Axle stand capacity

[Wheely]

Hey all,

 

I am going to park Wheely for a couple of months as I travel back to Europe.

 

It will be in the company parking lot, so safe but no one will move it around, so I was thinking of placing it on axle stands, hence 3 questions:

 

1-I'll need to buy a jack to lift it - what weight capacity is needed? People have been telling me either 10ton or 16 tons..what do you say? Wheely is a 6x4 Defender so would weight more than a normal 110/130

2-The axle stand has to be the same capacity of the jack? i.e. if the jack is 10 ton then i need to buy a pair of axle stands where each stand is capable of lifting 5tons?

3-Shall I buy just 2 pairs of axle stands ? should I keep lifter the front and middle (2nd axle) or front and back (3rd axle) ? or better to go for 3 axle stands?

 

Cheers,

 

Simone

[Sharp]

I don't think you'll need anything rated that high. I have 4 clarke stands at 3 ton each,, £40 a pair - https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cax-6tbc-6-ton-axle-stands/

Not sure how much your defender weights but you'll never have to take the full weight of the vehicle on one axle stand so 3 tons is over kill for a normal defender but you still benefit from having more meaty axle stands with a wider foot print. If you've not noticed already then pairs of axle stands get advertised as (for example) 6 ton and it means 3 ton each.

The jack that comes with the mercedes sprinter is good, I use that and I have an sgs high lift one as well. Think it's 2.5 ton. A rough rule of thumb is that a jack used to lift one corner should be rated to at least 1/3 of the weight of the vehicle.

[landroversforever]

As Sharp says above, you won't need anything rated that high. However, quite often the higher the rating the higher the lift.

I'd definitely recommend one of these https://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/tools-workshop/jacks-axle-stands/sealey-cross-beam-adaptor-3-tonne-4-x-4-x137 If it fits whatever jack you end up with it will keep the vehicle more level when you're lifting. Of course lifting via the axle means you haven't got to lift as far as you would by lifting the chassis.

I'd also rate the Clarke axle stands mentioned above. At 6T a pair they'll be plenty for the 6x4. I've always found them to be nice and stable as they have a good size footprint.

Going back to the jack... is it something you're looking to invest in for future maintenance work or just for this job? if its the latter you might be able to borrow one instead, or hire one.

[western]

Don't forget Wheely is NOT in the UK, 

I would go for 2 or 3 sets of 3 tonne capacity [each stand] axle stands for your 130.

[Wheely]

Great, thanks a lot for your recommendation guys! much appreciated!

[Fatboy]

 

If you are parking it on stands in a car park which has a tarmac surface,  I’d consider using something under the stands to spread the load too or else you may return to find the stands have slowly sunk into the tar.

Especially relevant if it is going to be parked up during the hottest time of the year, wherever you are.

[Vogler]

When purchasing your jacks, make sure to double check if the maximum load is for the pair or a single one.

You'll also need to take the minimum height of the stands into account. I have 6-ton stands, but need to jack-up the car quite high and need to put a block of wood under the jack (4-ton bottle type hydraulic jack with a double cylinder).

If you'll put blocks underneath the axle stands to spread the load over the tarmac, you'll need to jack up the car even higher or use lower stands.

.

Joris

[ballcock]

Why put on axle stands? Why not just inflate the tyres to their max or use wooden wedges either side of the tyres to maintain their shape.