Be careful, Jack Stands can also fail. I always keep the jack activated as well. I back off on the jack just a bit to let the Jack Stands take some pressure, but I keep some of the weight on the jack as well. I also put a wheel/tire under the car frame or even under the tire on the side im working on. If the car falls on one my wheels I don't care, as long as it doesn't fall on my face. Be safe everyone. EDIT: But to be clear I haven't had a jack fail on me, ever. And especially with all the precautions I take I've never had a car fall. But it's that one time out of a million that gets you, so I try to be as careful as I can.
Thanks for this - makes me nervous just being under a car (I guess the pro's are so used to it or they use proper shop lifting equipment, so they're never really in this position). I appreciate the couple of ideas. As you say, if a wheel gets crushed, better than my face getting crushed!
That i know of a safety block can be put behind the back wheels when you're just lifting the front. A safety block can be a piece of wood, a big rock... anything to stop the car from rolling back. @evorider3689
There are some good videos on the flaws inherent to the HF/Old/Defective jack stands. Jackstands MUST ONLY be used on solid concrete (not asphalt) in good condition. They place a very high PSI on the points where they contact the ground.. My dad had us place tires removed from the car, on their side under the car in appropriate locations to protect a person. You can't work in the space they provide, but you can GTFO if you need to. Getting some good rubber wheel chocks is a great investment. Less likely to slide than bricks/rocks. Get 4. Sometimes the car/jack goes the OTHER direction.
This, rather surprisingly, was the ONLY video I could find (after hours of searching) that explained both where to jack in order to place stands and also the optimal location for the stands. Thank you so much!!!
They don't want you to work on your own car so they would never do this. Their thought is, *if you want to work on you own car, figure it out yourself. If we put marked jack points on our cars, we are inviting people to jack their cars up and that would be a liability issue.* You never see this happen.
@@enriqueortiz5440 My owner's manual only tells me where the jack points are for a scissor jack, the one that comes with the spare tire. But that is not the appropriate lift point for a floor jack.
@@nunyabiznis817 That is where you are supposed to use the jacks at. Doesn't matter what kind. Floor jack, scissor jack, lift etc will all work. Get a floor jack with notchs in it and use the same points you'd use the scissor jack on.
A young man in my community lost his life, the evening after graduating with his mechanical engineering degree. Jack failed/tipped. He’d worked on that same car with my son, in my driveway. I insisted on the usage of: Low & Solid ramps first Metal Ramps as second choice Dual Jackstands third Solidly block every wheel remaining on the ground I can’t imagine the pain his parents are having. A month later, it was hard to not think of him when I jacked up my car for brake work. Wife gave me the stink eye until I put the tall ramps under the side rails in case a jackstand Harbor Freighted on me.
If I have to take the tire off, I normally put the tire under the car as well for added support. So in all, I have the jack, two jack stands, the tire, my neighbor's grandmother and two bagel sandwiches (with cream cheese btw) underneath the car for extra safety.
Etcg made this 8 years ago , and it’s still teaching people to not get crushed ! Id like to go back to when jacks were 50-100 bucks . Man that was great . Thanks Eric !
A 40+ years marine engineer here who has always done his own wrenching on our cars. A quick thanks for your videos. You're clear, concise, accurate and articulate. I've steered a few young guys I know that want to start working on their own cars towards your channel for good, solid basic information. Thanks again, and keep them coming. :-)
***** Wasn't all that long ago a guy in my neighborhood was crushed because his vehicle was on wheel ramps and rolled down off of them. Being cautious is not a bad thing. I like my new way. I bought a set of the display ramps a car lot uses. Now I drive the car up on them, leave the car on all 4 tires, and have plenty of under car access. The car sits flat with a good sized chalk in front and a lot of little ones before it can tip the ramp to the rear.
When I and a friend were young, 16-17, he was crushed when changing the starter on his '78 Trans Am and the thing slipped off the hydraulic floor jack. He got his chest crushed by front crossmember. He had cracked ribs and bruises, lacerations, a punctured lung, but he lived. If I hadn't been there to lift it back up when it slipped from the floor jack he would been one dead dude from lack of air! I will never forget it, and I always use jackstands ever since, never did much before that though, got lucky. Very glad to also see you give it the shake, people should always do this! You should also try to shake it on the front in addition when suspended all four like you had.
And about that shake, if you don't trust it to stay up when given a shake then WTF are you doing trusting it to stay there while you crawl under it? A little shake alone isn't enough, follow up with a good one with some weight behind. Shake it like you mean it! If that sends it crashing down then at least you weren't caught under the thing.
spamanator666 I laern my lesson from not use Jack stand my car fell on me when I was working on it Jack lost pressure on it I all most lost my life now I use Jack stand don't trust floor jack to keep u said under car
in the 70s and 80s I worked in a garage, and most of my life have been doing minor repairs on family vehicles, mostly helping my father. having lifted probably about 200 vehicles I still found this very informative. I'm currently working on two uni body vehicles. and there's a big difference in these compared to the old muscle car's. Thanks for the video.
As a certified airline tech, I've come to think that those with "macho" attitude are the ones who don't know the basics. They would sneer at a vid like this, then do it completely wrong & damage something/someone. True top techs are humble as they know their weaknesses. I appreciate anything to do with basics & safety. PS: I use Powerzone's aluminum + steel combo floor jack (seems no longer available) and just love it (the only thing I don't like about it is it's made in China). I also give a good margin for the jackstands; my 04 TL weighs about 1.5-ton but I use 3-ton jackstands.
A lot of slop jobs don't care. They just want to slop it together for the customer and get home. Mechanic work can go from curiousity learning to nightmare drudgery as the years go by. The oil or transmission pan are sometimes common lifting points. And every shop worker I've met commented on having to work on a dirty engine bay. I try to learn and do as much as I can personally, and keep the car out of shops as much as possible because of this treatment.
People always amaze me... I'm happy spending a lot of time getting the jackstands right as a car falling on you... no fun. Spend the extra time and effort.
I noticed some people on here whining and complaining about this not being a repair video. These people must not really understand the extreme importance of safety and proper procedure. I mean, what good is learning how to perform a certain repair only to be made dead by having the car fall on you because you weren't taught how to properly jack up the vehicle? Eric, I think you touched on an extremely vital subject here. You did forget to mention chocking the wheels, but you did mention it in the description. Either way, let the whiny babies whine and let them go elsewhere. Hats off to you sir, and keep up the good work and keep the educational videos coming! I look forward to your future vids. :)
Make sure the small wheels of your trolley jack are free to roll as the saddle gradually moves towards you when lifting. It can slip off the jack point. That's what happened to me when the wheels got stuck in a crack in the floor. Solution was to lay some plywood down first.
Had that happen too during a "simple" transmission pull task. While lifting, the jack slipped from the crossbeam because of this and landed underneath the engine's oil pan. So now it became a task to pull that out as well since there was no way to replace the pan with the engine in the car.
I cannot imagine why there is such heavy-handed criticism of this video. I suspect a generation of selfish individuals lacking the capacity to care about the learning of others. There are people who will comment many years later after they began their repair endeavors in front of one of this man's videos. Were it not for 6-7 major producers on youtube, and my dad's advice, I would not have repaired half of what I've done. You pros, read one of your dusty, forsaken manuals if you're "bored" here. I'm sure you'll find big, complicated words and terminology to better suit your needs. Lay off this man! -Thanks for the details sir and best regards from those of us who care for proper technique! And for goodness sake, recommend a good shower between every 5th-6th "stay dirty."
