How do you safely work under your car?

[406 Q-ship]

I like jackstands too....however, they require a stable base(ie flat concrete) to ensure they won't tip over. I use the large stands so that when lifting fairly high they won't be extended all the way out. There is something about a fully extended jackstand that doesn't sit well with me. I have some 10" x 10" x 5/8" wall square tubing x 10" that I welded a 1" thick x 12" x 12" plate to the top and bottom to sit the stands on if needed to go any higher than the stands allow(gives me another foot of altitude).

I have always used jackstands and like any tool they can used improperly. I only use them on a flat stable surface and the stand must have a load rating well above what it will carry in weight. I have been on the wrong end of a jackstand failure and such have never forgotten it. I was working at an airport as a apprentice aircraft mechanic and on vehicles for the FOB. I was doing brakes on a 3/4 passenger extended Dodge van, I had lifted and supported the front of the van with two stands (these were cheap stands cause I worked for cheap *******s), without my concent another person went lift the van in the rear using a forklift. I was in the process of removing the lugnuts on a front wheel, the forklift lifted the van above the height of the front jackstands, effectively putting most of the weight of the van on to the cheap a$$ weak POS stands. The stand on the side I was working failed catasprophically, lucky for me I had 4 out of 8 lug nuts still loosly on the tire. The van came down in a hurry the wheel bounced down between my legs (yes the jewels were close to the action), the wheel house lip came down on the top of my head. Well after the flash of light (I think Grandma and Elvis were there in that light with cookies), I damn near tore the head off the dump a$$ on the forklift. Now I own only 5 tons stands (6 of them) and two of the 3 ton smaller ones for supporting lighter vehicles, so I have no problem with good jackstands on a hard flat surface and I never use a jackstand at above 75% extention. The cribbing isn't a bad idea but there is a times the wheels have to come off and then your back on jackstands, in fact I finding blowing the wheels off make most jobs easier anyway. Like any tool it is the operator that is the most important.

[trapin]

why?

I've used jackstands for years. I've never really heard of someone complaining about them.

Well...now you have. LOL!

I guess I have bad memories from my youth over them. My friend Ron and I had his Dodge Dart up on some when we were pulling his transmission and one of them broke a tooth and failed and the sudden shift in weight made his car fall off the remaining jackstands and crash to the garage floor. Luckily it happened in the middle of the night when no one was underneath it. Ever since then I have had a phobia towards them. Besides...they're all made in China now. Yikes! No thank you.

[DartorDemon]

Well...now you have. LOL!

I guess I have bad memories from my youth over them. My friend Ron and I had his Dodge Dart up on some when we were pulling his transmission and one of them broke a tooth and failed and the sudden shift in weight made his car fall off the remaining jackstands and crash to the garage floor. Luckily it happened in the middle of the night when no one was underneath it. Ever since then I have had a phobia towards them. Besides...they're all made in China now. Yikes! No thank you.

well then just don't eat them then! :D

[DRJDVM's '69]

I built some of the wood ones and love them. The great thing is that you do alot with the car at ride height with all 4 wheels loaded... None of the suspension is hanging etc my project has air ride so I ca air it up and down just like if it was sitting on the ground but it's highenough for me to get under it

As for strength.... Even seen a company move a house or raise a house off the foundation? They use stacked wood pillars just like these. If it can support a house it should support a car

[novaderrik]

i'm a fan of jackstands.. they are the most versatile tool for almost everything that i do.. i've got 5 pairs of stand in different sizes- 2 pair of the smaller 3 ton, a pair of medium sized 4 tons that came with my floor jack, and 2 pairs of 6 tons.. i choose the stand that best fits the needs of what i need to do. the 6 ton stands are more than big enough to get a transmission out from under a car, which is realistically the biggest job i'll ever need to do under a car.. i've also got one of those cheesy welded stamped steel stands with 3 feet that i use for very light duty stuff like putting under an oil pan while the transmission is out or something like that..
but i do have a set of '80's half ton Chevy truck rims that work really well to get a car up in the air about 9" or so with the suspension loaded- i just jack the car up (using my handy custom made 6" jack saddle extension to get more height if necessary..), slide the wheels under the tires with a chunk of 2X10 on top for a platform, and set the car down on it just like all the cribbing pictures above.. makes it possible to do work under the car if i need the suspension loaded for some reason and there was no cost or fabrication necessary beyond cutting the boards.. and when i'm not using them, they stack up in the corner and don't look out of place like a big pile of lumber would in a garage full of car stuff.

