cheap car stand

[stillsteamn]

Hi, I'm new, posted a little intro elsewhere. I work on a classic car and need to get it up in the air to install an electric fuel pump. So I need access to areas that would be partially blocked with any kind of hydraulic or scissor lift I've seen. Plus I don't want to buy or store one. I searched and did not run across the pictured concept being discussed on this site. I saw someone's full-length wood ramps which are a great idea but storage will take some room. A friend gave me this idea, it's cheap and storing the blocks will not take up a lot of room when I'm not using it. I'm thinking of building it in layers so I can jack up one end of the car and slide in part of the supports before jacking higher, for safety purposes.

 

[lilredex]

My solution, front is elevated on 2X6'S.

 

[Eslader]

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but getting under that thing would scare the hell out of me. Am I right in thinking those boards aren't even nailed together? I know the weight will theoretically keep them from slipping but...

Why can't you put it on jack stands?

 

[jimbee]

Hi, I'm new, posted a little intro elsewhere. I work on a classic car and need to get it up in the air to install an electric fuel pump. So I need access to areas that would be partially blocked with any kind of hydraulic or scissor lift I've seen. Plus I don't want to buy or store one. I searched and did not run across the pictured concept being discussed on this site. I saw someone's full-length wood ramps which are a great idea but storage will take some room. A friend gave me this idea, it's cheap and storing the blocks will not take up a lot of room when I'm not using it. I'm thinking of building it in layers so I can jack up one end of the car and slide in part of the supports before jacking higher, for safety purposes.

It's called "cribbing" or a "box crib". Very strong if designed and built properly. I used to work at a power plant, and the maintenance people would build wooden cribbing to support turbine rotors weighing fifty tons or more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_crib

 

[stillsteamn]

Box crib, so it has a name! The cribs in the photo are nailed together. Could also use wood screws. I was thinking of building each crib in about 2 separate pieces so the car would not have to be jacked so high all in one shot with nothing to catch it if the jack slipped or failed. The advantage over jack stands is I think I could go a little higher than my jack stands and still be totally safe. I would still use jack stands for backup but those would now need to be on wood blocks themselves, maybe pieces of 4"x4".

 

[Ditch]

Yes, because jack stands are so complicated

 

[ford33]

What would keep the tires from rolling off that wood block?

With jack stands, the frame would be held in position.

You would not see me under that car.

 

[Zeke]

The size of the base and dead level are the 2 important factors here.

 

[ws6formula]

still - it sounds like you need to have the vehicle very high to install the electric fuel pump..why so high? is the fuel pump in the gas tank ? and you need to remove the gas tank and with regular jack stands you cant get the vehicle high enough to remove the gas tank? If not, in gas tank (where is pump located)

 

[tjdux]

When i did nat gas pipeline work we held 1000s of pounds of pipe several feet in the using thia exact same concept and none of the timbers were nailed together and were working outside on uneven ground the entire time....

This is a common and proven method to hold up literally tons of weight for long periods of time.

The car in the photos also has jackstands under it. Also jackstands can fail too. Wood has crazy compression strength and those blocks in the photos could probably hold a modest tractor or dump truck.

You could also likely double the height of those wood stands and be fine. The weakest point on them in my opinion is the spreading force on the 2 top boards but some good fasteners and thats not an issue.

I wouls get under that car and be more comfortable than a car only on jackstands.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[LXCam]

What would keep the tires from rolling off that wood block?

With jack stands, the frame would be held in position.

You would not see me under that car.

So when was the last time you tried to push a car over a 2x4 without a rolling start?



Let alone one in front and behind each tire.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

To each his own, but even my old cheapo jack stands that I scrapped 10 years ago could put a car higher up than that. In less time, too.

Tomm

 

[Stuart in MN]

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but getting under that thing would scare the hell out of me. Am I right in thinking those boards aren't even nailed together? I know the weight will theoretically keep them from slipping but...

Why can't you put it on jack stands?

If you look at the picture, the cribbing is clearly screwed together.

I'd have no problem with using cribbing. as long is it's sized and put together properly.

 

[sberry]

I got no problem with that either but,,,, if you don't have a set of stands you probably need them.

 

[Ditch]

I've seen so many wooden contractions over the years
I'd rather have something light like stands or rhino ramps
who in their right mind would want to drag that wooden **** around ?

 

[Stuart in MN]

who in their right mind would want to drag that wooden **** around ?

How far do you have to drag it, maybe 20 feet from where it's stored on one side of the garage to under the car? Doesn't seem that crazy to me. Also, since it can be built out of scraps, cribbing can be essentially free.

 

[Ditch]

I'm not that cheap.
I have stands and a lift.

 

[coldh2o]

I've seen so many wooden contractions over the years...

Agreed. Wooden it be nice...wooden you like to know...wooden it be good...wooden you really rather have a Buick?

 

[Dirtydan69]

I see no problem with those holding up a car. On the other hand why not buy jack stands. Way easier to maneuver around and smaller to store.

 

[Ditch]

Agreed. Wooden it be nice...wooden you like to know...wooden it be good...wooden you really rather have a Buick?

****, friggin spell check
contraptions

 

[ezriderga]

They are cribbing blocks. I built these and use them all the time. I would trust these before I would jackstands.

 

[Ditch]

just awesome for doing brakes huh ?