Excellent safety video. Great use of laser pointer also. Came very close to being crushed many years ago when I jacked up one side of the front to change the oil. Problem was that the lack stands were on asphalt on a hot summer day and the hack stand literally started to sink into the asphalt. Luckily I saw this and got out in time. Lesson learned not to use asphalt. I did redo the job but with wide wooden flat boards as a base under the jack stand. Thank you for such an important yet critical topic often overlooked.
Thanks for this very useful information, Eric. I learned a better, safer way to use jack stands. I always set the parking brake, make sure the transmission is in park, and use a set of four wheel chocks on the axle that I'm not working on. For redundancy, I also place solid objects such as bricks solidly under any raised wheels that I lift that I'm not working on - if I'm not powering that axle while the vehicle is lifted. The whole idea is to prevent the raised vehicle from moving!
Very informative. I've been working on vehicles for 40 years and Eric does a good job in illustrating this safety tip in jacking up your car. I can't say that I didn't learning anything new. Thanks Eric!
I've had a situation where I was using jackstands to lift a car off a paved parking lot on a hot day. The heat made the blacktop soft enough to let the feet of the jackstand push down through the pavement; and unbalance the car. These days, I put a piece of plywood under the jackstands to distribute the weight better.
I learned more about using a floor jack to jack up a car from this video than I did from watching about 6 others. Showing the hard points to jack up was so helpful. Thanks for the information for us novices.
Hi Eric, Thanks for great educational videos. I think it is a good idea to mention that, anytime you jack up a vehicle, especially both front or rear, one end should be blocked in order to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Thank You!
Thank you for doing these videos, almost everything I know about service and maintenance on my car comes from your channel. Not so much about the money I’ve saved but the education and confidence to do work to my vehicle. Thanks man
For me, it is also a good thing to take a the spare tire, or one of the tires off, and put it under the frame, just for safety because in the event the jack or jack stands fail, the rim is strong enough to support over a ton of weight coming down.
Top notch! Well done video. Appropriately, Eric mentions safety as a key element - while many tutorials overlook stressing that. Seems like a quality person to guide newbies to car repair/maintenance work. Thanks Eric!!
Scissor jacks are very unstable. Back in the 70s, I got a flat tire on my Mustang about 1000 miles from home. I jacked it up on some uneven ground. After removing the tire, the car rolled slightly and fell off the jack. I was still holding the tire. The body of the car was laying on the ground. I couldn't get the jack under the car. Luckily, I had a friend with me so I told him to put the jack under the car while I lifted it up. (I was much stronger then & it was a rear tire) NEVER crawl under a car using a scissor jack! Back then, they also had bumper jacks. They were almost as unstable as scissor jacks. I knew a guy who was working underneath his car using only a bumper jack. Well, the car fell off the jack and crushed him. This is no joke. He died. He was young and foolish. With these life lessons, I am very careful about using jack stands and chocks when working under a car.
Great job! Even if at first it wouldn't look like it, I could go ahead and say that this is one of your most valuable videos to date! I was once under a Ford Focus that almost slipped off the jack and I barely escaped thanks to having the car in gear (rear wheels were off the ground) and it stopped it from going forward. A few centimeters more and I would've been minced meat, just for a "it only takes a few seconds" type of DIY job. So, again, congratulations for making this video and helping others by keeping them away from what I've experienced!
Nice solid (old) advise. I had a transmission fall on my chest years ago. Not a mortal blow but it pinned me like a beetle :-) Difficult to breathe or get it off. I have super careful ever since. I have one cardinal rule - no single point of failure. Trolley jack, bottle jack/s, stands and the wheels of the car are all with me underneath. :-)
Thank you, Eric. Just bought my first professional floor hydraulic jack and I was looking for tips on where to raise the car safely. I bought an old beater just to practice mechanics. Thanks man!
Great video, as always. I would like to add the need to secure the parking brake before jacking up the vehicle and using a wheel chock. But thanks for the video!
Thank you for the video! Honestly. I was about to google some possible jacking points for my car when you showed the second car in this video. Ironically that is my exact car, so that was AMAZING!
Thanks for making the video! I've looked up many videos of ways to lift, and support cars. I've found that many of them don't tell you the details about what on the vehicle is safe or not safe. I've learned a few things, but it's rather difficult for me at times, because all cars are different underneath, and it's hard for me to recognize parts as a DIYer, and student. I've got a 91 Fleetwood Cadillac, and I've found that some features are a bit harder to locate on it.
Just a suggestion for driveway mechanics: use a piece of wood, either 3/4" ply or 1" or more of solid wood that is roughly double the footprint of the jackstand as a base for the jackstand. This will help stabilize the jackstand on a rough surface and it will also prevent the jackstand from sinking into the asphalt. The foot tangs on jackstands are sufficiently thin that they can cut/sink into asphalt just based on the weight of the car, especially so on hot days. Have fun, stay dirty, and stay alive to drive.
Most driveways have a slight grade (so water runs off), nothing visibly unsafe. For an asphalt or concrete driveway, where jackstands can damage it, a piece of plywood or solid wood as you suggested, can be used on all four to let the jackstands rest on. Is it possible for these wood pieces to slip on hard concrete or asphalt if the driveway has a 2 degree slope or thereabouts? Or will the weight of the car pressing down the wood pieces create enough friction to prevent movement of the wood against hard asphalt/concrete?
@@noey5766 Wood being softer and the weight should compress the fibers to essentially mold to the surface it's on so it shouldn't slide from a friction standpoint but that mating to the surface further prevents it. That said if there's a bunch of loose sand or something between it, you'd have some likely hood of shifting.
Yesterday my car fell off the stands and I am trying to find a jacking plate, so don't just use a jack and stands if you are working in grass, soft dirt, or deep gravel.
I have to use a scissor jack to get my car high enough to get my bottle jack under it. LOL. I find jacking newer cars is a lot harder than older cars. All that plastic and crap under it really is a pain.
Tell me about it! The 2008 Camry I drive for high school crushed one of the jack stands because the way they made the skeleton underneath the car, they made the metal really thin so when the car put weight on it, the whole thing pushed the jack stand off and fell. Good thing I was not under there!
Bottle jacks are taller to begin with, you can't fit one under a japanese car from *any* decade (that I've seen). Floor jacks are too heavy to keep in the trunk, but in the garage or in the driveway, a basic $75 3-ton floor jack fits under any car I've ever worked on (american, japanese, swedish, german)
Why use a bottle jack? They don't have a good lift saddle, and the base is narrow and unstable. A large, aluminum, low profile jack is the way to go. From 5.5" to 20", it can handle any passenger vehicle. Its $289 well spent.
@@Blackout.1644 I don't think you're doing it right. I have a 2007 Camry and never had any issues lifting the car. Block the tires with bricks so it doesn't slid, and use the scissor jack (or something better), where the lift points are. And if you have jack-stands, you can place them under the frame. I just use the scissor jack it came with for changing tires because that's all I have.
It's hard to holding back my 12 year old that wants to inspect the breaks of his Acura. So I had him watch a few " Car Lift Fails " and it was great to have this video to show him how to do it right. So Dad's now on his way out to watch his son inspect the breaks, Thanks Eric :)
Eric, this video may very well have saved someone some injury or if nothing else start someone off on being able to learn to fix things safely, nicely done.
@Ericthecarguy Thank you for making one of the best videos explaining how to jack and support a vehicle. I love how you get to the point about everything. You are doing a great service!
Hey Eric, I follow you cos you pay attention to basics with detail.. It's so surprising how many people are ignorant of these simple things that can potentially cause damage if done wrong.
Not sure he mentioned it but *ALWAYS USE JACK STANDS IN PAIRS*. They can fail. It's rare, but it happens. Plus, you don't want the car slipping off the only jack when your'e under there. Personally, I don't think you can be safe enough, put 3 or 4 under there for good measure. So long as they're not in your way. Give the car a good shove to make sure its' stable (like Eric showed in the vid). But yeah, people have been crushed to death when doing this sort of thing. It may not look like it, but 3000lbs coming down on you when you're under there screwing around isn't going to be a good day. One of these days I hope to get a lift and be done with this shit.
