Jack stands are incredibly important for safety when working on a vehicle. Regular floor jacks are not designed to hold the weight they're lifting. In fact, leaving the weight on a jack places strain on small hydraulic seals that can give out at any moment. Therefore, jacks are used solely to lift a vehicle, while a jack stand is meant to support it once it's in the air.
There's more to think about than just setting a jack stand in place, though. If you're careless, disaster can still strike at a moment's notice. We're here to get you up to speed on jack stand safety. That doesn't mean we'll be running through hours of theory and adding precious time to your next project. Jack stand safety practices are simple, easy to implement, and, once you understand them, will fit seamlessly into your regular routine.
Selecting the Right Jack Stands
Let's start with how you select jack stands. More specifically: the weight rating. As you sort through your options, you'll find that jack stands are set with varying weight ratings: 3-ton, 6-ton, and 12-ton being examples.
These weight ratings tell us how much weight a jack stand can safely support. What's important to understand, however, is that these weight ratings are based on a pair – not how much the individual jack stand can support. For example, 6-ton jack stands can only support 6 tons when paired together.
It's in your best interest to always go with a higher weight capacity than your car is actually going to need. Traditionally, a 3-ton jack stand is more than enough for most vehicles, as the majority of modern cars and trucks weigh less than 6,000 pounds. However, with more EVs and hybrids hitting the mainstream, and even regular vehicles getting bigger in general, 6-ton jack stands may be the better choice for you if your vehicle is near or greater than the 6,000-pound mark.
There is a limit to how much bigger you should go. That's not because more capacity suddenly becomes dangerous, though. It's because weight capacity often directly relates to the size of a jack stand. If you go too big – like buying a 12-ton jack stand to support a vehicle that weighs 4,000 pounds – then you may find yourself having to lift that vehicle extremely high to get the jack stands under it. That will create unnecessary risks that wouldn't occur with a properly-sized jack stand.
Jack Stand Construction
Unfortunately, you can't count on jack stands being well-made and ready for work just because the weight capacity matches your application. There are a lot of dishonest companies out there producing subpar products that can lead to massive trouble. That's why you should always thoroughly inspect jack stand construction before you purchase.
Start by inspecting the welds at the seams on the jack stand. You want to make sure they're relying on high-quality welds that properly bond the joints. If the welds are of poor quality and wander from the joint, you should avoid using that jack stand at all costs.
Another critical area to inspect is the ratcheting mechanism on the locking handle and its relationship with the ratcheting bar if you're shopping for a ratcheting jack stand. The mechanism should have deep, positive engagement with the bar to hold its position. If it doesn't, the jack stand may still support the vehicle, but is liable to suddenly let go if it's bumped or disturbed for any reason, and it shouldn't be trusted.
Additionally, extra features may be added to improve the safety of a jack stand, and they are worth looking for in a product you're considering purchasing. Ratcheting jack stands may come with cross pins to aid in supporting the weight of the vehicle by providing a secondary point of contact on the ratcheting bar. That way, if the ratcheting mechanism fails, the pin is there to keep the bar from collapsing. Also, the frame can be reinforced with gussets that greatly improve structural integrity.
How to Properly Use Jack Stands
Now that we have jack stand selection sorted out, let's run through some best practices. Using jack stands is simple, but it's not fool proof. You'll want to keep the following tips in mind to ensure you avoid an accident while working on your car.
Work on Solid Ground. Jack stands are only as stable as the ground beneath them. Always make sure you place them on solid, level ground before working. If you're working on asphalt on a hot day, placing a board of plywood beneath a jack stand will prevent it from sticking to the surface.
Support the Right Locations. A solid support point is just as important as solid ground. Make sure you place jack stands on a strong, solid surface that they're intended to work with. Most cars use pinch welds specifically designed for jacks and jack stands. Sometimes, they are clearly indicated with arrows, but you should consult your owner's manual to be certain.
Framed vehicles have the advantage of the entire frame being a viable support point for jack stands, so long as it's located under a flat, clear portion of it. Additionally, solid axles can be used for jacks and jack stands, if your vehicle is equipped with one.
Level the Vehicle. Always make sure your jack stands are level with one another when supporting a vehicle. This may go further than simply matching the number of teeth on the bars that are exposed, though. A number of factors can require different heights to be selected at different points of the vehicle, so you want to match them based on how the vehicle rests on the jack stands to provide the most stable resting position before working.
Secure the Wheels. Always make sure the wheels are locked into position before working. Be sure to place the vehicle in park, engage the parking brake, and use wheel chalks if they remain on the ground when the vehicle is on jack stands. The last thing you want is for the vehicle to roll off the stands as you work.
Maintenance and Regular Inspections
While jack stands don't have a definitive shelf life, you do need to keep an eye on them and replace them when needed. Even if they're of the best build quality, things can happen over time that render them too dangerous to use.
You want to regularly inspect your jack stands for any signs of rust or damage that might compromise their structural integrity. If they are ever subject to accidents, such as being run over or damaged by power tools, it's best to just play it safe and swap them out to avoid risks of failure.