support the vehicle with solid blocks ( wood ) under all four tires.
The smallest set of stands I use are rated @ 3 tons (6,000 lbs.) you usually don’t find the average vehicle weighing anything close to that, more commonly 1.5 – 2.5 tons.
If in doubt, you move up to 6 ton rated stands.
Also, positioning the stands is critical and having them on a flat, level and solid surface.
Vehicles with a chassis are pretty easy to support anywhere along the frame rails.
Where unitized body vehicles need a little more attention to where you support them.
One rule is never attempt to support a vehicle buy a suspension component ( lower control arm ) [/color]Thank You.
+1000 for nightflyr. Words to live by. Never ever buy cheap jack stands. I also agree that they need to be at least 3 ton. Anything smaller makes me uncomfortable. Same reason why I hate those little 2 ton trolley jacks. Those are good for changing tires/brakes but that’s about it.
I always use jack stands. It not only can save your life but it will save the car from being damaged if the jack fails.
I know what you mean.I think about that all the time.I use two stands all the timeplus I leave the jack in place if I can.Truth be told you cant be too careful but the jack stands are tested before sold Im sure so you know they should nt break.Its never a bad idea to use blocks too.I like your tire idea.I think ill see about something like that myself thanks bro. I say be as safe as you can
It’s always possible for a jackstand to fail, even a heavy duty stand, so I’m of the opinion that a floor jack should always be left in place along with the stands.
About 7 or 8 years ago the wife of a long time friend of mine was killed almost instantly while she was tinkering with her ’65 Thunderbird. She had some very heavy homemade stands made out of 4 X 4x and 2 X 10s. They were heavy enough to support a semi and she had used them for many years.
It’s just that one day that things went sour suddenly when one of them collapsed and dropped the car on her.As to why her husband wasn’t working on the T-Bird; he’s confined to a wheelchair as a paraplegic after being tossed from a car that rolled 6 times down an embankment.
Thank you so much nightflyr, guys!!! This topic can really help save lives God bless you all Good Lads!
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