Jack stand test

INTERESTING!! I would have never thought 'big red' would do as well as it did.

I've had my jack stands since the '80's and they've been under a lot of vehicles. I don't think there is a name on them, but now because of this video, I'm going to take a closer look at 'em.

As an aside, I never get under a car with just jack stands. I always throw a wheel or two under the car as well.

Thanks for posting!

One pair of Jack stands I have was given to me from my old boss at the gas station back in the late 70s. I've used them ever since, they are stone cold reliable. The 2nd pair of good stands I have I bought sometime in the early 80s, but I think they were rated at 4,000 lbs. The older pair are better stands, but those two have an extra 2" of lift. There were a couple sets of cheap stands between that 1st pair, and the 1st pair of good stands I bought. The cheap ones were junk. I bought the good ones after a cheap set failed, fortunately no one or nothing was damaged. It was a quick lesson on jack stand purchase I learned very early. The two pairs of good stands have been the only support holding up many vehicles. A good solid surface for the stands to sit on is as important as the stands themselves.

I've bought several other sets of stands after those two good sets, but the newer stands just don't give this guy the trusting feeling the old stands give. There were times I needed 6 or 8 stands to do a project, so the investment of more good stands was required. Its fortunate that when I needed to use the modern stands, there were several stands involved, and usually the project was less then complete.
The old stands are still the go to stands when I need to work under a vehicle that is only supported by jack stands.

Watching this test was interesting.

I only put my stands as high as I need them to do the work. Never extended all the way. If I'm doing something where I'm going to be under there for long periods or something is shifting a lot I put second set of stands somewhere to be on the safe side.

my stands are all Hein-Warner brand, bought around 1969-70.
these were bought when i bought my first floor jack of the same brand.
still going strong, as they were built of quality steel, and have a very good design.

That "Project Farm" guy does some really good tests. And very thorough and impartial.

Everything from tools and equipment to chemicals and supplies, you name it.

I'm not a big YouTube guy, but before I go make any big purchases I always do a search and see if he has done a test. Recently bought a knife sharpener based on his results...

When under a car that has to be up on both ends I use a 10" wide rim and set the tires in the rim. Jackstands on the other end and it is ROCK SOLID. No shake, wiggle or anything. Car feels as stable as sitting in the ground.

This came about as a suggestion from my wife as a car that was on 4 stands and started to fall as we were standing next to it. Fortunately I was able to stop it and hold it while she grabbed a floor jack.

real interesting suggestion, using 10" rims on one end.
i have a set of "wagon wheels" that are 10" wide, and they have N or M-50's on them. the wheels used to be chrome, but i blasted them and they are just red primer, so they will be perfect for that use. thanks for the tip.
and i just had a "thought" pop into my noggin........
could a guy weld another wheel to a 10"er for more height, and would it work safely ?

3 Ton car jack

At a certain point I would expect no but if they could be tied together with adjustable box tubing it would help as would a larger base between the rim and floor ( Plate steel?) We are now going to need some testosterone or steroids to move them not to mention storing when not in use
Then another question, how is one going to get
it high enough to get the stands under the tires?
And finally would it then be too high to be comfortable reaching up that high?

I felt I learned from and enjoyed the tests and posts.

Isn’t placing a jackstand on the axle tubes only legal in most states as a temporary step in a lift,
with the final position of the jackstand on the frame
or unibody designated lifting point?

The trick of using an upside down jackstand with a limited raise travel jack on a higher clearance vehicle would certainly be objected to by either manufacturer of the jackstand or lift jack, but in emergency situations off road is arguably better than the typical cut log of green wood.

An upside-down jack stand on a movable floor jack looks like a hinge to me...no thanks.

I was never a big fan of the Pick-A-Part method of supporting cars on wheels, either.
That said, I never saw an ambulance doing business there, and it was the Litigious State of Calif...

all i can say about the upside down jack stand on the floor jack..........one of these days, that guy's head is going to "leak" bad............

Does the Almighty give out an unlimited supply of
“Darwin Awards”
?

I'd rate it safer than picking up with a 4x4 block which I have seen people do.

The upside down jack stand on the floor jack doesn't stand a chance. There isn't anything keeping the stand centered on the jack with wheels on it. The top end of a jack stand is only about an inch wide, and then its not flat. You couldn't even put the stand on the jack and have it stay in place until you made contact with the vehicle. If there was ever a book on improper use of jack stands, this one should be at the top of the list.

At least with a 4x4 you have a 3 1/2" square base to center the load, and you get some warning when it tips. The 4x4 will at least stand up on the jack base as you jack it into place.

Its pretty obvious some here have no hands on experience working on cars or trucks.

Only 40 years but do go on.

Most of my wrench pulling days was doing heavy work using nothing but floor jacks and stands.

Any Moparts members who already have owned the $80 “Big Red” jackstand for awhile who could add their opinions?

I bought 4 of those at an auction in the early 70's for $20. Definitely the last set I'll ever need.

Kevin