Jack Stand Placement

[Venom_5]

well i was first told to place my jackstands where the scissor jack goes, but that bends those little lips too much, so i think its a bad idea

then i was told the frame rails - but ive never been under a camry before, so can someone post a pic of where exactly i should put them? the sooner the better, cuz i want to do some work under my car tonight/tomorrow night

also, if there is any other non-bendable place to put them, plz lemme know ... im going to be under the car so i dont need it falling on me and breaking all my ribs

im just putting 2 jackstands on the front and using my scissor jack - im not gonna buy ramps or a hydraulic jack fyi

[bigbird]

well i have no pics to ilustrate but but there is sturdy ground if u place the stand about 4 inches foward and behind of the scissor jack notches. best practice is to tap the frame in that area before u let the car down on the stand to ensure that u have sloid metal.

[Venom_5]

if i place it along the same area as the scissor jack, it still goes on that metal tab which bends ... im trying to avoid that cuz the bending doesnt make me feel safe

[touringcamry]

Look past the scissor jack point and you'll see what looks like a frame rail that hangs down. Slide the jack stand under that.

As for hydraulic jack, it saves a lot of time if you work on your car often. Slide the jack under the jack point under the front, lift, slide your jack stands under, lower on to stands and you're done. No need to raise both sides of the car one at a time. You can get one for about $20-30

[Venom_5]

ill probably get a hydraulic jack eventually ... but im all outta cash for now

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i just tried putting the jack stands on the frame rails - and theyre too tall

my scissor jack fully extended isnt tall enough for those damn frame rails to clear the stands [at the lowest point] - ill havta try something funky i guess, until i can get the hydraulic jack

damn our frame rails are low!

[touringcamry]

The scissor jack was designed to get your car off the ground far enough for you to change the tire, not for you to get under the car.

Put the jack on a block of wood or a brick.

[dc_98_cam]

Once you manage to get the front end up on jackstands, it's a good idea to take a short length of wood 2x4 and shove it against one of the rear tires .... so that the car is less likely to roll backward. This just adds to the safety and stability .... say if something big were to accidently hit the car. .... This is particularly necessary when you are raising your car on the side of the road to change a tire. Gravel or sand can lead to unexpected events when the car is up in the air.

[Venom_5]

my car's in my flat garage w/ the handbrake up, so ill prolly be ok

now i havta find a brick to put my scissor jack on

[touringcamry]

Honestly, I've never put a brick under any jack so be very careful with that. I've never tried to do any work under my car without a hydraulic jack.

I've only used my scissor jack once to change a tire in a parking lot.

[Curry]

Get a hydraulic jack it will make your life much much easier. I just got my creeper today and four 6-ton jackstands. I put the car up on them today. Tomorrow is pipe day for the camry! Wooooo.

[Venom_5]

6-ton! good god, what do you think you have? a tank?!

i have 2 1/4 ton jack stands [4500 lbs] ... each one can handle the full weight of the camry, so 2 of them should be plenty to lift the front end

[Heat]

Originally Posted by Venom_5

6-ton! good god, what do you think you have? a tank?!...

The heavier jack stands will have a ratchet lock with four legs (vs. pin lock with three legs), easier to use and more stable. As for the jack, just spend $30 or $40 on an economy jack - or $35 more on a semipro jack (higher lift, easier to use, but take up more room in your garage).

Personally, I just use ramps. They are quick and easy.

[Venom_5]

uh ... mine have 4 legs o.0


but yeah, theres something about ramps i dont trust - idk

[Stillrunning]

I made adapters for the area where the jack is supposed to go. Just get two 4x4 blocks and use a skill saw to cut out a slot wide enough to slip over the lip where the car jack usually goes. This prevents the lip from bending and gives you good support. I even cut the 4x4 block to fit inside my hydraulic jack cradle so I can use it as well. I don't like jack stands when lifting only one end of the car, too much of a chance of falling off the stands due to the angle. I use 8x8 blocks and my 4x4 adapters on top, usually with a 2x4 spacer as well.

[Venom_5]

pictures would help...