Bottle Jacks, Floor Jacks & Jack Stands
Jacks lift. Jack stands and cribbing hold. Mechanics and homeowners are crushed every year because a jack slipped or leaked down while they were under a vehicle or machine. The rule is simple: never put any part of your body under a load held up only by a jack.
- Mechanics
- Equipment maintenance
- Homeowners
Photo: pickup raised with a floor jack and resting on a pair of rated jack stands at the frame lift points, wheels chocked
Types of jacks
| Type | Use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle jack | Compact, high capacity; trucks and equipment | Small base can tip; narrow saddle can slip off |
| Floor (trolley) jack | Cars and light trucks on smooth floors | Rolls as it lifts; needs a hard, smooth surface |
| Scissor jack | Roadside tire changes | Unstable; for emergencies only |
| Hi-lift (farm) jack | Off-road, fencing, lifting from bumpers | Handle can whip up violently if the load shifts |
Lifting safely
- Check the rating. The jack’s rated capacity must be marked and must exceed the load you’re lifting.
- Firm, level surface. On soil or asphalt, put a solid base like a steel plate or heavy wood block under the jack.
- Chock the wheels that stay on the ground, set the parking brake, and put the vehicle in park or gear.
- Use the lift points in the owner’s manual. Lifting on the wrong spot can bend parts or let the load slip.
- Lift slowly and watch that the load stays balanced. Don’t raise past the jack’s stop mark.
- Set jack stands or cribbing at the right height, then lower the load onto them.
- Shake test: push firmly on the vehicle before getting under it. If it moves, fix it.
Never work under a load held only by a jack. Hydraulic jacks can leak down or fail without warning. Use rated jack stands in pairs, or proper cribbing, every time.
Jack stands and cribbing
- Use stands rated for the load, in matched pairs, with the locking pin or pawl fully engaged.
- For heavy equipment, use cribbing built from solid hardwood in a crisscross pattern, or engineered blocking.
- Leave the jack in place under the load as a backup when you can, without lifting it.
- Don’t use concrete or cinder blocks, bricks or rims as supports. They can crumble.
- Don’t use a jack as a stand, or stack stands on blocks.
- Don’t start the engine or run the wheels with a vehicle on stands unless the job requires it and the setup allows.
Inspect before use
- Rated capacity marked and readable
- No oil leaks, cracked welds or bent parts
- Saddle turns and isn’t worn smooth
- Jack holds a load without creeping down
- Jack stand ratchets and pins work and lock
Damaged jacks must be tagged out until repaired. Jacks that have been overloaded or shock-loaded must be inspected before use.
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.305: Jacks (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.244: Other portable tools and equipment, including jacks
- See also: Diesel Mechanics · Struck-By & Caught-Between
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