10 Best Jack Stands for Auto Maintenance

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A sturdy set of jack stands is absolutely crucial to lift your car safely and perform undercarriage maintenance.

Doing your own automotive maintenance in the garage is a great way to save money, but it can be a hassle if you need to remove tires and access components underneath the engine. To perform these tasks, the vehicle has to be lifted.

A simple floor jack is the most cost-effective method to raise a car, but they should be used with caution since cars can roll or tip while you're working. While car jacks are meant to lift your car, jack stands are designed to keep your car lifted safely, ensuring that the car stays in place during maintenance jobs.

The most important factor in any jack stand is its rated weight capacity, which you should never exceed. Jack stands are often rated as a set in a value of tons.

For instance, a pair of jack stands may have a 3-ton or 6,000-pound capacity when used together. In this case, each of the individual stands can hold 3,000 pounds—this pair would be plenty strong for most small- and mid-size cars. When using car jacks and jack stands, it’s always better to have too much weight capacity. As a rule of thumb, make sure each stand can hold about 75 percent of the total weight of the vehicle to ensure safety.

Most jack stands have adjustable height, with a locking mechanism to keep the desired setting in place. Higher maximum settings may be useful for lifting taller trucks or SUVs, but most sedans and hatchbacks don't need extensive height settings.

Stands with a larger surface area at the feet are typically more stable under load. Plywood sheets can make a sturdy base when lifting vehicles on surfaces like dirt, but a hard concrete floor is always preferable. Parking brakes and wheel chocks should also be used along with your jack stands to keep any wheels on the ground from rolling during the jacking process.

Always place jack stands beneath the manufacturer’s designated lift points, which are often marked along the underside of the vehicle. Place the car on flat, level ground, jacking up each corner to the desired height, and then gently lowering them onto the jack stands. Repeat until all four corners are off the ground and stable. To get the car down, do it all in reverse.

We’ve picked out these jack stands based on personal auto maintenance experience, as well consumer review data, and input from publications such as The Drive, AutoGuide, Forbes Autos, and Napa Know How. When selecting products, we also aimed for a wide range of features and price points to suit a variety of budgets and needs.

Torin's Big Red alloy steel jack stands hold our top spot overall for quality, range of weight capacity options, and reasonable price point. Plus, Torin is a highly reputable company that's been around for decades, and their jack stands come with a one-year warranty.

The jack stands are available in capacities of 2, 3, 6, and 12 tons, respectively. We highlight the 6-ton option here, which is ideal for lifting bigger trucks and SUVs. Their height adjusts from 15.38 inches up to 23.83 inches, and the saddle up top is designed to accommodate big axles and frame rails. They lock using a basic ratchet setup.

If you have a small car, ATV, or motorcycle, go with the 2-ton set. The design is the same, but their height ranges from 10.7 inches up to 16.55 inches, which makes them great for getting under sports cars and compacts with relatively low ride heights.

This set of two Pro-Lift jack stands comes with a 3-ton weight rating, suitable for small and mid-size cars. The assembly is all steel alloy, with about 7.6 by 6.85 inches of spread at the feet.

These stands use two locking mechanisms for safety. The ratchet lock allows the head to move up freely, but not down until the lever is released. An additional metal pin further prevents the stand from slipping.

Height ranges from 11.3 to 16.75 inches, which covers most vehicles, but may not be suitable for lowered cars or tall trucks. Pro-Lift also includes a one-year warranty with purchase.

The Esco stand features ten variable height settings and a wide 12-inch footprint for added stability while holding the vehicle. It uses a thick metal pin to lock itself in place, with a height range from 13.2 to 21.5 inches.

The body uses silver powder coating for rust protection, and the stand’s head features a thick rubber pad to protect the car’s underside from potential dents and scratches. The weight rating is also fairly heavy duty, at 6,000 pounds per unit. However, each stand will have to be purchased individually, rather than as a set.

This assembly features a bright blue and yellow color scheme, with a 9 by 7.5–inch footprint. It's manufactured in the United States, and comes with a two-year warranty with purchase.

Locking is achieved with a simple ratchet mechanism, which extends from 12 to 19 inches. Not a lot of range, but those couple extra inches at the top can come in handy when lifting vans and crossovers. Each stand is rated to hold up to 3,000 pounds, for 6-ton total capacity in the set of two.

These lightweight cast aluminum jack stands use a compact design that’s great for keeping in a trunk or tool kit. The assembly features a hollow tube with a 6.75-inch flat base for added stability. A thick stainless steel pin is used to hold the arms in place, with each stand rated for up to 3,000 pounds of load.

Height range is on the lower end, from 10.75 to 15.63 inches, though it's tough to expect more given their size. Just note that they're not recommended for working on large trucks and SUVs.

With a 6-ton capacity, this jack stand set is suitable for mid-size cars, up to larger SUVs and light-duty trucks. Each stand also features a double locking mechanism for added strength.

Lift settings range from 16 to 23.5 inches, which is suitable for taller ride heights. The footprint is also fairly wide, with 10.65 by 9.38 inches of coverage at the base. With their 6-ton weight capacity, they can also hold up to 6,000 pounds at each corner of the vehicle.

The Unijack is essentially a bottle jack with a ratcheting lock built in, which can come in handy for quick operations like changing a tire by the roadside.

The flat 9 by 9–inch footprint prevents the jack assembly from slipping or tilting, with an impressive height range of 11 to 21 inches. Also, the single stand features a 6,000-pound weight rating.

However, the integrated nature of the tool does make it heavier than many typical designs. Lifting more than one corner of the vehicle will also require multiple to be purchased, and they’re pricier than more traditional jacks and stands.

These Sunex stands are a good solution for medium-duty and lifted trucks, with a high weight capacity of 10 tons. They can also be used to hold suspended components like transmissions in place.

The assembly is held up by four elongated legs, with a sturdy post held in by a thick steel pin. The legs spread out to form a 16.75-inch square footprint, giving optimal stability. Height ranges from 28.1 to 46.5 inches, which will likely be too tall for smaller vehicles. The assemblies are also heavier and more expensive, with each stand weighing in at over 50 pounds.

This Torin kit includes both two jack stands and a 2-ton floor jack to get you started on auto repairs. That 2-ton rating means that the set is best suited for compact cars and small sedans.

The stands adjust to a wide range of heights, from 5.5 inches up to 13.4 inches, making them ideal for slipping under low vehicles. They're tall enough at higher settings for standard sedan ride heights. This one also comes with a one-year warranty for peace of mind.

These Sunex jack stands feature uncompromising weight capacity, thanks to their thick steel construction. With a 22-ton rating, they can handle repairs on cars, trucks, RVs, and some buses. The heavy-duty construction naturally leads to more weight, with each stand being over 30 pounds.

The arms of the set taper out to flat bases that measure about nine inches square. A drawback of the stout design is that the height range is relatively short, spanning from 11 to 17.3 inches. This will be adequate for most vehicles, but may be lacking for lifted trucks in particular. A two-year warranty is also included.

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