944turbite

Is there any safe way to put a car up on four jack stands?

I'm ultimately paranoid about crawling under a car.
Is there some way to 'fasten' the car so that you dont have to worry about the whole car shifting while on top of the stands?

My only other option is too look for a portable lift... which is a bit too expensive for by blood.

ringo951

I just jack up one side from the center jack point. The little arrow under the middle of the door. When it is jacked up all the way I put a jack stand on the stand point behind front and back wheels. Then I go to the other side jack up from the center jack point again and place jack stands on the same points on that side. Once it is all jacked up and on 4 stands it is real steady. Never good to be under there while no one is home though, just to be on the safe side.

944turbite

hmmm.. so you put it up on six stands?

are these any good?
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2410971930&category=35000" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2410971930&category=35000</a>

RJP 951

I had mine up on four stands this weekend and it was very stable. For stand points, in the rear I used the big round tubes (not sure what they're called but are related to torsion bars) in front of the wheels, and in the front the sub-frame just behind the a-arms.

Since I was bleeding the brakes and had the wheels off, I threw them under the car just to have something else to "catch it" if it were to fall.

I'm fairly paranoid about this myself, but plan to change motor mounts this weekend and figured I better get used to the idea of crawling around under there for an extended period.

Ron

Perry 951

Use the rearmost jack points (behind rear wheel by the bumper) and the front ones (behind front tire). Bring it up 1 notch on the jacks at a time or you will tip it over.

Once up, solid as a rock.

Dave E

I second what Perry says, use two or three stops per side on the way up, trying to jack one side up while the other is already 19" in the air is a recipe for expensive damage to you or your car. I always put a little something extra under there to catch the car just in case, like wheels etc...

944turbite

Thanks guys...

I'll try it out, I guess I'm just a little paranoid
I like the idea of having the wheels under it just in case. I'll do that too...

just too ease the paranoi <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

JDeitz951

I use the square ratchet-type welded jackstands, with a thin square of plywood (3/8 x 2 x 4) on top to cushion the saddles. I jack one side up on the center jack point, all the way up (18-20 inches), place front stand (4th ratchet up) on frame rail behind rear control arm mount, place rear jack stand (first ratchet up) on torsion bar support just in front of T-bar. Then I do the same thing on the other side. Once it's up I tap all four stands to find the one that rings (that one is unloaded, there's always one), jack it up a bit and shim that one until they're all solid.

Once it's secure and fairly level on 4 solid points, it's a rock and never going anywhere. I've done it many times with a few different cars, even for several months, and spent many (too many) hours under there. I feel much safer working under a car on 4 stands, not depending on any wheels to keep it in one place. With practice, now I can get it up (?) in 15 minutes. Just use your eyes, ears and brain to make sure you do it right!

Luke

mines on 4 right now.... for the past 3 days.. I"ve had the car on 4 for over a month... just make sure all the feet are touching and it does'nt sound like it's slipping n/e where. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

OZ951

I've never had a problem lifting the car up onto the jackstands but I did have one jackstand start to lean over (rear end moved sideways slightly)whilst I was lowering the car one day. That was using the incremental approach to raising (and lowering). So just take it easy and watch what is going on. I always look at the jackstands when I am raising or lowering the car just to make sure they are all solid. Having said that my car is up on all 4 stands regularly so i can work on it.

johne

I also have 4 old VW steel wheels laying around so I put one under each wheel that is on the car so that if it fell I would have ~1.5 feet of ohh **** room instead of 5 inches.

Matthew West

Can someone please post a picture of the rear most points that Perry describes.

Thanks!

wjk_glynn

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by 944turbite:
<strong>I'm ultimately paranoid about crawling under a car.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">It gives me the ******* as well. In fact, its one of the big reasons I've pay someone to do the work for me.

Karl.

Mike B

I had mine on four jackstands for about 6 months...No problem...I tried to push it off before I got intimate with the "underside" as I didn't want to be a page 5 story...Solid as a rock...I have 4 - 6 ton jackstands by the way...Bigger base, etc...

Luis de Prat

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Matthew West:
<strong>Can someone please post a picture of the rear most points that Perry describes.

Thanks!</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Ditto!