Hey guys I have a “junk” parts vehicle that sits outdoors on gravel and I need to take the wheels off of it. I won’t be getting under it after this. I need a cheap solution to crib it up off the ground. I don’t want to set the rotors and rear end on the ground as I may pull them before the vehicle goes to scrap (would use my jack stands and metal plates for this) Any ideas?
Makeshift jack stands
- Thread starter Baker7888
- Start date
I wanted to do this as i wont be working on the vehicle and its just to remove the wheels. But everyone advises against it. I was thinking a solid block with a 2x8 on top. Thoughts?
'Storing' a vehicle outdoors & raised off the ground needs more than cinder blocks for safety. Something solid is needed.
Just because you won't be getting under it doesn't mean someone or something that doesn't understand the risks won't (thinks kids/pets, etc). Standard steel jackstands get the job done & are reusable for future shop/driveway work.
Just because you won't be getting under it doesn't mean someone or something that doesn't understand the risks won't (thinks kids/pets, etc). Standard steel jackstands get the job done & are reusable for future shop/driveway work.
I agree that safety comes first. Real jackstands are what should be used. And not Harbor Break on sale specials. Especially if I am going under there. But- refer to the title of this thread. 'Makeshift' stands, on gravel, on it's way to the junk yard. Not long term storage. I used to use big one foot square timbers but they became harder to manipulate the older I got. I switched to cement blocks because they are cheap and plentiful, easier to maneuver, easy to store. I use several together with a plank on top to distribute the load. I do the same thing when I have to bottom paint the Whaler. So far no issues. In this pic I had to take the Saginaw trans out and I never felt a bit uncomfortable or unsafe while under there. If you ever pass by a boatyard in the off season, look at the huge boats that weigh tons sitting on a couple of cement blocks.
Thanks guys, the only other thing that came to mind is i have some big oak tree chunks from last fall i could square up into blocks. I guess I could try this route first. Just dont want the thing sitting in the dirt as i might pull a few more things before it gets hauled away.
My wood blocks were originally set in the ground as guardrail poles. DOT came along and yanked them for new steel barriers. I saw them on the side of the road and scooped up a couple. I chainsawed them into two foot lengths, so one foot x one foot x two foot. Plus they were pressure treated against rot. They served me well over the years and I still have them stored in my shed.
if it's part of the trunk, just cut off 2' lengths and set it on there 👍
Man, I was so nervous the first time I repaired the keel of huge fish & ski supported by two homemade stands (steel rim, pipe, "L" top) and a 3 ton jack stand. I'm still amazed we did the same thing to an 85' cigarette. It had twin 454s, a complete living quarters, and the whole thing was Dale Earnhardt themed.
As someone who has taken more unnecessary risks than anyone I say stands are good but suck on gravel, especially if it's not packed hard. Lessons learned the hard way... Cement blocks are perfectly fine in my book, and one can use chocks of some kind if they're uneasy. Hell, put the blocks under the bumpers at all 4 corners and don't look back. The best homemade cribbing is just lumber stacked like Lincoln logs and it's very stable on gravel, but here in the Redneck Nation I've seen everything used, including a baby carrier. My grandfather had me swapping transmissions in sand using a busted jack and stacks of rotten wood at the age of 12. The same man had me driving a winch truck down the highway with truck beds dangling from the A-frame at 14.
Just don't stack two bare wheels on top of one wearing rubber, they slip. My Elk was dangerously close to falling again before I put it on 4 stands, but some here hate that too. And since I like a thrill they're fully extended. I just hacked the bumper off with a sawzall after fighting bolts for 2 hours and she didn't budge.