If I can, I also like leaving the jack itself under the crossmember or the differential, whichever side I'm working on. Just for that added security. Anything that can buy me that little extra time to get out if something fails is a good thing in my mind.
I've had my car lifted on the rocker panel lift points with a floor jack for tire repair and they always seem to deform the metal there. This is actually one of the reasons why I prefer trucks over cars because not only do they have good ground clearance for avoiding parking barriers and sidewalk edges that almost always scrape or break the front apron, but I won't have to worry about the mechanic deforming the underbody everytime I need a tire repair.
Thanks for the tips. Since I got my first car and started to do my own repairs or attempts to repair I have learned alot and have seen many of the dangers working on a ton or more of car can do. I've injured myself on certain occasions but learned from mistakes. l learned from what I did and also how to use tools better. I'm in my middle sixties and still do oil changes, brake jobs and jobs I feel safe in doing. Will always read a book on the car or now go online to search out on sites like yours to see what ways to do a repair safely.
Eric, I love your vids but have to take you to task over forgetting to mention one of the most important safety aspects of lifting a vehicle: You didn't mention anything about putting the car in gear, chocking the wheels or setting the parking brake before lifting. If you're not on level ground and you lift the driven end without the other end chocked, in gear or brake on - the vehicle can start rolling away from you (or on top of you if you're down slope from it). You need to make sure the vehicle can't move forward or backwards before starting to lift.
Edit: I listened again and did hear Eric mention about the vehicle being level at 10:00 .Still can't understate the need to make sure it wont roll away on ya.
***** You can have it in park, with the parking brake on and if you pick up the rear end of a rear wheel drive car - there is nothing to keep it from rolling.
Thank you Eric for this video, a few years ago I seen a young lad working under his car using cinder blocks under the frame. I just had to stop my car and run over there and warn him about the danger . He thanked me and I left hoping he actually took my advice.
I'm very very surprised that you forgot and I know you forgot cause your a smart tech but most IMPORTANTLY pull your emergency break up as well or else you could have the vehicle fall very easily I've had this happen before and it actually twisted the 2ton jacks arm. And thank god it didn't fall on me BUT ALWAYS ALWAYS USE YOUR EMERGENCY BREAK when lifting the vehicle
JASON JACKSON Almost happened to me when i had a flat in the dirt ... Lifted it up truck fell over bent the shitty bottle jack.. Thank God i wasnt under it!
When i was a teenger i had no problem working under a car supported by only the jack you get for the spare! I fitted a new exhaust once using only that and did my brakes a few times too! I oblivious to the danger lol but i now use a trolly jack axel stands and i put the wheel under too just in case :)
THANK YOU, ERIC THE CAR GUY!!!💖💖💖 _now I know how to lift and support Vigors and Highlanders_ Darn it! I need to learn on a 2008 Caravan 😂 Thanks so much for the knowledge you gave this old lady 💖
I remember when I was barely old enough to drive I had a 1978 Honda Civic and it's CV joints broke - well that thing sat at the base of the driveway for a month (lived in the country) Once I saved enough money to fix it I towed it in and they called me an hour later stating they couldn't jack the car up at those points because the unibody was SOOO rusted it just punched a hole in the car - not sure to this day how I was able to drive that car without the motor falling out or me for that matter
Hey, Eric. I noticed most Honda's have that hump under the subframe in the center front of the plastic splash guard isn't that also a jacking point I didnt hear you mention it and never knew for sure if it was.
Excellent video. This is super helpful. I'm trying to level a 5th wheel camper and block it up to remove the tires, but no matter how much I read and watch, I still feel like I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I know for sure what to look for, now, when placing the bottle jack and jack stands. Thanks a lot!
Thanks man, really appreciate the life saving advice. I recently changed the ABS sensor behind the wheel of my car and it was a scary experience putting my head between the disc and the wheel well. The VW jack looks like a *7* , that base is scary af. Though being in a pinch I put the spare tire as a jack stand under the car's side I was working on, though I probably would have severed my head if the jack failed! :/
He didn’t touch on it here, but you can use some redundancies in case of failure. Once you have jackstands in place, you can set a jack up nearby to catch the car if one of the stands fails. Chrisfix also tosses a wheel under the vehicle as an additional failsafe.
Was trying to see if I can lift the front of my car with the back up on jack stands and came across this. Has helped me thank you. I also put wheels inbetween jack stands too.
I’m glad you said this. I did this and didn’t notice until I lowered the car back down there were multiple puncture wounds in my driveway from the base of the jacks digging in. About an inch deep each. That could have been very bad
Food for thought. I was in an apt complex, they allowed ppl to work on their own cars, and they paved their parking lots. A buddy of mine jacked his car up, used jack stands, lowered the floor jack just enough to put the car on the stands and left his jack there, good thing he did, and gave it the 'shake'! The standard jack stands settled into the fresh asphalt and dropped the car with him under it, the jack caught the car. I welded 2in square ''feet'' on my jack stands, they do not sink!
Really need to inspect the car for rust ,before placing any jack or jack stand . A lot of jack points on the rockers are rusted out and will no longer support the weight of a car even tho it is listed as a jacking point.See a lot of rusted ones here
You are so right, wtbm123. Also, jack stand heads need to be redesigned to accommodate a wider range of shapes. First of all, their current shape is NOT idea for a pinch weld. But beyond pinch welds, the heads really aren't designed for good resting for most other places either. At least not on my car.
Honestly, very informational video. Big safety considerations, useful information, recapping in order to readdress what has been covered. This is by far my favorite video of safe lifting that I've seen so far. Thank you for taking the time to make it so well done.
instead of buying 2 car jacks, one low profile and one normal, can I just get only the low profile and use 2x4 wood when I want to work on normal height cars, is this commonly practiced or it's not safe.
Okaythen001, It is commonly done that way, but not exactly the safest way. There are extensions made specifically to extend jacks but I've found they aren't the easiest to find and fit to your jack, probably best to find a combo that would work best from min to max height before you purchase, many that state they're for SUVs have the extension already included (it's threaded like a bolt that raises/lowers the bowl that you set the vehicle on, gives a few extra inches). If you go the wood block route, cutting indentations into the block to better grip the vehicle and jack can make it work about just as well as a metal store-bought one, but of course with any DIY if you screw up and it slips and damages the vehicle or yourself you have nobody to blame but yourself.
I don't get why automotive jacks arn't like aviation jacks. In avaition the jackstand is built into the jack itself. The hydraulic lifting pisiton pushes up, and has rings that spin to mechanically lock the piston so that you have a solid and safe support. THe problem I most have with lifting my car is that often I'll jack it up, and the base of the floor jack will be in the way of the base of the jackstand. Aviation jacks don't have that problem. Why don't they make/use them in the automotive industry?
Simple answer - money. Of course the manufacturers could provide better jacks but consumers don't want to pay for it. Many of the cars today don't even come with a spare never mind a jack. You get an "inflation kit". Good luck with that unless you get a very simple flat. Damage the sidewall and you're finished.
Dude... AVIATION is the keyword! Technology is leaps and bounds ahead of auto industry! Also price point why get a pricey aviation spec tool when you can buy a cheaper auto spec tool and a lobster dinner lol
Pretty good video. My only complaint is that you don't show the jack actually make contact with the car as you are preparing to lift. You cut away just before it does. From a filmmaking POV, that would be like Michael Bay having explosions that happen off camera. From an informative video POV, it kind of defeats the purpose to show someone how to do something, and then not actually show them one of the most important parts of it. Otherwise great video, like all your videos.
