In lieu of jack stands

[1972zed]

I am about to replace my clutch. was going to buy jack stands but to be perfectly honest i dont trust them. but I have never really used them.

What I have done, is laid 4 rims flat on the garage floor and jacked up the car and put them under the wheels. Then lowered the car onto the rims. Is this safe? anybody do this ever?

[PrOxLaMuS©]

umm... you have the car's wheels and tires sitting on the spare rims?!

Or you have the CHASSIS on the rims?!

[1972zed]

wheels and tires. I know what you are thinking the car could roll off the rims.

[montoya_fan01]

jack stands are like anything involved in working on machinery........they are only as safe as the care used and the common sense of the user. Be careful and you'd be fine.

How many people use jackstands vs the # of people using rims laid flat on the floor?

Not that there is anything "wrong" with using rims laid flat, but you can't do much suspension/brake work to the car if you have to keep the car's tires/wheels installed to place on top of rims laid flat on the floor as support.

[CoastGuardZ]

Dude - Jack stands are perfectly safe when used properly and they are meant to hold the car up. Buy a quality set of jack stands and you'll have them around forever. If your worried about them buy the 3 - 3 1/2 ton set. They will more than adequately support the light weight Z.

Good Luck,

Nate

[webdawg1]

Do you have a "Death Wish" or something??? I'd would trust heavy duty jacks stands under the car...any day of the week, compared to the car placed on the rims!!!. You may want to invest in some heavy duty jack stands and be done with it...

webdawg1

[Ed]

Get some jack stands, place them under the frame rails directly behind the T/C rod. Use a small piece of wood between the stand and the rail to prevent any damage to the rail.

[zhead240]

how about jack stands and square timber for back up.

[AChev]

I used to think exactly like you 1972Zed, but eventually I came around to the safety of jack stands. For a while I would use 2 sets, right side by side of each other just for good measure, like when I was working in the garage by myself. Eventually I came around to realize how study they actually are and returned to the normal use of 1 instead of 2 side by side. When I set the car on jack stands I always give it a good jostle, just to make sure it is on the stands nice and well, because I'd rather have the car fall of the stands then rather then when I am under it!

[zman525]

I think i trust jack stands a little more than i should ,, Whenever i use them i give the car a vigorous shake like schevets said ESPECIALLY when im working alone. Another thing u can buy is those ramps u just drive up on. Those got me a little sketched out but i got used to em ( not to mention they are 50 years old) and bought another set so i could drive the front onto the ramps and then jack up the rear and put the other ramps under the tires. The ramps are usually easier to work with if ur just doing front end or rear end work, and i find em easier to use than jacks even if ur lifiting off both ends. If ur not sure about using them then buy heavier duty ones that have more support (i think they can hold like 9000lbs or sometihng like that) Anyways off my rant... If ur sketched out buy heavier duty ones,use caution, be smart, and always test the stands before u go sticking your head under there. You can put a price on parts but not ur life.

[st0878]

Harbor Frieght rocks!

[auxilary]

you guys forget... what are the chances of 2 of 4 jackstands failing at the same time? even better, what are the chances of 2 of the 4 failing JUST in the front or JUST the rear, or both on one side?

Very slim. Why am I pointing this out? because even if ONE jackstand fails, the car will still be held up by the other 3. Even if the jackstand latch mechanism fails, the car will only travel down as far as the base of the jackstand, which is usually half its height.