How Do I Choose A Jack Stand? Use jacks that have sufficient capacity to hold your car.
A good rule of thumb is to buy jack stands that can hold the double the weight of your car. As an example, if you have a 4000 pound (2 tons) Mercedes S55, your jack stands should be able to hold at least 8000 pounds (4 tons) total.
Do I need 2 or 4 jack stands? Lift your car with a quality jack. If lifting just one end of your car, you’ll need two jack stands. If you’re lifting the entire car, use four jack stands. On soft earth, such as asphalt or grass, thick plywood can prevent them from sinking.
What are some good jack stands? Editor’s Pick: Torin Big Red Double Locking Jack Stands.
Runner-up: Pro-Lift Double Pin Jack Stands.
Best on a Budget: CARTMAN Double Locking Jack Stands.
Best for Heavy Duty: Omega Black Jack Stands.
Performance Tool Jack Stands.
Powerbuilt Unijack.
Best for Lifted Trucks: Sunex High Height Jack Stands.
How tall should jack stands be? In most cases, the height of a jack stand is expressed in inches and the weight capacity is in tons. Jack stands are usually sold in pairs and are most commonly used with floor jacks. Stand heights typically range from 13 to 25 inches but can range all the way up to 6 feet.
How Do I Choose A Jack Stand? – Related Questions
What size Jack do I need for my vehicle?
Recommendations vary, but you need a jack rated for at least three-quarters of your vehicle’s weight, giving you an adequate safety margin.
For example, this Evercraft 2 Ton Floor Jack with Jack Stands is rated for 4,000 lb.
Are Walmart jack stands safe?
According to an alert posted by the U.
S.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Walmart reported that the jack stands broke during safety tests by an independent third-party laboratory.
The jack stand failure reportedly occurred in the ratcheting bar.
Is it bad to leave your car on one jack stand?
yes it is safe. my dad leaves two of his cars on the lifts for like 5 months at a time no problems. Having a car on jack stands in a garage is one thing. Having a car outside in your driveway on jack stands is another.
Are Harbor Freight jack stands safe now?
The jack stands may collapse under load, which can increase the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle. Owners of these jack stands are asked to immediately discontinue use due to safety concerns. Injuries have been reported due to this issue.
What is wrong with Harbor Freight jack stands?
According to Harbor Freight’s NHTSA filing, the problem with these jack stands is that due to worn tooling at the factory, the pawl that engages with the toothed height-adjustable part of the stand doesn’t do so sufficiently to reliably lock it in place.
Do jack stands ever fail?
If you follow the use and care instructions, it’s very rare for a jack-stand to ever fail.
Don’t overload them.
Place them on a hard level surface.
Is a 2 ton jack stand enough for a car?
For most sedans and small cars, a two-ton jack will be sufficient for raising a corner.
A pickup truck or SUV could require twice that rating (four tons) to give you the margin of safety that you need.
Will 2 ton jack stands hold my truck?
Jack stands can hold a lot more weight than their manufacturers suggest.
Without a safety pin in place, the two-ton-rated four-leg jack stand is able to withstand 12,300 pounds (just over six tons) of force before slowly collapsing.
What is better a floor jack or bottle jack?
Compared to floor jacks, however, bottle jacks cannot offer high stability due to their narrow frame; floor jacks provide a more solid solution for tricky operations.
Bottle jacks also have a minimum lift height, which may pose problems when working with standard-clearance automobiles.
Can I use a 2 ton jack on a 3 ton car?
Can I use a 2 ton jack on a 3 ton car
Is a 3 ton jack enough for a car?
For luxury midsize cars, full size cars, suvs, vans, and trucks, a 3 ton jack is suitable. If you have a particularly heavy or large car, you may have to jump up to a 3.5 or 4 ton jack (or bigger), but this doesn’t apply to most cars.
How do I know if my jack stands are recalled?
The 61196 jack stands can be identified by checking the item number found on the yellow part of the label on the base of each jack stand. The 56371 jack stands can be identified by checking the item number found on the label on the top of each jack stand.
Are Jack stands safe to work under?
You can keep the jack under there to be on the safe side, but make sure it’s not unbalancing the car in any way, or fighting against the stands. If while working under the car you remove the wheels, it’s never a bad idea to put them under the car as an extra safety measure.
What can I use instead of a jack stand?
Jack Stand Alternatives
Mini ramps: Like jack stands, mini ramps are inexpensive.
A commercial grade 2 post or 4 post lift: If you’re going to buy a 2 post or 4 post lift, commercial grade is the way to go.
The Kwik-Lift: Last, but certainly not least, there’s the Kwik-Lift.
Do you need jack stands to change a tire?
Yes, one jack stand is probably enough to change a tire, but it’s not great to flex the frame like that for long periods of time, especially not a unibody vehicle. Having two jack stands enables the home mechanic to also rotate tires and properly lift either side or end of a vehicle.
Has anyone been hurt by Harbor Freight jack stands?
Harbor Freight Jack Stand Risks and Injuries
Why did harbor freight stop selling jack stands?
Back in May, we wrote about a selection of Pittsburgh brand three- and six-ton jack stands recalled by Harbor Freight because of a manufacturing defect that could cause them to collapse under load, potentially causing injury or death.