Once I tried jacking up an very old and "rusty" VW beetle, using the jack that came with the car. So, I started jacking and jacking, and wondered why the car was not going up... Well...the jack was just crunching through the very rusted body. Needless to say, I stripped whatever parts I could from it, and had the rest hauled off to the junkyard to be crushed. It was so rusted through, it could not saved. However, the I sold the parts for much more than I paid for the car!
I have been a subscriber for several years and have enjoyed watching and have learned from your repair videos. I am also a mechanic and shop owner. What happened to the repair videos? Lately you have been doing accessory installations and basic fundamentals for the novice, as well as product endorsements. Please get dirty Eric and go back to making repair videos!
I think you need to understand not everyone is a pro or have been subbed forever. So this video will help new people to the channel as well as people who are trying to save a buck by doing the work themselves. Remember it's his channel and he can do whatever he wants. I enjoy the vids and appreciate his time.
eldoradony As a shop owner I'm sure you're aware that you're not in control of everything. Now imagine the whole world is watching and no matter what you do, someone is going to be critical of it. That said, I would argue that you're looking at the videos at face value. Not everyone has your experience. I can't make a video that will please everyone, it's just not possible. Also, I've had a LOT going on behind the scenes of ETCG lately. All stuff that will move the channel forward and give you more of what you're asking for, including the Fairmont build. So relax, enjoy the show, and know that I work very hard to bring you the best automotive video I can, even if it's not a 'repair' video.
eldoradony One more thing. I made this video knowing full well it may be the last time I use my floor jack and jack stands. Hence the reason why I stated posting this video today was ironic. With that in mind, there may be those that ask what to do when working on the ground with a jack and jack stands for repairs. I'll be referring them to this video to answer to that. In short, there's a bigger picture here. I would ask that you take that into consideration.
Totally this video is educational. Not dissing that at all. Just saying the quality and effort put into the videos is no longer there in the last 10 + videos. Its almost like oh shit need to put up a video. what is a quick easy thing we could do.
Be mindful of some vehicles like the Ford E Vans where the fuel tank is right up against the frame on the left side of the vehicle. If you have the jack too far in, you can puncture the fuel tank. Also, I try to avoid the pinch weld on older vehicles because they tend to rust out and become brittle. I've also found that the mount points of leaf springs work well on vehicles with non-independent type suspension like the Ford F150's.
It would be good to mention that some of these tips are not applicable to lifting rusty vehicles. As a tech living in the rust belt I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...
I disagree Doesn't matter if the pinch weld fails due to rust. Its under the frame-side support beam, which will support the weight of the car if the pinch weld collapses, and you can continue to use that same lift point even if it has disintegrated.
Your video is so good and informative we had to watch it for autobody and collision keep it up man little do you know your video has taught hundreds of up and coming automotive workers how to properly identify and safley jack up theyre vehicles.
Eric it is very very important that you mention the following : If the jackstand lever that controls the height of the jack stand is accidentally bumped while your under the car, the jack stand with a good jolt will return to its lowest level with the car falling onto the person who’s under the car! To all those people watching this video be very careful around the jackstand do not bump it with your body or with any tools that you may be using while under the vehicle because it will collapse and return to its lowest level and the car will come down on your head Most of these jack stands are made oversees like China and other countries where there is there is virtually zero safety testing
Redundancy is always advisable. Make stacks of solid 2x6s, add 1 inch to minimize gap, either under tires if wheels aren't removed, or under sold frame members as backups to jack stands. NEVER crawl under when only a hydraulic jack is holding up a vehicle; seals can fail, the jack can shift or a nosey kid can come by and loosen it unexpectedly, you may even dislodge a stand when moving around. You only die once.
I sometimes have used the bottom of shock mount I only do this when I can't find anything else, because I only need time for placement for my jack stands. Good show for many who need good idea's. Also even for me getting older makes me think more.
I really think the quality of your videos is getting better and better! I've been wrenching on stuff for well over 10 years now, and I must say that theres always something that I take away from your videos no matter how comfortable with the subject I am. Keep up the good work and don't let the nay-sayers bring you down!
I use Floor jack to lift the vehicle up and jack stands to support it. I use chuck to anchored the tire in place while E-brake is on, I also use Floor and scissor jacks for added support and peace of mind but there’s more, I put a spare tire underneath too
Be careful, Jack Stands can also fail. I always keep the jack activated as well. I back off on the jack just a bit to let the Jack Stands take some pressure, but I keep some of the weight on the jack as well. I also put a wheel/tire under the car frame or even under the tire on the side im working on. If the car falls on one my wheels I don't care, as long as it doesn't fall on my face. Be safe everyone.
EDIT: But to be clear I haven't had a jack fail on me, ever. And especially with all the precautions I take I've never had a car fall. But it's that one time out of a million that gets you, so I try to be as careful as I can.
Thanks for this - makes me nervous just being under a car (I guess the pro's are so used to it or they use proper shop lifting equipment, so they're never really in this position). I appreciate the couple of ideas. As you say, if a wheel gets crushed, better than my face getting crushed!
Exactly!...I never get under any vehicle without taking complete safety precautions..Jack stands, and safety blocks work
@@DeShark88l
That i know of a safety block can be put behind the back wheels when you're just lifting the front. A safety block can be a piece of wood, a big rock... anything to stop the car from rolling back. @evorider3689
There are some good videos on the flaws inherent to the HF/Old/Defective jack stands. Jackstands MUST ONLY be used on solid concrete (not asphalt) in good condition. They place a very high PSI on the points where they contact the ground.. My dad had us place tires removed from the car, on their side under the car in appropriate locations to protect a person. You can't work in the space they provide, but you can GTFO if you need to. Getting some good rubber wheel chocks is a great investment. Less likely to slide than bricks/rocks. Get 4. Sometimes the car/jack goes the OTHER direction.
This, rather surprisingly, was the ONLY video I could find (after hours of searching) that explained both where to jack in order to place stands and also the optimal location for the stands. Thank you so much!!!
Companies should Mark the lift points with a color or something
They don't want you to work on your own car so they would never do this. Their thought is, *if you want to work on you own car, figure it out yourself. If we put marked jack points on our cars, we are inviting people to jack their cars up and that would be a liability issue.*
You never see this happen.
People should read their owners manual...
@@enriqueortiz5440 My owner's manual only tells me where the jack points are for a scissor jack, the one that comes with the spare tire. But that is not the appropriate lift point for a floor jack.
@@nunyabiznis817 That is where you are supposed to use the jacks at. Doesn't matter what kind. Floor jack, scissor jack, lift etc will all work. Get a floor jack with notchs in it and use the same points you'd use the scissor jack on.
@@nunyabiznis817 Be sure to use a jack stand. Do not rely on a hydraulic jack to maintain support of the vehicle.
A young man in my community lost his life, the evening after graduating with his mechanical engineering degree. Jack failed/tipped.
He’d worked on that same car with my son, in my driveway. I insisted on the usage of:
Low & Solid ramps first
Metal Ramps as second choice
Dual Jackstands third
Solidly block every wheel remaining on the ground
I can’t imagine the pain his parents are having.
A month later, it was hard to not think of him when I jacked up my car for brake work. Wife gave me the stink eye until I put the tall ramps under the side rails in case a jackstand Harbor Freighted on me.
How tragic...such a shame.
If I have to take the tire off, I normally put the tire under the car as well for added support.
So in all, I have the jack, two jack stands, the tire, my neighbor's grandmother and two bagel sandwiches (with cream cheese btw) underneath the car for extra safety.
Is your neighbors grandmother doing the repairs? Why is she under the car!?
XD
@@thelagmeister why dont ask your grandma?
