Nooby Trolley Jack And Stands Questions

[bucket_boy101]

I need to buy a trolley jack so I can lift my 31 to do the oil and filter, but I don't know the first thing about them.

Do I need to buy one that would lift more than the kerb weight of my car? I would think yes but that means I need a 2000 Kg one.

What about stands, do I divide the total weight by the number of stands, or does each stand need to be able to hold more than the kerb weight of my car?

Also are SCA (Super Cheap Auto) branded jacks and stands all right for the job, or will they be significantly more likely to drop on my noggin?

Thanks in advance for not laughing too hard.

[xALmoN]

i manage with a 1600kg one. but i'll be buying a costco one soon.

as soon as ayayron will take me.

[Ben C34]

All jacks in Australia have to meet the standard.

You won't lift the entire car up with a Jack so it doesn't need to be rated to the weight of the car, but a bigger/higher rating will lift the car easier and usually higher.

You MUST use axle stands. Don't ever get under a car supported only by a jack.

But can't you just lay on the ground and undo the sump plug with the car on the ground? I can.

[ARTZ]

Then your car isn't low enough Ben

But seriously if you have the cash do yourself a favor and buy a decent trolley jack straight up...Supercheap ones will do the job but I dont like them...clunky and shit in general..Repco pro lift ones are better ,I got a lowline 2000kg one there for 99$ on sale and its been great, left out in the weather for 2 years and still going strong..or if you can get a Costco aluminum one for 180$ they are great, much lighter than the repco jack I have and will get under the lowest cars...Axle stands are cheap as cheaps on sale at supercheap they go for like 20$...get ones with an aframe style they are more stable....but really just as long as you put anything under your car to stop it fallin on your head, blocks of wood, spare wheels anything ..a decent jack will hold but it's better to be safe than squashed...

[GTR-N1]

Aluminium Jack: Rated 1500Kg by Arcan (CostCo) > copies most of what the Blue Point jack has with double cylinder system > $190 approx

Omega Ratchet Jack Stands: Rated 3,000Kg - others may be more/less > But this type is safer than being supported by a metal pin > $50 approx

Low Ramps: Made of heavy duty resin from Garage 88 > supports a car for oil changes, panel replacement etc > $80 approx

All the best...

[warps]

Nice gear there, Terry. I picked up an alloy 1600kg jack from Hare and Forbes over Xmas - think it was under $200 but not sure.

Those ratchet stands are easy to use, but make sure you inspect the ratchet mechanism an ensure the tab engages well with the teeth in every position. These (cheaper ones) have been known to collapse when not properly engaged.

I think these pin / screw ones being advertised these days are a good idea. They let you adjust the height perfectly, so that you can ensure the weight is more evenly spread across both (all four??) stands.

Only use proper axle stands to support the car. Don't use bricks / wheels / blocks of wood etc (unless the blocks of wood are purpose built, and stable). Lower the vehicle onto the stands - don't rely on the jack. If the jack gives way and drops even 1/2", it can be enough to topple a poorly set up temporary stand. Of course you can leave the jack there as additional support (although take the weight off the jack so the stands are doing their thing.

Jacks very rarely fail, but like anything, when they do, they won't give you a lot of warning. Do you think you can crawl out from under a car before it crushes your skull? Don't take the chance. Use the proper gear.

[bucket_boy101]

Wow thanks for all the help guys. I may have to put off the oil change for a week anyway, as I think it's supposed to rain on my day off next week. Will go to costco and check out stuff. #@Terry_GT-R34 thanks so much for the visuals, guess I have to visit Repco as well as try to get my housemate to get me into costco on his memberhsip.

[GTRPSI]

I use the same jack as Terry.

When buying stands, get the heaviest rating you can, some are pretty flimsy.

I usually shove the rims under the car once removed, i even leave the jack under the cross member if room to work, just as a added safety margin.

A few years back a bloke in the next street was working on his car which was held up on a workshop trolley jack and it fell on him, family thought they heard something and found him crushed but still alive, police, parramedics, helicopter arrived, he died on the way to hospital.....so dont take chances....

