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as long as you use both.wood can break and shatter.
A good jack stand with the safety pin installed is
better then wood.But if the jack stand is on the frame
next to the wood and you feel safer.by all means. 😉COLLEGE MAN. HOW CAN WOOD SHATTER AND BREAK WHEN IT OVER 6 INCHES THICK WHEN STACKED. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING ?
Please stop typing in all caps…
Wood is fibrous. It WILL shatter under sufficient pressure. Jack stands are usually rated for between 2 and 6 tons depending on the kind, your stack of wood is not rated for anything.
[quote=”LJ11194″ post=42905]Please stop typing in all caps…
Wood is fibrous. It WILL shatter under sufficient pressure. Jack stands are usually rated for between 2 and 6 tons depending on the kind, your stack of wood is not rated for anything.[/quote]
This says it all. If you have the right capacity jack stand
there should not be a problem.In any of Erics videos does he
use wood to support the car? :woohoo:I work on semi trucks, and I’ve seen plenty of wood blocks come apart pretty easy that looked solid. I put the trucks on quality jack stands. I don’t use those ratchet ones with stamped steel bodies. A friend of mine almost got killed by one of those. Cheapo Harbor Freight jobs aren’t the way to go with your life on the line. The ones I use at work I fabricated myself. They certainly aren’t light to carry around and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Just alternate the grain of the wood you are using to support weight. If you are really using a “block” of wood, avoid using the end grain to support weight, and use another piece of dimensional lumber between it and the vehicle with grain opposing your block. I guarantee that wood can support at least as much if not more weight than any jack stand when it is used with an understanding of its properties. Money back guaranteed!! 😀
SPEAKING LOUDLY!
I personally don’t trust wood blocks to hold a car up, regardless of the size, thickness, etc.
If you have a solid floor, good Jack stands would be best. If you are working on the dirt new oak crossties of substantial length would be better. In either case, leave the jack under the end you are working on as a backup.
You are typically asking the tie to support 1000 pounds, one fourth of a vehicle. On the railroad each axle of a freight train carries 25,000 pounds and is mostly supported by one tie at a time, 12,500 pounds on each end. The trick is to distribute the weight over a small area with say a 6″x6″ metal plate to keep metal parts from digging into the wood and causing it to split.
here they use wooden logs for electric poles
the wooden poles are stronger than all other steel poles.
results from cars crashing in to them: steel poles bent and fall but the hardwood ones only get scratches and the car totaled.if you use that type of wood of sufficient size you’re safe.
but jackstands are much lighter and smaller in size making them easier to work with.
I do agree that I don’t feel completely safe when using jackstands.
But i don’t have time to make my own jackstands.
I have a design for a pair of 6 ton ones.I use jack stands in combination with wheel chocks to make sure the stands don’t get rolled over. I also usually leave the jack in place if it is not in the way. I always try and leave the wheels on if I am under the rig. I have tried the RHINO ramps which I like because they are made of plastic so they don’t rust and they stack – unlike a normal steel ramp.
I would never use wood to hold up a car – too easy to push over. I will only use the rhino ramps because the wheels are still on in case they buckle.
As far as wood, it supports tons of weight more then your car. It just needs to be something you are sure you have laid in correctly.
Now jack stands.If you are using them on anything but good concrete, forget them and use concrete blocks with wood.
I had a good friend who used jack stands out on a what appeared to be solid crushed rock driveway. One corner sunk in kicking the car back enough to fall on him and crush him.
I will use both methods at times depending on what the situation is.
I’ve used wood blocks to jack and block machines that weight up too 200,000 pounds. Wood doesn’t shatter it CRUSHES. You get ample warning when wood fails, when steel fails its sudden and FAST.
Don’t use wood lengthwise (looking at the grain) lay it flat.
DO NOT USE WOOD BLOCKS, CINDER BLOCKS, OR ANY OTHER ITEM THAT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IF YOU DO YOU ARE RISKING SERIOUS INJURY OR YOUR LIFE.
Use jack stands. Get over it.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=44494]DO NOT USE WOOD BLOCKS, CINDER BLOCKS, OR ANY OTHER ITEM THAT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IF YOU DO YOU ARE RISKING SERIOUS INJURY OR YOUR LIFE.
Use jack stands. Get over it.[/quote]
I think it rather funny you say this, because i can agree with the ideal, but disagree in practice.
I’ve seen rated jack stands fail and seen wood fail. The jack stand was sudden and scary as hell and lots of damage to the ground and machine(glad no one was near it) but when the wood failed it crushed 1 1/2 inches and tilted the machine. No damage to anything.
But in the trade i work in we are taught in school how to use wood blocking, and that it must be bumped tested, and signed off on but a leadhand, supervisor or safety officer.
So i guess what i am getting at is, if you do not know what you are doing when it comes to this, DON’T EVEN ATTEMPT IT!
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