Floor Jack Question

[oletrux4evr]

I use the 4-legged stands too, and lift everything in stages.
I do use steel drive-on ramps to support vehicles on their wheels........some have said that isn't a good practice, but after the vehicle is up I always give it a good shake and watch for any teetering. I suppose the only way to insure absolute safety is to use a lift. Wish I had one.

[Dan Barlow]

I generally after jacking a car up put cinder blocks under the tires or rotors (in the last case with boards as padding ) I put the cinder blocks on the floor with the holes up which is the way they carry weight . My dad was a survivor of a car falling on him . I simply will not trust jackstands if I am going to be under a car .

[malc]

When mine is up I slide my four ramps under the wheels.
If the wheels are off they go under the lowest parts of the car.

[DanStokes]

I was teasing Peewee about the hoist but I was making a point. I spent $1700 on my hoist (delivered) from Pace Tools and even with an 8' ceiling you can get the car higher than with jacks and it's secure (though I always shake the car after all 4 wheels are off the ground). My hoist has safetys that click in when the car is about 18" off the floor so it's really safe. I seriously think it's $1700 well spent. Some attached home garages even have 10 foot ceilings (makes the rooflines of the house look right) and you can raise a car pretty much all the way if that's the case. Anyhow, I consider a hoist a necessity for me to do what I do.

Every month in Hot Rod there are ads for a low-rise hoist and that could work, too. I haven't looked into the price but it would be worth investigation for all y'all.

Not to be a wise guy but I suggest that you REALLY think about this.

Dan

[Loren]

Yeah there's really no excuse for using the old sheetmetal triangle stands any more, I also have 8-10 of the common, inexpensive ratchet stands...just make sure that ratchet engages, it's a big surprise when one doesn't. In my case I had one where the round-bar ratchet handle was not firmly stuck in place into the cast/forged(?) ratchet and got twisted enough to not permit full engagement, fortunately when it dropped down there was no harm done but it was really a shock and now I don't trust those either. I wish they had pins instead. Why is it that everything, even stuff that seems like it should be rock-solid, have some way that it can fail?

I also installed a floor lift about a year ago when I had to swap a service body off my truck for a standard bed. It wouldn't take much of an injury to mess your life up far more than the budget-hit of the lift install.

[pdub]

When mine is up I slide my four ramps under the wheels.
If the wheels are off they go under the lowest parts of the car.

I love that, that is SO right and I'd never thought of it, and I have ramps too. Good lick Malc!

[pdub]

The arsenal as it is.




Car ramp box times two. The X factor here as far as safety goes, our garage floor is hugely not level. Unbelievably not level. I'm liking the new more bigger more taller jackstands but I've never jacked the car up that high yet. Cameron says the blower install doesn't require a lot of jacking anyhow. As usual, I'm getting over-ready.

[malc]

A strong mind can use thought control to elevate the vehicle.......just try not to sneeze.....

[pdub]

A strong mind can use thought control to elevate the vehicle.......just try not to sneeze.....

I'm definitely not getting under THAT car. Nope.

[Loren]

A strong mind can use thought control to elevate the vehicle.......just try not to sneeze.....

Well, I know how Malc did that...it is NOT some-type magical levitation ability as he suggests.

Instead, he had another person (unseen in the photo due to window glare) drive the Camaro at high speed up the driveway to where it cleared about a foot of air going over the top and past the patio. Shortly after the photo was snapped it took out the hedge on the other end, narrowly missed a light pole and landed with only minor damage onto the next street.

Try to tell me I'm wrong...

[pdub]

Try to tell me I'm wrong...

I won't say you're wrong, I'll be the last one to say you're wrong.

But I believe the car DID hit that light pole, and it's obvious he's got a camber issue on the front so those tires wont last long whether he hit the light pole or not after wiping out the hedge.