Please re-comment on my jackstand setup

binto100

Okay fellows out of sheer curiosity I contacted a materials testing lab that used to be in the office next door to us and asked them what they would charge to load test to failure one of the Big Red aluminum jack stands. To my amazement (charm?) they agreed to "slip it in" for free during concrete testing with the caveat that I leave the failed unit with them. I'll get to take photographs but will not get any official paperwork. I'll report back on the results.

One of my neighbors stopped by my garage yesterday to chat; he’s the head of flight testing at Boeing and an aeronautical engineer. He walked in the garage, saw the Big Reds and said "nice jacks". Ha ha I relayed the previous few days and he seemed surprised as he felt the pin in the jack was quite substantial. What he or any of us would not know is the manufacturing standard behind the Torin pin but I'm guessing it's not quite the same as a Boeing part.

I'm not defending the Big Red, and I'm sure as hell not getting under the car with them in place, but I am curious, very curious, as to the load a single stand will take before failure.


Thanks! But seriously, how are rep points accumulated?

__________________
Stillen G3 intake, CBE, 19 row oil cooler and power steering oil cooler. VentureShield bumper, full hood.

Liquid_G

I think the only thing I'd be worried about is side to side play in those stands.. have you given the car a good shake from the side? does it wobble any? if not I'd say you are ok.

Only thing though.. much did you spend on wood? I've got these jackstands (3 ton high lift ones) and its plenty high enough to get my big *** under the car.. 25 bux a pair.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G11

__________________

billydsz

The wood is fine. You could put 10 cars on those blocks you've made. As stated earlier the only other likely danger is a sideways load causing the blocks to tip, but that would probably take a substantial hit, like another car bumping into it. Of course if that were to happen you'd be screwed no matter what you did to the stands.

Less likely dangers include: Earthquake, flood, volcanos, tornados, hurricanes, plague, asteroid or meteor, alien abduction, and spontaneous human combustion.

Good luck!!

binto100

The car is rock solid in side to side movement (or any movement for that matter, they don't budge) but it was solid on the Torin's too. I actually bought a pair of those Sears stands last Friday night but when I got them home and out of the box it turned out the tops did not have the little pinch rail groove as depicted in the picture so I took them back. Ultimately I would not have kept them anyway because I didn't want to put the that much load on such a small area of the pinch rail though I know many here do so with no issues. Spreading the load out made sense to me and over-building the stands put me back in my comfort zone. Plus I like the challenge of straight forward work even though it was time consuming.

The wood was not expensive and I already had a chunk of rough planed maple that just needed a few cuts to be ready for the tops. I should have put a 1/8 piece of plate steel on top b/f the hard rubber top insure the maple did not split but I don't think its an issue.

Tonight I felt very comfortable taking the muffler off the car. I removed the four nuts attaching it to the forward tubes, loosened the seven hangar bolts, put my jack underneath the muffler then took the hangar bolts all the way out and lowered the whole assembly. It went very smoothly.

__________________
Stillen G3 intake, CBE, 19 row oil cooler and power steering oil cooler. VentureShield bumper, full hood.

cab83_750

If I owned those, I would install them rotated 90deg. That should supply extra support.

P.S.,

when under, i always put another pair (without load) for the "just in case"

cab83_750

Yeah. Pay attention to the wood. A little abrupt lowering of the car could split the wood though your rubber may absorb the impact.

Btw, I have used wood to supplement the height of my jackstands. I need the extra lift when dropping the engine and tranny of my other car.

Cheers.

cab83_750

ramps are not the jack-of-all trades.

1. Not high enough.
2. Can't use on suspension work.
3. slippin 'n slid'n