My grandma still gets into bar fights , but she would never work on a car.
What type of bagel tho ?
Etcg made this 8 years ago , and it’s still teaching people to not get crushed !
Id like to go back to when jacks were 50-100 bucks .
Man that was great . Thanks Eric !
A 40+ years marine engineer here who has always done his own wrenching on our cars. A quick thanks for your videos. You're clear, concise, accurate and articulate. I've steered a few young guys I know that want to start working on their own cars towards your channel for good, solid basic information. Thanks again, and keep them coming. :-)
Some of you will see the irony of me posting this video today. th-cam.com/video/8OyzbGDn6xg/w-d-xo.html
Does not apply to you anymore :)
***** Wasn't all that long ago a guy in my neighborhood was crushed because his vehicle was on wheel ramps and rolled down off of them. Being cautious is not a bad thing.
I like my new way. I bought a set of the display ramps a car lot uses. Now I drive the car up on them, leave the car on all 4 tires, and have plenty of under car access. The car sits flat with a good sized chalk in front and a lot of little ones before it can tip the ramp to the rear.
Scissor jack and lots of luck is what I'm guilty of
Over the years I've accumulated the right equipment:
Floor jack, jack stand, metal ramps.
I never trusted wheel ramps. Jack stands though I've grown to trust. Still feel a bit weary though with any method.
When I and a friend were young, 16-17, he was crushed when changing the starter on his '78 Trans Am and the thing slipped off the hydraulic floor jack. He got his chest crushed by front crossmember. He had cracked ribs and bruises, lacerations, a punctured lung, but he lived. If I hadn't been there to lift it back up when it slipped from the floor jack he would been one dead dude from lack of air! I will never forget it, and I always use jackstands ever since, never did much before that though, got lucky. Very glad to also see you give it the shake, people should always do this! You should also try to shake it on the front in addition when suspended all four like you had.
Holy shit. Good thing for him you were there. Talk about a "learning experience"
And about that shake, if you don't trust it to stay up when given a shake then WTF are you doing trusting it to stay there while you crawl under it?
A little shake alone isn't enough, follow up with a good one with some weight behind. Shake it like you mean it! If that sends it crashing down then at least you weren't caught under the thing.
spamanator666
Sounds like fun!
spamanator666 I laern my lesson from not use Jack stand my car fell on me when I was working on it Jack lost pressure on it I all most lost my life now I use Jack stand don't trust floor jack to keep u said under car
i shake mine like i mean it all the time. what do you do when it turns red and you cant touch it though?
in the 70s and 80s I worked in a garage, and most of my life have been doing minor repairs on family vehicles, mostly helping my father. having lifted probably about 200 vehicles I still found this very informative. I'm currently working on two uni body vehicles. and there's a big difference in these compared to the old muscle car's. Thanks for the video.
its people like you that make TH-cam an incredible platform for learning. Thanks Eric!
As a certified airline tech, I've come to think that those with "macho" attitude are the ones who don't know the basics. They would sneer at a vid like this, then do it completely wrong & damage something/someone. True top techs are humble as they know their weaknesses.
I appreciate anything to do with basics & safety.
PS: I use Powerzone's aluminum + steel combo floor jack (seems no longer available) and just love it (the only thing I don't like about it is it's made in China). I also give a good margin for the jackstands; my 04 TL weighs about 1.5-ton but I use 3-ton jackstands.
A lot of slop jobs don't care. They just want to slop it together for the customer and get home. Mechanic work can go from curiousity learning to nightmare drudgery as the years go by. The oil or transmission pan are sometimes common lifting points. And every shop worker I've met commented on having to work on a dirty engine bay. I try to learn and do as much as I can personally, and keep the car out of shops as much as possible because of this treatment.
People always amaze me... I'm happy spending a lot of time getting the jackstands right as a car falling on you... no fun. Spend the extra time and effort.
Im going for my A&P certificate in a few months. Can't wait.
Very good point
Stay humble, and cautious...Its worked for me in 25 years of a car parts changer...I spend more time on safety than anything else..
I noticed some people on here whining and complaining about this not being a repair video. These people must not really understand the extreme importance of safety and proper procedure. I mean, what good is learning how to perform a certain repair only to be made dead by having the car fall on you because you weren't taught how to properly jack up the vehicle?
Eric, I think you touched on an extremely vital subject here. You did forget to mention chocking the wheels, but you did mention it in the description. Either way, let the whiny babies whine and let them go elsewhere. Hats off to you sir, and keep up the good work and keep the educational videos coming! I look forward to your future vids. :)
Make sure the small wheels of your trolley jack are free to roll as the saddle gradually moves towards you when lifting. It can slip off the jack point. That's what happened to me when the wheels got stuck in a crack in the floor. Solution was to lay some plywood down first.
Had that happen too during a "simple" transmission pull task. While lifting, the jack slipped from the crossbeam because of this and landed underneath the engine's oil pan. So now it became a task to pull that out as well since there was no way to replace the pan with the engine in the car.
I cannot imagine why there is such heavy-handed criticism of this video. I suspect a generation of selfish individuals lacking the capacity to care about the learning of others. There are people who will comment many years later after they began their repair endeavors in front of one of this man's videos. Were it not for 6-7 major producers on youtube, and my dad's advice, I would not have repaired half of what I've done. You pros, read one of your dusty, forsaken manuals if you're "bored" here. I'm sure you'll find big, complicated words and terminology to better suit your needs. Lay off this man!
-Thanks for the details sir and best regards from those of us who care for proper technique! And for goodness sake, recommend a good shower between every 5th-6th "stay dirty."
Crave it to the stone. Very true! I am not sure why those who know it all bother to come and watch video like this... Video is great and educational.
Excellent safety video. Great use of laser pointer also. Came very close to being crushed many years ago when I jacked up one side of the front to change the oil. Problem was that the lack stands were on asphalt on a hot summer day and the hack stand literally started to sink into the asphalt. Luckily I saw this and got out in time. Lesson learned not to use asphalt. I did redo the job but with wide wooden flat boards as a base under the jack stand. Thank you for such an important yet critical topic often overlooked.
Thanks for this very useful information, Eric. I learned a better, safer way to use jack stands. I always set the parking brake, make sure the transmission is in park, and use a set of four wheel chocks on the axle that I'm not working on. For redundancy, I also place solid objects such as bricks solidly under any raised wheels that I lift that I'm not working on - if I'm not powering that axle while the vehicle is lifted. The whole idea is to prevent the raised vehicle from moving!
"If you jack in the wrong place bad things will happen"
-ErikTheCarGuy 2017
@Boban Milisavljevic
Most counties and states have laws against that
Truer words have never been said
Best support video ever.
Yep! Was just about to write excatly that.
Except for using the tow arms.
Very informative. I've been working on vehicles for 40 years and Eric does a good job in illustrating this safety tip in jacking up your car. I can't say that I didn't learning anything new.
Thanks Eric!
I've had a situation where I was using jackstands to lift a car off a paved parking lot on a hot day. The heat made the blacktop soft enough to let the feet of the jackstand push down through the pavement; and unbalance the car. These days, I put a piece of plywood under the jackstands to distribute the weight better.
same, ive had a car slip off for the same reason only the ground was moist even though concrete (old concrete)
I learned more about using a floor jack to jack up a car from this video than I did from watching about 6 others. Showing the hard points to jack up was so helpful. Thanks for the information for us novices.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for great educational videos.
I think it is a good idea to mention that, anytime you jack up a vehicle, especially both front or rear, one end should be blocked in order to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
Thank You!
Thank you for doing these videos, almost everything I know about service and maintenance on my car comes from your channel. Not so much about the money I’ve saved but the education and confidence to do work to my vehicle. Thanks man
For me, it is also a good thing to take a the spare tire, or one of the tires off, and put it under the frame, just for safety because in the event the jack or jack stands fail, the rim is strong enough to support over a ton of weight coming down.
