> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://toolwiseblog.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Jack stands at approved support points: safe lifting sequence - URL: https://toolwiseblog.com/jack-stands-approved-support-points/ - Published: 2026-09-29T21:22:38.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-29T21:22:38.000Z - Author: Md Mushaddek Al Mubdi - Tags: Jack Stands, Garage Safety To use jack stands correctly, find the vehicle’s approved jacking and stand-support points in the owner’s manual or service information, raise the vehicle with a suitable floor jack, and lower it onto correctly rated stands at those points. Park on a firm, level surface, chock the wheels that remain on the ground, and never put any part of your body beneath a vehicle supported only by a jack. If you cannot identify solid approved points, or the surface and equipment are unsuitable, do not lift the vehicle. ## Before you lift, make sure the vehicle can be supported safely Gather everything before moving the vehicle into position: - A firm, level surface such as sound concrete. Avoid soft ground, slopes, loose gravel, and damaged or uneven pavement. - A suitable floor jack with enough lifting capacity and reach for the vehicle. - Two or more jack stands with a rated capacity suitable for the vehicle and the way you will lift it. Do not exceed the rating. - Wheel chocks for the wheels that will stay on the ground. - The owner’s manual or service information for the exact vehicle. - A lug wrench or other correct tool if a wheel must be removed. Read the manual before placing the jack. It may list one set of points for lifting and different points for supporting the vehicle with stands. A reinforced pinch weld, subframe section, axle housing, or other structural point may be approved on one vehicle and unsafe on another. Do not select a point because it looks convenient. Never place a stand under thin body panels, plastic trim, suspension arms not specified for support, fuel lines, or exhaust components. Park with the vehicle straight and centered on the firm surface. Select Park for an automatic transmission or first gear or reverse for a manual transmission, then apply the parking brake. Switch off the engine and remove the key. Chock the wheels that will remain on the ground. If you plan to lift all four corners, secure the wheels that are still on the ground during each lifting stage and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s sequence. Inspect the jack and stands. The jack should roll and pump normally, with no visible damage or hydraulic leakage. Each stand should have a sound base, locking mechanism, and saddle. Never use bricks, stacked wood, concrete blocks, or a second jack as a substitute for a stand. If the vehicle’s load, height, or support arrangement is beyond your equipment or confidence, stop and use a professional lifting facility. ![A car is positioned on level concrete beside a floor jack and rated jack stands.](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=car%20on%20level%20concrete%20with%20rated%20jack%20stands&w=624&h=352&c=7) ## How to place the jack stands at the approved support points If you need to remove a wheel, loosen its fasteners slightly while the vehicle is still on the ground. Do not remove them yet; this keeps the wheel from turning while you apply force. 1. Position the floor jack under the vehicle’s designated jacking point. Keep the jack handle and wheels clear of obstacles, and align the saddle with the point described in the manual. 2. Raise the vehicle slowly until the tire is high enough for the stand to fit at its separate approved support point. Keep your hands, feet, and body out from underneath while the vehicle is rising. 3. Set two jack stands to the same height. Fully engage their locking pins, pawls, or other height-locking devices. Place each stand at the approved support point on its side of the vehicle, with the saddle oriented as the manufacturer specifies. 4. Slide the stands into position without putting any part of your body beneath the vehicle. Confirm that each saddle will contact solid structural material, not a brake line, fuel line, cable, floor pan, or trim. 5. Raise or adjust the stands until both saddles are close to their support points and at equal height. Leave the floor jack supporting the vehicle while you make the final alignment. 6. Lower the floor jack slowly until the vehicle’s weight transfers onto both stand saddles. Watch the contact points and stand bases. Stop immediately if a stand tilts, slips, moves, or contacts the wrong component. 