Jack Stand Safety?

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, now I may have asked this question before, or maybe someone else did. I plan on jacking up my car on 4 stands, to clean under it and paint under there etc, as well I need to finish welding in some ptch work I was unable to get down whle the car is on the floor. Right now I have 4- 3ton jack stands, the car weighs about 3600 lbs (47 Chrysler Coupe). Or I was thinking of building cribbing or whatever there called, criss-crossing of 2x4s or 2x6s, they are very strong and can hold a lot of weight, I would also have the jack stands under there for insurance. What have some of you guys done to get you cars up to work under them. Without sounding like a worry wort, I want to have safety while under the car, any ideas?

[Normspeed]

4 good jack stands of that rating should be fine, as long as they're on a solid level surface and placed under the frame or suspension solidly. My work area has a slight tilt (concrete slab) and when I get the car settled on the stands I always give it a few good shoves in different directions to make sure it's not going anywhere.

[Plymouthy Adams]

When I remove the body from the coupe and the wagon..I place 6 x 6 timers under them supported on jack stands...they were very rigid...as a safety factor..after the frame was roolled out from under I also put a jack stand on either end to further prevent tipping..I think that was overkill...

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[Norm's Coupe]

Fred,

The weight limit sounds ok for your stands. However, if you have the ratchet type stands I don't trust those at all. In fact, I threw mine away after one use. The first time I used them I was just changing a tire on the 70 Impala I had. Put the "new" ratchet type stand under the frame. As soon as I released the floor jack the stand crashed down to it's lowest setting again. That's when they hit the garbage can and I said never again.

The only stands I will go under a car with are the type that have the locking pin in them. I have 4, 6 ton jack stands that I use. They all have a horseshoe type pin that goes into two holes to lock the stand into position. It's the only way to fly as far as I'm concerned. I've used the pin type since the 60's and never hand one collapse. I have taken many naps:D with my full body under the car with the pin type stands only.

That said, instead of 2 x 4's or 2 x 6's I would use 4 x 4's for support if I felt a need for them.

[Merle Coggins]

I use the ratchet type stands all the time and have never had a problem with them. Sounds like you didn't have them locked in properly.

[Norm's Coupe]

I use the ratchet type stands all the time and have never had a problem with them. Sounds like you didn't have them locked in properly.

Merle, You could be right. However, I did try hitting them down before letting the jack down onto them and they didn't move until then. Either way though, it fell and that was enough to convince me I didn't want any part of them. At least with the pin type, you can see it's locked into position at a glance. You couldn't give me a pair of ratchet stands. In fact, my brother in law just bought a new floor jack recently. It came with two new jack stands. He ask if I wanted his other ratchet stands that are fairly new too. Told him "No Thanks".

[Plymouthy Adams]

Norm..I agree with Merle...I once bought a set that did close to the same thing you described...close inspection revealed that the lever was binding and not fully engaging the locking device...removed lifting ratchet..made a few deep cycles of the lever with a rubber hammer...freed up and have been excellent since...I do perfer them over the earlier ones where you insert a pin..they are quick and esy to position and remove...I have about 8 of these babies..you can see most all in use on the picture I posted...

[Norm's Coupe]

Tim,

Like I said before, that one time was enough for me to give them up for life. I know a lot of people use the ratchet type and don't seem to have a problem. So, it could have been that I didn't have mine locked good, or they were just defective to begin with. But.........they failed so to the garbage they went. I'm not about to have one fail on me while under the car. At least that time I was just sitting next to the car and no harm done.

What's the old saying? "Fool me once and shame on you." "Fool me twice and shame on me." Same applies to jack stands. I do not plan on being a squashed fool. Would rather be a whole one.

[55 Fargo]

Hey Tim and Norm(s) and Merle, not to leave anyone out, another thing happened to my floor jack, it's just a elcheapo 2 ton floor jack, worked good for a few years, now it's leaking oil out where the piston goes into the jack mechanism, the part you pump to make the jack go up. Are these cheap jacks fixable, heck I only got 2 years out of it, and it only had 1 year of warranty.........Fred ps thanx everyone for your comments

[Norm's Coupe]

Hey Tim and Norm(s) and Merle, not to leave anyone out, another thing happened to my floor jack, it's just a elcheapo 2 ton floor jack, worked good for a few years, now it's leaking oil out where the piston goes into the jack mechanism, the part you pump to make the jack go up. Are these cheap jacks fixable, heck I only got 2 years out of it, and it only had 1 year of warranty.........Fred ps thanx everyone for your comments

If you still have your instruction book it tells you how to rebuild the piston. Sounds like the seal just went. Not a hard fix. Should tell you where to get the parts in your book too. If not, you can buy the "O" rings and seals from any hydraulic industrial supply house and maybe at the hardware store. If you don't have the instruction book anymore, contact the maker of the jack for instructions.

[PatS....]

I have 2, 3 ton jack stands under the car, about where the front seat is.

They should be way more than enough BUT I read "Made in China" on the box before I threw it away (is anything made in north america anymore?)

Not being one to trust my life or limb to the lowest bidder, I have a stack of 2X12's cut square that go under the front crossmember if I'm going under the car.

The offshore jack stands I don't trust much:

[Normspeed]

I have 4 ratchet types, 2 are just like Pat's. Probably from Harbor Freight. They seem to have a positive locking mechanism that should actually lock harder as the weight goes up. Buit I do give everything a good push and shake before I climb underneath, and in some cases I will leave the floor jack underneath just as a backup.