I don't know jack

[GangsterOfLove]

When I decided I would be doing my own front end work on my truck I went to Harbor Freight and bought a 6 ton bottle jack and a pair of 3 ton jack stands. The bottle jack failed the first time I used it - on about an 800# load. I haven't used the jack stands yet - they are still in the box they came in.

Today I went to Home Depot and bought a 3 ton automotive jack. They had two - one was $10 cheaper than the other and I bought the better one. Is this going to be good enough to trust or should I get one from some place like W. W. Granger?

I also see on here that Harbor Freight jack stands are known to fail - sometimes catastrophically. Should I trust the ones I have? Maybe back them up with stack of lumber? Buy heavier rated ones?

Thanks!

 

[KidVermicious]

I like six ton stands. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to holding up the truck you're working under, and the stronger stands are wider. More stable.

 

[TheDurk]

I like six ton stands. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to holding up the truck you're working under, and the stronger stands are wider. More stable.

Yep. I used HF 6-ton jacks for my frame swap. I felt comfortable with them, but I always had redundant support when I was underneath. I like logs, but they are easy to come by for me. Ain't nothing gonna crush a log, even if it falls over it's still thicker than me. I used 4 6-tons in a square inside the wheels, plus two 3-tons in the front, and my '61 Oldsmobile station wagon bumper jack supporting the rear with a 4x4. With no frame, no wheels, no diffs, if the body and engine/trans fell, I'd have been a pancake.

The difference between a 3-ton and a 6-ton in stabilty is huge. Your biggest risk is not a stand collapse, but where the rig becomes unbalanced and then starts to twist. Then the stand will fall over and then the whole thing comes crashing down. You can be dead, with four perfectly good 3-ton stands lying on the ground next to you. Get the big ones.

 

[Crowcifier6]

A jack and jack stands are not the place to cheap out.

 

[StreetCreeper]

When I decided I would be doing my own front end work on my truck I went to Harbor Freight and bought a 6 ton bottle jack and a pair of 3 ton jack stands. The bottle jack failed the first time I used it - on about an 800# load. I haven't used the jack stands yet - they are still in the box they came in.

Today I went to Home Depot and bought a 3 ton automotive jack. They had two - one was $10 cheaper than the other and I bought the better one. Is this going to be good enough to trust or should I get one from some place like W. W. Granger?

I also see on here that Harbor Freight jack stands are known to fail - sometimes catastrophically. Should I trust the ones I have? Maybe back them up with stack of lumber? Buy heavier rated ones?

Thanks!

Stay away from bottle jacks unless you have no choice. In my opinion, bottle jacks are emergency use only, or for using as a makeshift press when you need to push things around to fit stuff, e.g., pushing control arms down or something similar.

I have 6 ton HF stands that I use without issue. But I always throw a wheel or two under the frame as backup along with the HF jack if there is room ( I back the jack down a tad so it's not touching).

If I don't need to remove a wheel — I always use my rhino ramps instead. Feels way safer and it's much quicker.

One thing I think a lot of people overlook is a good pair of wheel chocks. I like the harbor freight ones. They are heavy and made of pure rubber unlike a lot of the plastic crap for sale out there. Notice I said "pair" too. Better to have them available and not need them, then to need them right before you die under your truck. Chock those wheels and give your truck a good shove right before you climb underneath. Better it falls now then after you crawl under it.

 

[Randall44]

Jack Stand ratings - for the PAIR

Just a reminder. Harbor Freight (and other brands?) are rated for the PAIR.

...so "3-ton jack stands" are 1.5 tons each.

I got a 6-ton pair so I don't have to extend the arms very far, wider base (more stable), and of course the rating.

 

[alanflies]

Just a reminder. Harbor Freight (and other brands?) are rated for the PAIR.

...so "3-ton jack stands" are 1.5 tons each.

I got a 6-ton pair so I don't have to extend the arms very far, wider base (more stable), and of course the rating.

They are not rated by the pair. I'm sure the marking on the jack is for just one jack...I.E. if it says 6 ton on the jack stand, or is stamped into the metal, that jack stand will safely support that weight. If you have a pair, they will support the sum of the rating. I usually use two 12 and two 6 ton stands so I could theoretically support 36000 pounds or 18tons. Also, I have never heard of a jack stand failing. I suppose it has happened, but I have never heard of it. Barring operator error. You have to be smarter than your equipment. I have heard of them tipping because of improper set up. So as was stated earlier, use wheel chocks and proper set up.
Do NOT trust a lifting device like a bumper jack, bottle jack or floor jack for support.

 

[Mark_BC]

I use the Toyota bottle jack under the suspension to lift the car up, then I put 8x8 or 12x12 blocks of wood under the frame and lower it down onto that. 100% safe, the only case where that would fail would be a Richter scale 10 earthquake. A quicker way to lift it up is to use one of those wheely floor jack things, those work well.

I'd never go under a car sitting on jack stands, they could tip over.