 

[coldh2o]

They are cribbing blocks. I built these and use them all the time. I would trust these before I would jackstands.

Assuming the cribs are properly fastened together, that looks more stable than jackstands.

 

[DIC]

 

[slip knot]

I use cribbing quite a bit. not everything has a way to put stands under it. and used properly cribbing will hold up a hell of a lot more than any metal stand will.

 

[Firebrick43]

Agreed. Wooden it be nice...wooden you like to know...wooden it be good...wooden you really rather have a Buick?

Laughed so hard I almost pissed myself

 

[Stuart in MN]

just awesome for doing brakes huh ?

Well, of course you couldn't do the brakes with the cribbing under the wheels, but you could put them under the appropriate spots on the chassis to hold the car up off the wheels if you wanted.

We get it, you're not impressed.

 

[atch]

I also use cribbing. I have several very nice jack stands rated at (I believe) 3,000# each. I NEVER use them by themselves. I ONLY use them as backups for cribbing. I don't trust them by themselves as far as I could throw them. I've been under vehicles MANY time using cribbing and will continue to use this system. Some of my cribbing I built over 40 years ago and some I built about 15 years ago. They have never been wet and are just as strong as they were the days I built them.

As far as storage and moving them I keep my cribbing in the bay where I work on vehicles and I never have to move them more than 5-10 feet. And while they do weigh more than steel jack stands if I get to the point where moving them is more than I can bear then I won't be able to work on (or under) a car anyway.

b-t-w; the way my cribbing is built there is wood the entire way from the tire to the floor; no gaps like the ones shown in the original post. As the wood is ONLY in compression there is no way they can fail. I would feel comfortable using them under a semi truck.

 

[zeeway]

I changed out a transmission on my ex 300zx using jackstands and some wooden platforms as shown (mine were a bit bigger), as well as some taller ones made from 2x10's. I would contend that there are cars that have fallen from a jack stand that failed, but I doubt that any car has ever crushed a 2x4. Just another factoid - when you make the 2x4 things correctly they have a locking lip on the bottom as well as the top.

 

[Hubscrub66]

I built me four awhile back out of 2x4. I love them use them quite frequently especially if car is gonna be up for awile. Pulled the trans out of my nova with them and was nice to have clear area where stands usually are. Also found other uses for them, I use one to stand on when working on my 4x4. Stack them up and they take up what a 1ft 1/2 square? big deal.

 

[tomstin]

Those appear to be 2x6 or maybe 2x8 which would avoid them rolling. But one advantage is the suspension would be compressed to ride height. Depending on what you're trying do, that may be an advantage. But the tires may take a "set" with the way they are contacting the boards.

Anytime you have a car off the ground there is risk involved.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Here is the set I built for my Camaro to do Suspension set ups and get it higher for work under car.

<a href="http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/nwohiochevyguy/media/Camaro/IMG_4234_zpsekh7lfea.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w420/nwohiochevyguy/Camaro/IMG_4234_zpsekh7lfea.jpg" border="0" alt="Suspension work1 photo IMG_4234_zpsekh7lfea.jpg"/></a>

Glued & Screwed w/ 3/4" plywood tops and 45's for the stops.

 

[APEowner]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with cribbing. I use it for chassis setup and for tightening suspension parts that need to be loaded when tightened. I'll sometimes use it when I know I won't be pulling a wheel. I also have a bunch of jack stands and if it's more convenient for what I'm doing I'll use them.

You do need to make sure that the car doesn't roll off of the cribbing.

 

[Blue XJ]

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but getting under that thing would scare the hell out of me. Am I right in thinking those boards aren't even nailed together? I know the weight will theoretically keep them from slipping but...

Why can't you put it on jack stands?

I see nail (or screw) heads in the second picture. I've had a set like this for years that I use under my jackstands when the 12 ton's aren't tall enough.

 

[Ditch]

Well, of course you couldn't do the brakes with the cribbing under the wheels, but you could put them under the appropriate spots on the chassis to hold the car up off the wheels if you wanted.

We get it, you're not impressed.

 

[rburke65]

Ditch....I've seen so many wooden contractions over the years..... All I could think of was you watching a birth of a "seedling" when I read this! I have used cribbing to lift the body of my '65 from the frame. Jack up body enough to slide a 4x4 above frame....under body, and then used the cribbing under the 4x4. Worked well.

 

[ar2stp48]

Have and use both jack stands and cribbing; choice depends on application I trust cribbing more for increased height Have never had a problem with cribbing. I have had one vehicle (FJ40) fall from stands --larger set, good footprint, not a cheap set, etc. Luckily I was not under the vehicle, but still scary

Also have used cribbing with antique gas and diesel engines; as in 32000 lbs for a Bessemer with 6' flywheels and bore of 16"

 

[Ditch]

Ditch....I've seen so many wooden contractions over the years..... All I could think of was you watching a birth of a "seedling" when I read this! I have used cribbing to lift the body of my '65 from the frame. Jack up body enough to slide a 4x4 above frame....under body, and then used the cribbing under the 4x4. Worked well.

Never said it didn't work or was unsafe.
It's just unwieldy compared to newer lighter options
PIA comes to mind

 

[larry_g]

I'm always amazed how some of the mental midgets keep reinforcing their stature.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Ditch]

I'm always amazed how some of the mental midgets keep reinforcing their stature.

lg
no neat sig line

You do a good job of that