What if jack stands fail?

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: supton
I'd be more worried about toppling. Jack stands look so wobbly compared to tires.


As long as you got the jack stands in the correct spots and the ground is not moving, you're alright.

But in the event of an earthquake, all bets are off.

 

[jkasch]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Harbor Freight but seem pretty nice. If they aren't fully welded then it looks like I'm gonna be grinding it down and firing up the welder.



To each their own but I wouldn't mess with the welds on mine-- it would interfere with my widow collecting millions in the wrongful death suit.

If you don't have confidence in your store bought stands, go to a different store.


Gotta wonder. Anybody know how many times HF has been sued for their jacks collapsing? I haven't heard of a single one. That said, I feel better using jacks plus ramps.

 

[GregPR]

Now that I think about it, I have a set of ramps that I haven't used in years. I used to use them all the time but I can't anymore because their up-angle is too steep to fit under the bumper of any cars I own (2009 Civic, 2005 A4, 2004 Jetta).

I much prefer ramps to jacks & jackstands.

 

[HangFire]

I've seen pictures of vehicles that fell off of lifts at professional garages. The causes are basically the same as jack stand accidents- failure to maintain & inspect equipment, poor balance, working in a hurry, not using fail-safes.

See for yourself:
https://www.google.com/search?q=car+fell...e=univ&sa=X

I set the parking brake. I chock the tires. After jacking up a vehicle and lowering onto jackstands, I put my body weight on different corners of the vehicle to see if I can tilt the car. I give it a good push and shake. I check the tire chocks. I throw a tire, log, or bucket of concrete under the vehicle near where I will be working. I look it all over and think about weight, center of gravity and various failure scenarios. If it all checks out only then will I get under the vehicle.

All that only takes a minute or two, and does not add appreciably to the total time of the project.

 

[sasilverbullet]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
...I set the parking brake. I chock the tires. After jacking up a vehicle and lowering onto jackstands, I put my body weight on different corners of the vehicle to see if I can tilt the car. I give it a good push and shake. I check the tire chocks. I throw a tire, log, or bucket of concrete under the vehicle near where I will be working. I look it all over and think about weight, center of gravity and various failure scenarios. If it all checks out only then will I get under the vehicle...


+1

 

[circuitsmith]

IOW, like Sgt. Esterhaus used to say: "Let's be careful out there."

 

[Donald]

Get someone fatter than you (like mother in-law) to get under the car with you. If the jack stands fail you will have some escape time.

 

[Gokhan]

There are so many things that can go wrong and jack stands can fail. Something can slip or break in most unexpected ways. Always think about Murphy's law -- anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Therefore, it's always a good idea to have a redundant object, a wheel or such, to block the car in case unexpected happens.

Also, shake the car well before you get under to see if anything will slip. It's more dangerous if you are applying a lot of force on a bolt, which could move things.

I remember when working with jack stands, things, such as wood blocks and hydraulic jacks, can easily end up getting stuck while lowering or raising the car. While this is not a safety problem, it could need a lot of improvising to free things from under the car. Again, this is a manifestation of Murphy's law while using jack stands -- anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Always use double or triple safety precautions before getting under the car.

 

[Traction]

Does anyone remember the 2 ton rated jack stands around 35+ years ago that were pretty much just a 3 way cut on what looked to be 2 inch exhaust tubing, with a small triangle base? Those were scary even back then, but that's about all there was back in the day. Most of us survived. "ABC" Always Be Careful

 

[grumpyoldman]

 

[exranger06]

You forgot this classic:

 

[meep]

another vote for shoving the tire/wheel beneath the frame near the CG or where I'll be. I was under our 57 belair as a kid when one of the ramps collapsed. the ramp wasn't on even ground, and it started to fold. fortunately it happened in slow motion--- and I rolled out of there before it came down. The tires were obviously still on it, but the suspension give would have probably been a bad thing.

I'm also skittish about lifts. A buddy of mine uses a friend's old shop, and I occasionally help. Even with a professional lift, I want to make sure the locks are working, the release is safe, and everything stays secure. makes me nervous.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
You forgot this classic:

Meant to post this:

 

[drolds]

You would need a wheel inside the tire to offer last ditch protection. If I have to work under a car supported by jack-stands, I prefer to keep the floor jack in slight support of the vehicle and an additional jack stand or a complete wheel as a "just-in-case."

Dr. Olds

 

[CBR.worm]

I am paranoid about this, which is why I have so many 6 ton jack stands.

 

[chestand]

The first pair of stands I had were just as an earlier poster described. Round tubing with a flat plate welded on top and the height adjustment was secured with a pin on a chain that pushed though both holes in the base and adjustable upper piece. I was never comfortable using them and pitched them out the first time I saw a better design.

 

[philipp10]

Why do you do any jacking for oil changes. I have a pretty low car and just get yourself a low oil pan. Much safer, and quicker.

 

[DBMaster]

Mine are like these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Craftsman-3-...ols&vxp=mtr

Haven't thought twice about using them for the past 25 years.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: philipp10
Why do you do any jacking for oil changes. I have a pretty low car and just get yourself a low oil pan. Much safer, and quicker.


I couldn't get under either of my cars without some sort of lifting, or Parkin on uneven ground. Even my truck can use another inch.

 

[Highline9]

I had my 70 nova on 4 fairly small jack stands with stand as high as they would go. Then later that night when car was still on stand we had a large earthquake. This was the hector mine quake in 1999, it was a 7.2 magnetude. I was not under car when quake hit. I was watching tv in house, the front door frame was really moving. I lived in sanbernardino mts at the time. Car didn't fall off stands but if I was under it I would have freaked out.