Lifting up your car to perform routine maintenance is something we all have to do from time to time. For safety reasons you should make sure that you do this you have a set of axle stands ready to fully support the weight of the car. The thought of having multiple tonnes come crashing down onto a bag of flesh and bones is not a very appealing one, so always make sure you have a set at hand when it’s repair time.
Over the years, I have seen many cars and other vehicles slip off a jack, and luckily no one I know has been under the vehicle when it happened but the sight and sound of a metal chassis bouncing off the ground makes you realise that you wouldn’t want to be there if it were to happen! Car axle stands only take a few seconds to install, and from that point on you can work safely underneath the vehicle.
Here’s how to use axle stands:
- First lift the car up with a trolley jack or similar tool. You want to get the front wheel a good few inches off the ground before moving onto the next step.
- Now have a look just behind the wheel area – hopefully you will be able to see an obvious jack point near to the wheel or around the axle. If you can’t see one, it’s time to get out the car manual and have a look. Position the axle stands under the area selected. It’s worth taking your time to make sure the positioning is millimeter perfect.
- With the stands in place, slowly use the jack to lower the car a little bit at the time. Eventually, the axle stands should start to take up all the weight of the chassis.
- Pull the jack out, stand up, and rock the car slightly using your hands. You want to make sure that the car is stable.
Congratulations, you can now work underneath the car, safe in the knowledge that you are well protected. The best type of stands to get if you do not already have some are ratchet axle stand, since they provide the most stability and they’re easy to raise and lower. Now, get to work!