Top notch! Well done video. Appropriately, Eric mentions safety as a key element - while many tutorials overlook stressing that. Seems like a quality person to guide newbies to car repair/maintenance work. Thanks Eric!!
You have to understand the gravity of the situation when lifting a vehicle...
Great sense of humour!
Its called MASS wanting to go down, no force is pulling anything.
Scissor jacks are very unstable. Back in the 70s, I got a flat tire on my Mustang about 1000 miles from home. I jacked it up on some uneven ground. After removing the tire, the car rolled slightly and fell off the jack. I was still holding the tire. The body of the car was laying on the ground. I couldn't get the jack under the car. Luckily, I had a friend with me so I told him to put the jack under the car while I lifted it up. (I was much stronger then & it was a rear tire) NEVER crawl under a car using a scissor jack!
Back then, they also had bumper jacks. They were almost as unstable as scissor jacks. I knew a guy who was working underneath his car using only a bumper jack. Well, the car fell off the jack and crushed him. This is no joke. He died. He was young and foolish. With these life lessons, I am very careful about using jack stands and chocks when working under a car.
Great video, I have always been a little nervous changing the oil because I was never 100% sure where to place the stands. Thank u.
Great job! Even if at first it wouldn't look like it, I could go ahead and say that this is one of your most valuable videos to date!
I was once under a Ford Focus that almost slipped off the jack and I barely escaped thanks to having the car in gear (rear wheels were off the ground) and it stopped it from going forward. A few centimeters more and I would've been minced meat, just for a "it only takes a few seconds" type of DIY job.
So, again, congratulations for making this video and helping others by keeping them away from what I've experienced!
Good vid and info Eric...you probably saved some lives(and important parts) today...
Nice solid (old) advise. I had a transmission fall on my chest years ago. Not a mortal blow but it pinned me like a beetle :-) Difficult to breathe or get it off. I have super careful ever since. I have one cardinal rule - no single point of failure. Trolley jack, bottle jack/s, stands and the wheels of the car are all with me underneath. :-)
Eric this was an excellent video! Its good to see what is safe and what isn't. Thumbs up!
Thank you, Eric. Just bought my first professional floor hydraulic jack and I was looking for tips on where to raise the car safely. I bought an old beater just to practice mechanics. Thanks man!
I usually leave the jack under close to where I'm working just in case, just as an extra support.
Good idea. Can never have enough support under a vehicle.
Great video, as always. I would like to add the need to secure the parking brake before jacking up the vehicle and using a wheel chock. But thanks for the video!
Eric was doing front and rear, but if your only lifting one side, remember to chuck the wheels on the opposite side before you lift.
Oscar Moreno Still chock the wheels regardless just need chocks on one side
or you can lift the left/right sides instead of front/back
Thank you for the video! Honestly. I was about to google some possible jacking points for my car when you showed the second car in this video. Ironically that is my exact car, so that was AMAZING!
Thanks for making the video! I've looked up many videos of ways to lift, and support cars. I've found that many of them don't tell you the details about what on the vehicle is safe or not safe. I've learned a few things, but it's rather difficult for me at times, because all cars are different underneath, and it's hard for me to recognize parts as a DIYer, and student.
I've got a 91 Fleetwood Cadillac, and I've found that some features are a bit harder to locate on it.
Thank you, Eric! About to get under my Element for the very first time, and the detail you go into makes me (slightly) less nervous.
Getting past the fear, if your 100% confident in your safety precautions, fear vanishes...
Just a suggestion for driveway mechanics: use a piece of wood, either 3/4" ply or 1" or more of solid wood that is roughly double the footprint of the jackstand as a base for the jackstand. This will help stabilize the jackstand on a rough surface and it will also prevent the jackstand from sinking into the asphalt. The foot tangs on jackstands are sufficiently thin that they can cut/sink into asphalt just based on the weight of the car, especially so on hot days. Have fun, stay dirty, and stay alive to drive.
Most driveways have a slight grade (so water runs off), nothing visibly unsafe. For an asphalt or concrete driveway, where jackstands can damage it, a piece of plywood or solid wood as you suggested, can be used on all four to let the jackstands rest on. Is it possible for these wood pieces to slip on hard concrete or asphalt if the driveway has a 2 degree slope or thereabouts? Or will the weight of the car pressing down the wood pieces create enough friction to prevent movement of the wood against hard asphalt/concrete?
@@noey5766 Wood being softer and the weight should compress the fibers to essentially mold to the surface it's on so it shouldn't slide from a friction standpoint but that mating to the surface further prevents it. That said if there's a bunch of loose sand or something between it, you'd have some likely hood of shifting.
THANK YOU all very much for the videos. Keep them coming.
Eric is a wise man. He just bought a lift
When isn't Eric a wise man?
Thanks man, not just for me but for anyone who doesn't know where to place your jack and jack stands. It is so very important.
I would add that if you are removing the wheels slide them under the car as an additional safety feature.
Igor Schneider why
Black Titan incase shit fails
@@MiLLz830 better the car fall on your wheels than your chest and give you room to wiggle out alive
Yep I use the jack jackstands and the tire as protection
@@ryans413 I use jackstands, put the wheel under the car's body.....and leave the jack lightly touching a jack point nearest where i am working.
Yesterday my car fell off the stands and I am trying to find a jacking plate, so don't just use a jack and stands if you are working in grass, soft dirt, or deep gravel.
I have to use a scissor jack to get my car high enough to get my bottle jack under it. LOL. I find jacking newer cars is a lot harder than older cars. All that plastic and crap under it really is a pain.
Tell me about it! The 2008 Camry I drive for high school crushed one of the jack stands because the way they made the skeleton underneath the car, they made the metal really thin so when the car put weight on it, the whole thing pushed the jack stand off and fell. Good thing I was not under there!
Bottle jacks are taller to begin with, you can't fit one under a japanese car from *any* decade (that I've seen). Floor jacks are too heavy to keep in the trunk, but in the garage or in the driveway, a basic $75 3-ton floor jack fits under any car I've ever worked on (american, japanese, swedish, german)
Why use a bottle jack?
They don't have a good lift saddle, and the base is narrow and unstable.
A large, aluminum, low profile jack is the way to go. From 5.5" to 20", it can handle any passenger vehicle. Its $289 well spent.
Had to do this with a recent blow out on my truck lol.. used a scissor jack to get my bottle jack under the frame.
@@Blackout.1644 I don't think you're doing it right. I have a 2007 Camry and never had any issues lifting the car. Block the tires with bricks so it doesn't slid, and use the scissor jack (or something better), where the lift points are. And if you have jack-stands, you can place them under the frame. I just use the scissor jack it came with for changing tires because that's all I have.
It's hard to holding back my 12 year old that wants to inspect the breaks of his Acura. So I had him watch a few " Car Lift Fails " and it was great to have this video to show him how to do it right. So Dad's now on his way out to watch his son inspect the breaks, Thanks Eric :)
Also if you only lift 1 axle off the ground, wedge the other axle for additional support.
Eric, this video may very well have saved someone some injury or if nothing else start someone off on being able to learn to fix things safely, nicely done.
@Ericthecarguy
Thank you for making one of the best videos explaining how to jack and support a vehicle. I love how you get to the point about everything. You are doing a great service!
Hey Eric,
I follow you cos you pay attention to basics with detail.. It's so surprising how many people are ignorant of these simple things that can potentially cause damage if done wrong.
