Best Jack Stands

[Lewis Ledyard]

What are the best jack stands available? The ACs that Wayne sells on this site look great. Do people have any other favorites?

[89911]

As long as they weight load doesn't exceeds the amount of actual weight being used (4 3 ton jacks holding up a 3000lb car) I wouldn't worry. And I bet 98% of them are made in China, so brands (Craftsman, Alltrade, etc) most likely have little differences.

[MOMO3.2]

FWIW, I bought some jackstands from Harbour Freight that have something like a 6,000 pound limit. They are huge. I am too lazy to go check for you, but they adjust to a height well beyond any "standard" car jackstands I have ever seen. They are blue. I paid $24.00 a piece and they are well, WELL worth the money.

I felt fine about paying that much, especially after I picked up a torque wrench for $9.00 that works every bit as well as my new Carftsman that was $60+.

Mike

[masraum]

I know someone who has the AC stands that Wayne sells, and the first time I saw them I thought, "Wow, now THOSE are jack stands!!" That was before Wayne was selling them.

[Early_S_Man]

There are still high-quality, American-made jack stands available, but you have to go to a real auto parts store/machine shop -- not a chain store -- to find them, and $60 - $80 is the going price for a pair of the 4 - 6 ton variety you need with 29" lift to pull the engine & transaxle. Mine are over 25-years old, and still very confidence-inspiring ... to hear the "clunk" of the mechanism releasing the latch!

[chuckw951]

I inherited a set of Snap-on jackstands. They are tough stuff. The stand part has a half-moon shape cut into them...perfect fit for the rear torsion bars.

[Grady Clay]

I have several 5-ton jack stands that I got from W.W. Grainger some 35 years ago. Original paint, no rust, no crashes in 35 years of 911 service. Part number 2Z584. I just went to the Grainger site and they list similar stands currently. Mine are 11” on the side of the base, 16” tall in the closed position, and 25” extended. Each weighs 16#. Never get anything smaller.

Some additions I would recommend are:
Make 3/4” plywood bases for the stands to sit on if you have a nicely finished shop floor or have tile.
Make hardwood pieces that fit the top of the stand and fit the parts of the car you want to support. Ribbed neoprene works well to prevent scratches and slippage.
These have sharp corners to the base and will sink 1/4” into asphalt on a hot day. The welded cross braces prevent them from sinking into gravel more than 1/4”.

I also like to support the car on the torsion bar extension of the spring plate in the rear and the A-arms in front. These also have the half-moon in the stand and 3/8” lips at each end. I always leave the hydraulic jacks strategically placed to protect in case something might slip. I have a friend who built two 18x18x18 wood cubes as safety in case the jack stands tip or somehow fail.

There are several aftermarket manufacturers that make an adaptor to go in the jack-point for a hydraulic jack.

Four good jack stands make an acceptable engine stand when working on the clutch, tensioners, cam timing or valve adjustment.

I have some nice soft pine (disposable) pieces for the hydraulic jacks (Grainger 1-1/2 ton, 3Z353 of the same vintage) that fit the transmission mount and the engine mount.

Note that CHUCKW951 has put chucks in front of the front tire(s). I recommend chucks on both F & R of the tires. The car can tip rearward when pulling the engine.

As light weight as 911s are, it is detrimental to your bod if it falls on you. Of course the most important thing is to not damage the 911! Careful does it.

Best,
Grady

[Oldporsche]

Please pay attention to what Grady says.

He has been at this a while! He knows!

BTW Grady, I have one of your original shop posters!

David Duffield

[Grady Clay]

Dave, Which one? A few years ago I found an unopened packet of the last one – the coulage of Porsche types. E-mail me.

When Rennenhaus started it had 4 floor jacks, a bunch of jack stands, and one mechanic. That was 17 years of great fun and I now miss not having the 25,000 sf shop, dyno, lifts, heat, A/C, washers, etc. The good news is we never had an accident, even with 19 employees! As the saying goes “Safety Is No Accident.”

The kid (18) is now the racer and PCA member. This is his 8th year – karts, shifters, SCCA Spec Miata last year and now testing at lap records in Formula Mazda. He has some laps in a GT3-RS but I can’t (won’t) buy him one to race. College comes first.

When I see a post like Lew’s, I feel obliged to offer my sage advice. He is asking the right questions and getting good answers. BTW Lew, don’t be afraid of having some qualified fabricator modify some commercial stands or build some to your specification. There is nothing like a custom tool perfectly suited for the job.

Best to all,
Grady