[GTR-N1]

When buying stands, get the heaviest rating you can, some are pretty flimsy.

.....so dont take chances....

I wonder if makers of flimsy ones should be crushed Pete?

Yes, wise to put a wheel under each side where possible.

[bucket_boy101]

So you lie a wheel down underneath each side? Sorry for questions you think are stupid, but I've never done anything under a car before.

[Got a Pulsar]

Yep, as soon as you remove a wheel just slide it in under the side of the car.

a) it gets it out of the way and b) it serves as a safegaurd for just in cases.

[bucket_boy101]

Sweet, thanks!

[GTRPSI]

Slide it inside face of rim towards the ground, outside face you see up so you dont scratch the good side when pushing them under on concrete.

You can spew about scratching the good face of the rims after the car falls down and the rims save your life.

Wide rims are nice to have for extra clearance if you have a bit of a pot belly like me.

[bucket_boy101]

Wide rims on my 31? lol It's not going to ever get off stockies, at least under my ownership.

[Got a Pulsar]

One of the very first things I did to the R31 Wagon was get rid of those tiny stockies.

[ARTZ]

Anything that can support a car, and often a thick chunk of ironbatk or redgum is going to be alot more stable than a made In china pos jackstand....do not be fooled into believing you are safe just because you bought jackstands,get the right jackstands..

As for wheels...do not support the whole weight of the car on them.no...but if you have a car on a jack and no stands available...At least throw the wheels or something under the car to prevent it falling on your head..

If a car falls on your chest you will die a slow painful death...all the air will be squeezed from your Lungs and you will be struggling to breathe so you can yell for help, but it will be impossible...you will slowly suffocate and it will be a miracle if you survive...so put whatever you can under that car to stop it...A thick block of wood will save you, A wheel will save you, a few telephone books could save you...bricks will crack and probably not save you..never use bricks !

Use common sense, Remember a car weighs between 1-2 tonnes and dont give it room to gain momentum...buy a good jack..that crappy emergency jack that's in your boot is just that, an emergency jack they dont last very long when used regularly....

[warps]

I did not say not to use certain types of stands. Read what I said.

The ratchet types have been known to fail, which is why I said to inspect them and ensure they're properly engaged before lowering the weight of the car onto them. I mostly use ratchet stands because they're easier to work with, so I'd hardly be saying not to use them, would I? Always inspect your equipment before using it - that's one of the first basic safety rules in any workshop.

Blocks of wood. Again, read what I said. I've seen people stack varying sizes / shapes of wood to get the right height. This is about as stable as house of cards and very dangerous. If you have properly sized / shaped blocks of wood (and the correct grade) then this is fine as I said.

In 30 years of working on cars, I've never personally had a hydraulic jack fail, so by your reckoning, it's OK to work under a hydraulic jack, right?

As you're suggesting, just because you have stands doesn't guarantee they will be safe. If used correctly, positioned correctly (and the stands are suitable for the task) then they will be safe, and you won't have a problem. If you want to start improvising with other objects around the house, then make sure they have the right load bearing capacity, and are stable enough to use.

Yes, common sense goes a long way.

[scotty nm35]

I agree, using those ratchet stands worried me enough to go and buy proper 3T alloy pin stands. Plus many of them have been recalled.

I use the Cosco jack and these stands, with them I have jacked up more cars than anyone on here probably.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TORIN-BIG-RED-JACKS-3-TON-ALLOY-JACK-STANDS-CAR-WORKSHOP-DRAGS-RACING-/300859183184?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item460c9ad050&_uhb=1

Or for less than a set of rims you can buy a full two post hoist like mine, they are much safer and you would be surprised how many mates would arrive with it.

[niZmO_Man]

I want a hoist

Anyone has experience with those portable ones you can roll around? I think I saw some for roughly $2.5k-3k

[warps]

Where'd you see that one, niZmO? I was looking at some portable 4 posters (I presume all the portable ones would have to be 4 post) and they were around $5k. Sorely tempted to get one for the workshop (trying to juggle 3 cars and a trailer in the workshop is starting to get a bit lame, specially when I need access to all of them.