Not sure he mentioned it but *ALWAYS USE JACK STANDS IN PAIRS*. They can fail. It's rare, but it happens. Plus, you don't want the car slipping off the only jack when your'e under there. Personally, I don't think you can be safe enough, put 3 or 4 under there for good measure. So long as they're not in your way. Give the car a good shove to make sure its' stable (like Eric showed in the vid).
But yeah, people have been crushed to death when doing this sort of thing. It may not look like it, but 3000lbs coming down on you when you're under there screwing around isn't going to be a good day.
One of these days I hope to get a lift and be done with this shit.
If I can, I also like leaving the jack itself under the crossmember or the differential, whichever side I'm working on. Just for that added security. Anything that can buy me that little extra time to get out if something fails is a good thing in my mind.
WTZ607 For sure man. Can't be too careful.
One of my dad's friends died under his 91 camaro because his jack failed.
Sanic Sorry to hear that Sanic :(
***** it was like 20 years ago
I've had my car lifted on the rocker panel lift points with a floor jack for tire repair and they always seem to deform the metal there. This is actually one of the reasons why I prefer trucks over cars because not only do they have good ground clearance for avoiding parking barriers and sidewalk edges that almost always scrape or break the front apron, but I won't have to worry about the mechanic deforming the underbody everytime I need a tire repair.
Hey Eric...Been under the car for many years,,I highly recommend ramps for safety
That’s if your doing oil changes and doing other work that doesn’t require you to remove the wheels. Ramps are much safer and quicker
@@awmusichistory what if your vehicle is lowered?
Thanks for the tips. Since I got my first car and started to do my own repairs or attempts to repair I have learned alot and have seen many of the dangers working on a ton or more of car can do. I've injured myself on certain occasions but learned from mistakes. l learned from what I did and also how to use tools better. I'm in my middle sixties and still do oil changes, brake jobs and jobs I feel safe in doing. Will always read a book on the car or now go online to search out on sites like yours to see what ways to do a repair safely.
Eric, I love your vids but have to take you to task over forgetting to mention one of the most important safety aspects of lifting a vehicle: You didn't mention anything about putting the car in gear, chocking the wheels or setting the parking brake before lifting. If you're not on level ground and you lift the driven end without the other end chocked, in gear or brake on - the vehicle can start rolling away from you (or on top of you if you're down slope from it). You need to make sure the vehicle can't move forward or backwards before starting to lift.
Edit: I listened again and did hear Eric mention about the vehicle being level at 10:00 .Still can't understate the need to make sure it wont roll away on ya.
ratbert86 Good point. The description of the video contains a note about your comment. Thanks for your input.
***** You can have it in park, with the parking brake on and if you pick up the rear end of a rear wheel drive car - there is nothing to keep it from rolling.
ratbert86 no shit
Thank you Eric for this video, a few years ago I seen a young lad working under his car using cinder blocks under the frame. I just had to stop my car and run over there and warn him about the danger . He thanked me and I left hoping he actually took my advice.
I'm very very surprised that you forgot and I know you forgot cause your a smart tech but most IMPORTANTLY pull your emergency break up as well or else you could have the vehicle fall very easily I've had this happen before and it actually twisted the 2ton jacks arm. And thank god it didn't fall on me BUT ALWAYS ALWAYS USE YOUR EMERGENCY BREAK when lifting the vehicle
JASON JACKSON And wheel chocks!
u2bed91 took the words right outta my mouth... WHEEL CHOCKS and EMERGENCY BRAKE! and place in Park for automatic or in gear for manual
Won't do anything if you are lifting the rear. (e-brake that is)
***** don't have the brake pedal pressed if you're removing the rear brakes.
JASON JACKSON
Almost happened to me when i had a flat in the dirt ... Lifted it up truck fell over bent the shitty bottle jack.. Thank God i wasnt under it!
Finally found the video that tells me how to jack up and support car. Thanks a lot
3:22 most Hondas have a piece sticking out from the front core support where you can jack it up evenly so you can put both jack stands on
Top right 3:22
4:06 is a better picture
The Army trained me as an Instructor and as a Training Programs Developer. This was Professional!
As always, thanks for a wonderful video, Eric!
When i was a teenger i had no problem working under a car supported by only the jack you get for the spare! I fitted a new exhaust once using only that and did my brakes a few times too! I oblivious to the danger lol but i now use a trolly jack axel stands and i put the wheel under too just in case :)
Even with stands I'm usually nervous for about the first 30 minutes under my car but after my balls grow back I'm fine
THANK YOU, ERIC THE CAR GUY!!!💖💖💖 _now I know how to lift and support Vigors and Highlanders_ Darn it! I need to learn on a 2008 Caravan 😂 Thanks so much for the knowledge you gave this old lady 💖
I remember when I was barely old enough to drive I had a 1978 Honda Civic and it's CV joints broke - well that thing sat at the base of the driveway for a month (lived in the country) Once I saved enough money to fix it I towed it in and they called me an hour later stating they couldn't jack the car up at those points because the unibody was SOOO rusted it just punched a hole in the car - not sure to this day how I was able to drive that car without the motor falling out or me for that matter
Plastic caps for your jack stands do a great job of reducing damage to your paint/undercoat. Inexpensive and sacrificial when needed
Hey, Eric. I noticed most Honda's have that hump under the subframe in the center front of the plastic splash guard isn't that also a jacking point I didnt hear you mention it and never knew for sure if it was.
Eric has a very good command of the English language...IMHO......I really appreciate that...Great Vid!!!
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing this valuable information!
Excellent video. This is super helpful. I'm trying to level a 5th wheel camper and block it up to remove the tires, but no matter how much I read and watch, I still feel like I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I know for sure what to look for, now, when placing the bottle jack and jack stands. Thanks a lot!
Thanks man, really appreciate the life saving advice. I recently changed the ABS sensor behind the wheel of my car and it was a scary experience putting my head between the disc and the wheel well. The VW jack looks like a *7* , that base is scary af. Though being in a pinch I put the spare tire as a jack stand under the car's side I was working on, though I probably would have severed my head if the jack failed! :/
He didn’t touch on it here, but you can use some redundancies in case of failure. Once you have jackstands in place, you can set a jack up nearby to catch the car if one of the stands fails. Chrisfix also tosses a wheel under the vehicle as an additional failsafe.
Was trying to see if I can lift the front of my car with the back up on jack stands and came across this. Has helped me thank you. I also put wheels inbetween jack stands too.
Be careful placing jacks stands on surfaces like asphalt driveways where I've seen them sink into the asphalt a little.
michael That’s why it’s a good idea to place them on a sheet of plywood
I’m glad you said this. I did this and didn’t notice until I lowered the car back down there were multiple puncture wounds in my driveway from the base of the jacks digging in. About an inch deep each. That could have been very bad
Food for thought. I was in an apt complex, they allowed ppl to work on their own cars, and they paved their parking lots. A buddy of mine jacked his car up, used jack stands, lowered the floor jack just enough to put the car on the stands and left his jack there, good thing he did, and gave it the 'shake'! The standard jack stands settled into the fresh asphalt and dropped the car with him under it, the jack caught the car. I welded 2in square ''feet'' on my jack stands, they do not sink!
Check out Esco 10499 and 10498 jack stands which have steel "pads" to prevent exactly what you describe. Each stand is rated to 6000 lbs.
Really need to inspect the car for rust ,before placing any jack or jack stand . A lot of jack points on the rockers are rusted out and will no longer support the weight of a car even tho it is listed as a jacking point.See a lot of rusted ones here
That happened to me.
You are so right, wtbm123. Also, jack stand heads need to be redesigned to accommodate a wider range of shapes. First of all, their current shape is NOT idea for a pinch weld. But beyond pinch welds, the heads really aren't designed for good resting for most other places either. At least not on my car.
@@nunyabiznis817 no kidding!
