More Fails.

[shoggoth80]

So. It's happened. Finally broke a couple more things.
What is supposedly a 3ton jack stand folded on me. Thankfully not while under the car. An OTC Racing jack...watched it warp as the vehicle came off. Stayed warped. And a 10mm SK socket. While I viewed the first tools as questionable (my employer is required to supply, but is cheap), the socket surprised me...but it happens. No idea how old the socket was. The other two... Less than a year and a half.

 

[PJNJ]

It seems that the jackstand may be a Harbor Freight, maybe?

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

What is supposedly a 3ton jack stand folded on me. Thankfully not while under the car. An OTC Racing jack...watched it warp as the vehicle came off. Stayed warped.

HOLLY SH**!!!!

Are you talking to the manufacturer? Who built it? Where did you buy it?

How much weight did you have on it?

 

[kala_azar]

What happened to the 10mm socket, I can't tell from the picture?


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[LB-1911]

It seems that the jackstand may be a Harbor Freight, maybe?

Looks like it might be these -

3 Ton Steel Jack Stands
Pittsburgh Automotive - Item#61196
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-steel-jack-stands-61196.html

 

[thegroundpounder99]

Jacks and jack stands are worth it to me.....no HF widow makers. Glad it wasn't worse.


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[blown94conv]

Count your blessings I suppose.

 

[btdobie]

Jack stands are worth spending money on as others have said. I also like to divide the weight ratings by 4 and leave my Jack under the car as a back up if the repair allows the room. Hopefully someday we will all have enough money to install proper lifts.

Thanks for sharing your experience as it helps keep us all safer to learn from each other. Glad you're OK.

 

[Farmall450]

Never had that issue with 6 ton Snap On or US jack Stands

 

[GTO]

I would NOT be under a car supported by anything that ever said "Pittsburgh"

Sorry..........

 

[L.Cheapo]

Maybe "3 Ton" is the name of the jack stand. Or the guy who made it.

When it comes to safety equipment, stick with good quality USA, Canada, Germany, etc. You'll pay more, but 20% off coupons mean nothing when you're dead or maimed.

Glad you came out of this one with nothing more than some scrap metal.

 

[PJNJ]

Whenever possible, I've started doubling up on jack stands under the car or p/up. I usually use ramps for the front with jack stands and double jack stands on each side in the rear.

 

[BFBOB]

ummm... just to be the Joe Obvious of this thread ... you are aware that jack stands are rated at weight per pair, riiiigght?

So, one end of my 9,000 lb van on a pair of 3 ton / pair jack stands wouldn't leave a safety factor I'd be enthusiastic about.

Still, it's a sign> now's the time to play the lottery!!

 

[Jacobson]

Did you try to use the jackstand sideways or something?
I suspect operator error.

 

[d.mcfarland]

What happened to the 10mm socket, I can't tell from the picture?


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Looks like a crack if I'm seeing it correctly. Unless that's a reflection.

 

[yamaha0343]

I have way too much life ahead of me to get under Harbor Freight jack stands.

 

[1930]

Did you try to use the jackstand sideways or something?
I suspect operator error.

Exactly, these were abused and not used as intended

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Did the vehicle roll while there was still weight on the jack stands?

 

[mike93lx]

ummm... just to be the Joe Obvious of this thread ... you are aware that jack stands are rated at weight per pair, riiiigght?

So, one end of my 9,000 lb van on a pair of 3 ton / pair jack stands wouldn't leave a safety factor I'd be enthusiastic about.

Still, it's a sign> now's the time to play the lottery!!

That is a great point that I don't think most people honestly realize.

I've typically used one jack stand if I'm only bringing one corner of the car off the ground, in addition to leaving the jack in place but with the weight on the stands. Sounds like it's time to start doubling up.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

That is a great point that I don't think most people honestly realize.

I've typically used one jack stand if I'm only bringing one corner of the car off the ground, in addition to leaving the jack in place but with the weight on the stands. Sounds like it's time to start doubling up.

Also, there's almost always room for wood cribbing--pieces of railroad ties, 6X6s, etc. Wood cribbing never fails if placed properly!

 

[Al Borland]

Either the wheels weren't chocked, and the car rolled back, or there was misuse of the stands, The stands are designed to carry load directly down. No side loads. Level ground. No slopes. Solid surfaces, not dirt or gravel. If the were being used as intended, they would not fail like that. the legs of the stands are triangulated and in tension with load on them, yet these are compressed.
Did ya maybe forget they were under the car and drive over/off them? Seen that done, and your damage looks awful similar.

 

[mmack66]

"What is supposedly a 3ton jack stand folded on me. Thankfully not while under the car. An OTC Racing jack...watched it warp as the vehicle came off."

What does all of that mean? It folded up when you took the weight off of it?

 

[SteveCh]

Use of HF stuff like that is application to the Darwin Awards

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I've typically used one jack stand if I'm only bringing one corner of the car off the ground, in addition to leaving the jack in place but with the weight on the stands. Sounds like it's time to start doubling up.

