Wheel stands are essential tools for drag racers, not only supporting their vehicle on track but also aiding with regular maintenance and showing it off at shows or dealerships.
Unlike most wheel stands, this one features height and angle adjustment capabilities to provide the ideal driving position. Furthermore, its lightweight tubing makes this stand highly portable.
Choosing the Right One
Working on cars in your garage can be hazardous – whether you are an experienced mechanic or starting. That is why having the appropriate equipment, such as wheel stands, is essential – car wheel stands are crucial additions to any workshop!
Selecting the ideal car wheel stand depends on both your needs and budget. For an economical solution that provides stability without breaking the bank, Race Ramps ™ offers an ideal 16″ square platform featuring a non-slip surface to prevent slipperiness without damaging or marking floors.
Home mechanic David Carlson can vouch for using high-quality jack stands when working on his vehicle. Recently, he purchased new wheels for his Volkswagen Jetta and set about installing them – unfortunately, without using proper safety precautions, he experienced serious hand injuries as a result of not adhering to appropriate procedures and required safety equipment.
Safety First
No matter what project you undertake, vehicle safety must always come first. This extends beyond tools and equipment alone and includes personal protective gear, a well-lit workspace, and other measures. Jack can be an essential part of automotive maintenance; make sure they fit with or exceed your vehicle’s weight requirements by following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully!
Keep in mind that jack stands are intended to support rather than lift. While not a replacement for car jacks, they provide additional security and safety when working beneath the vehicle. Never attempt to work on one using only its support arm alone, as this may slip out from underneath you unexpectedly and drop thousands of pounds onto you without warning!
Once ready, place the jack stand under one of the jacking points and adjust it to its desired height. Locking it into place, slowly lower your hydraulic jack until all of the car weight has come to rest on it – be sure to position the axle tube jack stand directly beneath it; this prevents damage to suspension components while lifting.
Rather than jacking your vehicle up and moving it to its proper location for work you need to do, start by placing a jack stand underneath the front cross member and setting it on blocks inboard of rockers. This protects both suspension and frame from being compromised while lifting, as well as being more efficient than simply lifting and moving up and down multiple times to reach where your job needs to go.
Do not attempt to create your DIY car jack stands with boxes, cinder blocks, or bricks, as these can become dangerous when working underneath a vehicle. Instead, purchase quality jack stands and store them in your trunk so you’re always prepared when working under cars.
Getting Started
The first step to successfully polishing car wheels is to locate suitable stands. Check their capacity rating, consult owner’s manuals for advice, and consult manufacturer recommendations when choosing appropriate car stands. When you have found them, it’s time to start polishing!
Utilizing a wheel polishing stand is an efficient and safe way to accomplish numerous under-car maintenance or repair tasks. These stands lift and support vehicles so that you can work under them safely; their user-friendly designs make working on wheels simple while simultaneously accessing undercarriages for frame or body repairs.
Work on your vehicle is much safer when supported by jack stands than sitting directly on the ground, as working from beneath may cause instability and lead to it falling off the jack stands or itself. Therefore, working alongside someone can offer additional encouragement and company and may provide essential emergency help should anything go wrong during maintenance or repairs.
Traditional jack and jack stand processes are time-consuming as you must locate the jack points, lift your vehicle onto the jack stands, and lower it back down again before setting them correctly if your car has been dropped. In addition, this process can be hazardous since finding all four jack points requires finding each jack point, and raising or lowering points before setting stands correctly can often prove challenging when working on lower cars.
Car wheel stands make the process much faster and more straightforward as they allow you to place stands beneath one or more vehicle wheels quickly. Depending on your job requirements, additional frames may need to be installed beneath it. When possible, four perspectives should be under it at all times as this could compromise structural integrity; avoid lifting all four corners simultaneously as this may deform its integrity; ensure safety is observed, such as checking that both parking brakes and emergency brakes are on before lifting it off its stand.
Maintenance
As car owners, nearly everyone has had to change a tire at some point in their life, and most have used jacks and stands at some point as part of this process. But jacks and stands can serve more than one purpose than simply changing tires; they provide a safe space to work on vehicles.
Jack stands come in many varieties, all designed to keep vehicles off the ground during repairs from under. They’re typically sold as pairs, and their sizes depend on the maximum height and weight capacity; they are designed as support tools rather than sole supports of raised cars.
Adjustable jack stands allow the height to be changed clockwise or counterclockwise, using a notched center column and an adjustment ratchet. Some of the highest quality jack stands even feature another height adjustment position on top of their notched one for precise wheel or tire positioning.
Some jack stands feature saddle-shaped tops designed to fit over the axle of a raised car to support it, and these may also be adjusted with ratchet mechanisms for additional support of lifted vehicles. While less stable than the tower and tripod-shaped stands, these may provide more compact support – an ideal choice if lightweight is critical.
Wheel crib stands can also provide valuable assistance with vehicle maintenance and repair, providing unobstructed views of the underside when placed beneath an automobile lifted with a jack stand.
Wheel stands are significant time and effort savers for many tasks, like washing or coating customer car wheels. Furthermore, they’re accommodating for detailing cars by providing access from all angles so cleaning or coating jobs can be completed faster without needing to bend over as often.
