Introduction to Axle Stands – To do any kind of work underneath your car, it is important to fully support the vehicle before you begin. In the past, people have used materials such as brick to do this, but this is unsafe since these materials could break if the full weight of the car is on them. Nowadays there are a wide range of car axle stands available that will fully support the weight of the vehicle, allowing you to work safely on it from below.
Axle stands are used to fully support your car once it has been raised up by a car jack or a similar item. They have a Y shaped top that cups the axle or frame rail of a car, preventing it from slipping. Once they are in place underneath both wheel axles, you can work safely on your car to your heart’s content.
Now, you may be asking, what is wrong with using the common car jack? Plenty! A car jack is really only designed to raise the car enough off the ground to change a tyre, and they are not designed to support a vehicle for any extended amount of time. There are plenty of examples of people using car jacks to raise their car and getting crushed when the seals fail while they are underneath it. An axle stand can raise a lot more weight than a car jack, and it is also not prone to failure.
There are many different types of axle stand available, such as foldable axle stands, heavy duty axle stands, and there are also stands available for supporting trailers, such as caravan axle stands. Be sure to buy one that is designed for the weight you are intending to raise, and remember to stay safe with a set of axle stands!
