If you’re planning to perform maintenance or repair work on your vehicle, knowing how to safely lift and support it is crucial. Car jacks and hydraulic floor jacks allow you to lift your car, truck, or any other heavy vehicle effortlessly. You also need jack stands to support the weight of the vehicle for long durations and reduce the stress on your car jack.
Using a car jack with a jack stand is an essential skill for any mechanic or car enthusiast. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of safely lifting your car using a jack and supporting it with a jack stand. Read on!
Necessary Tools and Equipment:
- Car Jack: Ensure you have a reliable hydraulic floor jack or scissor jack that can safely lift your vehicle’s weight. There are lots of variations of the standard floor jack and car jack available on the market like bottle jacks, high-lift jacks, pneumatic jacks, electric jacks, and, of course, the Scorpion Floor Jack from Stan Design.
While scissor jacks use hand cranking to lift lighter cars, hydraulic floor jacks, and bottle jacks make use of hydraulics to lift heavy trucks and armored cars. They are more robust and use reinforced frames to support the extra weight of larger vehicles. Of late, pneumatic jacks have gained immense popularity for their user-friendliness. These modern tools use compressed air or pneumatic pressure for heavy lifting. Stan Design’s Scorpion Floor Jacks are revolutionary in that they use the combined power of hydraulics and pneumatic pressure to lift the heaviest of vehicles in seconds.
- Jack stands: These essential tools are made from high-grade metal alloys capable of withstanding the weight of the heaviest of vehicles for long durations. They serve as support mechanisms, reducing the stress on floor jacks during maintenance activities.
- Wheel chocks: Wheel chocks are essentially triangular blocks of synthetic rubber reinforced with a sturdy inner frame. They work in tandem with the parking brakes to prevent vehicles from rolling backward during maintenance.
- Gloves: Any vehicle has a really hot engine operating under the hood. There are also other mechanical and electrical parts prone to radiating heat. So, it’s advisable to use protective gloves while working on your vehicle.
- Owner’s manual: Refer to your car’s manual for specific lifting points and instructions.
Using the Jack with Jack Stands:
Now that you know what equipment and accessories you need before you can start working on your car, let’s walk through the process of lifting it using a floor jack.
Step 1: Park on a Level Surface
Before you begin, park your vehicle on a level surface and engage the parking brake. Use wheel chocks for added stability. This greatly reduces the risk of accidents.
Step 2: Locate Lifting Points
Consult your car’s owner’s manual to identify the recommended lifting points. These are typically located under the chassis and reinforced for use with car jacks and hydraulic floor jacks. Using a floor jack anywhere other than a lifting point can damage your car’s chassis.
Step 3: Prepare the Car Jack
Position the car jack or hydraulic floor jack under a lifting point. Ensure the jack’s saddle lines up with the lifting point. Double-check that the jack is on a stable surface.
Step 5: Lift the Vehicle
Slowly crank or pump the jack’s handle to raise the vehicle. Keep a close eye on the vehicle as it lifts to ensure stability. Lift the car high enough to provide ample room for you to work underneath. Raising a vehicle too high can make it wobbly and unsafe. This is particularly important when using high-lift jacks.
Step 6: Insert Jack Stands
Once the car is at the desired height, place the jack stands under the lifting points of the vehicle. Ensure the jack stands are adjusted to the exact height as that of the car jack and their weight capacity exceeds the vehicle’s weight.
Step 7: Lower the Car onto the Jack Stands
Gently lower the vehicle onto the jack stands by carefully releasing the pressure on the floor jack’s handle. Double-check if your car is stable and not wobbly.
With the car securely supported by the jack stands you can now safely perform maintenance or repairs underneath the vehicle. Remember to work cautiously and wear protective gear. Once you’ve completed your work, raise the car slightly using the floor jack, remove the jack stands, and slowly lower the car to the ground.
Learning to use a car jack or hydraulic floor jack with jack stands isn’t rocket science! With careful consideration for safety and some practice, anyone can become an expert in lifting cars and trucks. Always go for time-tested products like the Scorpion Floor Jack from Stan Design to ensure vehicle and user safety, and long-term use of workshop accessories.