Whether you need to change a car’s oil or replace your brake pads, there’s a certain amount of gear you want to have on hand. One of the key components is a hydraulic floor jack.
Improper floor jack use happens all too often, causing expensive damage, serious injury, or worse. To be sure you’re using your floor jack properly, read on.
Identifying Jack Points on a Car
One of the most important aspects of proper jack use is knowing your vehicle’s jack points (or lift points).
Jack points are points along your car’s undercarriage that are sound enough to be structurally load-bearing by nature. In other words, your vehicle should never be lifted at any point not specifically offered up by its manufacturer as a recommended jack point.
While a handful of jack points are consistent from one vehicle to the next, always, always heed manufacturer recommendations.
Most owner’s manuals will have a small section regarding jacking up a vehicle, where specific jack points are also given.
Thus, it is quite important to keep track of your vehicle’s owner’s manual. It should provide any basic info you need.
In most cases, a car can be jacked up from the pinch welds or frame rails. However, the latter of the two is usually the better option, especially if your pinch welds happen to be rusty or otherwise not up for the task.
Unless otherwise stated by factory-specific service literature, one should try to preserve their car’s pinch welds and lift only from the frame rails.
Likewise, trucks and SUVs should be jacked along their frame rails, pretty close to the wheel end location, to be raised. Unlike the average passenger car, most trucks and SUVs do not use pinch welds that double as suitable alternative lift points.
As always, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual before jacking up your truck or SUV.
How to Use a Hydraulic Floor Jack?
What You’ll Need
Floor Jack
- Recommended for DIY Use: Arcan 3-Ton Aluminum
- Recommended for Professional Use: Harbor Freight 3-Ton Daytona
Saddle Pad or Adapter (optional)
- Recommended: Rubber jack pad or pinch weld adapter
Jack Stands (if working under the car)
- Recommended for DIY Use: Torin Big Red
- Recommended for Professional Use: ESCO 10498
Wheel Chocks
- Recommended: MaxxHaul 70472
Step #1. Position Vehicle.
The first step to jacking any vehicle up successfully is parking the vehicle in a place conducive to such work. Make sure that when you park your vehicle, it is on flat, firm ground, as opposed to unlevel or soft ground.
That way, you’ve got a solid foundation to work from for lifting.
Step #2. Set Emergency Brake.
Before you proceed any further, take the time to set your vehicle’s Emergency brake. This, of course, depends on whether or not you are jacking the front of the vehicle up.
Setting the emergency brake in this way helps to reduce the chances of your vehicle inadvertently rolling or sliding during the actual process of jacking it up.
Step #3. Place Wheel Chocks.
Next comes placing a set of wheel chocks behind the tires that will still be in contact with the ground now that you’re ready to proceed.
Which tires? Well, think of the way that the vehicle would roll, if it did. If jacking the front of the vehicle up, put the chocks to the rear of the rear tires. If you intend to jack up the rear of the vehicle, place the chocks in front of the front tires.
If you want to, you can even lightly tamp these chocks in place, using a rubber deadbolt, and relatively wedging the chocks between the tread of the tire and the ground itself. This accomplishes the same thing as manually setting the emergency brake decent measure to help the vehicle stay put while jacking.
Step #4. Assess Lift Point.
Before you apply the floor jack to your vehicle, take care to assess the lifting points for your vehicle. If you’re uncertain where they are, stop and check your owner’s manual.
What kind of jack you decide to use (bottle jack, a scissor jack, etc.), may also influence the choice of jack points.
Step #5. Carefully Position Jack.
If you’re satisfied with the jack points, it’s time to choreograph your jack of choice into place. Install any additional rigging (saddle pad, adapter, etc.), now, before the actual lift is attempted.
Before the story goes any farther, you’ll want to lift the jack just a little, till it gently touches your vehicle’s lifting points.
Step #6. Raise Vehicle.
You will now slowly raise your vehicle up to the height you want. Avoid sudden or jolting movements here, as that could cause your jack to slip.
Carefully assess your vehicle’s stability during the jacking. If at any time you’re uneasy about what’s going on, begin to slowly lower your vehicle back down to ground level.
Step #7. Place Jack Stands.
Once at the height you want, place your jack stands beneath the frame of your vehicle. Make sure these stands are placed evenly on the ground and wobble.
Gently lower your vehicle back down onto your newer jack stands, again checking for wobble. Once your vehicle is seated on your jack stands, raise the floor jack back into place, but only taking up a little pressure.
Gently nudge the vehicle with your hand to make sure everything feels steady before crawling underneath to do your work.
Step #8. When Finished, Raise the Vehicle Slightly.
Once all work is done, you’re going to raise your vehicle slightly off the height of your jack stands. Check for wobble or a situation that could be concerning. Your vehicle body should be sitting roughly 1″ above the height of any jack stands.
Step #9. Remove Jack Stands.
You will now remove any jack stands from under the vehicle. Same here, make sure these jack stands are out entirely, and far from the perimeter of your vehicle. Make sure no other obstructions exist under the vehicle as well.
Step #10. Lower Vehicle.
You will gently lower your vehicle using your previously positioned floor jack. Lower it down to safe ground, and make sure your jack is entirely free of the undercarriage.
Withdraw the jack from under the vehicle, and remove all chocks from your wheels. If you set your vehicle’s emergency brake before lifting, don’t forget to disengage it before heading out on your next commute.
Additional Tips For Jacking Up Your Vehicle
Here are some additional tips for beginners to consider before attempting to jack your car, truck, or SUV.
Safety first
NEVER crawl beneath a vehicle that is not put on jack stands. Jack stands help properly secure vehicles in place should a floor jack fail to hold, or if the load on the jack shifts. In a worst-case scenario, this prevents you from being crushed to death.
For a tire change or brake pad job (one wheel on a car at a time) where you won’t be crouched beneath the vehicle, you can place a wheel next to the floor jack too in place of a jack stand. But, you can’t go wrong with jack stands.
Give it a test bump
Once you have your vehicle jacked to the desired height, give it a light nudge by pushing against the vehicle’s body panels. This will make sure that the load itself is not in the process of shifting before you climb beneath to set your jack stands up.
Inspect equipment regularly
Condition of both the floor jack and jack stands are important to your overall safety of working on your vehicle. For this reason, carefully inspect such equipment before even attempting to jack any vehicle to begin with.
If anything looks amiss, stop immediately.
Get a second opinion
If you ever have a doubt about the orientation/positioning of your jack, stop right there. Ask a mechanically inclined friend or family member for a second opinion.
There is no shame whatsoever in doing this, as failure to do so could almost certainly result in major injury.