car jack/stand question

[animescreen]

((((I hope to get several different inputs so i can feel more safe and secure as going under a car is pretty scary!)))))
So i have questions regarding using my 3ton jack lift, 4 jackstands and tire stopper to safely and succesffully lift my car and be held by 4 jack stands so i can paint my brake calipers... Or also clean the wheel wells and remove my rims to fully clean them...

This is currently how I do it..(in my garage where its flat so no need for tire stops but i still put it in back)

Find the lift point in my car (front left tire), lift it, . put a jack stand under it... then do the same for the (right tire).. Then back left tire, and finally do the back right tire.. So questions i have are.

1. Is this ok and safe way to lift my car and be held by the jackstand?

2. How high should i have my car lifted and be held by jackstand as it's resizable..
(i'm afraid of lifting it higher then the minimum as it seems like it will slide and i get crushed etc...)

3. How long can i have the car sitting in this position with all 4 jackstands lifting the car... The G2 caliper paint im doing says it needs to dry 24 hours.

4. When i lift the car on each side.. i hear cracking or screaching sound that scares that crap out of me and seems like im breaking something... is this normal and is just shocks etc... (i am putting the lift in right area and jackstand as well...)... I never lifted all 4 tires before because of this scary sound but i will have to .... I always feel something will snap and my car will just collapse.

5. After putting my wheels back.. which jackstand should i remove first, second etc...

6. And finally i'm assuming that when lowering the car with my lift.... i should do gradual lower intsead of instantly correct?

 

[Blackthorn One]

1: Jack the car up from the front or the back, and put two jack stands in two secure places under the front and rear of the car, as far to the outside of the car as possible while still being a strong and stable place. Then jack up the rear or front, depending upon whether you started with the front or rear, and put those stands under the car in a like manner at the front or rear corners.
It is safe to lift your car this way, and using jack stands is the only safe way to keep a car off the ground other than a hydraulic lift, like the kind in garages. If you put the jack stands under the car correctly, in secure locations, you will be fine.

2: The jack stands have a maximum lift point, according to the notches. You can safely use the notch that lifts the car highest, provided that they are well made stands. They are MADE to go that high. That is why the notch is there. You don't need to keep it on the "lowest" notch.

3: You can leave a car on stands for weeks or months, some people have their cars on stands for years. The stands should be able to support the weight of the car about as well as the wheels and tires can... unless there is an earthquake.. then all bets are off.

4: The creaking is completely normal. It is most likely the suspension. It is more the springs creaking than the shocks.

5: I suggest you take out the stands in the same order you put them under the car. Both fronts or both rears first, and then the other end, jacking up the appropriate end.

5: DEFINITELY lower the car down gradually. ALWAYS do this. It doesn't have to be at a snails pace. If it takes at least 2 full seconds to lower the car, then you have done no wrong. I prefer 4 seconds, just to be extra gentle, to make sure nothing taps the pavement.

 

[animescreen]

1: Jack the car up from the front or the back, and put two jack stands in two secure places under the front and rear of the car, as far to the outside of the car as possible while still being a strong and stable place. Then jack up the rear or front, depending upon whether you started with the front or rear, and put those stands under the car in a like manner at the front or rear corners.
It is safe to lift your car this way, and using jack stands is the only safe way to keep a car off the ground other than a hydraulic lift, like the kind in garages. If you put the jack stands under the car correctly, in secure locations, you will be fine.

2: The jack stands have a maximum lift point, according to the notches. You can safely use the notch that lifts the car highest, provided that they are well made stands. They are MADE to go that high. That is why the notch is there. You don't need to keep it on the "lowest" notch.

3: You can leave a car on stands for weeks or months, some people have their cars on stands for years. The stands should be able to support the weight of the car about as well as the wheels and tires can... unless there is an earthquake.. then all bets are off.

4: The creaking is completely normal. It is most likely the suspension. It is more the springs creaking than the shocks.

5: I suggest you take out the stands in the same order you put them under the car. Both fronts or both rears first, and then the other end, jacking up the appropriate end.

5: DEFINITELY lower the car down gradually. ALWAYS do this. It doesn't have to be at a snails pace. If it takes at least 2 full seconds to lower the car, then you have done no wrong. I prefer 4 seconds, just to be extra gentle, to make sure nothing taps the pavement.

You said that it's ok to go up notches in the jackstand as they were made for that.. but what's scary is that when i'm just tinkering with the jackstand and raise it without anything on top of it... i just release the lever and BAM it falls down to the original size... should i not worry cause more weight that's on top of it.. it's impossible to have human hands to release the lever... and only can release when no pressure is there?.... i just don't like metal slamming sound and imagine being crushed inside the car..

