Please re-comment on my jackstand setup
 

I decided to revisit my jack stand thinking based on the unanimous feedback I received regarding the Big Red aluminum jacks I bought because they were pretty. The more I thought about them the more visions I had of being crushed underneath the car without being able to take a breath or call out. It's unpleasant conversation so enough is enough.

I took the problem to task today and would appreciate more feedback. I really want to get that #@$%@ Stillen cbe installed and start driving the car again.

2 x 8's, then 2 x 6's, then a 1 1/2" piece of solid maple on top. Each layer gorilla glued and screwed
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/...8a51fe84_b.jpg

A nice hard rubber top out of respect for the pinch rail.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/...823c53f6_b.jpg

I feel better already but what do you think?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/...3da5d939_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1269/...cb91e356_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/...8d4a2559_b.jpg

I do feel like it is safe now. Do you?

Bruce

I wouldn't, but then again, I'm not there.

I used a pair of craftsman jackstands, and a craftsman jack...which if you read the reviews of my jack, it's prone to "let go"...and my jackstands aren't the greatest, but they hold just fine.

This is what I have: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...3&blockType=G3

I put them in places that probably wouldn't be "correct" however, the car didn't move, and nothing else did as I let it down after using the differential as a jacking point.

Here's my crappy jack too - http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...4&blockType=G4

I'm trying to for-see, figure out, what could go wrong, with wooden jack stands!

How did you get the car that high, to place it on the stands?

If you look at pic 6, you'll see that he has a magnetic crane in the background.


























































hahah just kidding! :icon17: :tup: That's a good question. I was going to ask that. I think it's a little scary but if you feel it's safe, then it's upto you. It def looks better than your previous setup (this one has wider base). I personally the the 3 or 4 legged type jack stand.

I've been under cars with alot less protection that this... I'd say it's fine.

Why not ramps? Better yet, it takes about an hour for any garage to install it. That's about $100.

Where are you Modshack?

You'll prolly be fine.. All depends on the type of wood used..

itll be fine. we use wood blocks on our lifts at my shop, never had a problem. multiple pieces like that will be fine.

Take a firm grasp at the side of the car and push back and forth firmly. If the car stays on your jacks then I'd consider it safe.

hope that's not balsa wood? :D

Rep point for sheer tenacity.

Ak you failed!

When our fearless leader fails we're in trouble... :bowrofl:


And i Like the jackstand idea. :tup:

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?

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

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"

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!!

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.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/...757b30cb_b.jpg

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.

:iagree:

ramps are not the jack-of-all trades.

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

LOL....OK, you goaded me into it....:tup:

http://images30.fotki.com/v472/photo...MG_1860-vi.jpg