Where should you not place a jack or jack stands?

The most obvious reason to jack up a car is to change a tire, but other jobs, such as inspecting brakes, may also require you to get under the vehicle. Before you jack up your vehicle, observe the following safety precautions:

• Use the jack only to get a vehicle off the ground, never to hold a vehicle in place.

• Use jack stands when you work underneath your vehicle. People have been crushed to death when vehicles that were improperly secured fell on them.

• Never jack up a vehicle without blocking the wheels to keep it from rolling. Use bricks, wooden wedges, or metal wheel chocks to block the wheels at the end of the car that isn't being raised.

  If you're changing a tire and you have nothing to block the wheels with, park near the curb with the wheels turned in. This may not keep you from getting hurt if the car rolls off the jack, but at least innocent motorists and pedestrians won’t have to deal with a runaway driverless vehicle!

• Never change a tire on a freeway or highway. Call road service or an automobile association or hang a white rag or a white piece of paper out of the driver’s side window and wait for the highway patrol.

• Always park a vehicle on level ground before you jack it up. If you get a flat tire on a hill and can’t coast to the bottom without killing the tire completely, park close to the curb, turn the wheels toward the curb, and block the downside wheels securely to prevent the car from rolling.

• Put the car in Park (or in First if you have a manual transmission) and engage the parking brake before you jack up the vehicle.

1. Place the jack under the part of the vehicle that it should contact when raised. If you’re using jack stands, place them near the jack.

   If you place your jack incorrectly, you can damage your car. To find the proper place to position the jack for your particular vehicle, check your owner’s manual. If you don’t have a manual, ask the service department at your dealership to show you the proper placement.

2. Lift the vehicle by using the jack.

   
   A scissor jack (a) and a hydraulic jack (b)

   If you have a scissor jack, insert the rod or wrench over the knob, and then crank. If you have a hydraulic jack, place the handle into the appropriate location and pump up and down. Use nice, even strokes, taking the jack handle from its lowest point to its highest point on each stroke to cut down on the labor involved.

3. Place the jack stands under the vehicle, near where the jack is touching it. Raise the stands until they’re high enough to just fit under, and lock them in place. Lower the jack until the vehicle is resting on the jack stands.

   

   Jack stands hold your vehicle up safely.

   Substituting boxes, stones, or bricks for jack stands is very dangerous. They can slip out or break while you’re under the car. A jack can do the same thing, so be sure to buy a pair of jack stands and stow them in the trunk.

4. Wiggle the vehicle a little to make sure that it’s resting securely on the jack stands. Then remove the jack.

   Wiggling the vehicle also tells you whether you have the wheels blocked properly. It’s better if the vehicle falls while all four wheels are in place. (It will bounce just a little.)

5. When you're finished, replace the jack, remove the stands, and lower the vehicle to the ground.

   If you’re using a scissor jack, simply turn the crank in the opposite direction. If you’re using a hydraulic jack, use the rod to turn the pressure release valve. The jack will do the rest of the work for you.

   Jacking up a car takes careful thought and process. Raising and supporting the vehicle might seem confusing or scary. If you jack up from the wrong area, it can damage parts or harm whoever’s working.

   You may be wondering how to use a car jack or jack stands and where to place jack stands under the car. This post explains where to put a jack and jack stands, the meaning of some related terms, the different types of frames, how to jack up a car or truck from the front or rear, how to put a car on 4 jack stands, and how to pick a properly-rated jack and jack stand for your vehicle.

   We also have many videos that show where to put jack stands on specific models.

   

   Where to Place a Jack and Jack Stands Under a Car or Truck

   How to Use a Car Jack and Jack Stands and Safely Jack Up a Car or Truck

   Steps to Take Before Raising the Vehicle

   What to Do Before Jacking Up a Car or Truck

   1. Find a Safe Location for Raising and Supporting the Vehicle

      Find a safe location to jack up the car or truck as far away from bystanders or oncoming traffic as possible. For example, it’s safer to pull off the freeway than to fix a flat tire on the highway.

