Safe Use Of Jack Stands

Jack stands do not lift vehicles.

Safe use of jack stands.

While you can replace a tire just using a car jack you should use jack stands when doing any work underneath your vehicle. Which is why we re here. Jack stands may be the most overlooked safety equipment items in a diy garage. Jack stands provide a sturdier base and support the weight of your vehicle easily.

When using jack stands make sure to place them at your vehicle s pinch points or on its frame to keep them from slipping. It s a small price to pay for safety. Never use jack stands which are rusty in poor repair or for which the weight rating is unknown. A solid pair that s professionally made and rated for an average passenger car costs about the same as an oil change.

Use a pair of jack stands every time you lift a vehicle and you will vastly decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim of a falling vehicle. Don t use homemade or diy ones. While ratchet type jack stands are safe enough pin type stands are almost indestructible since the locking pin makes it impossible for the supporting bar to slip through the base. This type of jack stand is the preferred stand for heavy vehicles because it is the strongest and most reliable stand to use in this application.

In that position you need to take all the precautions you can and using jack stands are one of the simplest but also highly effective measures you can take to keep safe. If supporting the whole front or rear of the vehicle use jack stands in pairs preferably set and locked to equal height. Lower the jack slowly until the full weight of the car rests on the jack stands.