Just wanted to know where y'all place your jackstands for the best stability. I've had the front of the car up on two stands but never had the whole car up at once (read: newbie). Anyways, I have a total of 6 pretty decent stands and figured I'd use them all. If you have any PICTURES, that would help me a lot!! :Comp:
I like to put them right where the frame "curves in". I do the same in the front and back. There's a nice flat area there for the jackstand to sit. Here's our 70GS when I took the rearend out the 2nd time to replace all the rubber bushings with poly bushings. The 67 frames are built the same way. (not sure about the 66's, but I would assume they are the same as well) I'll be curious to see where others put them. This is just how I've always done it. Haven't had a car fall on me yet. :laugh:
If you place the front stands just in front of the doors under the frame be aware that the engine weight flexes the frame. When this happens the front corner of the doors can make contact with the fender when you open the door. A little tough on the paint. Otherwise, I use the lower front control arms and the axle tube near the rear control arms.
Another view from the first time I had it out. You can't really see the jack stands.. but you can see how far forward they are. They are just out of the picture.
You're right Brad. I've sometimes put a small floor jack under the crossmember to help get rid of that flexing. But I think Ethan is pretty much completely gutting his car. So that shouldn't be a problem. :beer
I also have been wondering on the placement of 4 jacks. I'll be putting my 68 up on stands SOON, I hope. I need to pull all 4 wheels and have the 14" tires taken off, so I can ship the rims in the next few weeks. Seems to me it might be somewhat "safer" to jack up the front first, and do the rear stands last? Not sure what makes me think that, it probably doesn't matter either way. Actually, it might be a better idea to put the heavier front end on jacks first, then jack the rear with the front already stabilized.
No matter where you put them, ALWAYS grab the bumpers on the outside and push/pull hard to test. Make sure the car won't fall over. It's better to come down before you get under it. Once I had a car up on stands on blacktop, and the driveway was pitched to one side, and the stands sunk in and it came down off all 4 stands. I was in front of my toolbox when it happenned, lucky I was not under it. Now I put 1/2" thick steel plates under them if I'm on blacktop. It's a pain getting a car back up after that happenns!:grin: BTW, for repairs, I put them under the rear axle tube on both sides on the rear, and under the lower control arms in the front unless I'm doing suspension work. Then I use the frame.:bglasses:
Whenever I work under a car with jackstands, I always put an extra wheel and tire under there with me just in case. I figure its better to land on that instead of my head.
Hmmmm......I'm thinking I'll have to double stack the tires.......those Dairy Queen Blizzards are starting to add up!:eek2:
I typically use jackstands at the frame at the curved in locations. But i also use 4 additonal stands and cement blocks just as back up when the entire car is up off the ground, and i try and push it off the stands (with-in reason) as well. I am still leary of the store bought stands (made in who knows where). What stands are recomended and used by others?
Mine are under the rear axle and front lower control arms just behind the ball joints...I always keep mine under the suspension...guess its a bodyman thang....always trying to keep from treekin the body and chassie :TU:
Get some heavier stands---those stamped steel "Tripods" are too small and thin for my comfort level!----you start thinking that way as you get older! I was able to purchase a pair of Lincoln brand 4 or 6 ton stands one time at Harbor Freight ( I haven't seen them there since then) that are the thick steel with the cast iron upright saddle. The saddle on these us just wide enough to completely span the underside of the frame with the two little raised parts at each end just outside the frame rails. I know you can find these and ones with even larger saddles from the tool truck type places (Mac etc) and some of the professional mechanic supply places on the net (like toolwarehouse.com). Some of them can get pretty expensive. The Lincoln brand I found at HFreight were pretty reasonable. All I see over there now are there orange/white house brand and none of them have saddles as wide as the Lincolns but they are probably just fine. Get 4 of these heavier stands--the contact area with the ground is substantially larger and wider which ='s more stability. Having a car fall on you is not one of those things where you only suffer a minor injury. My $.02. Patton
Sounds like I should probably pick up some junk wheels/tires to pile up under the car just in case!! I have 6 3-ton Norco stands. They seem pretty good, I'll definitely use all 6 when the entire car is up in the air. Definitely not as cheap as the stands you'd find at Pep Boys. But do you think I should've gone with the pin-type stands instead?? Here's a picture of what I have...
those are the type stands I suggest you use--Norcos pin type look good also but the kind you have are just fine--rather than the pin type in the earlier pic---the pin type(from the earlier pic) are typically thinner metal and only have 3 ground contacts(and sharp ones at that). The ones you just pictured have a larger contact area at the ground, are rated higher. The wheel/tires under the car idea is an excellent one also----good backup just in case. I've never had a car fall but as I said before---I probably wouldn't be on this site if I had. This is another area where you can't be too safe. Patton
Patton If you're refering to my jackstands in the pics.... Those were made by my dad 30 years ago. The center tube is 3 1/2" schedule 40 pipe, and the legs are 1/4"x2"x2" angle iron. They're not going anywhere. :laugh:
i dont mind jackstands for temporary use along with a floor jack or two, but i too have had too many close calls, and jackstands offer too small a contact patch for my tastes. i will usually use wooden blocks made from railroad ties if the car has to be blocked for any period of time. and always on level ground. i knew a kid who was killed when his camero fell on him and nearly cut him in half with the traction bar.
I have always used milk jugs (the old 2 1/2 ft metal kind) or concrete blocks for long term. I have also used ramps with a 6x8 white oak board. I would put the back ones under like Rick said and load the front suspension with the front.
I prefer.. under the car, on a level concrete floor!!o No: J/K!!! As many different cars as I've had up in the air....... I'm still MUCH leary of getting under one right away after its been jacked up!:eek2: I ALWAYS re-check ALL FOUR jackstands, without getting underneath the car, and vigorously shake the car to make SURE that it's not going to fall!!:ball: (Sorry about the smart-a$$ remark, I KNOW this isn't a joking matter!ou: ) One of my VERY BIGGEST FEARS, as I often work on my car ....... alone.
Most times I've had the 225 on stands, I did not have the luxury of having a nice hard level surface. It usually was on a dirt/gravel driveway. You guys say you are nervous when getting under your GS? Try a 225! I remember once, before I had a real jack, I was jacking up the rear w/ the bumper jack on a not so level gravel driveway. Well, the car and jack were in such a position that once I reached a certain height, the car began to lean back into the jack, and I could see the jack, too start to lean back. Well, I had to VERY carefully flick the lever and gently, yet forcefully,because of the car leaning, start to lower the car back down. Not fun!! And I, too, always put the spare down under the side frame rail.
