Use of axle stands

OnTheRoadAgain

OnTheRoadAgain

0
So... The boy had gone for the next round of "upgrades / making useable.." this time a complete top to bottom rewire, resolve timing / misfire and replace king pin on wonky wheel...

After that it's up to me and the topic of the thread. I need to get underneath and understand more... In order to clean and protect the underneath.

What are forum members views on axle stands... I'm not one for lying nose to metal so need something, I have no pit etc so need to elevate the van. I know not to use jacks or ramps... So it leaves axle stands.

Would it be enough to use the Commer jack and slowly raise onto stands. And if so do I need to buy something more than a high street option might offer. Will 40cm of stand height be enough to get the wheels off the ground and me more space underneath?

Thoughts welcomed...
 
OK just done a bit of measuring. The distance from the floor to the bottom of the jacking point is around 40cm so the stands you mention are no good for that position. From the bottom of the rear axle to the floor is 25cm so your stands would give you an extra 15cm of space to work in, still a bit of a squeeze but the floor of the van is quite high so it might be enough for you. The trouble is using the side jack is that you would need to raise the van an awful lot to get the axle up that far as the suspension will drop as the van is raised and you would only be able to do one side at a time making the van a bit unstable. My advice is to get a good big trolley jack and heavy duty stands (with more lift than you need so your not working on their limits), raise the van up on the differential casing so you can then slide the axle stands into position at the same time, the front can be done the same way with the jack under the cross member and the stands slid under to a suitable position. I personally wouldn't try to raise both ends at once but work with one end elevated to a point where it's comfortable to reach then swap over to do the rest. And remember to chock the wheels when lifting front so the van doesn't decide to do a runner:eek:
You could always get a set of fancy hydraulic ramps but they are a bit expensive.
 
How would you lift the whole van and suspend it for a period of time if the front and rear axle / subframes, engine and gearbox were being removed? I have 10 x 6 Ton axle stands that go to about 600mm which could be spread along the chassis to support its weight on the hard standing I'm about to make.
 
to add...id invest in a mechanic trolley too, got one for Christmas, orange one from Halfords...amazing for comfort, warmth and shifting about under there.
 
I lifted mine of the ground so all wheels could be removed by using a standard 3 ton (full size) jack (not a little trolley jack) and supported it with 4 3 ton stands sat on large sturdy blocks of wood.
 
I use a couple of bits of 9x6 inch timber cut at an angle to make ramps, plus two good sets of chocks for the wheels still on the ground (Ahem.........not shown in this pic!). I have some axle stands, but I've never felt safe working under the van with it up on those. The big advantage of ramps is that you can drive up on them in a few seconds, and the big disadvantage is that you could just as easily drive right over them and off the back unless you fit a back stop.:eek: They are good for any weight of vehicle including my truck.


2014_1211Commer0008.JPG

[edit] Just to add that when jacking the van to put it on stands, there may be lateral forces which can slide the van sideways, unless you use a full size trolley jack on a level and smooth base. [/edit]
[another edit]Actually more or less what Panky's already said[/another edit]
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top