I don't know JACK about JACK STANDS!

So...aside from the fact I don't know jack...about jack stands...

 

the GVW (Ground Vehicle Weight) of my 2011 SUBARU LEGACY is 3270 lbs.

 

If it's full of gasoline...I figure that could be at most 150 pounds or so?

 

What JACK STANDS should I get...?

 

Torin T43002A 3 Ton Double Locking Jack Stands (Sold in Pairs) ?

 

Saw an advert for them... good price.

 

I want to DIY and stop paying for unnecessary maintenance costs from people who have nothing better to do and rip me off.

All you need is 1 ton jack stands.

Sears quite often has a combo special on a 3.5 ton floor jack and a pair of 1.5 ton jack stands. Buy a second pair and don't worry about it ever again.

 

Oh, and it's Gross Vehicle Weight.

I just bought a 2.25 ton jack and stand set from sears for ~ $50

...You're not planning on resting your car on one jack stand, are you? In most cases, anything 1ton or higher will work just fine(I've personally never seen any jack stands rated under 2-ton, but that could be because I wasn't really paying attention...all of mine are 3-ton).

Not too much to know when your dealing with a light passenger vehicle, the most important thing is that you place them under a strong jacking point under your vehicle.

 

If you want to get into the specifics you really won't need a 3 ton (~6000lb) jack stand if your car is only around 3500 lbs. Because at most your jack stand will only support 1/2 the cars weight, and if done properly it should only support 1/4 of it. So the most weight you should consider when buying one is 1750lbs. So theoretically 1ton (~2000lb) stands is all you would ever need. That being said, I've also never seen them under 2ton and it never hurts to have that extra safety factor in there.

 

As for that double locking mechanism on those torins, it could be worth it if you have kids that like to play mechanic with you under the vehicle. Otherwise it looks like a royal PITA to me.

Not too much to know when your dealing with a light passenger vehicle, the most important thing is that you place them under a strong jacking point under your vehicle.

 

If you want to get into the specifics you really won't need a 3 ton (~6000lb) jack stand if your car is only around 3500 lbs. Because at most your jack stand will only support 1/2 the cars weight, and if done properly it should only support 1/4 of it. So the most weight you should consider when buying one is 1750lbs. So theoretically 1ton (~2000lb) stands is all you would ever need. That being said, I've also never seen them under 2ton and it never hurts to have that extra safety factor in there.

 

As for that double locking mechanism on those torins, it could be worth it if you have kids that like to play mechanic with you under the vehicle. Otherwise it looks like a royal PITA to me.

Jack stands load ratings are for a PAIR. A single 2 ton jack stand is only rated to support 2000lbs, 4000lbs for the pair.

the GVW (Ground Vehicle Weight) of my 2011 SUBARU LEGACY is 3270 lbs.

 

If it's full of gasoline...I figure that could be at most 150 pounds or so?

 

What JACK STANDS should I get...?

 

Torin T43002A 3 Ton Double Locking Jack Stands (Sold in Pairs) ?

Ground weight/curb weight includes a full tank of fuel and all fluids. It's similar to wet weight for a motorcycle. Not to be confused with gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the curb weight plus rated payload.

 

Those jack stands look fine. They are the racheting kind with a release lever. Just don't get the cheap ones that use a retaining pin to hold the jackstand up. Those are dangerous, IMO.

I have 4 ton jack stands. I figure if I'm trusting my life to some welded metal, it better be rated well over what the car weighs.

Make sure to ALWAYS use the locking pin. If you accidentally give the lever a sharp kick, its possible to release the lever even when fully loaded. There's a post on these forums about the fatal consequences of that happening.

Harbor Fright has some good stands too.

one tip i can give is to make sure they're shorter than your fully extended jack (they were a gift ).

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-ton-floor-jack-stands-and/p-00950188000P?prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4&PDP_REDIRECT=false&s_tnt=39869:4:0

www.sears.com/craftsman-3-ton-floor-jack-stands-and/p-00950188000P?prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4&PDP_REDIRECT=false&s_tnt=39869:4:0

 

I have the Craftsman 3-ton floor jack and "high lift" stands. Not sure if those are what are in that kit. A few things:

 

1) The stands are really tall. At the lowest setting, you still have to lift the car quite a bit. This is annoying for oil changes etc. that don't require a lot of clearance. Trade-off is at full height you can really get the car up there. It's been useful a few times.

2) The jack is really tall. I can lift the car at the frame rail and get a stand under the pinch rail. My car is at stock height. If you're lowered, maybe consider a low profile jack.

3) The jack sinks at a slow, noticeable rate. I noticed this when doing my clutch, and using the jack to support the trans over night (with the car on 4 jack stands).

 

I would buy the set if you can get a good deal on it. But I would also buy another set of shorter jackstands. I have some AC Delco 2-ton stands from O'Reilly that are much shorter than my Craftsman stands. It's nice to have 4 anyway.

I picked up some ramps a few weeks back for an oil change. Love em far better than jack and stands. Though you still need the jack for some applications.