7. Once the stands carry the load, leave the jack lightly positioned as a backup only if it does not interfere with the work and the vehicle manufacturer permits that arrangement. A hydraulic jack must never be the only support while anyone is underneath; hydraulic pressure can bleed off, or the jack can move or fail. 8. If you are removing a wheel, finish removing its fasteners only after the vehicle is stable on the stands. Keep the removed wheel nearby where it can serve as additional backup under an appropriate solid area, but never use it instead of correctly placed jack stands. ## Check that the vehicle is genuinely stable before going underneath Before crawling under the vehicle, make a deliberate stability check. Confirm that each stand is centered on a solid, approved support point and that no stand is resting on an edge, slope, loose material, or a component that can bend. The stand bases must sit completely flat, and all height-locking devices must be engaged. Check the jack as well. It must not be the only thing carrying the vehicle. If it remains in place, it should not be taking the vehicle’s weight or creating a position that could shift the stands. The jack, stands, and vehicle must not be contacting anything that could push them sideways. From outside the danger zone, give the vehicle a careful, controlled push at a solid area such as the body structure or a tire. Do not push hard enough to move it across the floor, and do not place yourself beneath it during this test. The vehicle should remain settled without rocking, walking, or shifting on the saddles. If anything moves, stop, move clear, lower the vehicle if safe to do so, and correct the support arrangement. Recheck the wheel chocks. Keep everyone clear of the area beneath and beside the vehicle while making adjustments. Work underneath only after the stands are correctly loaded, the bases are planted, and the push check shows no instability. ## Work beneath the supported vehicle and remove the stands safely Before starting work, confirm that the vehicle is supported at every required point and that the task will not apply a force that could shift it. Take extra care with operations that involve pulling, levering, loosening seized parts, or removing heavy components. Keep removed wheels nearby where appropriate, but place them only under a suitable solid area as secondary protection; they do not replace jack stands. When the work is complete, remove tools, parts, drain pans, and people from beneath the vehicle. Check that no brake hose, electrical cable, suspension part, or other component is trapped by a stand or wheel, and refit any wheel fasteners required before lowering. 1. Move everyone, including yourself, out from underneath and away from the vehicle’s lowering path. 2. Position the floor jack at the vehicle’s approved lifting point and raise it only enough to take the load off the jack stands. Keep clear of the danger zone while the load transfers. 3. Remove the stands from their approved support points without placing any part of your body beneath the vehicle. If a stand is loaded, raise the vehicle slightly more rather than forcing the stand sideways. 4. Move the stands completely clear of the vehicle and the jack’s wheels. Do not leave a stand where a tire could strike it as the vehicle comes down. 5. Lower the floor jack slowly and smoothly until the vehicle is fully on the ground. Watch the vehicle, jack, and wheels for movement, and stop if anything shifts unexpectedly. 6. Remove the jack, then remove the wheel chocks only after the vehicle is fully lowered, the transmission is secured, and all wheel fasteners are tightened to the vehicle manufacturer’s specification. The vehicle should now rest normally on its tires, with no stand or jack under it and no tools or people in its path. If you hear a sudden creak, see movement, or find a fastener or component that is not secure, stop and resolve it before moving the vehicle. ## Conclusion Identify the correct lifting and support points before raising the vehicle. Use the floor jack only to lift, transfer the load fully to matched stands, and confirm that the saddles, bases, and vehicle are stable before going underneath. When finished, clear the danger zone, lift only enough to remove the stands, and lower the vehicle slowly. If any part of the setup is uncertain, lower the vehicle and get vehicle-specific service information or professional help. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I put jack stands under the same point used by the floor jack? Only if the vehicle manufacturer specifically approves that point for stand support and the stand can contact it securely. Many vehicles use separate jacking and stand locations, so check the owner’s manual or service information instead of assuming the points are interchangeable. ### Can I leave the hydraulic jack under the vehicle as extra support? A jack may remain nearby as a backup when it does not interfere and the manufacturer’s instructions allow it, but it cannot be the sole support. Before anyone goes underneath, correctly placed, locked jack stands must carry the vehicle. ### How many jack stands do I need? Use enough stands to support the end or side you are lifting at the manufacturer-approved points. Two stands are commonly used for one raised end, but the exact arrangement depends on the vehicle and the work. Never use fewer stands than the service information requires.