Factory of Safety when buying jack/jack stands?

[ptgarcia]

All the recent talk about jacks and jack stands has me realizing I don't own either; and, in keeping with Garage Journal tradition, now I must buy them.

My question is, should a factor of safety be added in when determining which weight capacity to buy? For instance, I will be working on a 1-ton Ram 3500 which weighs nearly 9,000 lbs (4.5 tons), and being a Cummins diesel truck, there must be close to 5,000 lbs (2.5 tons) on the front axle. So if I ever need to lift the front of the truck I need at least a 2.5 ton jack. The jack I'm considering is 3-ton (Pro Eagle Kratos), and the jack stands are 3-ton per pair (American-made Hein-Werner). Is that enough? Is it recommended to add in a factory of safety?

 

[Viper98912]

By design, the jacks should have built in factors of safety already.

But I sure as heck won't be one to find out. For a large truck like that, I'd go bigger/heavier, just because.

I use my 3-ton jacks for my medium size SUV, which isn't 9,000 lbs....

 

[Bogie1632]

I have 3T and 2 1/4T stands and my Suburban (~6400 lbs) is fine on them all. I certainly wouldn't have gone with smaller stands. That said, I'm getting some 4T stands at some point in the near future. My 3T stands feel sketchy under a PowerStroke, though I doubt they would fail unless compromised under a load.

Also, you sure you're looking at your curb weight (as it sits) and not your GVWR (max loaded weight, usually the one listed on the door sticker)? The 2 are different. 9K sounds a bit high. Pretty sure a 3500 is still ~7500 curb weight. What model is yours?

V/R
Bogie

 

[Forgottonia]

No advice to you other than to make sure your jack is plenty sturdy for its intended use. I found this out firsthand:

Many years ago I bought a used Mazda RX7. A few months later I had a flat tire, and jacked it up to fix it. I had just put the spare on and had one lug nut in when the scissor jack gave out. It crumpled up, dropping the car down a couple inches inches. Fortunately, the one lug nut held, and I didn't have feet or fingers under the tire.

Come to find out the guy who sold me the car had replaced the scissor jack with one he'd gotten from a scrap yard. Probably for a car that was lighter than the RX7. (Not sure what that'd be since RX7s are a fairly small vehicle.)

 

[Ralf11]

I suppose you could check and see if there is an SAE spec. - or an ISO one. Then check to see if they were built to spec.

I wouldn't worry about the HW ones. I WOULD be real careful about inspecting the welds, setting them up carefully and using the spare tire or a piece of timber as a fail safe...

 

[larry_g]

Above is one data point you can use.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[m6z]

I'd want a set of 6 ton stand for a large truck like that. They're just bigger and taller in general and a better fit for a truck/SUV in my opinion. I've used my 6 ton stands mostly on a 1/2 ton trucks..

 

[ptgarcia]

I have 3T and 2 1/4T stands and my Suburban (~6400 lbs) is fine on them all. I certainly wouldn't have gone with smaller stands. That said, I'm getting some 4T stands at some point in the near future. My 3T stands feel sketchy under a PowerStroke, though I doubt they would fail unless compromised under a load.

Also, you sure you're looking at your curb weight (as it sits) and not your GVWR (max loaded weight, usually the one listed on the door sticker)? The 2 are different. 9K sounds a bit high. Pretty sure a 3500 is still ~7500 curb weight. What model is yours?

V/R
Bogie

2006 Ram 3500 Megacab 4x4 with Cummins 5.9L 24v and 48RE auto ******. The GVWR is 9,900 lbs, but with all the **** I've added I'm pretty sure curb weight is approaching 9,000 lbs. I may have overshot a bit but I'd rather error on the side of caution.

 

[fsae0607]

By design, the jacks should have built in factors of safety already.

But I sure as heck won't be one to find out. For a large truck like that, I'd go bigger/heavier, just because.

I use my 3-ton jacks for my medium size SUV, which isn't 9,000 lbs....

Yes, standard Engineering practice is a FoS of 4 or 5 for lifting/hoisting applications.

 

[ptgarcia]

Above is one data point you can use.

lg
no neat sig line

That was awesome.

 

[ptgarcia]

Yes, standard Engineering practice is a FoS of 4 or 5 for lifting/hoisting applications.

One of the stands in the video failed at 5x the rated capacity. That's pretty skookum!

 

[Neggy]

No advice to you other than to make sure your jack is plenty sturdy for its intended use. I found this out firsthand:

Many years ago I bought a used Mazda RX7. A few months later I had a flat tire, and jacked it up to fix it. I had just put the spare on and had one lug nut in when the scissor jack gave out. It crumpled up, dropping the car down a couple inches inches. Fortunately, the one lug nut held, and I didn't have feet or fingers under the tire.

