4 Axle Stands - Safe or not?

[GnuBee]

If I want to get my shell completely off the ground is it a no no to use 4 axle stands i.e. at front and rear? Also what is the collective opinion on using the sill jacking points for the axle stand resting points?

[//j17]

Provided the ground is flat and level 4 stands should be fine.

I'd avoid the jacking points though and go for a solid looking chassis member, with a big block of wood to spread the load.

[The Excession]

^^^^ Wot he said.

Alternatively just put it up on a tower of bricks or blocks of wood. Don't obscure your jacking points as you'll need those to get it back down again. However, I've worked on shells that were just up on axle stands without any issues.

[HRG]

The Excession said:

^^^^ Wot he said.

Alternatively just put it up on a tower of bricks or blocks of wood. Don't obscure your jacking points as you'll need those to get it back down again. However, I've worked on shells that were just up on axle stands without any issues.

Bricks?

Have you got a death wish man? Never use bricks

[GreenV8S]

Axle stands are fine as long as the ground is level and flat. Do take the suggestion to use wooden pads to stop the axle stands from damaging the shell though. Be extremely wary of using bricks for this sort of thing. They're not strong enough to take point loads and if you get it wrong you can find them crumbling away in turn and dumping the shell on you. There's a similar problem with multiple blocks of anything used to build a tower. It's easy to build a tower that looks rock solid but actually has very little resistance to toppling sideways.

[GnuBee]

//j17 said:

Provided the ground is flat and level 4 stands should be fine.

I'd avoid the jacking points though and go for a solid looking chassis member, with a big block of wood to spread the load.

It's French - I've not seen a solid looking chassis member on it yet :-) It is just a shell, literally completely stripped so weight will be right down.

[rev-erend]

Give it the shake test .. before you go under there.. if it feels wobbly .. then it's unsafe.

[Mr POD]

I used 4 axle stands, plus 3 spare wheels piled up under the engine, plus ramps not quite touching but ready to support the back end should the whole lot fall, plus a trolley jack, when I decided I needed to take all four wheels off and remove all suspension.

It was some years ago and I had time on my hands.

[The Excession]

HRG said:

The Excession said:

^^^^ Wot he said.

Alternatively just put it up on a tower of bricks or blocks of wood. Don't obscure your jacking points as you'll need those to get it back down again. However, I've worked on shells that were just up on axle stands without any issues.

Bricks?

Have you got a death wish man? Never use bricks

Hid did say it was a shell so not too heavy, and I probably should've said you need to build a little tower of interlocking bricks - not just something that my two year old would construct in lego.

Well, it seems to work for chavs

[HRG]

Axle stands and wheels for me every time

I never use bricks, they can seem OK for ages then suddenly crack

Old engineering saying, "never put your fingers anywhere you wouldn't put your cock"!

[The Excession]

HRG said:

Old engineering saying, "never put your fingers anywhere you wouldn't put your cock"!

Wow, you must have one like an elephant's trunk, there's been many a time I've had to reach round corners where my cock wouldn't reach.

Gosh! The swear filters are obviously off the mark, male chicken is ok, female dog is censored

[tegwin]

I have a set of four cast steel axle stands from machine mart... rated to a tonne each...

They happily support my TVR whilst im underneath....hammering and shaking away...hasnt squashed me once yet

[dilbert]

GreenV8S said:

Axle stands are fine as long as the ground is level and flat. Do take the suggestion to use wooden pads to stop the axle stands from damaging the shell though. Be extremely wary of using bricks for this sort of thing. They're not strong enough to take point loads and if you get it wrong you can find them crumbling away in turn and dumping the shell on you. There's a similar problem with multiple blocks of anything used to build a tower. It's easy to build a tower that looks rock solid but actually has very little resistance to toppling sideways.

Conqueror anybody!

[The Excession]

dilbert said:

Conqueror anybody!

[daily mail]Bricks supporting a roof, upper floors and much more in owner's house collapse when under a car shell shocker.[/daily mail]

I give up, don't use bricks.

[GnuBee]

Ok, thanks gentlemen; proper axle stands was most definitely the plan having seen a friend stage a lucky escape as his Saab compressed a 5 brick tower into dust and expletives.

[//j17]

GnuBee said:

...It is just a shell, literally completely stripped so weight will be right down.

The wood isn't there to protect the axle stands but to protect the car. Axle stands tend to have a saddle seat on top so all the weight of the car rests on the edges of the saddle - the saddle won't be dented but the shell will. The wood spreads this load over more of the shell preventing damage to the same.