   2. Find a Flat, Level and Stable Surface

      Raise the vehicle up from a flat, level and hard surface like asphalt, concrete, but not grass, dirt, sand, or other unstable surfaces.

   3. Inspect the Jack Point Location

      Check the area where pressure will be applied before lifting the vehicle. A little rust is nothing to worry about but a lot of rust or a rotted hole is very unsafe for jacking.

   4. Use Proper-Rated Jack Stands

      Make sure the jack and jack stands have a rating strong enough to support the weight of the vehicle.
      
      Find the weight of your vehicle listed as “GVWR” near the top of the sticker on the driver’s door.
      
      The weight of the front and the rear should also be listed. This lets you know how much weight is needed to support these parts of the vehicle.
      
      Then find a jack stand that can support those tons.
      
      

      

   5. Have an Assistant Nearby

      It’s important to have another person nearby when working under a car. Whenever one wheel is raised off of the ground, the vehicle is capable of rolling or shifting in some way. If an accident happens, a second person is there to quickly respond.

   6. Put the Vehicle in Park or First Gear

      Make sure the vehicle is in Park for automatic transmissions and first gear for manual transmissions.

   7. Put the Emergency Brake on

      Keep the emergency brake on during the repair.

   8. Chock the Front and Back of the Remaining Wheels

      Chock the front and back of the remaining wheels that will not be lifted with a solid object like a wood block.
      
      

      

   .

   Related Terms to Jack Stand Placement

   What Does “Support the Vehicle with the Suspension Hanging” Mean?

   Supporting the vehicle with the suspension hanging is to lift the vehicle by the full frame or the subframe. This way the suspension can “hang down.” Repairs usually call for this kind of lifting to make front end work easier.

   Can You Lift the Vehicle without the Suspension Hanging?

   Some vehicles can be lifted without the suspension hanging—especially ones with straight differentials that extend to either side of the vehicle, like a pickup truck.

   What Is a Full Frame?

   Full frames are generally found in pickup tucks. They’re more heavy duty than subframes, are likely to be made of steel, and help with tow and load capacity.

   What Is a Subframe?

   Most front-wheel drive vehicles will have a subframe. The subframe looks like a little square or rectangle. They are at the front and likely the rear of the vehicle for the suspension. The front subframe will hold the engine and transmission weight to keep the parts from shifting overall.

   Subframes are usually in most front-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles to increase fuel economy, since less weight improves fuel efficiency. They might be made of steel or aluminum.

   Where to Put a Jack and Jack Stands Under a Car or Truck

   Jack Up from The Frame

   

   The frame is the safest place to jack the vehicle from since it is the most structurally sound part. A full frame will have a lot of secure jacking points to jack up from.

   Jack Up from the Full Differential and Place Jack Stands on the Edges of the Differential Tube

   

   If you have a full differential, you can jack from the “pumpkin” (the differential that looks like a pumpkin) in the center and place jack stands along the outer edge of the differential tube.

   Only Jack Up from the Subframe and Do Not Place Jack Stands Underneath It

   
   Black subframe on a vehicle

   The subframe on subframe-type vehicles is a good jacking point but not a good place to put jack stands. The subframe will be closer to the center of the vehicle and jack stands should be placed out as far as possible.

   Jack Up from or Place Jack Stands Under the Pinch Rail

   
   Marking for jacking and placing jack stands under a pinch weld

   A pinch rail is a tip that runs along the body. Jacking from the wrong location on the pinch rail can damage the body. Usually right behind the front wheel or right before the rear wheel, markings or reinforced areas indicate the best place to put the jack stands and/or jack up the vehicle.

   If Removing a Tire, Loosen the Lug Nuts with the Wheel on the Ground and Place the Tire Under the Side of the Vehicle for Extra Support

   If you’re stuck on the side of the road and need to replace your tire, use something underneath the vehicle for extra security and for safety. For example, once the bad tire has been removed, place it on the side of the vehicle underneath the edge in case the vehicle shifts off the jack.

