How do you support your truck when you are working on it?

[gferris5]

Hey after checking out BigMike's sketchy pics of how he was holding up his truck, I wanted to ask the board users what they think is the safest way to hold up a lifted rig while working on the suspension--Right, a hydraulic lift, okay--but seriously, what tricks do you guys use? I've used stacks of wood mostly, but that really doesn't feel very safe. Does anyone have a cool trick or ingenious idea? I've thought about gettting some oak rounds to use under my jack stands--heavy and cumbersome but safe.  My trucks frame is at 27 inches, so I've never heard  of any super jack stands that can get that high. Have you? OOOh, pics would be awesome.  Talk about a boring but important thread, I've seen some pretty hairball means of holding a truck up.  Rock Starr and I were getting parts off an old toy that was supported by a 55 gallon drum when it tipped over, nobody was hurt, but that could have been some serious bad news.  Okay, input...

[dirtbag]

I *TRY* to do most of the work @ my Gpa's house, I use his drive-up ramps, his 2 5-ton floor jacks with nice reach, etc. or sometimes, the tractor.

[gferris5]

I once got myself in enough of a bind that I had to use a 2-ton cherry picker to lift up the back of my truck so I could get everything situated underneath it.  It actually worked really well, but that seems really risky and stupid to use for something like a leaf spring or axle swap.

How high do the jackstands reach?

[BUBBA]

I know it's not safe but i use logs cut to about 2ft lengths and stack some boards on top if i need it.
One of these days  :bricks:just hope im not under it.

[MiniSimp]

I use a Hi-Lift jack on the rock rails with a couple of tires under it.

[whiteman]

Generally I get some buddie's to do the wrenching while I lay under the front or rear bumper and bench press it!   

[gferris5]

wow, impressive. Your name doesn't happen to be Jack does it? haha, okay bad joke

I'd never get under my truck while it was supported by a hilift--does that actually work alright?

[MiniSimp]

Hasn't fallen yet.
But then again that is only when doing the suspension, and I always put jackstands under the chassis also.

[Hyena]

High lifts are safe as long as they don't tip over, or fall off.  I ussually use wood or bricks to support my truck.  I have used a highlift (sometimes 2) if i need it high.  I had to use my highlift to replace a tire i blew at prarie city.  We have used pieces of 2x4 or 2 x6 under a jack to give it a little more height.

[No Power]

I used a hi-lift jack and just told my wife to watch it and let me know if it was getting wobbly.
About the time my truck hit the ground she says oh dear I think the jacky thing is getting wobbly.
I am very glad I had already moved out from under the truck
Lesson here is if you do use a hi-lift don't ask your wife to watch the jacky thing

[UNBREAKABLE]

I used to use cinder blocks.....now I've got a lift

[BLACKDOG]

engine hoist.  Wrap the chains, and lift it up.  Seems to be safe, the weakest point will usually be the hydraulic cylinder, and that usually wont fail instantaneously, but slowly.  (amazing I say that when I had one fail instantaneously on me when I did my engine swap )

[BUBBA]

I used to use cinder blocks.....now I've got a lift

you suck











j/k one of these days when i get my shop built i'll get one.

[gferris5]

My experience using hi-lifts to work on my truck has been sketchy at best...it was funny when someone said, "They're safe as long as they don't tip over or fall off..." Well, yeah.  It's funny this topic doesn't have a wide consensus of how to do it safely.  I'd never use cinder blocks either, those things just crumble.  I guess the consensus would be what Unbreakable has: get a lift. Does anybody know of a manufacturer that makes really tall jackstands? Could be a good market to get into...risky though if your product fails.

[notajeep]

Snap makes really tall jackstands.  $$$ though.

[yotaboy79]

i think my napa jack stands go up to 27-30  inches somthing like that.. i plan on modifiying the base to raise them up so basicaly it will have blockes bult into it but for now i just set the jack stand on on two 6x6 posts laying on there side they where like 50 or 60 bucks for a set of two the idiot at gi jose sead he had a jack stand that would go up to that would go up to 40 inches so i drive over there and take a look the moron was talking about a hi lift  :bull crap: i should of baught it and nocked my truck over and sewed them for geving me bad advice teach him a lesson

[Skinny_Pedal]

jackstands with 6x6wood blocks under them. big ass racecar jack that usually needs 2 of those 6x6 blocks to raise here up. i dont like to risk my life, i like jackstands

[reklund5]

I use my lift at work 

At home, I've got some cheapo harbor freight jackstands welded to some old steel wheels I had lying around.  They're heavy as hell but are sturdy and raised the Jackstands almost 7"

Ryan

[Huhwhye]

I got tall jackstands at Sears.  Not the tallest I've seen but weren't too much money.

