Car insurance can cover a lot of repairs caused by collisions, theft, and even vandalism. But, you might know enough about repairs to maintain or fix minor car damage yourself. If you've noticed something amiss underneath your car, a jack stand can help you examine the problem and fix up your car. Show
However, many people don't follow the basic safety requirements for lifting their cars using stands. Here are four jack stand safety rules you should never break based on advice from Hagerty. Leave the floor jack as backup after setting the car on jack standsAfter you use the floor jack to lift up your car and put it on jack stands, you should leave the floor jack there. This is called "double-jacking". It doesn’t take any extra work but it’ll give you more protection if the stands fail. The floor jack may get in the way, but you can just work on the car issue from another angle. It’s well worth the extra protection against your car falling and seriously injuring yourself. Even a brand new car jack could fail unexpectedly. Harbor Freight recalled several 1.7 million of their jack stands last year, due to their stands slipping under a load. This led to a revival of older jack stand designs, and manufacturers focusing more on jack stand safety. Your jack stands should be in good, clean condition from a reliable manufacturer. You should use four jack stands if you plan to lift the entire car. Work on a level concrete surfaceNever place your jacks on an incline, as there's always the chance of the car rolling off the stands. Sometimes even a parking lot can be slanted, but you can't always determine that from the angle where the car is parked. Your jacks should be placed on a level surface, preferably a clean garage floor. You should never work on asphalt or grassy ground, especially on hot days. The sun's heat can make these surfaces too soft, causing the jacks to sink. If the situation is unavoidable, put some flat pieces of metal plates under the floor jack and stands. Many car manuals also have recommended jack points guiding you on where to place the jacks. Refer to these manuals if possible, or try to find them online. It makes the job easier and safer. Check that the jack stands are secureYou always need to double-check your jack stands before working on your vehicle. The car part resting on the jack should always be flat and touch the middle of the cradle at the top of the stand. All of your jack stands should ideally be at equal height, and all four legs of the base of the jack stands should sit safely on the ground. If any stand wiggles, you'll need to readjust it and check them all again to make sure they’re secure. If you can give your car a light shake and the jacks don't move, it's safe to start working. Never overload your jack standsAlways refer to the load rating instructions of your jacks to ensure they can hold the weight above them. A pair of jack stands are typically able to keep 200% of their rated load lifted for ten minutes without any deformation. Floor jacks can hold 150% of their rating. You should also never shake the car more than necessary once you're actually under it. This can move the part of the car inside the cradle to the edge, and cause it to slip out. That's another reason why it's so important to use multiple jack stands. By following these safety requirements, your jack stands will be much less likely to fail. If you still don't feel comfortable using them, it might be better to get your car fixed by a professional mechanic. Wear and tear is probably not covered under car insurance. But you can get a mechanical breakdown add-on for your policy, and there are other types of coverage available for accidents and collisions. Jerry can always help you find cheap car insurance rates by comparing quotes from top companies. It takes the free app seconds to collect quotes, and you’ll get the best price for the best coverage with the least amount of effort.  Registered User Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 601 Likes: 0 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts I tried searching with no definite answer. Is it safe to use 2 jack stands to change oil, instead of 4 stands (lifting the whole car)? I don't want the car rolling off the 2 stands, crushing me =). Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 63 Likes: 0 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts I've always used 2, but that was on my integra, I don't know about the difference in weight distribution for the S..you can also but some blocks of wood under the tires. Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lompoc CA Posts: 4,616 Likes: 0 Received 1 Like on 1 Post i used only two when doing the differential/header/hfc, lots of twisting/banging/shaking compared to just doing the drainplug/filter, go for it...
Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: FAR BEYOND THE WHEEL... Posts: 6,036 Received 2 Likes on 1 Post Its safe to use 2 stands, front or back. I do it all the time. Make sure that e brake is pulled nice & tight! When changing oil.. before you put the drain plug back on, you should jack the rear of the car up for a few minutes too, this way all the oil gets out.
Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Windsor, CA Posts: 2,630 The only downside to using two is that the car isn't level and it looks like the way the drain pan is shaped that it won't quite drain all the way unless it is level. I guess you can lower it back down and lift it up again part way through, but it's always a bit dicey as to whether you can catch it where you want it as it comes down on the jack. And by that point its the same amount of work to use four jacks if you have them.
Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Delaware, OH Posts: 5,296 Likes: 0 Received 1 Like on 1 Post Quote: Originally Posted by Deception,Nov 28 2009, 12:44 PM Its safe to use 2 stands, front or back. I do it
all the time. Make sure that e brake is pulled nice & tight! Please keep in mind that the e-brake doesn't do anything when the rear wheels are in the air. Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,499 Likes: 0 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts I use two, and sometimes just one jack stand when changing my oil. I'll jack the car up on one side, take off the drain bolt, then let the car back down while it's draining. Then I jack it up on the other side to tilt the drain a little bit so it all comes out. I put the bolt back on, fill it up, and I'm done. I can get to the oil filter from the top since I don't have my stock air box in there. Registered User Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 601 Likes: 0 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts Ok. Thanks for the replies guys! My question was more of a safety question than anything. Since the S has different weight distribution, this was an important question. Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Biloxi MS Posts: 133 Likes: 0 Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts I don't jack the car up period when doing an oil change....
Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: FAR BEYOND THE WHEEL... Posts: 6,036 Received 2 Likes on 1 Post Quote: Originally Posted by RedY2KS2k,Nov 28 2009, 02:08 PM Please keep in mind that the e-brake doesn't do anything when the rear wheels are in the air. yeah should have mentioned that... chock the front wheels if
lifting the back by itself
Can I use only 2 jack stands?Generally speaking, if you're only lifting one end of your car, you'll need two jack stands. If you're lifting the whole car, you'll need four. Before getting your car on jack stands, make sure you have a working understanding of best safety practices and the best lift points for your particular vehicle.
How long can you leave a car on 2 jack stands?You can leave a vehicle on jack stands for as long as you need. Your car could sit on jack stands for days, weeks, months, or even years. It will be fine as long your vehicle is jacked on a flat surface.
Should I keep jack stands in my car?Jack stands do not lift vehicles. Instead, they provide a safe, fixed support for a raised vehicle. Use a pair of jack stands every time you lift a vehicle and you will vastly decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim of a falling vehicle.
Is it OK to leave car jacked up overnight?Leaving a jack up overnight is dangerous to the car and its surroundings. Not so much to the jack per se, but even the slightest leak can cause it to collapse over time. Also the jack, like a torque wrench, should be stored with the valve open and the jack dropped, to reduce issues with the spring.
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Can you leave a car on 2 jack stands?
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