65nassau

Raising the car in the garage ....for us poor guys who can't afford or don't have room for a lift.

How HIGH do any of you get the car on jackstands that you feel safe?

I have the front end TIRES about 4-5 inches off the floor and that seems ok, but if I get all 4 ends of the car up in the air. ....

I wonder 'how high' one could safely go and feel good about getting under it and wrenching.

One reason I am especially concerned .......

Further compunding it for me is that I have a VERY NARROW (as in two car garage cut in 1/2 a by a wall) with barely 18 inches of clearance on each side of the car. When I position the jack under the car, it cannot be at a 90 deg. angle so that the wheels allow the jack to roll under the car as the frame tilts when jacking occurs.

IF I can get the car a foot in the air... I might use 6 or 8 jackstands ....and I may have to go from corner to corner to raise each corner an inch or so, then rotate around to the next and keep raising each corner just a little.

Perhaps I need a jack that has all 4 wheels that swivel 360, instead of front wheels directional, so if it is not 90 degrees to the car it can still 'move with the car' ....

I'm really worried about the thing SLIDING AND LEANING on the jackstands, even more so if you use those slick plastic jack pads to protect the newly painted frame.


............ ???

AZDoug

I am not sure I would be comfortable with anything except maybe a shop rag between the frame and jackstands.

I have used the jack stands at maximum elevation, but I also have some 8" by8" by 16" long blocks of wood I use as secondary backups so if a stand does fail, the wood is there.

Doug

C64BOB

May do I agree. Back up with something (I usually use a couple of jacks). Putting wood under the wheels (when you're not taking them off) and compressing the suspension most of the way but leaving the jackstands bearing the load works too. I have a ugly story about this that I'll keep to myself.

Bert66

Not all jack stands are created equal. To be stable they also need to be wide at the base. Bert

67vetteal

This is True. Quality Jack Stands, the HEAVY ones, can be placed safely at full extension if placed on a firm level floor. A piece of rug between the stand and the car saves on scratching for me. I usually leave my floor jack under the car in an area of support that is not in the way as a little mind assurance. Al W.

Crazyhorse

I've driven up on ramps, then put the back on stands.

ctjackster

the jack pads are not all that slick, in fact "grippy" compared to steel on steel that you get with bare jack stands

65nassau

All good suggestions. I like the idea of blocks of wood for back up, I was thinking about that anyway.

Perhaps some 2x12's about 18 inches long stacked about 6 high would be good .... something with a good wide stable base.

When you took the front up on ramps, did you jack up one side of the car or both sides in the back at the same time? I'd be worrying about SLIDING there...!

I'd guess you'd have to block the wheels on the front ramps, or hold the brake pedal? (or both?)

60vett

go buy a railroad tie, then cut it into smaller pieces.

crw41

I use bottle jacks to get the car high - 1 on each corner of the frame.

In addition - I use a floor jack in the middle of the car on each side.

I go about 3 inches at a time to raise the car evenly to about 21" distance from the frame to the ground.

I then put 6 jackstand (6 tone) at 6 points:

- the 4 corners of the frame
- the front A arms

The jacks go away and i am set for the winter with easy access to the undercarriage (rims off the car)

SPLITRAY

If you want to feel a bit more comfortable, place at least one end on RAMPS! Both ends on ramps is very stable.

Hitch

The way that I have gotten my car up in the air in the past when doing the frame and suspension work is as follows.

Jack up half the height of the small jackstands, then raise to the max height. Then jack up further and replacing the original jackstands with the SUV stands that I have. I've had no issues and have plent of room to work under the car.

66since71

This spring I bought two sets of "6 ton" jack stands at Harbor Frieght. Most of the usual sources also have them. The car was more stable on these than anything I'd used before.

As far as how high; they are near their lowest (most stable) setting, when my floor jack has the car up as high as it goes. This leaves plenty of room under the car.

Sometimes, I jack the car front and rear (rear center spring perch, and front cross member). I use a piece of 2x4 between the jack and frame. That may help in your garage situation?

Regardless, I always assume its going to fall off the jacks, and place some backup support so it won't kill me if it does. Lately I have been using some bent 17x11 wheels from my '92.

Hitch

Here are a few pics I already had loaded on my hosting site..

I've had it much higher than what is in these pics but just to give you an idea..

Hitch

I forgot about this thread that made a good setup for making a set of stands..
There have been a few posts floating around on people wanting to build their own set of ramps to raise a C3 for work underneath. I took some ideas from these posts and made some blueprints for others to use.

Click on each picture for a larger version. The right click to save the picture on your computer.
I have not designed the drive up ramp part yet, but that is very simple.
I have included a list of materials needed to build these. In addition you will just need simple tools like a drill, power screwdriver, saw, hammer, nails and long wood screws. If you want wider versions, replace the 2x10's with 2x12's. The materials cost me about $85.00 at home depot.



Here is the pedestal. This is what sits under each tire.

Here is the bridge, the part that connects the front and rear pedestal on each side.



Ramps connect to the back pedestals and let you drive up. You can also just use the ramps and the rear set of the pedestals to raise the front of the car for oil changes and simple front end work.

I take no responsibility for any injuries, damage, death, dismemberment or failure in the use or building of these ramps. I have taken my best efforts to make a good design for others to use, but I cannot foresee others abilities to build or use them in a proper manner. Just CYA.
Here are pictures of the original design -

piper

When I was 16 years old I had a 1955 Ford I was out in the yard in the winter(had no garage) with a bumper jack I was under the car pulling the transmission out My grandfather drove in the driveway pulled me out from under the car by my feet Took me up to his house and we got some small pieces of 8 x8 and 4x4 and when back and blocked the car .and guest what I do now

magicv8

I us Delco stands from Oreilly that take it to 19 inches off the floor - which is the max height my trans jack will put the trans to the clutch housing, and the minimum height that the trans jack will exit with a diff on the trans jack.

68435roadster

20 years ago I had a '68 up on 4 jackstands while replacing a clutch.
Wrenching when under the car, the whole thing wobbled, and before I could finish my thought that I had not gotten everything level------I realized that it was an earthquake causing the wobble. Got out fast, watched everything around me shake and fall off the walls; the car stayed in place. Have since used backup blocks and jacks in addition to the stands.

PeteZ

I always, as in always, provide a back-up to the jack-stands when I've lifted my car to the full extent of their limit or some point in between.

My mentality is:

1. Don't trust floor-jacks to be reliable to support vehicle when working underneath vehicle.
2. Do not trust combined jack-stands and floor-jacks to support vehicle when working underneath vehicle.

Place a 10" by 10" timber, like a railroad track tie, either forward or aft of the location where the jack-stand support is. The timber length runs the full width of the frame from side-to-side.

Okay, so you have one timber at the front of the car at the recommended frame support location, with another timber at the rear of the car at the recommended frame support location.

Now, you have reliable back-up protection regarding the jack-stands, that if they fail or slip out of place, you'll not be crushed by the vehicle falling down on you.

Best Regards,

Pete

nassau66427

What're jack stands? I just use some 4 x 4s that I stick under there sort of orthogynecologically. - Bubba