If you don’t have a lifting platform in your garage, you often have to jack up your car. This is the only way to carry out work on the underbody or the chassis. However, there are a few points to bear in mind. Especially in the hobby sector, serious accidents occur time and again when repairing cars. In this guide, you will find important tips on jacking up vehicles.

These points must be observed when jacking up the car

Many dangers lurk during vehicle repairs. Especially when working under the vehicle floor, people can be seriously injured. It was not uncommon in the past for a vehicle to be suddenly lowered, for example due to a defect in the jack.

Rolling over by a vehicle is also a real danger when carrying out repair work underneath the car body. However, just a few measures can ensure safety during car repairs. For example, wedges should always be used in front of the wheels in addition to tightening the handbrake.

Ensure safety with trestles

Raised vehicles can be secured relatively easily with jack stands. These are a professional solution and prevent sudden lowering of the car. The use of jack stands is therefore one of the most important safety measures when working under the car.

Various work on the floor of the car can also be done much more easily if the entire vehicle rests on jack stands. When using jacks and stands, always compare their load-bearing capacity with the weight of the vehicle. They should also only be used on solid ground.

Important utensils for jacking up the car

A number of tools and utensils are available in the trade for safely jacking up the car. It often makes sense to use them in combination with each other. A car should never be held by a jack alone when working under the car. There is too great a risk that the jack will give way or tip over due to jolting of the vehicle.

• Jack
• Support trestles
• Drive-on ramps
• Hydraulic ramps

Jack

A classic way to lift a car is to use a jack. Jacks are available in various designs and weight classes. They can be easily attached to the designated points under the car. For lifting the car in the garage, the most suitable jacks are manoeuvring  hydraulic jacks.

Support trestles

Undercarriage trestles, also called support trestles, are small adjustable trestles for supporting the vehicle. The trestles are positioned under the vehicle at load-bearing points to support the weight of the vehicle. The trestles are available with three or four legs.

Ramps

By using ramps, the car can easily be lifted a little higher. To do this, the ramps are positioned to match the track width of the car. The car is then driven onto the ramps with the tyres.

Hydraulic ramps

Hydraulic ramps are a mixture of drive-up ramps and hydraulic jacks. As with normal ramps, the car is first driven onto the ramp. Afterwards, the footprint for the tyre can be lifted further, as with a jack.

Jacking up the car with jack stands in 6 steps

There are various ways to jack up a motor vehicle. Drive-on ramps are practical and the vehicle can be lifted quickly. However, since the vehicle is standing on its wheels, it is not possible to work on the chassis. In this case, jacking up the entire vehicle using jack stands is the best solution. This is done in a few steps.

This is how the wagon is jacked up with jack stands:

1. Parking the car: In order to be able to lift and then support the vehicle with the car jack, it must be parked on a firm surface. The wheels that are not to be lifted should now be secured with wedges to prevent them from rolling away. The handbrake must also be applied.
2. Search for lifting points: Jacks and jacks cannot be placed anywhere on the car. Not all parts of the body are stable enough to support the weight of the car. The lifting points or jacking points can usually be found in the car manual.
3. Attach the jack: Once the lifting points have been found, a jack can be applied here. Some vehicle models have a lifting point in the front or in the middle of the rear, with which the complete axles can be lifted. However, the jack must have sufficient load-bearing capacity.
4. Lift the vehicle: The vehicle is then carefully lifted with the jack in place. If the jack is placed in the middle, observe whether the car is lifted evenly. Also make sure that the jack remains in the intended position.
5. Jacking up the car: Once the vehicle has been raised, jacking up can begin. If the entire front or the entire rear of the vehicle has been raised, a jack is placed underneath on the right and left. However, these points on the body must also be sufficiently stable. The jack stands are then adjusted to the appropriate height.
6. Lowering the jack: Once the jacks are positioned and adjusted, the load of the car can be lowered onto them. Depending on the type of jack, this can be done by operating the lever or opening a valve. The vehicle should be lowered slowly and carefully to check the stability of the jack stands. The jack can then be removed.

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