Does anyone know the maximum height for a jack stand that can be used in our cars?

A friend gave me a set 13 1/8"min - 21 max" and the minimum height looks like it might do some damage to the chassis (especially when using the side method). I'm not sure if the center front method would fare much better.

Thanks

 

I am trying to envision how the height affects the contact point?

I also don't know what you mean about the center - are you contemplating putting jack stands in the center crossmember jacking point? That might be unstable.

I think it varies by the jack stand, and I use polyurethane pads on mine.

http://www.protechproducts.net/images/JACKSTAND.asp

 

Jack height shouldn't matter. The challenge is to get the car up that high. You may be limited by the maximum height of your jack saddle. Also, the front of the car can only be lifted up so high before the jack won't fit under the back end.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Road Rage
I am trying to envision how the height affects the contact point?

I also don't know what you mean about the center - are you contemplating putting jack stands in the center crossmember jacking point? That might be unstable.

 

Thanks CoralDoc. That's what I needed to know.

My pneumatic jack goes up to 18" so it's not a problem to lift it high enough to place the stands underneath. I just didn't want to risk twisting anything out of alignment while doing so. It just seemed like too much of a difference between the side that's on the ground and the side that's up so I lowered it back down.

 

Oh, if you're jacking up one side and then the other it makes it even more dificult to get the car up high all at once. An alternative is to put one side up so that the jack stands just fit under, then move to the other side and lift up to max height. Then go back and level the car out.

The challenge you now face is how to jack up the side and leave room for a jack stand at the front and rear side reinforced areas of the sill.

 

I'll add my $.02 as mine has been up for over a week now. My car is lowered about 1.5".

I use the scissor jack on the driver's rear reinforced area first. I jack that up until I can get the floor jack under the differential(if this is bad, I have never been told so). I then elevate the rear of the car until the the floor jacks fit under the sub frames. Lower car on jackstands. Move to the front driver's side and use the scissor jack on the reinforced area until I can fit the floorjack under the frontend. I then jack the frontend up until I reach the desired height. Go back to the rear and level.

Considering the actual length of time the car is on the floor jack, I am not aware of any harm being done to the car. Because my jackstands don't allow for balanced weight distribution in the reinforced area(jackstand contact pattern resembles the old Van Halen logo- "v"-ed in the middle and then widens at the top) as the area on the outside of this rail sits lower than the side on the inside.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by thongfoto
I just didn't want to risk twisting anything out of alignment while doing so.

 

thongfoto, I think you are being a bit overly concerned about all this - jacking and keeping the car elevated safely should be your focus. I used to have a big floor jack that would not get under the front lift point of any of my sports cars, so I would just lift up one side with a smaller jack until I could get the big floor jack under the center jack point, then lift it up and locate the jackstands - the trick was to remember to re-position the small jack again when dropping the car, and doing it very slowly.

Then, for Christmas this year, I bought this:


It will directly go under the front jack point of an unlowered car.

 

RR- what is the profile of that floor jack? Highest point of the elevating arm when lowered and how long is it from the "front" to the pivot point?