Did you see the GM recall for FAILING PLASTIC JACKS ?

GM recalling 135,000 SUVs with plastic jacks that can break - Autoblog

General Motors is recalling 135,400 compact crossovers because their emergency jack can break under load. The problem occurs when the jack — which is plast

www.autoblog.com

 

[JRC3]

This is TGJF, go BIG. LOL I have 4 of the tall 1410 Sunex and they are HD. They make the short 1210 version that would be great for a floor jack application.

https://sunextools.com/product-category/lifting-equipment/lifting-equipment-jack-stands/

Amazon.com: Sunex 1210 10-Ton Low Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair : Automotive

Buy Sunex 1210 10-Ton Low Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair: Jack Stands - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

$188 per pair, but should last a lifetime.

 

[APEowner]

As others have indicated there's a pretty significant safety factor built into quality jack stands so going by the rated value is pretty safe.

I encourage everyone with a pickup truck, particularly a diesel to actually weigh it. My 2015 RAM 3500 weighs 8,500# with half a tank of fuel, me and the usual collection of tools in it.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The other thing is higher capacity stands are generally going to be taller, and for a one ton truck you'll most likely need as much height as you can get.

 

[Badgerstate]

All the recent talk about jacks and jack stands has me realizing I don't own either; and, in keeping with Garage Journal tradition, now I must buy them.

My question is, should a factor of safety be added in when determining which weight capacity to buy? For instance, I will be working on a 1-ton Ram 3500 which weighs nearly 9,000 lbs (4.5 tons), and being a Cummins diesel truck, there must be close to 5,000 lbs (2.5 tons) on the front axle. So if I ever need to lift the front of the truck I need at least a 2.5 ton jack. The jack I'm considering is 3-ton (Pro Eagle Kratos), and the jack stands are 3-ton per pair (American-made Hein-Werner). Is that enough? Is it recommended to add in a factory of safety?

I would definetly go bigger. I recently was in the same boat as you. I wanted to get back into doing my own vehicle maintenance now that I have a garage again. I only have to lift a Honda Accord or a Hyundai Tucson, not exactly the biggest and heaviest vehicles around but I went with a Craftsman 3-ton jack and jack stands because Id rather have heavier gear than I need than to save a little money and have them fail on me one day.
Just today I used them to rotate tires on my Accord and Im still alive to tell you about it, so yeah, Im happy.

 

[pancho400cid]

Generally agree that bigger is better. I buy 3 ton jacks as a minimum and I'm not lifting anything near that heavy. As said, they extend higher

Also - the ratings for jack stands are often "per PAIR"....

 

[jrbpit1]

I have 2 sets of three ton stands for the cars that I work on. I mainly just work on my stuff and close family, oil changes brake jobs, other easy stuff. I have a set of 6 ton stands that I use for my Toyota 4Runner and 1/2 ton Silverado. I like the six tons for my 'Runner and Silvy because they are taller than a 3 ton.

You can order a set of the 6 ton's direct from US Jack. I think they are around $180.00. I've been pleased with the quality of the set I ordered from them. They are US made. I own a pair of 3 ton Hein-Werner and a set of brand X I picked up at a local non-chain auto parts store. Hein-Werner are US Made with foreign components, and brand X I think are from mainland China. The brand X have held up well, same with the Hein-Werner. That being said, when ever I'm under a vehicle on stands, I always put my 3 ton service jack on the side I'm working on, just as a little bit of extra safety. No weight is on the jack but it is extended to just within a 1/2 to 1/4 inch of a jack point to keep the vehicle at that height in case one of the stands fails. Sometimes the jack gets in the way and slows me down a bit, but makes me feel a little better with 6,000 pounds of steel over top of me.

 

[ptgarcia]

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I'll play it safe and drop a little more coin and just get the 6-ton stands from US Jack. The jack I'm looking at is more of a specialty item for off road so I'm capped at 3-ton, but I think that'll be fine as the majority of the time it will only have to lift one corner at a time.

 

[Forgottonia]

Did you see the GM recall for FAILING PLASTIC JACKS ?

GM recalling 135,000 SUVs with plastic jacks that can break - Autoblog

General Motors is recalling 135,400 compact crossovers because their emergency jack can break under load. The problem occurs when the jack — which is plast

www.autoblog.com

Didn't see that. But a plastic jack? That just doesn't sound like a good idea.

My jack failure happened many years ago. Around 1987 or so. I had a 1983 RX7, and we had a flat while driving around on Coronado Island near San Diego.

