Placing Jackstands

[ricar]

I like my ramps. Drive up (or reverse up) then jack the other end up and put ramps under the other two wheels. Just don't forget and try to drive off all 4 at the same time! Works if you are not doing anything that involves removing the wheels and about the safest thing I have come up with. I've had jack stands sink disturbingly into asphalt, not good for the driveway either, now I keep plywood squares but still prefer the ramps.

 

[Bobkat]

Just noticed this the front hole on this diagram just behind the wheel opening is the drain hole the jack point used by fiat during assembly on y to he carts is the next hole further down the rail.

 

[Bobkat]

I use these that I made up for my lift and these same design with some pins for jack stands.

 

[tvmaster]

There is no one place you need to put the jackstands under. It depends on what you are intending to work on or it can be advantageous to put them in a different place. Having more room to do a particular job is valuable and choosing the proper safe place to place them is critical.

On a short, mid engine car with little overhang it can be difficult to get a jack stand in the right place to ensure safe placement at the rear in particular.

On the first page of this thread is an image of the entire bottom of an X which has not changed much in the years the car was made. There are a number of places to lift the car and place jack stands. I will mark up the original and post it as a guideline but you will have to use your judgement as to which spots to use for the job you are doing.

Regarding the RIGHT jack stands to buy: when is it advantageous to have spent twice the money on the ones which rise up to 24" height, as opposed to the less expensive, 17" clearance models.
And, do people regularily extend their stands to the full height, regardless of 17" or 24" versions? Is that safe and normal practice?

 

[dllubin]

Although I've got four pair of jack stands, I did not use any when I got the car back on the road after it sat for over 20 years. Instead, I used cement blocks and wood. To get the rear up, I placed a 4" x 10" across the bottom of the car right behind the jack receptacles and put two stacked cement blocks under each end of the 4" x 10". For fine tuning the height, I used 2" x 6" and 4" x 6" wood blocks between the cement blocks and the 4" x 10". This got the rear of the car up high enough to easily slide an engine in and out as well as being more than high enough to get the gas tank out. I did not need to get the front very high so I just put some old alloy wheels under the front tires which probably raised it about 8 inches. Compared to using jack stands, the car was incredibly stable. Pretty certain it would survive an earthquake unharmed. That is a good thing as I'm under a mile from the San Andreas Fault.

 

[tvmaster]

Although I've got four pair of jack stands, I did not use any when I got the car back on the road after it sat for over 20 years. Instead, I used cement blocks and wood. To get the rear up, I placed a 4" x 10" across the bottom of the car right behind the jack receptacles and put two stacked cement blocks under each end of the 4" x 10". For fine tuning the height, I used 2" x 6" and 4" x 6" wood blocks between the cement blocks and the 4" x 10". This got the rear of the car up high enough to easily slide an engine in and out as well as being more than high enough to get the gas tank out. I did not need to get the front very high so I just put some old alloy wheels under the front tires which probably raised it about 8 inches. Compared to using jack stands, the car was incredibly stable. Pretty certain it would survive an earthquake unharmed. That is a good thing as I'm under a mile from the San Andreas Fault.

Thanks - I'm seeing more and more use of building materials as jack stand substitutes these days. Although with the cost of lumber these days, jack stands may be more affordable Did your 4x10 spread out across the entire width, or just placed one, smaller piece on each side, on top of the blocks? Two cement blocks and wood - what do you figure, 24" of clearance between floor and car?

 

[jimmyx]

My go-to for working up high is 12 ton jack stands. They are big, heavy, and a little bit pricey for 4, but at 30" max they get anything up high. Because of their size with a very wide base they are rock solid stable.

 

[tvmaster]

My go-to for working up high is 12 ton jack stands. They are big, heavy, and a little bit pricey for 4, but at 30" max they get anything up high. Because of their size with a very wide base they are rock solid stable.

Is that what the K20 is on? I'm not sure my low-cost, Harbor Freight jack can lift a car higher than 13-14", so that's a problem? I guess if the jack doesn't rise higher than 14" I'm kinda stuck for higher jack stands?

1.5 Ton Low-Profile Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP

Amazing deals on this 1.5T Aluminum Racing Jack W/ Rapid Pump at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[jimmyx]

Is that what the K20 is on? I'm not sure my low-cost, Harbor Freight jack can lift a car higher than 13-14", so that's a problem?

K20 is on 6 ton stands. The 12 ton are twice as big. The 12 ton lowest setting is about the highest setting on the 6 ton. Don't use them too often because they are very heavy, but when I need the height they work perfectly. To use the 12 ton easily you need a real full size floor jack too. Harbor Freight junk is not going to get it done, at least not safely. Don't have a picture of the X up on the stands, but here is a picture of another project with a huge old school hemi underneath to give you some idea of the total height range.

