Proper/Safe Use of Jack Stands |
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Don Parrish
Member Joined: 14 Feb. 2011 Location: Phoenix, AZ Status: Offline Points: 158 |
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Posted: 14 Jan. 2019 at 11:20pm |
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I have two pairs of 3 ton jack stands. Would like to get the wheels off the floor on the CJ2A (and the Corvette at a later time). The paper on one of the pairs reads, "Use as matched pair to support one end of a vehicle only."
Had I not read that I would have put the four under the frame and moved along with my work. Now I'm concerned there may be a good point here. Is that a correct and safe directive or just the lawyers? Seems to me the dynamics of the vehicle level and not raised on one end would be more safe. A level concrete floor and wood blocks under the wheels if I need to go under the vehicle would seem safe to me. Any thoughts or experiences out there to share one way or the other. Don Parrish |
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Don Parrish
'46 CJ2A 15720 '52 CJ3A 452GB124659 '49 T3C T3C312 '53 600 Ford Golden Jubilee Tractor '67 Corvette '09 Jeep Fourdoorsy |
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WeeWilly
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 07 May 2009 Location: Clayton IN Status: Offline Points: 3422 |
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I understand it as not mixing types of jack stands on one end of a vehicle meaning you could use one type on the front and another type on the back of the vehicle. Jim
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47 CJ2A (Ranch Hand) 48 CJ2A, 48 Willys truck, T3C 3782, M274 (Military Mule)
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Mark W.
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 09 Nov. 2014 Location: Silverton, OR Status: Offline Points: 7923 |
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I believe the problem can come when using something like a floor jack with wheels on it to jack up the opposite end you already have on stands. As the Jack can roll if the vehicle were to be pushed on and the jack stands over center the jack would allow it to move and fall off the stands. If you can jack up both ends of the vehicle level and place the stands with no lean then I would think it would be safe. I have a number of times ran a vehicle up on ramps (the type with a low spot for the tire to settle into) and then gone back and jacked up the rear axle. BUT this is only anecdotal information about something I have done in the past. Ultimately any decision is yours. |
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Chug A Lug
1948 2A Body Customized 1949 3A W/S 1957 CJ5 Frame Modified Late 50's 134L 9.25"clutch T90A D18 (1.25") D44/30 flanged E-Locker D25 5.38 Since 1962 |
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Mike F
Member Joined: 12 Aug. 2018 Location: Longview wa Status: Offline Points: 684 |
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I never read that on my jack stands. But then since I have limited roofs. Some things get left out in rain. Things like warning labels are not printed on material meant to be left out in the rain. They don’t survive it.
I needed to get my tires off and down to the shop to have the new ones mounted. I also have 2 sets of jack stands to I raised one end with my floor jack and set the stands under the axles. I let it down on to the jack stands and took my floor jack around to the other end. I then jacked it up and slipped the the other set of stands under that axle. This is where it got a little tricky. I found that when letting the jack down if the stand wasn’t right under the center of the axle tube the jack stand would want to tip to center itself under the axle. Since I am now endowed with a great deal of common sense earned through surviving uncounted self inflicted disasters. I recognized that this tipping of the jack stands created an unsafe situation. So I simply adjusted the stands as I let the jack down. Once I had it sitting on the stands and before I took the wheels off I tried to shove it over. Try as I might I couldn’t get that thing to fall over. Feeling pretty safe about it I went ahead and took the tires off. Luckily there were no earthquakes or tsunamis over the 24 hours it took to get the tires back on. So I can say with confidence that as long as the jack stands are probably set under the axles they will hold a Jeep in the air. At least for 24 hours. Still, care must be taken while lifting and lowering so you don’t knock things over with the jack. Floor jacks are supposed to roll as they are going up and down. If yours is like mine (Chinese made and mistreated) it can’t be depended on to do so. So watch out. If the jack doesn’t roll like it’s supposed to it can knock the other end off the stands. And if your jack stands are like mine they have a saddle at the top. This saddle is meant to capture the round axle tube such that it won’t slip off. It’s not meant to be used on something flat like the bottom of the frame. Found that out one day by accident. After I spent 45 minutes typing this out on my phone I went back and re-read the original post. I wonder if some genius thought he figured out a way to support both ends with one set. Got it up there and all balanced out. At least for a little while
Edited by Mike F - 15 Jan. 2019 at 3:02am |
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Stev
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 27 July 2016 Location: Cincinnati Status: Offline Points: 2383 |
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Don,
Assuming you are just putting the Cj2a on jack stands for the winter. I did this job about two weeks ago. I used two sets of Harbor Freight 3 ton jack stand sets. They are in place under the shackle plates and are set at the first click from the bottom (in my case). The tires are about 1/2" off of the ground and can be turned by hand. I lifted the Jeep with a floor jack under the differentials. As Mike indicated the articulation and off set differentials makes this challenging - be safe.
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Stev
1946 CJ2A Trail Jeep (The Saint), 1948 CJ2A Lefty Restored |
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Unkamonkey
Member Joined: 23 Mar. 2016 Location: Greeley CO Status: Offline Points: 2093 |
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I've used jacks for years and all I can say is that you need to be smarter than them.
