Is your Cadillac sitting on Harbor Frieght jackstands?

[GBrown #8092]

If so, don't get under it, until you check them.

As though we don't have enough to worry about, there is a recall for Harbor Freight jack stands. 6 ton sold between 2013 and 2019 and and 3 ton 2012 and 2020.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/a32600586/harbor-freight-jack-stands-recalled-for-risk-of-collapsing/

Our Cadillacs  are heavy, and we consider our members to be irreplaceable. 

Glenn

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Thanks for the heads up Glenn!!

Mike

[39LaSalleDriver]

I bought those two years ago to rebuild the suspension on my 39 LaSalle. I have to say they were under there for over two months with no problems but I could see the potential for it. Needless to say, today I took them back and got a gift card refund.

[Lexi]

Good, informative post Glenn. Clay/Lexi

[chrisntam]

NOT a good tool to have a recall on or fail.  If I use stands, I always still have the floor jack under the frame and under load should something happen to the stands.  I've also moved away from the stands and bought wheel cribs that go under the wheels.

[scotth3886]

That sure made me go dig them out and check.  I didn't have any of the ones that were recalled, but I'm still very careful with potentially life ending tools such as that.  I just leave the floor jack under there and not rely exclusively on the jack stands.

Thanks for the heads up !!

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I have always been very wary of any Jack Stand that has a ratcheting mechanism, and is made of Cast Iron.   And, especially from Asian makers.

Bruce.

[cadman56]

Great post.  Thanks.
I use the premium NAPA jack stands.  In addition, I have a pair of locally made stands from a Caterpillar company used for the big Cats.
Never go cheap on something like this.

[TJ Hopland]

On that kind of stuff I always try and oversize as much as possible.  If I got to hold up 2 tons I would prefer to use the 6 ton model.  If I was going to do 6 tons I think I would want 12.   And like others most of the time I will also leave the jack under there too if I can.   

[MaR]

On that kind of stuff I always try and oversize as much as possible.  If I got to hold up 2 tons I would prefer to use the 6 ton model.  If I was going to do 6 tons I think I would want 12.   And like others most of the time I will also leave the jack under there too if I can.

I have always been a "belt and suspenders" kind of person when it comes to supporting cars that I'm going to climb under. My dads "jack stands" were giant chunks of railroad ties...

[cadillacmike68]

My old Craftsman jack stands were made in the US.

I always keep the jack in place as well. My face doesn't look too good all squashed.

[GBrown #8092]

Make sure those aren't those stamped steel Craftsman jack stands. They issued a warning on those a number of years ago for collapsing. I confess, I've spent time under cars supported bay both. Little did I know, I guess I'm lucky I'm still here!

Glenn

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

Thanks. I saw that too and plan to return them this weekend. Now I just need to figure out which ones are the best to buy.
Hey, at least it's an excuse to get out of the house!!

Jeff

[walt chomosh #23510]

As a HS freshman, a buddy of mine asked me to help him with removing a transmission from his Studebaker. I LOVED working on cars and he was somewhat advanced over me so it was an opportunity to gain more experience. I was 15 at the time and there was a rare HS football game being played that Saturday so I also saw it as an opportunity to see some girls....I chose GIRLS! He lost his life under that car. My father, a welder, then made a set of jackstands for me. (I still have them today) Crawling under a car without proper support stands is along the line of playing a round a gas tank with a torch.....you may get away with it but you may not. I ALWAYS use not only jackstands,but 4x6 wooden safety blocks,and my floor jack. I've heard other mechanics say metal will bend,wood can snap(tooth picks),and hydraulic jacks can leak. Even the drive up ramps can fail unless proper safety methods are used. Safety first!....walt...tulsa,ok 

[LaSalle5019]

I just went to look at my 6 ton jack stands which have a similar ratcheting design since they look like the Harbor Freight ones.  I forgot that in addition to the ratchet support, they also have a pin that goes into the heavy cast iron telescoping part with a hole at each ratchet height. I't about a 1/2" pin in double shear as a backup to the ratchet support.  My NAPA ones don't have that extra level of safety.

Thanks for the warning.

[Scot Minesinger]

Honestly, will manufacturers ever grow a set of morals instead of chasing the last fraction of a penny.  I always leave the jack in place too, but sometimes when the car needs to be supported on all four corners that is no good.  Some white collar crimes should be punished much more harshly.

Those are the exact same kind I have purchased from NAPA or Autozone.  Thanks for the warning.  Obviously a jack stand failure could end or seriously hamper the ability to enjoy life (or end it).

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

In my college days I did a lot of work on cars for food and rent money.  I have to admit I used a lot of things to hold vehicles up so I could work under them.  As soon as I could (1966 or so) I bought a pair of these for something like $75.00 (remember in 1966 what you could buy for $75.00?).
I have never looked back. Having had a lot of cheap tools break while I have been using them and the resultant injuries I think I can truthfully say that since that same 1966 date, I have never bought any cheap tool that could result in a repetition of said injuries.
These things are heavy and not the easiest to manipulate, but they Probably will not fail.
Greg Surfas

[chrisntam]

I recall Hein-Warner being a quality tool, they made jacks and likely jack stands.  Similar color to what Greg has.

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

Ok, now that I need to buy new ones, what are the best reasonably priced jackstands out there?
Jeff

[39LaSalleDriver]

Most people would crap if they saw what I grew up with. 

We had an old shed which had long since collapsed and been hauled away. My dad decided that would be an excellent place to build his own grease pit. Using the broken, uneven, and crumbling concrete foundation on one side as a base for a "ramp" he took a couple of 2 x 6 planks nailed together, and evened them out with bricks. On the other side, he used 2 x 6s to make a semi normal ramp that was propped up on one end by concrete blocks. Then we would lay down a piece of corrugated roofing to slide under the car with. Talk about a cockeyed, rickety, and dangerous arrangement! But I drove many a car up on that mess in my day For pulling engines, he'd rig up a tripod made of about 18' long, 5" diameter debarked locust trees with a steel cable attached at the apex. We'd hook a come along up there and lift them right out.

Hindsight is 20/20 and thankfully I don't ever plan to have to work that way again. Certainly I encourage people to work safely and take precautions. On the other hand, I do think today society has been litigated to the point they're afraid of their own shadow, so people will just have to excuse my lack of hand wringing about such things. I've done much worse in my day. I grew up on a farm in a world where you had to make do with what you had. No running off to the local Wal-Mart, Harbor Freight, or Home Depot to buy a specialized tool or device to get the job done. As such, I just don't get too worked up about that kind of stuff.