Jack stands, called axle stands in the UK and Australia, are what make it safe to work under a raised vehicle. A jack is a lifting tool: its seals and valves hold back oil at high pressure, and it can creep down or tip. EN 1494, the European standard for mobile jacks, only allows work under a raised load once it is secured by other means, and every jack manual says the same. This guide covers choosing stands, where to put them on cars, SUVs and trucks, the step-by-step routine, and the mistakes that make stands fail.
What you need
- A floor jack or bottle jack rated for the vehicle (which one?)
- A pair of jack stands, or two pairs to lift the whole vehicle, with the right rating and height range
- Wheel chocks
- A level concrete floor
- The vehicle owner’s manual, which shows the jacking points and the support points
- Optional: rubber saddle pads or pinch-weld adapters, gloves and eye protection
Choose the right jack stands
Capacity. Read how the stand is rated. Many retail stands carry a pair rating, so a “3-ton pair” holds 1.5 t on each stand; others, including ours, are rated per stand. Choose a rating well above the load on each stand; one end of a car puts only part of its weight on each stand, but that share grows on the heavy engine end.
| Vehicle | Typical stand size |
|---|---|
| Small and mid-size cars | 2–3 t |
| SUVs, vans, pickups | 3–6 t |
| Trucks, buses, tractors | 6–12 t heavy-duty |
Height range. The stand’s minimum height must fit under the support point once the vehicle is lifted, and its maximum must give you enough working room. On a lifted truck or SUV you need a taller stand.
Locking type. Ratchet stands lock with a pawl that drops into teeth on the post; they adjust in seconds. Pin-type stands lock with a hardened pin through the post, a positive lock you can see. We make both: ratchet jack stands and pin-type jack stands.
Base and saddle. A wide, flat base resists tipping; a saddle with a recess or rubber pad holds a frame rail or axle without slipping.
Certification label. In the US look for ASME PASE on the label; in the EU the CE mark to EN 1494; in Australia vehicle support stands must comply with the mandatory standard based on AS/NZS 2538.
Where to put jack stands
Always start with the owner’s manual: it shows the jacking points (where you lift) and the support points (where stands go). They are often, but not always, the same.
Unibody cars and crossovers
- Pinch welds: the reinforced seam under the sills, usually marked by notches or arrows just behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels. Use a slotted rubber pad or a pinch-weld adapter so the saddle does not bend the seam.
- Subframe or frame rails: strong, flat box sections near the front and rear subframe mounts. Often the better place for a stand when the jack is on the pinch weld.
Body-on-frame trucks and SUVs
- Frame rails: the two heavy longitudinal rails, just behind the front wheels or ahead of the rear wheels.
- Rear solid axle: under the axle tube, close to the wheel or the spring mount, never on the differential housing.
Never place a stand under
- the floor pan, sills without a support point, or the plastic body kit
- the oil pan, transmission pan, fuel tank or exhaust
- steering parts, tie rods or suspension links not shown as support points
- the differential cover or any cast cover
How to use jack stands: step by step
- Park on level concrete. Put the vehicle in park, or first gear for a manual, and set the parking brake.
- Chock the wheels at the end that stays on the ground: behind the rear wheels when lifting the front, in front of the front wheels when lifting the rear.
- Pre-set the stands to roughly the height you need and check the pawl or pin moves freely.
- Lift with the jack at the manufacturer’s jacking point, slowly, until the tyre clears the ground by a few centimetres more than the stand height you need.
- Place a stand under each support point on that end. Raise the post until the saddle almost touches the vehicle, and lock it: on ratchet stands press the handle down so the pawl engages; on pin stands push the pin fully through.
- Set both stands to the same notch or hole, so the vehicle sits level and each stand takes an equal share.
- Lower the jack slowly by opening the release valve a little at a time, until the vehicle rests on the stands. Check that each saddle is centred and each stand is vertical with all its feet flat.
- Push-test the vehicle. With nobody underneath, push firmly on the fender or bumper. It should not move or rock; if it does, lift it again and reposition the stands.
- Keep a back-up. Leave the jack in place just touching a separate strong point, or slide a wheel under the sill, as a second line of defence.
- Only now go under the vehicle.
How to lower the vehicle off the stands
- Clear tools, parts and people from under the vehicle.
- Place the jack at the jacking point and lift until the vehicle rises just clear of the stands.
- Remove both stands, keeping your body out from under the vehicle.
- Open the release valve slowly and lower the vehicle to the ground.
- Remove the chocks and, if you changed a wheel, tighten the wheel nuts to the specified torque.
Lifting the whole vehicle on four stands
Work one end at a time. Lift the front, set a pair of stands under the front support points and lower onto them, then lift the rear and set the second pair. Keep the chocks in place until the last wheel leaves the ground, and set all four stands so the vehicle sits level. Lower it the same way in reverse, one end at a time.
Common mistakes
- Working under a vehicle held only by a jack
- Using one stand, or a pair set at different heights
- Stands on asphalt in hot weather, gravel, soil or a sloping driveway
- Bricks, blocks or wood in place of stands
- Placing stands under the floor pan, suspension or differential cover
- Raising the post only with the ratchet and not checking the pawl or pin is fully engaged
- Lifting the vehicle off the stands with the jack at the wrong point
- Using stands that are bent, cracked, rusted through or have worn teeth
Inspect your stands before every use
Look for cracked welds where the post meets the base, bent legs, rounded or chipped ratchet teeth, a worn or bent pawl, and a missing or bent locking pin. Retire any stand that has been overloaded, dropped a vehicle or shows cracks.
Pawl engagement is not a detail. In 2020 more than 1.7 million 3-ton and 6-ton ratchet stands sold in the US were recalled because the teeth might not engage the pawl deeply enough and the stand could drop under load (NHTSA consumer advisory). It is why we load-test our stands before they are packed, and why a stand with worn teeth belongs in the scrap bin.
For distributors: what to print on the label and in the manual
State the rating clearly as per stand or per pair, together with the minimum and maximum height. Print “use in pairs”, “not for lifting” and the matching jack warning, and a simple placement drawing. Sell stands with every jack: 2–3-ton stands with 2–3-ton floor jacks, 6-ton stands with SUV and van jacks, 12-ton stands with truck jacks. On OEM orders we print all of this in your language, with your part numbers.
See our jack stands 2–12 t, the floor jacks that go with them, or request a quote for a mixed container.