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Safety Question

sjtommy99

Charter Member
SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
326
Location
Bybee, Virginia
I have decided to do my own oil and lube on my new Av.
Went out and bought a floor jack and 4 stands. My question is where's a good place for the stands and how high should I set them. The jack is good for 3-1/2 T and the stand 3 T. I't difficult to find a good spot for the jack in the front, the skid plate is in the way so I went in the center of the plate at the rear bolt. Seems like it is a solid point. Like a dummy I set the floor stands at one notch below the top and when I let the truck down it seemed a little shaky :eek: Then I couldn't get the stands out because the jack wouldn't go high enough again. A piece of 4x4 solved that problem. I am wondering if any of the more experienced guys have any suggestions ???
Thanks in advance ;)
 
Mellow Yellow said:
My question is where's a good place for the stands and how high should I set them.
Just like you, I have found that the higher I set the stands, the shakier they get. My rule of thumb is that I only set them as high as necessary, and no higher. For example, the most common time that I use them is when rotating tires, and I set the height so that the tires just clear the ground.

Also, when I use them, it's in the garage on the concrete floor, not on the blacktop driveway. You want to make sure they are on a truly solid surface and not on something soft where they can sink in and tip. Don't try using a cinderblock or patio stone as a support, they will crumble and break.

As far as placement, the shop manual says that jack stands should go under the frame, the front suspension cross member, or the rear axle.

For a floor jack, it says that the jack pad should be under the frame rail pad, and not contacting the rocker panel or floor pan. It has a picture, but it is not clear what they are showing, although it appears to be the standard jack locations behind the front wheel. For the rear, it says that the jack pad should be under the center of the rear differential, being careful not to damage the establisher bar.

As always, your safety is in your own hands. Don't take someone else's word, and don't trust that what they say is right. Whatever you do, remember, you're the one who is getting under the truck. That means you are the one that has to make sure it is solid, and won't fall. Therefore, you are the one that has to decide if what you are trying to do is right for you. And you are the one who should read the saftey information that came with your jack and jack stands, as well as your owner's manual.

My information in this post is for educational purposes only, and is not a recommendation on the way I think you should do things. Work at your own risk. Don't try to sue me if your truck falls and crushes you. May cause drowsiness. Limit one per customer. No refunds, no cash value.

-- SS
 
Go out and buy your self a set of ramps you'l not regret the purchase also get a thin piece of metal about 8"x24" to put under the oil drain and filter into the drain pan ;D ;D ;D
 
ShapeShifter,
Any chance your an attorney ;D I do use the stands in my garage on concrete. I've used the jack in the front at the end of the skid plate. The rear bolt goes right into the frame so it's a pretty solid spot. I'm trying to jack the whole front end at once, so I'm looking for a central point to lift the whole front end. The rear is a piece of cake.

nfhjr,
I plan on doing tire rotation's also so ramps are of no use, I need to get all four corner up in the air.
 
Anybody looking for a floor jack, Sears has one on sale $30.00 off and you get 2 floor stands. It's sweet because one stroke lifts the jack pad up to the surface so you not pumping till it reaches :D
 
The answer is short & sweet. As SS says set then as low as you can to do the job. Rear is easy under axle tube as near to the wheels as you can get them. Front under the cross member, above all make sure the ground is level and for safety you are better to lift each side individually. I know that means 4 lifts and 4 placements of the stands but that is honestly better than trying to find a balance point strong enough to take 60% of the weight of the vehicle (in the case of the front). Just think about how much pressure that is going through the jack head or lifting platform.
 
Hey Skidd,
I thought you'd been knocking back too many Foster's. Four seperate lifts, I'm getting too old for that :eek: Finally common sense prevailed and I realized that your right. That pad on the jack is 3" around so I can't use the rear location that is in the owners manual. So I used four seperate spots on the frame, nice and solid ;)
 
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