Mark Lue

Jacking up a vehicle is dangerous properly placed Jack stands are the best and safest way to support a vehicle when using floor jack. No matter how expensive the floor jack the one fact that is for sure is that the entire weight is being supported by o rings that cost only a few cents to produce and have being know to fail.

I devised this solution to support my floor jack(s) in case they fail or leak down. Use the following instruction at your own risk, and with safety in mind at all times. I properly place the jack to securely make contact with the lift point of the vehicle, jack up the vehicle to the desired height, I then place a 5 ton "screw type" support jack within the frame of the floor jack, then rotate/adjust the screw mechanism to extend it until it supports the jack pad of my floor jack (see pic). You will have to experiment with your floor jack and jack to determine the maximum height that the screw type jack will safely support.

You can find the 5 Ton Support Jack (screw type) at Princess Auto.

EDIT: This solution is not meant to replace Jack Stands, please keep using them.

69gaugeman

While inherently safer than just a jack, it doesn't resolve the stability issue of the small footprint.

911 Rod

It also leaves itself open for someone kicking the jack and knocking the whole mess over.
The proper way is to have a jacking point and a point to put your jack stand on. You can leave the jack there if you want.

Turbodan

reminder to torque the bolts on your floor jack at least once a year. I recall a few years ago the bolts were loose when I did this. Be safe guys.

Mark Lue

This solution is not to replace jack stands (keep using your jack stands) it is meant to support the hydraulics of floor jack in event of a O-ring failure or leak down. This is particular important at this time of the year, it's not uncommon to experience leaky floor jacks after a long hard winter.

Try it then make up your mind.

911 Rod

But Mark this goes against the first rule of jacks. Never work under a car with one.

Imo000

I had an aluminium jack just like yours (Princess Auto), one day the end that has that big roller snapped in half when the car shifted. I think it was under designed with only a single piston to lift the rated capacity, the lift bar would bend and I would have to put all my weight on it to lift a corner of a pick up truck.

This is a good idea by the way Mark but I just throw a tire/rim (usually comes off the car I work on) under the rocker of a car as a secondary measure and always use a jack stand.

Mark Lue

I throw one under the car as well but make no mistake I always use jack stands, have three sets 2.5 ton, 3 ton and 6 ton plus four 5 ton support jacks. I guess I'm a paranoid nillie thats why I'm always looking for a safer solution.

The 5 Ton Support Jack work pretty much all the floor jacks, because of the small foot print it will fit within the frame of the floor jack and not interfere with the hydraulic ram. Here is a pic with my 3.5 Ton Michelin floor jack, this solution is not ideal for this jack as the 5 ton support jack is supporting the jack pad via a bar but should the O ring fail the jack should not collapse.

BTW This solution solution was well received on the Golf forum, when you lift the rear of the Golf/GTI at the rear jack point there is no recommended 'hard spot" to place a jack stand and the pinch welds bend very easily.