 

[Neggy]

 

[65ranchero]

Didn't see that. But a plastic jack? That just doesn't sound like a good idea.

It's all about weight saving so they will do almost anything to reduce it.
It bring their fuel mileage numbers up.

 

[Viper98912]

Plastic is an incredible material. It's cheap, it's light, and you can do many many things with it. Suspensions in the future will be made out of a certain plastics, for certain.

The big problem with it though is when you use the plastic off-angle from the direction the load was originally supposed to go. That's when it can easily break, as noticed in the plastic jack failures. Not everyone will use it correctly, or they don't have the ability to be on a perfectly flat road, or let's face it, people just make a mistake using it.

This has to have been a huge conversation within GM with tons and tons of data because of the potential issues with this safety item. Looks like they didn't make the right decision.

 

[Grogg]

2006 Ram 3500 Megacab 4x4 with Cummins 5.9L 24v and 48RE auto ******. The GVWR is 9,900 lbs, but with all the **** I've added I'm pretty sure curb weight is approaching 9,000 lbs. I may have overshot a bit but I'd rather error on the side of caution.

I would say closer to 8,000 - 8,400 total weight, even with extras.

The front axle will have about 4,500 lbs of that on it.

Worry more about what is underneath the jack stand in my experience. Solid base.

I find 6 ton stands too big to use unless I'm putting them under the frame to drop axles. I use 2.5 ton stands on the front. 2.5 tons = 5000 lbs. That will hold the entire front axle on one single stand with safety margin... two under there will hold the entire truck with safety margin.

 

[ajchien]

Regarding hydraulic jacks, the capacity listed on the jack is what the overload bypass valve is set at. if the load you are lifting is higher than the jack capacity, that valve will open and the transferred oil will simply get pulled out of the reservoir and pumped back into the reservoir with no lift of the jack saddle. If you have a full sized jack (not the tiny trolley jacks), the overload bypass valve should open before you get anywhere close to causing the frame of the jack to collapse (Barring any stupid human behaviors that occur when operating jacks).

Regarding jack stands, as you see in the other posted videos, jack stands safety factors are much higher than the ratings. If someone remembers better, please correct me, but somewhere in my fuzzy memory I think ASME PASE requires jacks stands to be able to go over 2 times rating and ANSI requires jacks stands to be 1.5 times over rating ... but then again that might be old info in my memory because they change the standards every now and then. Nevertheless, I have a suspicion that for your Ram 3500 you might run into problems with how HIGH 3 ton jacks stand can reach. I also personally have a preference for relatively wide-flat topped jack stands such as in the US jack style or Sunex pin style or Hein Werner pin style for truck frames. I prefer the circular cup style for axles.

 

[RickyPetite]

For sedans and smaller vehicles, I use a 3 ton set from US Jack. I love the width of the base, US steel and quality welds. The height is just right for lower vehicles. For trucks, I use a 7 ton set from Gray Manufacturing (7-TF...they make an extra tall set in this model as well, 7-THF). You have to see the Gray's in person to believe how well they are made. Each jack (not the set) is rated for 7 tons. The retaining pin is thicker than my thumb. Made in USA and it shows, they look like they could hold up a tank.

 

[rburke65]

I am surprised that the ratings on a Jack stand is “per pair”......never have I heard such a thing.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

This is TGJF, go BIG. LOL I have 4 of the tall 1410 Sunex and they are HD. They make the short 1210 version that would be great for a floor jack application.

https://sunextools.com/product-category/lifting-equipment/lifting-equipment-jack-stands/

Amazon.com: Sunex 1210 10-Ton Low Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair : Automotive

Buy Sunex 1210 10-Ton Low Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair: Jack Stands - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

$188 per pair, but should last a lifetime.

“Last a lifetime” is not much of an endorsement when your life depends on it. But i think we know what you meant.

 

[JRC3]

“Last a lifetime” is not much of an endorsement when your life depends on it. But i think we know what you meant.

That's the exact endorsement I meant. Heavy duty and over-sized, big stable feet and a pin instead of some ratchet locking mechanism. I've had many vehicles up on mine and feel totally confident that I'll be having breakfast the next morning while dreaming of retirement. LOL And mine are 4' tall instead of the short ones.

 

[nashbalto]

I had the HF 6 ton jackstands that were recalled. Scared the piss out of me the number of times I have been under them. I have always been careful using wheel chocks the vehicle gets lifted.

No more. I returned them for a refund.

This is what I replaced them with

Shop All Tools and Equipment at JB Tools | JB Tools

Shop the complete range of tools and equipment at JB Tools. Find automotive, professional, and DIY tools to meet all your project needs.

www.jbtools.com

These go up over 21", very tall. Now I need to get the new Snap-on HF copy Super Duty Low Profile Jack in sunburst Orange !!