Honestly, very informational video. Big safety considerations, useful information, recapping in order to readdress what has been covered. This is by far my favorite video of safe lifting that I've seen so far. Thank you for taking the time to make it so well done.
Should've mentioned you need to use something to block the front wheels if you're only lifting the rear.
instead of buying 2 car jacks, one low profile and one normal, can I just get only the low profile and use 2x4 wood when I want to work on normal height cars, is this commonly practiced or it's not safe.
chock
Okaythen001, It is commonly done that way, but not exactly the safest way. There are extensions made specifically to extend jacks but I've found they aren't the easiest to find and fit to your jack, probably best to find a combo that would work best from min to max height before you purchase, many that state they're for SUVs have the extension already included (it's threaded like a bolt that raises/lowers the bowl that you set the vehicle on, gives a few extra inches). If you go the wood block route, cutting indentations into the block to better grip the vehicle and jack can make it work about just as well as a metal store-bought one, but of course with any DIY if you screw up and it slips and damages the vehicle or yourself you have nobody to blame but yourself.
Using chocks isn't limited to times when jacking the rear. Use them also when lifting the front.
Merling Stoss it’s known as jacking and blocking in technicians language
Shouldn't you also make sure the breaks are on? Wheel chocks too?
I don't get why automotive jacks arn't like aviation jacks. In avaition the jackstand is built into the jack itself. The hydraulic lifting pisiton pushes up, and has rings that spin to mechanically lock the piston so that you have a solid and safe support. THe problem I most have with lifting my car is that often I'll jack it up, and the base of the floor jack will be in the way of the base of the jackstand. Aviation jacks don't have that problem. Why don't they make/use them in the automotive industry?
Simple answer - money. Of course the manufacturers could provide better jacks but consumers don't want to pay for it. Many of the cars today don't even come with a spare never mind a jack. You get an "inflation kit". Good luck with that unless you get a very simple flat. Damage the sidewall and you're finished.
Dude... AVIATION is the keyword! Technology is leaps and bounds ahead of auto industry! Also price point why get a pricey aviation spec tool when you can buy a cheaper auto spec tool and a lobster dinner lol
the renstand jack stand is the only one ive seen that does what you are describing
There is Auto jack/stands like that, they aren't as cheap tho
Money...that’s why
You are absolutely right about not using the rear cross-member when jacking the rear up, I have seen those bend quite easily.
Pretty good video. My only complaint is that you don't show the jack actually make contact with the car as you are preparing to lift. You cut away just before it does. From a filmmaking POV, that would be like Michael Bay having explosions that happen off camera. From an informative video POV, it kind of defeats the purpose to show someone how to do something, and then not actually show them one of the most important parts of it. Otherwise great video, like all your videos.
I agree, great video but the money shot was missed.
Thanks Eric for your time and effort👍🏻
Once I tried jacking up an very old and "rusty" VW beetle, using the jack that came with the car. So, I started jacking and jacking, and wondered why the car was not going up...
Well...the jack was just crunching through the very rusted body. Needless to say, I stripped whatever parts I could from it, and had the rest hauled off to the junkyard to be crushed. It was so rusted through, it could not saved. However, the I sold the parts for much more than I paid for the car!
Great video that is clear with intelligible education. I did not need the demonstration to be specific for my Ford Ranger.
I have been a subscriber for several years and have enjoyed watching and have learned from your repair videos. I am also a mechanic and shop owner. What happened to the repair videos? Lately you have been doing accessory installations and basic fundamentals for the novice, as well as product endorsements. Please get dirty Eric and go back to making repair videos!
Glad im not the only one that thinks his videos are going down hill....
I think you need to understand not everyone is a pro or have been subbed forever. So this video will help new people to the channel as well as people who are trying to save a buck by doing the work themselves. Remember it's his channel and he can do whatever he wants. I enjoy the vids and appreciate his time.
eldoradony As a shop owner I'm sure you're aware that you're not in control of everything. Now imagine the whole world is watching and no matter what you do, someone is going to be critical of it. That said, I would argue that you're looking at the videos at face value. Not everyone has your experience. I can't make a video that will please everyone, it's just not possible. Also, I've had a LOT going on behind the scenes of ETCG lately. All stuff that will move the channel forward and give you more of what you're asking for, including the Fairmont build. So relax, enjoy the show, and know that I work very hard to bring you the best automotive video I can, even if it's not a 'repair' video.
eldoradony One more thing. I made this video knowing full well it may be the last time I use my floor jack and jack stands. Hence the reason why I stated posting this video today was ironic. With that in mind, there may be those that ask what to do when working on the ground with a jack and jack stands for repairs. I'll be referring them to this video to answer to that. In short, there's a bigger picture here. I would ask that you take that into consideration.
Totally this video is educational. Not dissing that at all. Just saying the quality and effort put into the videos is no longer there in the last 10 + videos. Its almost like oh shit need to put up a video. what is a quick easy thing we could do.
Be mindful of some vehicles like the Ford E Vans where the fuel tank is right up against the frame on the left side of the vehicle. If you have the jack too far in, you can puncture the fuel tank. Also, I try to avoid the pinch weld on older vehicles because they tend to rust out and become brittle. I've also found that the mount points of leaf springs work well on vehicles with non-independent type suspension like the Ford F150's.
It would be good to mention that some of these tips are not applicable to lifting rusty vehicles. As a tech living in the rust belt I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...
I disagree
Doesn't matter if the pinch weld fails due to rust. Its under the frame-side support beam, which will support the weight of the car if the pinch weld collapses, and you can continue to use that same lift point even if it has disintegrated.
Your video is so good and informative we had to watch it for autobody and collision keep it up man little do you know your video has taught hundreds of up and coming automotive workers how to properly identify and safley jack up theyre vehicles.
You realize your vigour has center jack points in the front and back? Not sure if you purposely missed these.
I think he was trying to point out spots most cars would have as a general overview
Eric it is very very important that you mention the following :
If the jackstand lever that controls the height of the jack stand is accidentally bumped while your under the car, the jack stand with a good jolt will return to its lowest level with the car falling onto the person who’s under the car!
To all those people watching this video be very careful around the jackstand do not bump it with your body or with any tools that you may be using while under the vehicle because it will collapse and return to its lowest level and the car will come down on your head
Most of these jack stands are made oversees like China and other countries where there is there is virtually zero safety testing
I'm lazy. I use ramps and wheel blocks.
AbyssalReClass same
no good for suspension work
Redundancy is always advisable. Make stacks of solid 2x6s, add 1 inch to minimize gap, either under tires if wheels aren't removed, or under sold frame members as backups to jack stands. NEVER crawl under when only a hydraulic jack is holding up a vehicle; seals can fail, the jack can shift or a nosey kid can come by and loosen it unexpectedly, you may even dislodge a stand when moving around. You only die once.
Exactly, leave the ego at the door, safety is 1...Ive gone to extreme lengths to stay safe, built my own step up ramps...Ect
Keep your legs together and your back straight :P
Good video.
I sometimes have used the bottom of shock mount I only do this when I can't find anything else, because I only need time for placement for my jack stands. Good show for many who need good idea's. Also even for me getting older makes me think more.
My wife is very strong. I usually get her to lift the car for me.
I love her!
Thanks. One of the best reviews for car repair safety, thorough and to point.
I really think the quality of your videos is getting better and better! I've been wrenching on stuff for well over 10 years now, and I must say that theres always something that I take away from your videos no matter how comfortable with the subject I am. Keep up the good work and don't let the nay-sayers bring you down!
I use Floor jack to lift the vehicle up and jack stands to support it. I use chuck to anchored the tire in place while E-brake is on, I also use Floor and scissor jacks for added support and peace of mind but there’s more, I put a spare tire underneath too