 

[tvmaster]

impressive. yup, no way the Harbor Freight 'junk' is launching anything that high 6 ton should be the most I'd ever need, If I don't use concrete blocks then...

 

[kmead]

Don’t use concrete blocks without some wood or something on top of it. Concrete can carry a tremendous load when distributed. A concentrated load on a typical block can split it apart.

I don’t recommend using the open concrete type block but would consider the solid ones, again with wood on top.

 

[tvmaster]

Don’t use concrete blocks without some wood or something on top of it. Concrete can carry a tremendous load when distributed. A concentrated load on a typical block can split it apart.

I don’t recommend using the open concrete type block but would consider the solid ones, again with wood on top.

I'm still looking at stands. Have you had any reason to use 24" high versions?

 

[kmead]

I'm still looking at stands. Have you had any reason to use 24" high versions?

Only to remove the engine. I have always had two ton stands. I recently bought 6 ton stands to hold it up higher and I do have a high lift jack. I also bought some high lift scissor jacks as a backup to the tall stands.

I tend not to lift all four corners very often.

House lifting cribbing is always wood and not concrete

 

[dllubin]

Thanks - I'm seeing more and more use of building materials as jack stand substitutes these days. Although with the cost of lumber these days, jack stands may be more affordable Did your 4x10 spread out across the entire width, or just placed one, smaller piece on each side, on top of the blocks? Two cement blocks and wood - what do you figure, 24" of clearance between floor and car?

Yes, the 4" x 10" goes completely across the bottom of the car. I think that is one of the reasons it is more stable than jack stands - the two sides are pretty much tied together. Fortunately, there is enough room that the 4" x 10" clears what is under the car, including the tunnel. As Karl said above, you don't want direct concrete to body contact that could damage the concrete and result in failure, but I'm sure you also would not like what a concrete block can do to the body of your car.

 

[tvmaster]

4x10’s a beefy cut of lumber

 

[dllubin]

4x10’s a beefy cut of lumber

It held up a second story deck at one time. Probably a gross overkill for holding up an X even though the 10" plane is horizontal when I run it under the X.

 

[tvmaster]

The four green circles are where you can lift the car. The ones on the sides you can lift the entire side of the car. The one at the front lifts the front and the one at the rear (it is actually a black rectangle which is part of the engine crossmember) lifts both rear wheels.

The four with holes at the corners of the wheel openings (behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels) are the places you would put a jack stand with a pin or a resilient block.

Personally I never use the pinch weld directly for a few reasons, it is delicate, it tends to be some of the most eaten by rust and they are often damaged on an older car from idiots from the past who have crushed them. The pinch weld rubber blocks likely are fine, I just have seen too many cars with crushed rockers…

The suspension mounting points can be used if the suspension arm is installed so the whole thing is fully supported. I avoid the mount for the radius arm as it is delicate and can be bent (it is the bolted to the two flat areas to the left of the front lift point with the three holes, no bracket is shown there).

I prefer rubber blocks which are softer as they conform to the car, the jack and the jack stand. Then tend not to slide and distribute the load over a larger area.
View attachment 47790

Is this the ‘black rectangle’ you speak of? The photo in the Wiki regarding rear jacking points isn’t the greatest. I’d hate to see something go boom.

 

[NEG]

 

[tvmaster]

So that’s a ‘correct’ thumbs-up, yes?

 

[Hasbro]

The four green circles are where you can lift the car. The ones on the sides you can lift the entire side of the car. The one at the front lifts the front and the one at the rear (it is actually a black rectangle which is part of the engine crossmember) lifts both rear wheels.

The four with holes at the corners of the wheel openings (behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels) are the places you would put a jack stand with a pin or a resilient block.

Personally I never use the pinch weld directly for a few reasons, it is delicate, it tends to be some of the most eaten by rust and they are often damaged on an older car from idiots from the past who have crushed them. The pinch weld rubber blocks likely are fine, I just have seen too many cars with crushed rockers…

The suspension mounting points can be used if the suspension arm is installed so the whole thing is fully supported. I avoid the mount for the radius arm as it is delicate and can be bent (it is the bolted to the two flat areas to the left of the front lift point with the three holes, no bracket is shown there).

I prefer rubber blocks which are softer as they conform to the car, the jack and the jack stand. Then tend not to slide and distribute the load over a larger area.
View attachment 47790

Thanks Karl, I copied the page and will post it on the wall by the X for a quick reference.