 

[OGauge4Me]

I did the G2 on my car and it was up on jack stands for 30 hours with no problems. You will like the G2 paint. It looks nice and lasts a long time.

 

[animescreen]

I did the G2 on my car and it was up on jack stands for 30 hours with no problems. You will like the G2 paint. It looks nice and lasts a long time.

how high did you have the car jacked up too? ever nervous the car would somehow tip over and crash?

 

[Blackthorn One]

You said that it's ok to go up notches in the jackstand as they were made for that.. but what's scary is that when i'm just tinkering with the jackstand and raise it without anything on top of it... i just release the lever and BAM it falls down to the original size... should i not worry cause more weight that's on top of it.. it's impossible to have human hands to release the lever... and only can release when no pressure is there?.... i just don't like metal slamming sound and imagine being crushed inside the car..

The stands are designed so that when you lift the lever, the stand collapses. You would have to be REALLY strong and exert a LOT of effort to release that lever when it has the weight of the car on it. Try pushing down on the stand and then try to lift on the lever and you will see what I mean. As long as there is enough force pushing DOWN on the stand, you will not be able to release the lever. It's safe.

 

[animescreen]

The stands are designed so that when you lift the lever, the stand collapses. You would have to be REALLY strong and exert a LOT of effort to release that lever when it has the weight of the car on it. Try pushing down on the stand and then try to lift on the lever and you will see what I mean. As long as there is enough force pushing DOWN on the stand, you will not be able to release the lever. It's safe.

good assurance quote thank you... i can concentrate on modding my car now!!

 

[Blackthorn One]

how high did you have the car jacked up too? ever nervous the car would somehow tip over and crash?

We have had a car on stands around here for months with no problems. As long as the car is on level enough, and stable enough ground, and you put the stands under parts of the car that are strong and stable enough, and the stands are properly distributing the weight of the car, it will be stable enough to be up there for months or years, or decades. Again, if they are quality stands that are rated for the amount of weight that you are putting on them, they will be fine. Yes, jack stands are rated for weight. It often says so on the stand. Each stand does not have to be strong enough to support the entire weight of the car individually in order to be safe. If each stand supports one quarter of the weight safely and each stand is supporting one corner of the car, that would be safe enough. Often, a stand is designed to support half the weight of a car by itself, as far as strength, but not as far as stability, because you would need two stands to make it stable, when holding up one side of the car.

 

[animescreen]

We have had a car on stands around here for months with no problems. As long as the car is on level enough, and stable enough ground, and you put the stands under parts of the car that are strong and stable enough, and the stands are properly distributing the weight of the car, it will be stable enough to be up there for months or years, or decades. Again, if they are quality stands that are rated for the amount of weight that you are putting on them, they will be fine. Yes, jack stands are rated for weight. It often says so on the stand. Each stand does not have to be strong enough to support the entire weight of the car individually in order to be safe. If each stand supports one quarter of the weight safely and each stand is supporting one corner of the car, that would be safe enough. Often, a stand is designed to support half the weight of a car by itself, as far as strength, but not as far as stability, because you would need two stands to make it stable, when holding up one side of the car.

so its normal for 4 jackstands to be on the car at middle or high range of the stands? 4 should be maximum?

 

[rohnramirez]

Just to add on how to remove the wheels. You would want to lightly loosen the bolts of the wheels before you jack it up. So you do not need much force when you remove them when they're on the stands.

 

[Blackthorn One]

so its normal for 4 jackstands to be on the car at middle or high range of the stands? 4 should be maximum?

You set the stands as high as you need. No need to set them higher than that. It makes it a little easier to get the jack under the side of the car you haven't jacked up yet when you have the stands set lower. In fact, sometimes, in order to get a car jacked up to the highest height of the stands, you must first jack up one end of the car and set the stands at halfway, and then jack up the other side all the way, and then go back to the first side and jack it up all the way. Well, actually, just maybe one or two notches at a time. This is because sometimes if you have one end jacked up all the way, the bumper on the other end of the car is so close to the ground that you cannot get the jack under that end of the car.
You could put more than 4 jack stands under the car in theory, but it would be unnecessary.
For your project of painting calipers, I don't see much need of jacking up the car more than the minimum notch or the next one higher, but then, I don't know how low your car is. Most stands are strong enough to hold about any car, but a two ton Cadillac or a big truck would need heavy duty stands.