   Also, loosen the lug nuts with the wheel on the ground before raising and securing the vehicle unless you have air tools.

   How to Raise a Car with a Floor Jack

   Jack up the vehicle slowly. Jacking up the vehicle creates inertia, so this will keep the vehicle from shifting.

   Only raise the vehicle as high as necessary for the repair. The higher a vehicle is raised, the less safe it is to work on.

   How to Raise a Car with a Scissor Jack

   Raising a car with a scissor jack takes a little more energy. This video explains how.

   How to Jack Up a Car or Truck from the Front or Rear

   

   Observe the Vehicle’s Angle

   It’s safest to keep at least two wheels on the ground. If jacking up two wheels, pay attention to the angle of the vehicle as it’s raised. The steeper the angle, the less safe and secure it is for a jack stand to sit, increasing its chances of slipping.

   If There Is No Jacking Position in the Center of the Rear, Jack Up from the Side

   Some front-wheel drive vehicles will not have a spot in the center of the rear of the vehicle to raise and secure both sides. If that happens, we recommend raising the vehicle from the rear on one side, placing a jack stand underneath, and then doing the same for the other side. For security, have them as level as possible.

   How to Put a Car on 4 Jack Stands

   Jack Up the Front First

   Sometimes it may not be possible to keep two wheels on the ground. If you need to life all four wheels, start with the front wheels by jacking them up and placing jack stands, and then do the same for the rear. Also, make the car or truck as level as possible.

   Once Secure, Give the Vehicle a Light Jounce Test

   Once you have safely lifted and secured the vehicle, give it a light jounce test. Don’t try to push it off the stands, but test it enough that if it’s slightly bumped, it won’t shift or move.

   Jack Up Your Own Vehicle with a How-to Video

   If you want to learn where to jack up from on your car, find a how-to video of your make and model in 1A Auto’s how-to video library. We have thousands of how-to videos that cover many diagnostics and repairs for hundreds of models.

   Related Content

   • Slow Leak in Tire? How to Find and Fix Tire Leaks
   • How to Check Tire Tread for Wear
   • Driving on a Flat Tire? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
   • How to Put Air in a Tire
   • Is Your Rusted Car Frame Safe to Work Under?
   • How to Use a Torque Wrench

   Shop Tools and Parts at 1aauto.com

   • Air Tools and Accessories
   • Jacks & Vehicle Lifting
   • Steering & Suspension

   Summary

   

   Article Name

   How to Use a Car Jack and Jack Stands | Where to Put Jack Stands

   Description

   Learn how to use a car jack and jack stands, where to place a jack and jack stands, how to jack up a vehicle from the front or rear, how to put a car on 4 jack stands, and more with this article.

   Where should jack stands be placed?

   Jack stands must be placed directly under the lifting point. There should be enough room at every jack point to accommodate the stand's grip. When releasing hydraulic pressure from the floor jack, a properly rated jack stand will hold the weight of the car as long as the stand is flat.

   Does it matter where you jack up a car?

   If you lift somewhere else, the car's own weight may cause damage to the frame (or, worse — cause it to slip off the jack). Luckily, the owner's manual will almost always tell you where a car's jack points are. Typically, there is a jack point on each side behind the front wheels and in front of the back wheels.

   Is it safe to put jack stands under axle?

   Jack stands are the most secure and safe way to raise a vehicle. Always be sure to place jack stands under the control arms, frame crossmember or frame members. If you need to lift all four wheels off the ground for exhaust or transmission work, the rear axle is often the preferred placement for jack stands.

   Where should I place the jack when changing a tire?

   The right place for the jack is usually beneath the vehicle frame alongside the tire that's flat. Many vehicle frames have molded plastic on the bottom with a cleared area of exposed metal specifically for the jack.