[TrackVino]

Harbor Freight makes some decent jack stands for about 20 bucks a pair. If I have to lift the frame up, I sometimes uses old rims, stack two on their side, then put a 2x6 across, then put a jack stand on top. Then I use a bottle jack on top of a 4x4 to lift the truck little at a time, making sure I lift the jack stand at the same time. If the bottle jack fails, it will only fall about 1 to 2 inches.

I then shake the truck and make sure it is safe. It usually is, because nothing moves, the rims are solid aluminum, and you know there not going to crumble like cinder blocks. The weakest point would be the jack stand, so make sure you use a good one, or two.

Again, not the safest, but if you have the money to buy a hydraulic lift, then you probably do this for a living and have the money too.

[79coyotefrg]

i have a set off really tall, and wide jack stands  about 10 inch square at the bottom and about 16 inches high  at the lowest point,   they came with a tall floor jack that was a promo deal from petersens 4wheel offroad magazine

[KYOTA]

Jack stands!! I see a lot of posts of people using engine hoists, hi-lifts, tractors etc to hold it up but you have to have support underneath! it only take a split second for the chaint to break on the hoist or the hydraulics to fail on the tractor or hoist or for the hi-lift to let go. Your not that fast. Do it right people, jackstands are cheap insurance for your life or limb.

[Makman]

Take a look at the proper lifting practice of a truck to do a little exhaust work.  Cheap, effective, and absolutely insane.

KYOTA is right about the jack stands.  Nobody here wants to be the next Darwin winner lying under the truck they were working on.

If you can't find jack stands tall enough to reach the frame, all you need to do is get something stable to put the stand on for the extra height.  The taller you get, the more width you need at the base to maintain adequate stability...just like a lifted truck.  Ideally, you might look at fabricating a taller base that will bolt or weld to the stand eliminating the possibilty of ejecting an intermediate component of the support (see stacked blocks concerns on cheap rear lift kits) while pulling on your 3 foot cheater bar to break that stubborn suspension bolt loose.  If you do need to block your stands, a tall block with a wide footprint and the jack stand at its lower adjustment is better than a shorter block with the jack stand fully extended.  Better to use the jack stand as far from it's least stable condition as possible.

Another thing that can help are wheel chocks.  If you only have one end up in the air, preventing the opposite end from rolling or twisting will add stability to the system and reduce the potential tipping load on the stands.  You can use your E-brake for the rear but I wouldn't want to rely on it since a drum brake doesn't set very well in reverse...I learned this one the hard way and had a hell of a bruise where the hi-lift clipped me in the leg when it came out.    A line-lok could also work but it has the same safety concerns as any hydraulic system in that it can bleed down or let go in an instant.

[KYOTA]

Is his name Lucky? not only is he under that contraption but it looks like hes welding on the tank - HO LEE 

[Makman]

Is his name Lucky? not only is he under that contraption but it looks like hes welding on the tank - HO LEE

I'm not sure who the guy under the truck is but apparently this is a more widely accepted practice than I would have expected.  Not 2 months ago, I personally saw a guy do the same thing under a car near where I work.  Only he had more    within arms reach and eventually must have gotten spooked because he latched his SUV onto it with a chain as a "safety" strap.  So much better.

[WHITE_TRASH]

Ive got a set of jackstands that are 31" high at their highest position.  I have no idea what brand they are but they came from the *cough* military...  Nice and burly, they are rated for 5 ton.  I use my cherry picker to raise the rear of trucks all the time.  I just block the front tires and connect the chain to the reciever hitch.  Ive yet to have any issues with that setup.  Now using a hi-lift onthe other hand.....

[FATB0Y]

when I had my mud truck I would put 4 spares on it ya know the little doughnuts and then yse a regular floor jack and jackstands  worked for me 
As soon as I started reading this thread I thought of the dude w/the bord under the truck welding on the gas tank

[toybuilt]

I use a flour jack and some jack stands that I made taller than normal.

[stomper]

A buddy of mine had a couple 15X10" rim with a plate welded to the top and brackets to hold heavy duty jack stands. The plate was 3/8 thick and the angle to hold the stands was 3X3X1/4". His junk was about as strong or stronger than concrete.

[kyle_22r]

a buddy of mine used a bunch of 2x12s laying with the wide side pointing up and glued together to make sort of a square 12" high by 12" wide and steel plates fastened to all 4 sides.  then he'd put his jack stands on top.