Jack Stand Catastrophic failure

fsdork said:
Glad to hear you weren't injured. I wouldn't recommend getting under a car without redundant support in place. If I'm under a vehicle that's on jack stands, you can bet the floor jack is also there just in case.
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In this case 2x6‘s under tires is good backup
Having 4WD’s allows me to do 4 ramps for level work like driveline lubes

Totally avoid stands … I’ll use two jacks even for brake pads …
When I rotate tires on the JLU … two floor jacks
 
Glad to hear many are using the steel wheel safety back up . I have a pair of them on each side of the garage for easy access.

Working alone under a car is inherently risky. At the very least have someone that knows you to check up on you periodically .

A few years ago a pal of my welder was under a car pulling a 4 speed Ford Toploader transmission out of his Mustang. It was pretty greasy and slipped out of his grip, gashing his head badly and knocking him unconscious. He bled out and was dead before anyone knew he’d been gone too long.

A simple buddy system could have averted this tragedy. Something to consider the next time you have to work on the car.


Z
 
I prefer the pin style. They do take a little longer to setup, but I know the pin isn’t going anywhere either.
 
While I found HF jacks to be very good, I don't trust their jack stands at all. I had their 6 ton version, and when they had two back to back recalls on their jack stands, [mine were not part of it] I returned them for cash. With my luck mine would have failed a day before they eventually end up being recalled. I ponied up the extra $$ and went with US made 6 ton US Jack jack stands. IMO well worth the investment.
 
I have Pro Lift and OTC. Very solid. I don’t cheap out on jack stands. Plus I keep the floor jack on lightly. I cut a small notch on my Pro Lifts. They don’t have the steep Y
Like my OTC set. To engage the pinch weld.
 
CharlesInCharge said:
aSafety tip. Get yourself a set of old steel car rims, any brand doesn't matter but they need to be thick and sturdy. When getting under a car using jack stands, always slide a set of steel rims in underneath. They won't crush, and they are a emergency crush prevention device giving you ~9 inches of life saving clearance.

You could also use some other items that won't crush, but rims are easy to source and store.

I also always double or triple up on jack stands at each position.
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Several back-up strategies mentioned here, and in other posts, use what works best for you.

Me, I have 3 (roughly) 1 foot square blocks of wood. If my jacks fail while under the vehicle, things may get tight, but I won't be crushed. The blocks can flip over in any direction... they're still 1 foot tall. Next time I cut down a tree, I'll have 4 of them.

As for the recall, it applies even if there is no failure... and I bet if you bring those jackstands in to a HF and ask for the manager, you'll walk out with new ones.
 
thanks for the OP posting. Another reminder to inspect your lift equipment and jackstands before using.

I think a roll pin failure has been known to occur once in a while. You’ll read about it every once in a while on the internet as well as see a YouTube video about it every now and then.

The roll pin connects the handle to the pawl. The roll pin does not bear any vehicle weight in normal use. It serves two purposes. One purpose is to allow the handle to disengage the pawl from the ratcheting bar when there is no weight on the jackstands. The other purpose of the roll is to break and separate the handle from pawl when there is vehicle weight on the jackstands and the handle is lifted. The roll pin breaking is sort of a rudimentary safety feature to prevent someone from disengaging the pawl from the ratcheting bar when it is holding up a car weight. So then there’s a balance needed here. You want the roll pin to break to prevent accidental disengagement when the vehicle is on the stands, but you want it to be strong enough not to break while just moving the jackstands around.

IHMO, I would rather have a roll pin be made just right … but too weak may be better rather than too strong.

here’s a guy that discusses it:

 
I'm trying to understand how it failed. Did it fail because the roll pin gave way, and the pawl was never engaged to the teeth of the jack stand? Then the weight was applied and the pawl slipped? Once the pawl is engaged the stem would have to lift up for the pawl to come out of the teeth.

The roll pin should be non weight bearing.
 
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fsdork said:
Glad to hear you weren't injured. I wouldn't recommend getting under a car without redundant support in place. If I'm under a vehicle that's on jack stands, you can bet the floor jack is also there just in case.
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I had to spend an hour or so under my car. I'm not used to working on vehicles that I can't just roll under without it being in the air. I jacked it up via a crossmember and had the wheels sitting on 6x6 blocks, then had some weight on jackstands as well (positioned them so there would be some weight on them) and still left the hydraulic jack there just in case. I hate getting under stuff!
 
#32
I'm trying to understand how it failed. Did it fail because the roll pin gave way, and the pawl was never engaged to the teeth of the jack stand?

Once the pin broke, the pawl is able to rotate freely ..........clockwise and counter - clockwise around the release lever. So you can imagine the stand can not hold any weight at that point as the pawl would rotate down and disengage. Other models may be different, I don't know.
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I have a question about the esco jack stands, when you relieve the Jack pressure, and the esco jack stands are underneath the pinch welds do they still get bent up since it has the rubber pads on them?
 
Scott S said:
I have a question about the esco jack stands, when you relieve the Jack pressure, and the esco jack stands are underneath the pinch welds do they still get bent up since it has the rubber pads on them?
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If you mean do the pinch welds get bent, my understanding is the diameter of the ESCO pad is wider so it spreads the car weight over a larger area. Less chance to bend. I'm gonna find out.
 
@gonefishin, re: #35.

If the pawl is engaged with the ratchet bar, it can’t rotate down if the roll pin has broken. The pawl rotating down is what locks the ratchet bar in place. The pawl rotating up is what causes the ratchet bar to fall.

Here is another video showing it - see the 2:59 time mark.

 
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It does seem the roll pin was used to make it easier to assemble and could be a failing point. The pin was broken is the proof all is not ok. Lousy design imo.
My truck has a screw jack, what’s wrong with those unless it is too slow?
Going to look at my small stands with the ratchet, probably put them in metal recycling if they are made like these.
 
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