3,000 lbs each. 4x will support 12,000 lbs safely. My old Avalanche was 6,200 lbs +/-. Jack shear pins with with cotter pins prevent any chance of the pins coming out.

Much more secure than trying to guess if you have enough tooth engagement on the ratcheting type stands I used without much thought since I was 16 (many moons ago...on my 69 Firebird in HS). No second thoughts, it is a much better, superior design.

Definitely a factor of safety involved of 1.5x-2.0x, but they don't officially publish because of liability.

Very happy and confident with my set up. More room underneath to work also.

Cut 12"x12" (3/4" thick) plywood pads to cushion the concrete in my driveway.

Cheers,
Nashbalto

 

[kberjian]

I have tipped a car over before on jackstands by being too vigorous pulling on a pry bar to try to get something off the frame. I was lucky that the car rested on the hydraulic jack that was being used to hold up the driveshaft during some measuring. The stands were set at almost full extension to give me room under the car to work. I know that was a poor choice.

The way I hold up cars now, especially at higher heights is using wood cribbing stacks. It is very strong and stable. I guarantee it would hold more load then the 3T jack stands I have.

 

[nashbalto]

Nice 55-57 Buick Special with the bullet holes! Which one is it?

Cheers,
Nashbalto

 

[bubinga]

For sedans and smaller vehicles, I use a 3 ton set from US Jack. I love the width of the base, US steel and quality welds. The height is just right for lower vehicles. For trucks, I use a 7 ton set from Gray Manufacturing (7-TF...they make an extra tall set in this model as well, 7-THF). You have to see the Gray's in person to believe how well they are made. Each jack (not the set) is rated for 7 tons. The retaining pin is thicker than my thumb. Made in USA and it shows, they look like they could hold up a tank.

Wow those look nice.
How tall do the 7-THF GO?

Gray Manufacturing USA

products.grayusa.com

 

[ptgarcia]

For sedans and smaller vehicles, I use a 3 ton set from US Jack. I love the width of the base, US steel and quality welds. The height is just right for lower vehicles. For trucks, I use a 7 ton set from Gray Manufacturing (7-TF...they make an extra tall set in this model as well, 7-THF). You have to see the Gray's in person to believe how well they are made. Each jack (not the set) is rated for 7 tons. The retaining pin is thicker than my thumb. Made in USA and it shows, they look like they could hold up a tank.

Geez those look beefy. How much were they if you don't mind me asking?

Edit: Nevermind, I see them on ZORO for $350. Seems like a relatively good price for American stands of that capacity!

 

[ptgarcia]

Wow those look nice.
How tall do the 7-THF GO?

Gray Manufacturing USA

products.grayusa.com

9.5" min, 16" max

Gray Vehicle Stand, Pin Style, 7 Tons, PR 7TF Stands | Zoro

Order Gray Vehicle Stand, Pin Style, 7 Tons, PR, 7TF Stands at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[Jazz1]

New jack stands have a label affixed warning not to work under vehicle while it is supported by stands. I use large capacity stands mainly for height,,and a block of wood for a safety

 

[ItsNemo]

I'd want a set of 6 ton stand for a large truck like that. They're just bigger and taller in general and a better fit for a truck/SUV in my opinion. I've used my 6 ton stands mostly on a 1/2 ton trucks..

Before I had my lift I used 6 ton stands with compact cars even...got them up higher but on the lowest setting of the stands and far more stable.

 

[RickyPetite]

The Gray 7 ton stands come in 2 sizes. 7-TF (max height 16") and 7-THF (max height 20"). I have the shorter of the two and am satisfied with the height.

 

[ckadams00]

Check pricing as well . . .I just purchased 2 sets of Big Red 3 ton on Amazon and they were $33/pr whereas the 2 ton were $40 a pair.

 

[Beemer]

I have used a set of AUSCO 2 ton stands on everything I own from motorcycles to Chevy trucks and never gave them a second thought. Just looking at them, the design looks right. The bases of the legs are tied to the adjacent legs which was meant to resist spreading. The labels seem to imply that they are USA made in Michigan.
I have recently looked for another set but the internet returns "US Jack (AUSCO)" so I guess that means they were either bought up or were/are a subsidy.

The only thing I could wish for would be pads on the feet. Manufacturers need to realize that I'm guessing more than a minority of stands and jacks are used outside and not on concrete.

The picture (of 5 ton stands) isn't my pair but they look alike so there is some comfort in that the 2 ton units appear to be similar if not the same.