Jack and Jackstand Safety

[Jason_25]

Every time I work under my truck it tends to be a religious experience. I pray to god my truck doesn't fall on top of me. I have an SUV floor jack that goes up about 18 inches and 2 jack stands plus a high lift and assorted wooden blocks. Jacking the rear up is easy and I don't usually have safety concerns but in the front I do. Tonight, I'm trying to jack the truck up to test the hub assemblies, tierod ends, and balljoints for play. But I can't seem to keep the truck jacked up safely. My jack sways and so does my jackstand. Not only is this a safety concern, but how the heck do I check for play if my jacking equipment has play in it?

 

[jimbo74]

buy new jacks or find better jacking points.... maybe time for that 4 post lift in the garage

 

[Jason_25]

Well this jack is brand new.......that's what bothers me. Plus the jacking point suck on a 2nd gen in the front. The jack always slips and scares the heck out of me. Seriously, I would do anything for a real lift in my garage........and a drain, and a powerwasher, and a fuel pressure test kit, and a........

 

[jimbo74]

thinking on how the suspension on a second generation explorer is, i would use the crossmember that the torsion bars are mounted to........ dont lift the truck too high or lay under it either... that way if it does slip the truck will not roll over and crush you.....

 

[rvitek]

Oh great, that makes me feel good!

 

[Jason_25]

Originally posted by jimabena74
thinking on how the suspension on a second generation explorer is, i would use the crossmember that the torsion bars are mounted to........ dont lift the truck too high or lay under it either... that way if it does slip the truck will not roll over and crush you.....

Exactly what I'm getting at. So short of a true "lift" it's just not safe to work underneath a second gen at all. Wonderful.

 

[jimbo74]

unles you get the ramps that you can drive up on....... than yuo can get under it..... just wont be able to play with your wheels or anything.......

 

[Muskrat]

Namitey and I don't have any trouble jacking his 96 up and working on it. I jack it right at the cross member, then I put the jack stands right where the control arms meet the cross member, and support the x member, not the arms. The stands have a slight semi circle, like a pad, and I rest the front of the member in the cradle. They are close together, but it's solid. I don't let the stands all the way out, ussually two notches down from max lift, and wh tried to push it off, didn't budge. Never go under a vehicle if it feels like it's going to move.
Later
Shaun

 

[JDraper]

I think you need a better set of jackstands. I've had my 01 up on stands many times, and it's quite stable. As Muskrat said, the main crossmember near the control arms is a good spot. If you've got the Wal-Mart Jackstands with the cast iron heads on them, they suck for anything except the axle and the frame. To support it on the crossmember, you need a jackstand with a relatively flat head on it, ones like Muskrat described.

 

[CBoug76]

Blocking! That is the thing......

If your Jack only lifts 15 inches, and your frame is 13 from the ground, then you can only lift 2 inches...

Go and find some 4x6 lumber or nail/screw some 2x6's togehter. then Jack it up. When you jack it up place it on somthing that doesn't sway, Say like Cement blocks. or Really Big lumber......

I guess Im Spoiled with my Dads Twin Post, above ground Lift. (But there was a time when I was working on my Old Bronco II with Ramps, a Jack and Jack stands.)

 

[JDraper]

Originally posted by CBoug76
Blocking! That is the thing......

When you jack it up place it on somthing that doesn't sway, Say like Cement blocks.

Cemet blocks are good. Just DON'T use cinder blocks, they have a habit of breaking and dropping vehicles on people.

 

[addkev]

I tried using the crossmember once and bent the crossmember, so I know what you mean, it is a challenge to find good jacking points, now I wait until after work and bring it in the shop to use the lift but I am lucky to have that.

 

[Doug]

Which crossmember did you bend? you didnt bend the crossmember where the a-arms connect did you? i cant imagine that would happen there is alot of stress on those.

 

[Jason_25]

Cool thanks for all the suggestions. Does anyone out there sell heavy duty jackstands that have a wider base and a wider head that doesn't sway as much? I'm gonna go shopping today to see what I can find.

 

[addkev]

Yeah, that is the one, I was surprised myself, because people have stated that they have used the crossmember as a tow point by looping a tow strap around it. But, I was jacking up the truck and I wanted to put jackstands on the hooks where the jack is suppose to go, so I thought I would use the crossmember. There are probably 3-4 large openings in the crossmember, so I put the jack in the middle and started lifting, and I watched the member start to bend(not the whole member, just the metal on bottom, I was afraid it would throw the suspension off), so I stopped immediately and rethought the situation, now I put the jack under the A-Arm, where the bottom of the shock bolts on and lift there when I can't use the hooks.