How to Safely Use a Floor Jack?

Using a floor jack is pretty straightforward. However, there are safety measures that you will need to take if you are going to be raising your vehicle and working underneath. Apart from the damages that your car can get if a floor jack gives in, you can also suffer bodily harm. The latter will lead to high medical bills and more time for recovery. You therefore do not want to take this risk. To avoid these mishaps, you should follow the following steps when using a floor jack.

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Select Ground

This is crucial. Before you lift your car, you have to pick the ground that you will park the car on. Sometimes, in situations such as roadside emergencies, you may not have this luxury. However, if you have the option, ensure that you are working on a flat and level surface. Uneven or weak ground could lead to the jack falling and the vehicle collapsing. It is also advisable to work on solid concrete and to avoid grass, gravel or wet earth as it also poses a danger to you as you work on your car. If you do find that you are forced to work on uneven ground, then it is best to use a piston jack as it has a smaller footprint and is therefore easier to balance.

Park the Vehicle

The next step is to prepare the vehicle. Park it and apply the parking brake. This will stop the car from rolling away as you lift it or when you are underneath. This especially comes in handy when you are working on the front wheels because the parking brake engages the back wheels. In addition to parking, you will also need to buy chocks for your wheels. If you cannot get these, find heavy stones or wood to chock your wheels. This is especially important when you are working on the back wheels since you will need to ensure that the front wheels cannot move as the parking brake engages these back wheels.

Use Jack Stands

Additionally, you will need to buy high quality best jack stand. These are used to support the vehicle when you lift it up. The floor jack is not created to do this job. It will give way if you use it for this purpose. Therefore, use the jack to lift your vehicle off the ground then pick some suitable points to place your jack stands. To find the best points, you will need to read through the manual. After you have placed the jack stands, remove the floor jack and check if the stands adequately support the car. You can do this by gently rocking the vehicle. If it feels unstable and rocks from side to side, then you need to position the floor jack under the vehicle and then move the jack stands to another suitable position. Repeat the process until you are sure that the car is stable and you can safely go underneath to repair or maintain it.

How to Use Floor Jack and Safety Stands?

Read Here How To Buy a Good Floor Jack For your Need

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