[protour73]

Personally, if the money is available those Race Ramps are the best buy, they are light, strong and very stable. I use jackstands but I'm a big fan of the "cribs". I built the cribs for about $30 in materials. I predrilled before screwing each layer together and I also used construction grade "Liquid Nails"between each board. Depending on the hieght that you build them, you do have to get the car fairly high up in the air to get on the "cribs", which may be the only downside to using them. But, when the car is up on them, there is room do anything you need to do.

[Tony_SS]

Looks good Scott. That's my plan right there.

[Taylor1969]

these look great and will definitely be cheaper. Do you have plans for these? What are re dimensions. Etc.?

Thanks,
Chris

Personally, if the money is available those Race Ramps are the best buy, they are light, strong and very stable. I use jackstands but I'm a big fan of the "cribs". I built the cribs for about $30 in materials. I predrilled before screwing each layer together and I also used construction grade "Liquid Nails"between each board. Depending on the hieght that you build them, you do have to get the car fairly high up in the air to get on the "cribs", which may be the only downside to using them. But, when the car is up on them, there is room do anything you need to do.

[protour73]

these look great and will definitely be cheaper. Do you have plans for these? What are re dimensions. Etc.?

Thanks,
Chris

Chris ... 9 x 14" boards w/ 3 on bottom layer .... 9 x 12" boards w/ the 3 on that layer you can see in the picture. 2 screws diagonally placed on each layer to prevent any racking of the "crib" on any one layer. The 12" width is based on my tire width. If you have wider tires increase that length based on a wider tire.

[CarlC]

I've used 6ton jackstands with no problems for many years as Karl has, but there's a few golden rules that are non-negotiable when using them.

#1) The jackstands must be placed as far apart as possible.

#2. One jackstand for each corner of the car. When working on just one wheel, if the wheel must be lifted more than 2" off the ground then the whole axle must be supported plumb to earth.

3) If both axles must be raised, the rear end comes up first. This way the jackstand can cradle the rear axle tube and rotate on it. If work needs to be done when the axle is at droop or removed then the car still gets raised the same way but the final jackstand placement occurs after both axles are up.

4) Never, ever, have one set of stands up high, and the others low. The car must be level.

5) If there is a wheel off the car, toss it under the car as an extra safety measure.

6) The jackstand cannot be one of those cheapy types where the supporting surface is flat. The supporting surface must have some sort of cradle/saddle where the axle tube/frame can seat into.

7) Shake the car hard after its set into place.

8) Use a large footprint base jackstand. One with a 6" base is just plain scary unless its being used for a one axle lift. In order for a jackstand to tip over it must rotate. In order to rotate the car must lift up. Draw a line from the edge of the jackstand that is the rotating point to the top/center of the cradle. The larger the base, the longer the line. The longer the line, the more the car has to lift during rotation.

I like the 2" x 4" cradles as well. I'll likely make an interlocking set in the near future. There is nothing wrong with wood as long as it is reasonable condition. A standard White Pine 2" x 2" (really 1-1/2" x 1-1/2") can support 3000 lbs axial to the grain before a crushing failure will occur. The one thing that I don't like about the ones is where the distance between the fore/aft crossbars that surround the tire are close together. I'm guilty of turning the ignition key while the trans is still in gear. That might make the car jump off the cribbing. A strap would help, disconnecting the battery would be better.

[nekkidhillbilly]

floor jack and my gaurdian angel

[ModernMuseum]

I usually use jack stands coupled with a floor jack. For example, in the front, I'll raise the car and then lower it on jack stands. I'll leave the jack in place and raise it about another half pump just so that it will catch the car in case something happens, though most of the weight still resides on the jack stands.