Also, people say that with lifts they can't use the stock Toyota bottle jacks anymore. I don't understand this. Even with 35's you are only (35"-31")/2 = TWO INCHES taller than stock. If you need to, put a 2x6 under the jack, then lift up the car under the control arm in the front, and the axle in the back. I don't get it. Maybe if you're bogged down in mud or on some steep slope it might not work.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Yep. I used HF 6-ton jacks for my frame swap. I felt comfortable with them, but I always had redundant support when I was underneath. I like logs, but they are easy to come by for me. Ain't nothing gonna crush a log, even if it falls over it's still thicker than me. I used 4 6-tons in a square inside the wheels, plus two 3-tons in the front, and my '61 Oldsmobile station wagon bumper jack supporting the rear with a 4x4. With no frame, no wheels, no diffs, if the body and engine/trans fell, I'd have been a pancake.

The difference between a 3-ton and a 6-ton in stabilty is huge. Your biggest risk is not a stand collapse, but where the rig becomes unbalanced and then starts to twist. Then the stand will fall over and then the whole thing comes crashing down. You can be dead, with four perfectly good 3-ton stands lying on the ground next to you. Get the big ones.

Yeah I agree on the structure of the stand, that matters the most. I have two sets of stands, both 3-ton but one has a more "pointed" base, while the other is much wider and spread out.

You can probably guess which ones I use most, only a few times do I need more than 2 stands.

However, our vehicles only weight 2 tons stock, so a 3-ton stand is enough if you are basing it just on a weight rating. Sturdier doesn't hurt anything though.

 

[theesotericone]

There's a standard for jack stands that's part of ASME PALD. If your stands meet this standard, which they should, it will be noted on the packing box and instructions.

Basically if they where made after 1-1-2011 they have to have a 200% proof of load. Meaning that they have to support twice there rated load before failure. I personally use 6 ton stands but for there added height not the extra load.

 

[amalik]

Yep. I used HF 6-ton jacks for my frame swap. I felt comfortable with them, but I always had redundant support when I was underneath. I like logs, but they are easy to come by for me. Ain't nothing gonna crush a log, even if it falls over it's still thicker than me. I used 4 6-tons in a square inside the wheels, plus two 3-tons in the front, and my '61 Oldsmobile station wagon bumper jack supporting the rear with a 4x4. With no frame, no wheels, no diffs, if the body and engine/trans fell, I'd have been a pancake.

The difference between a 3-ton and a 6-ton in stabilty is huge. Your biggest risk is not a stand collapse, but where the rig becomes unbalanced and then starts to twist. Then the stand will fall over and then the whole thing comes crashing down. You can be dead, with four perfectly good 3-ton stands lying on the ground next to you. Get the big ones.

So to clarify, you had four 6-tons and two 3-tons, then logs underneath (which confuses me, they would roll if the rig fell?), plus a 61 oldsmobile jack with a 4x4?

 

[amalik]

They are not rated by the pair. I'm sure the marking on the jack is for just one jack...I.E. if it says 6 ton on the jack stand, or is stamped into the metal, that jack stand will safely support that weight. If you have a pair, they will support the sum of the rating. I usually use two 12 and two 6 ton stands so I could theoretically support 36000 pounds or 18tons. Also, I have never heard of a jack stand failing. I suppose it has happened, but I have never heard of it. Barring operator error. You have to be smarter than your equipment. I have heard of them tipping because of improper set up. So as was stated earlier, use wheel chocks and proper set up.
Do NOT trust a lifting device like a bumper jack, bottle jack or floor jack for support.

alan, i'm with you man. i feel like when i put on four 6-ton HF stands, nothing can make the rig fall on me unless i move around and KICK the stands out the way.

Just in case, I do have a floor jack sitting underneath resting on one of the jacking points just barely, as it's sitting on stands.

 

[3bears]

HF 6 tons for me. And I always have something underneath, esp if I have wheels off. If I have wheels off, I slide them under too where I'm not working. Fortunately, with this runner, if the wheels are on and it falls, it cant drop enough to hurt me.
I'm an old fart with lots of years wrenching and I have had a car fall on me and what saved my butt was the wheels under the frame, and a friend nearly die from a car falling on him, shattered his jaw and check bone. I wont get under a car unless its rock solid.
I had to take my 4runner to a shop, and they put it up on swing arm lifts, and before they had it high off the ground, they gave it a good shake. so even those guys are carefull

 

[6uam671_T4R]

A good hard shake before getting under a vehicle is great advice. Don't be gentle either! I agree with most of the advice on this post. Don't skimp on safety !

 

[Randall44]

Harbor Freight PAIR. Not sure about other brands.

Just a reminder. Harbor Freight (and other brands?) are rated for the PAIR.

...so "3-ton jack stands" are 1.5 tons each.

I got a 6-ton pair so I don't have to extend the arms very far, wider base (more stable), and of course the rating.

Harbor Freight specs. New pair bought two weeks ago.
"evenly distributed across two jack stands"
(also note the 2005 standard)


-

 

[rkymtnman]

I've never had any issues with HF stuff...except one engine hoist that blew the oil out of the piston. I use 4 of the 6T jack stands and leave the floor jack under it for good measure. Usually have a couple jack stands under it because if one is good, 2 is better...and since I have them, we use them.

Like anything, a good dose of common sense is generally in order.