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uncamonkey
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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This is my suspicion, too. I also wonder if that guy later won a Darwin Award.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Mike F
Member Joined: 12 Aug. 2018 Location: Longview wa Status: Offline Points: 684 |
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Looking back, I suppose I spent the first 20 years or more thinking I was immortal. The laws of physics didn’t apply to me. Somewhere along the way I learned, and luckily I’m still here to tell you, that gravity works every time.
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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I don't recall ever thinking I was immortal, I just didn't want to stop what I was doing to take the time to ensure my safety. I think "Impatience" was my middle name.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Mike F
Member Joined: 12 Aug. 2018 Location: Longview wa Status: Offline Points: 684 |
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It’s more of a lack of realization of mortality.
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63owner
Member Joined: 09 Jan. 2011 Location: Owensboro, Ky. Status: Offline Points: 472 |
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I trick I learned many, many years ago from my high school shop teacher -- Anytime after rolling onto ramps or placing jack stands, get a firm grip on your vehicle and shake it as hard as you can. It's much better to have it fall when you're beside it than under it. The movement you make while beside it will probably be more than what you will make while under it, so this "safety check" is something I do every time, even if it's something as simple as changing oil.
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1948 CJ2A
1963 CJ3B Late 1940s(?) Spen trailer |
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jeeper50
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 01 Mar. 2008 Location: Spanish Fort AL Status: Offline Points: 2579 |
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X2 the key word here is common sense. lots of college books leave this out!
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Belleview ol skool winch soon. '48 CJ2A 283 V8 sm 420 granny low, tera low D18, overdrive,lockers Texan at heart,Alabama by retirement |
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oldtime
Member Joined: 12 Sep. 2009 Location: Missouri Status: Offline Points: 4139 |
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Best stand location depends on why your putting it up on stands. By far the most solid and safe position is to set the spring plates down onto 2 or 4 large square hardwood blocks. But that certainly cannot work if your changing out one or both axle assemblies. Changing or fully suspending either of the leaf spring / axle assemblies requires you to support the frame. Supporting the frame can be done with 4 jack stands if the jack stand saddle is flat at 1-3/4" wide. But when using jack stands under frame it is certainly best to only support a single end of jeep at one time. Both pair had a wide enough section to use them up against the frame. And I tried using 4 of them to support the frame when assembling a new jeep from scratch. I sold all 4 of those stands in favor of solid wood blocks and a pair of cast iron screw jacks. If you do support the frame with metal stands be sure to place a thin rubber between frame and the stand.
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Currently building my final F-134 powered 3B .
T98-A Rock Crawler using exclusive factory parts and Approved Special Equipment from the Willys Motors era (1953-1963) Zero aftermarket parts |
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Nothing Special
Member Joined: 02 Feb. 2018 Location: Roseville, MN Status: Offline Points: 842 |
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Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement! (Of course experience can also be gained from others. That's usually less painful than acquiring it on your own.)
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Greaser007
Member Joined: 16 Jan. 2018 Location: Anderson, Calif Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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nothing special:
Sounds like the story of my youth "judgmental decisions" led to broken bones & stitches. But what great experiences to share after the learning-curve. Whatever the lift mechanism, I get the jeebies until I have 4-wood rounds under the vehicle to catch it in the event-of _ _ _ _ whatever. There are no directions but I use the rule that the wood round diameter is to be greater than the height - for stability and reassurance. The jack stand reminds me of a residential bracing wall. To be stable, the height of the wall must not exceed 3-times the width of the base. And that is with both ends of the base of the wall securely held-down with anchor-bolts. As Mark mentioned, things Shift ! and it really is amazing how much things can move. (or get spit-out suddenly without warning). metal-to-metal slick. I like the rubber trick to prevent slippage. Here I am sitting comfortably on the sofa with the fireplace insert percolating, and I should be out in the cold clammy shop tinkering. Ha Len Edited by Greaser007 - 15 Jan. 2019 at 7:46pm |
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ggordon49
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Four legs are better than three! |
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- Don't Let The Fatherless Ones Grind You Down -
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WeeWilly
Member Sponsor Member x 2 Joined: 07 May 2009 Location: Clayton IN Status: Offline Points: 3422 |
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I'm with "oldtime" on this. I have never owned any jack stands and have used hard wood blocks of different sizes to meet the need, that is after I got smart enough to quit using concrete blocks and bumper jacks. I really don't think I personally would feel safe under a vehicle on jack stands. Jim
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47 CJ2A (Ranch Hand) 48 CJ2A, 48 Willys truck, T3C 3782, M274 (Military Mule)
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cpt logger
Member Joined: 23 Sep. 2012 Location: Western Colorad Status: Offline Points: 3022 |
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I have about 12 of the cast iron screw jacks. The smallest of which is rated at 25 tons. If they can hold up a house, which is their original purpose, they can hold up my rigs. I used about 26 of these to jack up my first house so that I could pour a foundation under it. They worked well for that. They also work well for jacking up any rig. I also put wooden rounds under the rig "just in case". Like 63owner, I use the "shake test" every time. I am a big fellow & if I can not shake the rig off of the jacks/blocks, nothing I do under the rig can topple it off of the jacks either.
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