When you need to perform maintenance or repairs on your vehicle at home, it could be necessary to lift it off the ground. Although a jack gets the first part of that job done, it’s safer to pop in a couple of jack stands to have more stability.
It would be best if you never relied on a scissor or floor jack alone to keep your car stabilized when performing work on it.
If the jack collapses while you’re under the vehicle, a severe injury could occur. Stands provide more support when you purchase a set with the correct weight tolerance.
The best jack stands can keep your car off the ground at the desired height while preventing the vehicle from sliding. That’s why they’re such an excellent investment!
Putting a Car on Blocks
Putting a car on blocks made sense in the past, but it is better to use jack stands for this purpose today. You can use a set of two or four stands, set and locked at equal height, to support the four weight corners of the vehicle. This method is more secure than using wood, stones, or bricks.
When shopping for jack stands today, you’ll want to find a product rated at roughly the same capacity as your vehicle’s curb weight. That means a two-ton truck would need the same rating for the stand.
Although the jack stands won’t be supporting the entire weight of your vehicle at once, this general rule ensures you have a healthy safety margin to work with at home.
You’ll need to determine your vehicle’s weight before shopping for the best jack stands today, which is information you can find online, through your local dealership, or in your owner’s manual.
Rules to Follow When Working with Jack Stands
If you’re thinking about doing some work on your car, putting it up on blocks using jack stands is an excellent choice.
It’s important to remember that lifting and placing the vehicle into the proper position is only the first step of the job. When you’re doing work underneath it, you’ll want to consider following these rules to ensure you have a safe and positive experience.
1. Work with someone.
When you need to work underneath a vehicle, it helps to have another person in the room with you. They don’t need to have automotive knowledge to be of assistance. They can keep you company, hand you tools, and bring in emergency services if something happens.
2. Operate on level ground.
Today’s best jack stands only function vertically. The same gravity that keeps the car positioned securely on that product is what pulls it off when there’s a slope to your working area. That’s why we should only perform maintenance and repairs on level ground.
3. Read your owner’s manuals.
Before you start working on your vehicle, you should review the information in the owner’s manual for the jack stands and your car. You’ll find suggested points for the suspension and frame. If you don’t have one, most documentation is available online for your consideration.
4. Get your gear together.
What you’ll need for your work depends on the job that needs to get done. Whether you’re lifting a single wheel or need to have the entire car up, it helps to take the time to assemble your support gear. Use high-quality jacks that can hold the vehicle, then get those stands underneath for a safer working area.
If you’re working on soft surfaces, including asphalt, thick plywood support on the ground can prevent the jack stands from sinking.
5. Chock your wheels.
After putting your transmission into park or in gear, chock the opposite wheel where you plan to lift. Use one in the front and another in the back to prevent the vehicle from moving in either direction.
The ROBLOCK wheel chocks made from heavy-duty rubber are an excellent choice. You can block the front and back with the thick nylon rope connecting the two stoppers to ensure you have stability. Throw them in the trunk or truck bed to have an emergency roadside option for flats and other potential problems.
6. Lift your car appropriately.
When you lift your vehicle, you’ll need to use a solid point for the jack. There should be enough room for the stand to fit underneath so that you can drop it down safely without going over the lifting specs.
When you lift a single wheel, focus on that corner only with chocks on the opposite end. If you need to raise the entire front or rear, use the center point listed in the owner’s manual.
The Blackhawk B6350 Fast Lift Service Jack is an excellent choice for smaller vehicles with its 7,000-pound capacity. After raising the car, you’ll have enough space to fit those jack stands underneath.
7. Support the vehicle.
Use jack stands to support your car once the jack has lifted it high enough to fit the product underneath.
- Place the jack stand under the jacking point and adjust the height if you only need to support a single corner.
- Lock it into place with the pawl or pin, depending on the design you’ve used.
- When you need to lift the entire front or rear, place a second jack stand on the other side.
- If the entire vehicle must get raised, you’ll need to focus on all four points.
