Axle Stand Question

"RWS Motorsport" (rwsmotorsport)
04/28/2016 at 12:42 • Filed to: None

I was planning to bleed the brakes on the Honda this weekend. I’ve just bought a second set of Axle stands to make it easier, so I can have all 4 wheels off the ground and off at the same time to speed things up.

However, on the axle stands box it specifically states don’t use 4 axle stands and lift the car up. Only have 2 in the air at the time. Is this health and safety gone mad or a sensible idea?

Ford GT for your time.

DISCUSSION (19)

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 12:52

Having done it and having seen a shop today do it. Just don’t be stupid and give it a bump to make sure it’s stable.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 12:55

At that point, you should be using a lift, but as long as you make sure it doesn’t tip over, it should be fine.

Noah - Now with more boost. > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:00

Well if you’re just bleeding the brakes AKA not lying down under the car, that sounds fine to me! If you were going to spend any substantial amount of time underneath your Honda though I wouldn’t. This sounds sketchy but my friends and I actually use big landscaping wood blocks to get cars all the way off the ground. Lots of surface area for the car to rest on and there’s no way they can tip over if someone leaned on the car/bumped it.

BTW you must be British? We call them jack stands not axle stands, interesting

Meatcoma > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:00

Most warnings are for idiots. Even asking this question proves you are not. Like Demon said, jack it up and give it a nudge. You can also leave the jack under the portion you are working on for additional safety.

OPPOsaurus WRX > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:05

when I do this stuff, even if its just 2 wheels up, I put the tires under the car frame next to where I’m working so if it does fall, I’m not supporting the car with my head/stomache

Urambo Tauro > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:07

However, on the axle stands box it specifically states don’t use 4 axle stands and lift the car up. Only have 2 in the air at the time. Is this health and safety gone mad or a sensible idea?

LOL This reminds me of a battery tender that I bought recently. It clearly advertises that it’s designed for the user to “set it and forget it”, then warns “do not leave unattended”.

RWS Motorsport > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
04/28/2016 at 13:13

see that was my plan. Im not going underneath it really, and ill be putting the wheels under the sills also, but yeah. Nudging it before removing the wheels seems like a sensible first job.

RWS Motorsport > Noah - Now with more boost.
04/28/2016 at 13:14

I am indeed British. For the oil change last weekend i drove it onto scaffolding boards, like big wide boards, but i want the wheels off so sadly not an option for this job.

RWS Motorsport > Meatcoma
04/28/2016 at 13:14

Good shout, more support/points of contact can only help id guess.

RWS Motorsport > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/28/2016 at 13:15

Yeah that was my plan. Id rather not mark my alloys, but refurbing 4 alloys is much cheaper than buying new legs, so seems a better choice should it all go wrong.

RWS Motorsport > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
04/28/2016 at 13:16

Oh my, if I had a lift id be on cloud 9. Was talking to someone at work about that, just the dream house, which consists of a garage big enough to take a lift. the house, meh, fairly who cares on that ha. One day.

RWS Motorsport > Urambo Tauro
04/28/2016 at 13:17

Ha wow, so set and forget, but also watch like a hawk at all times. riiiiiiight.

tromoly > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:39

People raise their cars to bleed the brakes? Is it so low you can’t get to the bleeders? Granted my last two cars have been a ‘69 Rambler and a Ranger so ground clearance hasn’t been an issue for me.

Meatcoma > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 13:40

The ground you are working on has to be semi flat as well. I wouldn’t trust 4 stands under a car on an incline much.

RWS Motorsport > tromoly
04/28/2016 at 13:58

I cant get underneath it when its not on a jack or raised one way, and with the wheels off access is just way easier. Its an S2000, so yeah, ground clearance is umm, tight.

RWS Motorsport > Meatcoma
04/28/2016 at 13:59

Thankfully my landlords did a cracking job on the driveway, and its bricks too, so really good working surface. Much better than the gravel driveway i have at my parents house!

bingham123 > RWS Motorsport
04/28/2016 at 14:06

if you do have the car on 4 stands then i would suggest a “backup” just in case, i use a railway sleeper or stack 2 wheels and put them under the car at some point. its honsetly just incase one or two of the stands fail then the wheels/sleeper would catch it so i dont end up squashed. its never happend to me but better safe than dead

ZaXxon > RWS Motorsport
05/02/2016 at 10:01

What size stands are they? If they are sized correctly, then yes. I do this all of the time. Most gear heads I know do this.

Like others said, once on the stands I nudge the car very forcefully to verify it is stable. Once you do this, it also makes you confident that it won’t move at all.

RWS Motorsport > ZaXxon
05/02/2016 at 10:46

I ended up using 2 3ton at the front, and 2 2ton ones at the rear. Mostly because the 2 tons were about 20mm shorter so did fit. But yeah, I did rock it once it was up in the air, with the wheels still on. Id rather it drop off then than at any later stage so seemed the best time.