 

[animescreen]

Just to add on how to remove the wheels. You would want to lightly loosen the bolts of the wheels before you jack it up. So you do not need much force when you remove them when they're on the stands.

ok great tip... so i can actually loosen the tire without jacking it up? wouldn't it bend or wreck the threads? i think i need to put it on first gear too so it doesnt move...

since we are in topic of tire removal.. when i put it back on.. do i need an extra hand or one person can do this.. and when i tighten the bolts.. should i do light tighten on all bolts then just start tightening them individually ?

 

[Blackthorn One]

Just to add on how to remove the wheels. You would want to lightly loosen the bolts of the wheels before you jack it up. So you do not need much force when you remove them when they're on the stands.

I agree. I always break the lugs loose before jacking up a car I am going to remove the wheels from. Just enough to break them loose from being torqued down. No more. That is about a 1/8 turn of the lug wrench.

 

[animescreen]

You set the stands as high as you need. No need to set them higher than that. It makes it a little easier to get the jack under the side of the car you haven't jacked up yet when you have the stands set lower. In fact, sometimes, in order to get a car jacked up to the highest height of the stands, you must first jack up one end of the car and set the stands at halfway, and then jack up the other side all the way, and then go back to the first side and jack it up all the way. Well, actually, just maybe one or two notches at a time. This is because sometimes if you have one end jacked up all the way, the bumper on the other end of the car is so close to the ground that you cannot get the jack under that end of the car.
You could put more than 4 jack stands under the car in theory, but it would be unnecessary.
For your project of painting calipers, I don't see much need of jacking up the car more than the minimum notch or the next one higher, but then, I don't know how low your car is. Most stands are strong enough to hold about any car, but a two ton Cadillac or a big truck would need heavy duty stands.

Great tip.. i was picturing that jacking up the front really high would tilt it and doing the back would be quite hard as the springs are being pushed downwards... i will do min. lift on front and back do min.. then go back do bit higher then same with back.. thank god i have a good floor jack this time.. i had to use emergency small hand crank type awhile back and that was crazy... you mentioned that it won't be needed for caliper painting obviously makes sense.. but i will be tightening my exhaust also and using a creeper to get inside.. i'm almost terrified cause the creeper will make it thicker and if the car falls i'm toast... but im gonna take very precaution so the stands will be in it's place (i have 2 ton version .. maybe even 3ton.. and my car is not caddilac but a mazda3 hatchback .. so im guessing maybe thats not too heavy for a 2 ton?

 

[Blackthorn One]

ok great tip... so i can actually loosen the tire without jacking it up? wouldn't it bend or wreck the threads? i think i need to put it on first gear too so it doesnt move...

since we are in topic of tire removal.. when i put it back on.. do i need an extra hand or one person can do this.. and when i tighten the bolts.. should i do light tighten on all bolts then just start tightening them individually ?

Good question. One person CAN put the wheel back on, but if you have any doubts, you can get an extra hand. Sometimes the weight of a wheel and tire can be difficult to handle in the somewhat awkward position of your arms in putting a wheel back on. Otherwise, you might accidentally scuff the inside of your wheel. If you are strong enough, no problem. Just make sure to line up the lug pattern of the wheel with the lug pattern of the lugs before you lift up the wheel to put it back on, so as to ensure that you don't do any unnecessary fumbling when trying to get the wheel back on.
As far as tightening, first put all of the lugs on with your hands as far as you can do easily, or once you get them started properly, you can take the socket and socket extender off of your wrench and use it to spin your lugs on faster by hand. After you do this, you tighten them down, starting at any lug, and then trying to tighten the one on the opposite end of the clock position, and repeat until all of the lugs are tightened. Then, you go over each lug again, and make absolutely sure they are each torqued down securely. Often, when you tighten down lugs, as you draw the wheel closer to the hub because of your tightening, you will find that some of the lugs you already tightened that seemed tight before, are now loose, because you tightened down the other lugs.
VERY important to make sure all of the lugs are torqued. 70 foot pounds of torque should do it.

 

[Blackthorn One]

Great tip.. i was picturing that jacking up the front really high would tilt it and doing the back would be quite hard as the springs are being pushed downwards... i will do min. lift on front and back do min.. then go back do bit higher then same with back.. thank god i have a good floor jack this time.. i had to use emergency small hand crank type awhile back and that was crazy... you mentioned that it won't be needed for caliper painting obviously makes sense.. but i will be tightening my exhaust also and using a creeper to get inside.. i'm almost terrified cause the creeper will make it thicker and if the car falls i'm toast... but im gonna take very precaution so the stands will be in it's place (i have 2 ton version .. maybe even 3ton.. and my car is not caddilac but a mazda3 hatchback .. so im guessing maybe thats not too heavy for a 2 ton?

A two ton jack stand is MORE than sufficient for a Mazda 3 hatchback. I am completely confident.