- Do not use wood blocks, stones, bricks, pavers, or similar products to gain additional height. These items can and will slip! Your best solution is to purchase a product that stands taller.
8. Check each jack stand.
Once you have the jack stand underneath the vehicle at its indicated point, you’ll want to lower the car onto the product. After the weight settles, there should not be any movement.
If you can move the jack stand, you’ll need to raise the corner and move it up a notch.
It also helps to check to see if all the locks are set property before moving to the next part of the lifting project.
After you’ve repeated that step for each jack stand, finish by gently shaking the vehicle. This action confirms that the car is secure. Your jack stands should be planted flat on the ground and unable to move when pressure gets put on them.
Tilted stands can collapse because this product isn’t designed to work at an angle.
9. Get to work!
Once the jack stands are securely in place, you’re ready to get going on your project. Please remember to support your vehicle correctly and inspect the process before rolling underneath the car to do some work.
If you don’t have a mechanic creeper, get one. It’ll make your life much easier when operating underneath the car. Although they come in several styles and designs, the Lisle 92102 is a durable option that delivers a universal fit.
What Are the Best Jack Stands for Putting a Car on Blocks?
Instead of using stones, bricks, or even wooden blocks to support your vehicle, a set of jack stands is an essential investment for your garage. You can use this item for all your DIY jobs on your car.
Although several designs and brands are available today, a handful of products stand out from the rest for their durability, weight tolerance, and consistency.
Here are the best jack stands to consider grabbing if you need to put your car on blocks.
1. Omega Lift Heavy Duty Jack Stands
When you purchase the Omega Lift Heavy Duty Jack Stands, you’ll be getting a pair of stamped steel products with a welded frame that increases its durability. The six-ton design works well for most passenger vehicles, but there is a 12-ton option for trucks, larger SUVs, and other vehicles.
These jack stands meet or exceed the current ANSI and PALD standards. It features a broad pyramid-style base for added strength while delivering stable support. The ratchet bar features cast-iron with multiple positions to handle fast height adjustments. You even receive a double locking pin instead of the typical single for added safety.
2. Big Red Torin Steel Jack Stands
These jack stands are available in two, three, and six-ton formats to support most passenger cars. You can also use them for your UTVs, ATVs, and other recreational vehicles. The saddle has a nice lifting area, while the heavy-duty steel construction and industrial welding delivers an impressive performance.
The Big Red Torin Steel Jack Stands meet today’s ASME safety standards. Consumers receive a one-year warranty from the manufacturer that guarantees the product’s quality.
3. JEGS Jack Stands
This design uses the standard pin for holding the weight of a vehicle instead of the sawtooth and lock option that has become quite popular today. When you have them working as a pair, you’ll get a 22-tone load rating.
With an adjustable height that reaches 19 5/16 inches, you’ll find that this product works well for virtually all cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs.
JEGS Jack Stands are constructed with high-strength steel to deliver a long service life. Instead of using the four-point pyramid-style base, this product sits flat on the ground to create a stable holding surface. You’ll want to be careful when working on asphalt as it can depress into softer materials at its upper weight limits.
Final Thought: Putting a Car on Blocks
Jack stands are better than any blocks you can use for your car. They deliver more stability, prevent damage to your jack, and allow you to work underneath safely. When you raise the vehicle on level ground, you’ll have the best possible experience with this product.
I keep a pair of jack stands in my trunk full-time because you never know what might happen on the road.
It’s a habit I developed after I ended up getting two flats simultaneously during my college years. A bridge joint had managed to come up, and the metal shredded both tires on the passenger side.
While everyone else got to work on their flats, I found myself forced to walk over two miles for emergency roadside assistance. I had a jack, but I couldn’t get enough lift with the stock product since both tires were flat. I needed stands to raise the front, and then the rear.
Although I would have still needed a tow (who carries two spares for a hatchback?), I could have at least gotten one of the wheels swapped.
If you don’t have jack stands to use at home, I highly recommend getting a pair for each vehicle. You never know when they might be needed.