My son has a 2005 camry. His car jack is really old/unsafe. I want to buy him a good, safe one that isn’t horribly expensive. Also, do i need to buy jack stands too? Does the jack stand itself and the jack stands need to be “chocked” (?) or just the car wheels? (i think this is like a rock behind your wheel in case it moves?) Which “chocks” are best, but rea$onable?). Thank you!
If it just for changing tires a used factory jack from a salvage yard will work just fine . If he is doing vehicle work then he needs a good floorjack and jack stands and any wheel chocks will work .
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I would get rubber-based chocks similar to these, they will grip the ground better than metal ones. I bought these for me and my son. but to be honest I have not tried them yet.
Fix a flat query or auto repair query?
New jack is Xmas present?
I’ve used 6 inch long 2x4 cut off for wheel chocks for years.
You must have at least 2 jack stands to support the car. The jack is only to lift it, not to support it to work under. Harbor Freight is a good source for floor jacks but not jack stands. A 1 1/2 ton jack will work for this car but a 2 ton jack is better… larger safety factor! Should run $140 or so
Lowes sells a pair of 3 ton jack stands for $40. If you have an asphalt or gravel driveway, pieces of 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick plywood the size of the base of the jack stands will prevent them from digging into the driveway. Concrete is no problem but it should be reasonably level.
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Scrap yards in my area don’t sell used jacks for liability reasons.
Tester
98% of junkyard cars are missing jacks but sometimes you can find a lug wrench laying around. They leave wheels on cars and 1 lugnut. You could bring a wrench but sometimes you are in yard for little parts.
One problem with jacks is the quality of the surface they are standing on. Another, on an older car, is the integrity of the bodywork the jack is pressing on.
Ramps present fewer hazards so are preferable for many tasks.
Jacks should never be relied upon unless jack stands or something else like a spare tire is carefully in place to compensate for a failure of the jack. Don’t rely on concrete blocks for this - they can crumble in an instant without warning.
I have heard of people suffering lifelong damage, even death, when a car lands on them while they were underneath. You are right to be concerned.
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Just the wheels. and always put the emergency brake on when lifting the front of a car.
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Some hockey puck type things with a groove in the top, or a 2x4 with a groove cut through the top and wood screws against the grain to keep it from splitting let you jack up under the pinch weld like the factory jack without bending the metal.
Where else you you supposed to put the jack stand, especially in the rear? With the wood going around the pinch weld at the factory jacking location the jack stand won’t slip off. You can put the jack stand directly under it but it bends mashes up the metal at the bottom.
I should take a picture of mine that I made.
I also use a piece of 2X4 as a chock. My jack is a 3 ton from Harbor Freight, low profile. Had it for a few years now and gets decent amount of DIY work as I maintain, repair 4 cars now. I have two sets of stands, the newer one I believe I bought from Wal-mart while on sale. Probably around $40. I use a hockey puck that I have cut the center to protect the frame/etc.
These stuff pays for itself after one or two repairs not the mention the hospital bill or worse associated with crappy tools