Axle Stands - A Buyers Guide
In the event that you will work on your vehicle often, you should purchase some axle stands.
Many disasters occur every year because of people who use the wrong equipment to lift up their cars.
Obviously, the consequences when things go badly are horrible.
Since axle stands are pretty cheap items to purchase, and can save your life on more than one occasion, you should be sure you have a set if you haven't already bought one.
Here are some things you should look for when shopping for stands: The Safe Working Load (SWL) indicates the maximum weight a stand can support.
If your vehicle is a large one, like an SUV, then you will need one that can hold approximately 2 tons or more.
Although this doesn't seem like a very high rating, bear in mind that each axle stand is responsible for holding one corner of the SUV.
Something to keep an eye on is when the package of a pair of stands says "Two Tons" but each stand only can hold one ton each.
The Saddle should be a wide, Y-shaped configuration at the peak of the stand, and must be adequate to hold the car without slippage.
Avoid stands with flat saddles, as vehicles are known to slip off of them.
You might also consider what kind of metal the axle stand is made out of.
Iron stands are preferred over steel stands, as they don't scrape the support beams so much.
Height is proportional to weight: the heavier the car to be raised, the taller the stand should be.
Stands that are approximately 300mm would be good for a car, and 350mm to 400mm stands are good for trucks and SUVs.
Feet are important too: find a stand that has padded feet which will also help prevent slippage.
In summary, axle stands are a necessary part of any mechanic's set of tools.
You know the car will be supported well and that you can work safely beneath it.
When purchasing stands, figure out how much of a working load you need and what the best height you should buy is.
Once you know that, you can narrow down to the kind of saddle and metal used.
A lot of disasters happen when people try to save time by using a jack to hold their cars up while repairing.
Avoid injury and get some inexpensive axle stands instead!
Many disasters occur every year because of people who use the wrong equipment to lift up their cars.
Obviously, the consequences when things go badly are horrible.
Since axle stands are pretty cheap items to purchase, and can save your life on more than one occasion, you should be sure you have a set if you haven't already bought one.
Here are some things you should look for when shopping for stands: The Safe Working Load (SWL) indicates the maximum weight a stand can support.
If your vehicle is a large one, like an SUV, then you will need one that can hold approximately 2 tons or more.
Although this doesn't seem like a very high rating, bear in mind that each axle stand is responsible for holding one corner of the SUV.
Something to keep an eye on is when the package of a pair of stands says "Two Tons" but each stand only can hold one ton each.
The Saddle should be a wide, Y-shaped configuration at the peak of the stand, and must be adequate to hold the car without slippage.
Avoid stands with flat saddles, as vehicles are known to slip off of them.
You might also consider what kind of metal the axle stand is made out of.
Iron stands are preferred over steel stands, as they don't scrape the support beams so much.
Height is proportional to weight: the heavier the car to be raised, the taller the stand should be.
Stands that are approximately 300mm would be good for a car, and 350mm to 400mm stands are good for trucks and SUVs.
Feet are important too: find a stand that has padded feet which will also help prevent slippage.
In summary, axle stands are a necessary part of any mechanic's set of tools.
You know the car will be supported well and that you can work safely beneath it.
When purchasing stands, figure out how much of a working load you need and what the best height you should buy is.
Once you know that, you can narrow down to the kind of saddle and metal used.
A lot of disasters happen when people try to save time by using a jack to hold their cars up while repairing.
Avoid injury and get some inexpensive axle stands instead!
