Im buying some jack stands tomorrow...

[jesse977]

Is there a particular brand you guys recommend i get? Im thinking about buying the 3 ton ones from pep boys. Are 3 ton jacks stands good enough for a 74 gmc?
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[spatz]

I bought mine from snap-on many years ago, but anyways I prefer 5 ton especially if lifting all four corners off the ground. my feeling is your trusting your life to these when your under the vehicle. stay safe.

[68gmsee]

Always safer to buy more than you need but I have 3 ton ones similar to the ones you're looking at and have never had any problems. I've only used them on cars, 1/2 ton trucks and suvs.

[prostreetC-10]

All I know is whatever jacks I use, I grad the rig and shake the sheet out of it to make sure it is stable. I also like to run my floor jack under some point because I think I rig falling on your and killing you is a senseless and preventable way to die!

[Gumby]

Like he says ^ shake it, hip check the car, don't depend on one system to hold it up.

Car ramps are very helpful, it gets the car well off the ground, and you then jack it up from there.

You can then also reclock the car ramps, sideways, or backwards, for an additional safety but access room.


I think anyone who doesn't/didn't remembers and used the GM [lean master] bumper jack takes more modern stuff for granted.
it was all anyone had [only the repair shop on the corner had hydrolic jacks the size of a VW] and was always great fun when you put that hook into a rusty bumper slot, you were relieved that it didn't just cut the slot longer or rip the bumper off, when the tire finally starts to come off the ground, the car shifts 2-3in for a nice safety lean, had to then re do it, and pre lean the jack, so when it moved again, it was now straight up and down. I dunno how we survived those days.]

[GASoline71]

I remember changing a U-joint at the slip yoke in a 1971 El Camino, on the shoulder of Interstate 5 just outside of Williams, California. Using one of those "stick it in the slot" bumper jacks to get the job done. Every time a tractor-trailer zoomed by... the car would rock back and forth and the foot of that jack stand would scoot on the pavement! I was 19, in the US Navy, and headed home on leave from San Diego. I'm lucky to still be here after that experience.

Gary

[GRX]

Three ton should be OK. No harm going for fives.

Originally Posted by Gumby

I think anyone who doesn't/didn't remembers and used the GM [lean master] bumper jack takes more modern stuff for granted.
it was all anyone had [only the repair shop on the corner had hydrolic jacks the size of a VW] and was always great fun when you put that hook into a rusty bumper slot, you were relieved that it didn't just cut the slot longer or rip the bumper off, when the tire finally starts to come off the ground, the car shifts 2-3in for a nice safety lean, had to then re do it, and pre lean the jack, so when it moved again, it was now straight up and down. I dunno how we survived those days.]

Remembering jacking up my '69 Pontiac on a hill watching it lean ever backward as I frantically hung the spare before armageddon struck
Nice description of the wonderful world of bumper jacks. Oh how I miss thee .... not!

['68OrangeSunshine]

I bought 2 pairs of 6-Ton jack stands from Harbor Freight. They're pretty cheap if you catch the sales. I need to jack my '71 GMC Jimmy pretty high to get under the transmission/transfer case with a tranny jack to drop the whole assembly.
One time I tried to use a sheep ranchers jack [Hi-Lift] on the front bumper of my '68 C/10 Stepside to lift the front tires out of a rut while off-roading. The front end came up nice, then I pushed the whole truck to the left to get out of the rut, but the tires bounced up and down and it landed in another rut, with a rock punching a hole in the oil pan. My buddy had to hike back to town and wake up a friend with a truck, who came out with 3 quarts of oil and some JB-Weld. It held up for about 6 months until I had to change out the oil pan, as the drain nut was JB-Welded over. Fun times.

[prostreetC-10]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

I remember changing a U-joint at the slip yoke

......and I actually have a picture of that!!!!

[midniteblues]

the best stands I've ever used were my uncles steel wheels although not adustable they are all the same height. he has a rim flat on the ground and one standing vertical and extremely braced and welded too it. the dip in the rim between the two beads let just about any frame sit in there securly and they give a great highth he has heavy angled iron frames with metal wheels he can sit them on and has old seatbelts welded to the angle that go up over the frame too be able to cinch everything down he can roll cars in and out of the garage or the driveway with them I cant tell you how many tri fives been on those stands over the years but i would surely say there safe.

when I'm under with my hf stands( i have 6 of the smaller ones and six of the larger ones) i either keep the jack under or use another stand very near where I'm working even with one under each corner of the vehicle theres allways one under with me right next too me or very close

[rchavez101]

One of the best sets of jack stands that I bought were from Harbor freight. I know some will think they sell junk but the jack stands are just as good as the next ones. They are 6 ton and are top notch quality.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-ton-j...set-38847.html

I agree with prostreetc-10 as far as put the jack under just as another safety point of holding up the truck. I use two jacks one in the front and the other in the rear. You can never be to safe.

[brap999]

Originally Posted by prostreetC-10

......and I actually have a picture of that!!!!

Looks safe to me. I wonder though, how did he plan on getting the truck back down? Kicking the boards or what ever they are out from under the truck?

By the way, I have 3 ton jack stands from Advanced Auto I use, and I always leave a jack under the truck as well as backup 'just in case'.

I also have home made ramps made of boards laid one on top of the other. I drive up on them when I need to get under the front half of the truck. I then block the rear wheels up and engage the parking break to make sure the truck can't roll backwards.

I feel safer under the truck using the ramp because it can't collapse on me like a failed jack or jackstand can.

[ETsC10]

I would think the 3-ton would do for starters if you follow some of the back-
up safety measures mentioned here. If you were doing a lot of work under
the truck, I would think you would be happier with 5 or 6 ton for the added
strength plus height they afford (gives you a lot more room to work under
the truck). They are also more stable due to the wider footprint on the
ground. I have six of the HF 6-ton and they seem well made.

The thing I don’t like about my bigger stands is that I have to jack the truck
so high to get them under the frame plus, when I’m also working under the
hood, I have to use a ladder to reach things (I’m 5’2).

brap999's ramps sound like a very good idea too.