What Jack and Jack Stands Do You Use?

[Moonman8]

I recently bought the Craftsman 2 1/4 ton floor jack and it came with a pair of 2 1/4 ton jack stands ($40 on sale at Sears). I also have a pair of 3 ton jack stands from when I had my 4Runner.

I put it into action the other day and this is what happened. Jacked the rear end up and placed the 2 1/4 ton stands under the rear. Then I jacked up the front but the 3 tons were too tall, dammit! The damn jack barely got the front tires off the ground with the rear already on stands. Keep in mind that I was using the rear stands on their lowest setting, so the car should have been level with the rear on stands and the front on the jack. I'm convinced that the 2 1/4 ton jack is just insufficient for our cars, it doesn't raise the car enough.

So I'm curious....what jack and jack stands does everyone use? What brand and load rating are they? I ask because I'm debating over just buying two more 2 1/4 ton stands to make a set of 4 OR upgrading to a higher load jack (like a 3 ton Craftsman) and another pair of 3 ton stands.

 

[solid_snake]

I have a craftsman jack and jack stands, IIRC their load rating is 2 tons, it lifts my Civic and Tribute just fine

 

[falsedawn]

The cheapest set from autozone. It's a right pain, to be honest - I have to wedge boards under the jack so the damn thing gets enough height to get the stands under. The tires barely clear the floor when the thing is fully pumped up.

Plus, the flipping jacking point is off-center at the front, so one side lifts higher than the other. I might return the jack for one with more lift at some point.

 

[Moonman8]

The cheapest set from autozone. It's a right pain, to be honest - I have to wedge boards under the jack so the damn thing gets enough height to get the stands under. The tires barely clear the floor when the thing is fully pumped up.

Plus, the flipping jacking point is off-center at the front, so one side lifts higher than the other. I might return the jack for one with more lift at some point.

This was exactly my problem, I could get a stand under the driver side but not the passenger because of that off-center bubble that you place the jack on.

Putting boards under the jack is a possible alternative to upgrading to a bigger jack. How safe is this though?

 

[Mazdaspeed989]

I'm using a Craftsman 3 ton SUV jack...it has something like a 21" lift so i've never had a problem getting the car off the ground. For the jack stands I have some autozone ones that have worked fine.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950143000

This is the jack

 

[ke20sprinter]

What were you planning on doing once you get your car on the jacks? Be careful when you jack all 4 corners really high, one accidental slip and your car can fall (happened to me).

2 1/4 ton jack works for me (I even use it on my landcruiser), where exactly are you placing it? behind the front tires & in front of the rear (recommended points)

WiL

 

[Moonman8]

I'm using a Craftsman 3 ton SUV jack...it has something like a 21" lift so i've never had a problem getting the car off the ground. For the jack stands I have some autozone ones that have worked fine.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00950143000

This is the jack

That's the jack I was going to get if I decided to replace my current POS.

So now I ask...buy a new 3 ton jack OR use my current 2 1/4 ton with boards underneath to get greater height?

 

[PaulMP3]

i use this.

 

[AzMz6]

i use a larin 2 ton jack, and larin jack stands...woot package deal...

 

[falsedawn]

using boards (or one thick plank) underneath is perfectly safe, as long as they are big enough that there is no chance of the jack slipping off the "edge".
It's just a bit of a pain!
And remember that the jack moves as you jack the car up - a jack has wheels for a reason!
If I had the choice, I'd go for a bigger one. It's not the capacity that's important - it's the maximum lift the jack has. Make sure that if you get a bigger one that it actually has a higher lift!

 

[Moonman8]

bump for other people's jacks and stands.

 

[anarchistchiken]

I just bought a set of jackstands and a jack the other day for $40 at Napa, but the one I had at home was an ancient 3.5 ton hydraulic monstrosity that cost $20... when my dad bought it in the 80's.

 

[Moonman8]

I just bought a set of jackstands and a jack the other day for $40 at Napa, but the one I had at home was an ancient 3.5 ton hydraulic monstrosity that cost $20... when my dad bought it in the 80's.

what's the capacity and lift range of your Napa set? I might look into that as an alternative to the wood under the jack technique.

 

[Moonman8]

kinda old thread I started but I thought of a question:

is it safe to use a floor jack to lift the car from the scissor jack points (on the sides just behind the front wheel and in front of the rear wheel)?

Also is this a safe jacking procedure if the above is safe:
1) Jack up left front from scissor jack point and place jack stand under car
2) Jack up right front from scissor jack point and place jack stand
3) Jack up left rear from scissor jack point and place jack stand
4) Jack up right rear from scissor jack point and place jack stand

Or would I be better off placing a large board under my jack to increase it's lift height and jack up whole front, place stands, then jack up whole rear and place stands?

I have to get the car up pretty high for my upcoming installs, so any help would be great. Also, keep posting up what you use for jacks and stands.

 

[nealric]

I have the craftsman jackstands and a companion jack (cheaper sears brand).

Both have actually treated me well.

 

[aMaff]

Craftsman 2 1/4 ton stands (work fine for me) and US General (harbor freight) racing jack (got that off ebay for like $40 less). If you do jack up ur car a lot (like I do...auto-x, so each side goes up at least twice per event, plus I do regular maintenance myself if I can), you may wanna fashion a wood block to cradle the pinch weld. Mine's getting kinda torn up from resting on smallish points on the jack, so I'm thinking about doing that

 

[Protege52003]

no laughing......i use my trusty OEM jack and cinder blocks!

works pretty well......(rockon)

 

[Canecreekfreak]

I've got that same package, but I don't use the "inserts" into the stands. I leave 'em out, and put pieces of wood between the stands and the car. I haven't tried to get all 4 wheels off the ground yet, but it works fine w/either the front end or the rear end.
I'd really like to get one of the jacks with the 4' pipe as a handle like my dad has, but I don't want to pay the $100+ to get one. Maybe I'll just steal his "backup" one next time I'm over there.