I don't recommend jacking up one corner at a time, unless you're out on the highway changing a tire. As you jack up a single corner you increase the weight that you expect the jack to carry.

Jack up the car along the side or from either end, and put two jack stands under the car to support weight.

Two jack stands on one side of the car will each have materially less weight to support than a single jack stand that holding up "a corner".

 

[justanengineer]

ummm... just to be the Joe Obvious of this thread ... you are aware that jack stands are rated at weight per pair, riiiigght?

That depends on the age, manufacturer, and markings on the stand. Back when tools commonly had independent testing lab certification many were rated individually. If the stands have a load test sticker on them its individually per OSHA (some states and the military consider stands a "lifting device" that needs regular testing). With today's cheapies and the consumer Walmart mentality however they are commonly rated per pair.

Regardless, thats not an OTC stand.

 

[unslow1]

Did the vehicle roll while there was still weight on the jack stands?

That's what I was trying to figure out. I can't see how a jack stand could bend like that with the weight on top. That thing looks folded sideways. If I saw mine like that I would think it was laying sideways and I ran over it.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Hey look, a swap meet impact socket.

 

[Jazz1]

Thats why the label on jack stands says not to work UNDER vehicle when on stands. I always use blocks of wood for a secondary safety. Saw a set of generic steel ramps collapse under the weight of front of of a 2WD ford pickup.

 

[Jason280]

Use of HF stuff like that is application to the Darwin Awards

Using any equipment incorrectly is a potential Darwin invite, regardless of who manufactured it...

 

[Motorman55]

I have the HF 3 ton jack stands and I've used them several times this year already. I treat them just like any of my 'American Made' ones.

I never trust any of them completely and always leave my jack in place as a back up. Also have wood blocks and use them if I feel the need to. I also always block the wheels both sides of a tire to make sure nothing rolls either way.

'Safety Overkill' is better then 'Being Killed'.

 

[Fender1325]

Yikes....

Double and triple up folks.

 

[Skin]

I don't recommend jacking up one corner at a time, unless you're out on the highway changing a tire. As you jack up a single corner you increase the weight that you expect the jack to carry.

Jack up the car along the side or from either end, and put two jack stands under the car to support weight.

Two jack stands on one side of the car will each have materially less weight to support than a single jack stand that holding up "a corner".

All well and good if its a full frame but this isn't often possible without damaging the body or pinch welds. As far as either end, again often not possible unless you want to go full Kilmer and do something dumb like jacking up on a hollow sub frame support or a differential.

A 3-ton stand should have no problem handling a corner. Most vehicles you'd use them on top out at around 3-4,000 pounds total.

 

[619DioFan]

I have been using jack stands and floor jacks from HF for several decades now. have two pair of 6 ton stands and three pair of 3 ton stands plus the 4 ton and 3 ton rapid lift floor jacks. have never had one problem with any of them. just finished doing some front end inspection and an oil change on my 95 ram 2500 4x4 very heavy truck. used the 6 tons because they are taller. no worries at all. have had my sisters 94 4x4 suburban ( 454 motor ) very heavy vehicle , on them with no worries nor problems. would like to know the whole story on the jack stand failure as I have never heard of a HF stand failing like that.

 

[Jacobson]

Very interested in hearing shoggoth80's explanation of how the jack stand got folded SIDEWAYS. Did it fall over on its side, and then the car fell on it? The theory that he drove over it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

That's what I was trying to figure out. I can't see how a jack stand could bend like that with the weight on top. That thing looks folded sideways. If I saw mine like that I would think it was laying sideways and I ran over it.

I don't see how the stand could fail like that if all four corners were flat on the floor. If the car rolled off and fell on the stand, I wouldn't blame the stand.

 

[mmack66]

Is it too much to ask for the OP of these types of threads to either give proper details, or hang around and answer the inevitable questions?

All we have is a warped jack, a jack stand that folded up like a wet taco, though it wasn't under a vehicle, and a blurry photo of what might be a cracked socket.

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ ^ This. Too little info and something doesn't "smell" right.

OP needs to come back into his own thread and tell MORE of the story !!

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

All well and good if its a full frame but this isn't often possible without damaging the body or pinch welds. As far as either end, again often not possible unless you want to go full Kilmer and do something dumb like jacking up on a hollow sub frame support or a differential.

A 3-ton stand should have no problem handling a corner. Most vehicles you'd use them on top out at around 3-4,000 pounds total.

+1

And any good stand has a built-in safety factor…. I'm more concerned with bumping the car and it falling/shifting off the stands, then the stands themselves failing.

I usually just some additional cribbing or spare wheel when working alone… since it could be a few hours before someone finds me.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Who cares about the OP's jack… that failure is NOT from proper usage. Looks like he drove over it or placed a load on it with it laying down horizontally.

 

[crguy]

Use of HF stuff like that is application to the Darwin Awards

LIKE!