4 jack stands

I bought another set of jack stands with the intent of lifting the car at all four corners.

Once it was up, I did the body check test. The front was fine, but the back was wobbly.

Probably spent an hour fiddling with it to get it to the point where I was comfortable getting under the car. That point never came.

Any thoughts on this? I know for a fact that my garage floor is not very flat. Maybe it's a lost cause on this old garage floor.

Yeah, having dropped a car on my chest a few weeks ago (mentioned in a previous thread), put the jack under the car near where you're working.

Can we have a look at what you're working with?

Dr. Hess wrote: Yeah, having dropped a car on my chest a few weeks ago (mentioned in a previous thread), put the jack under the car near where you're working.

I do this regardless of how many jacks I have or think I need. 1-2 tons floating over me on little steel pegs doesn't leave me too comfortable.

I like to put newspaper under the car to fill the gap with the jackstand like this:

It keeps the stand from scratching the undercoating or sliding around when you lower the car, and it seems to stabilize things a bit. Cant hurt to give it a try.

When I have it on all four, I put an additional two under the car - centered as much as possible under the front and rear subframes (on the e30, at least). I do not, and never have, trusted the pinch seams on this car....

Do you need access to all four wheels simultaneously (i.e. for rotating tires)? If not, I've gotten some great use out of the HD Rhino Ramps over the years. Drive up on one set, jack opposite end and slide two more ramps under the 2nd set of tires.

Or, if you do need the suspension to be unloaded, you could also put the Rhino Ramps under the tires that are off the ground. That way, they'd only be needed if the car slid. Spare wheels/tires can be used the same way...

I am also a big fan of 2 wheels on rhino ramps when appropriate. I have 4 so I will go all four when I can sometimes. Just don't try to drive it down off 4.

I suppose I have a level floor because I have never had an issue. I try to get the jacks pushed out to the 4 corners as much as possible, and place them under something that they will "lock" onto, like the end of a suspension arm. That prevents them from slipping out. You also have to be aware that most floor jacks do no lower straight down, then can move up to three inches laterally. Make sure that this doesn't result in some side-loading on the jacks.

I have a set of ramps but they specifically say to not jack up the other end. I would totally do this but i'm not sure if it's safe.

I dont need all four wheels. Although I will be bleeding the brakes and that would be nice to have all four up. But then I wouldn't but under the car so much so I would feel better with the previous situation

Buy a Motive power bleeder and do the rears then the fronts.

Or do what I do and get some squares of 1/8" and 1/16 mild steel and shim the low one.

pinchvalve wrote: I suppose I have a level floor because I have never had an issue. I try to get the jacks pushed out to the 4 corners as much as possible, and place them under something that they will "lock" onto, like the end of a suspension arm. That prevents them from slipping out. You also have to be aware that most floor jacks do no lower straight down, then can move up to three inches laterally. Make sure that this doesn't result in some side-loading on the jacks.

i never, ever put a jackstand under a suspension arm.. it moves when it gets weight put on it, and you do not want the jackstand to move like that..

i will put the stands directly under the rear axle housing- but only if i jack that end of the car up first.. when i jack the front up, that end acts as a pivot point and i will put the jackstands on the other end of the car on a solid part of the frame.

In reply to Taiden:

I have a set of stands similar to the ones Josh pictured. About 10" on each side of the base. A rule for jackstands at Mt Washington last year required that all jackstands be attached to or set on plates no smaller than 12"x12", so I welded 12x12 10 ga steel plates to the bottom of each. This was because the pits were all on fairly soft dirt and grass and without a "rule" some competitors would just set open bottom stands directly on this ground.

I cant begin to tell you how much more stable and secure my stands are now, even on my nice flat shop floor. I highly recommend doing it to any stand.

Josh wrote: I like to put newspaper under the car to fill the gap with the jackstand like this: It keeps the stand from scratching the undercoating or sliding around when you lower the car, and it seems to stabilize things a bit. Cant hurt to give it a try.

I use my old Hot Rod Magazines. My GRM mags are to nice for this!

I'm lucky I have a flat floor in the garage. After I get a car up on stands I always put the jack under there. As soon as wheels and tires come off they also go under there as well. For me you can't have too much stuff under the car to catch it just in case.

A month ago I caught my Farther in Law doing the rear brakes on his Vette with just my jack, no stands, no wheels nothing. He was quickly corrected

This was my final answer.

2000 lb rhino ramps in the back

one set of 3 ton stands

another set with light loading

some spare lumber filling the space between the tire and the ground

One thing I did, was when I was lifting the front off the ground, when it got to the height I wanted, I released the ebrake to unload the rear suspension etc. The car leveled out considerably. I will be doing this every time I use this method now. Who knows how the moments at the rear end would translate into forces at the front jacks had I not done this?

Wow, Gustav looks nice and stable up there!

I am interested in this as well. Now that I have the title in hand to my new 318ti.. I will be stripping the car to a rolling shell to get it ready for paint. Once it is painted, the suspension will be coming out completely as I swap parts from one Ti to the other

+1 for the ramp/jackstand combo. Did that when I restored my Opel GT. Very stable and close to level. There were a couple times I added a third or fourth jackstand along with ramps just to make me feel more comfortable. Ramps usually under the rear tires and jackstand on the jack supports in front. If third and fourth installed they went further forward where the A-arms mounted to the body/subframe.