Will my 2 1/4 ton jackstands collapse and flatten me?

G

Gendaito

Member
My jackstands are 2 1/4 ton. Will they be strong enough to hold up my '04 FX35 without squishing me like a grape? Anyone else use 2 1/4 ton jackstands?
 
FX weighs about 2 tons, you will probably still have two wheels on the ground and use two of the jack stands. Therefore, each jack stand has about 1000 lbs on it, or 1/2 ton.
 
2.25 tons = 4500lbs. You could support any two wheels with a single stand and you still wouldn't be close to 4500lbs. Check them for corrosion and cracking first. If everything looks normal you should be fine.

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---------- Post added at 11:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 PM ----------

Damn it Stu, you beat me to it. :)

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Haha I've done that math before when wondering about jack stand ratings. I forgot to say, but also keep the jack underneath there just in case something might go wrong. Getting the correct jack stand points is probably most important.
 
you can never be too safe dude. like stu & tchuck mentioned 2.25 tons is enough to support 2 wheels, still take other precautions. I would never go under the car with only one jack stand holding it up, no matter the rating. When a car drops on you once, it makes an impression
 
thanks for the replies. I have four of these jackstands, all rated at 2 1/4 tons. I was going to use all four at the same time (one per corner obviously), and put them at the factory-specified jack points.

So the weight rating is per jackstand, not combined? So a single 2 1/4 ton jackstand can hold up 4500 lbs? I never understood the weight ratings of jackstands.
 
Gendaito said:
thanks for the replies. I have four of these jackstands, all rated at 2 1/4 tons. I was going to use all four at the same time (one per corner obviously), and put them at the factory-specified jack points.

So the weight rating is per jackstand, not combined? So a single 2 1/4 ton jackstand can hold up 4500 lbs? I never understood the weight ratings of jackstands.
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Yes, each rating is for that jackstand so a single jackstand can withstand the rating.

The way I do it is I use a jack, put a jackstand and lower the car so the weight is on the stand. But I leave the jackstand there -- so like double for me. I have multiple jackstands... so this works for me. Sometimes I use multiple jackstands too, one on the jack point and the other next to it in case it drops.

The biggest thing too is make sure the car is LEVEL. Also, after I jack up the car and put it on the stand, I push the car gently at first, then stronger to ensure it STAYS IN PLACE.
 
Good times when your car falls down (better times when you are not under it). Where do you place your jack stands Ed? My stands have tall V notches that render them partially worthless with the FX.
 
Logan said:
Good times when your car falls down (better times when you are not under it). Where do you place your jack stands Ed? My stands have tall V notches that render them partially worthless with the FX.
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Jack goes where the jack mounts are.

Stands goes next to them as close as I can to the mounting points as back-up.

But yes, I have those tall v notches, you have to make sure it "settles" nicely onto them.
 
rotated tires last night using the 2 1/4 ton stands. No problems, although I might get 3 or 4 ton stands before I crawl underneath. :tongue (2):
 
i have two stands rated at 2 tons each and two more at 4 tons. then i use the two identical jacks, one from the FX and when i had the Z, plus i have a 4 ton hydraulic jack and i leave them all on. this set up works very well for me.
 
Lol I'd does a long lasting impression for sure tho..

The way I always put it is the more the better if your vehicle weight 4+ tons and you have 4 tons jacks that's great.. I have 2, 4 tons jacks and everytime I lift the FX up I always use both .. Safety is paramount!!!
 
I used to have a lifted K5 Blazer and 2 ton stands on each corner was always plenty (lots and lots of work done on that K5).
 
The rating on those stands is what's called a SWL, or "Safe Working Load" that is usually around 33% of the failure load. This is to account for things like dropping the vehicle on the stands, which produces an impact equal to about 200% of the static weight of the car. My point being that a "2 ton" jack stand will hold much more than 2 tons before it yeilds. Not that you should ever overload them, but for the most part it's very safe to approach their posted weight rating. The real trick is knowing exactly how much you are lifting/supporting...

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After reading this thread you guys make me question if my 3 ton jack stands are up to par :0 and if im being safe. I did a oil change and brake check. For oil change i usually just jack the top right tire so i have a bit more room to go under hopefully thats not a bad thing. Is it better to jack up the whole front and put two stands on each side. I also heard a creek recently when i jacked up my car somewhere near the back. I think im going to go invest in ramps. Anyone recommend a good ramp?
 
I'm using the plastic rhino ramps that you can find at autozone/pepboys with no problems or signs of sagging, etc. However do keep an additional safety under the ramps (tire, jackstand, etc) in case they fail. You can never be too safe...

Another reminder is to always use a wheel chuck. I've had a scenario where the floor jack (small portable one) itself twisted and collapsed because the FX was on a VERY minor incline and shifted. Luckily the wheel was still on / no one was under the car.
 
hey guys. im looking to buy a small car jack and stand to leave in the car cause i dont trust the oem one when im on t side of the road. anyone know the minumum height i need to have the fx off the ground to change a tire?
 
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