Yes, floor jacks are safe if you use floor jacks following the safety guide. It accelerates the process of altering tires, brakes, rotors, oil, or other transportation jobs, floor jack is a must-have tool. You can convert it into a dangerous tool from a safe tool by ignoring its regular maintenance, safety gears that you must wear, and the safety rules you must follow during operation.
So, whether a floor jack is safe or not depends on several conditions. If you are aware of those conditions and follow the rules properly then the floor jack is a safe tool for you, otherwise, you may get injured at any time.
Along with that, you should have one floor jacks from the best brands. Autoliftjack.org make honest reviews on the best floor jacks.
Here is a bunch of effective tips to turn your floor jack into a safe tool.
10 Tips to Ensure Floor Jack Safety
- Check for Fluid Leak
Fluid leaking indicates that the jack may lose pressure at any time resulting in a serious accident. If you notice that fluid is leaking from your jack then do not dare to use that jack until you fix the issue.
- Check for Structural Damage
Wear and tear are the two common structural damage of floor jack caused by repeated use for a long time. Wear and tear generally occur in the joints of the jack. So, I would suggest you check the joints regularly.
- Weight Bearing Capacity
The weight of your vehicle should not surpass the weight of your jacks. Most of the jacks are rated for 2-3 tons and it is enough to support many vehicles. But if you have a bigger, heavier vehicle, like large luxury sedans or SUVs you may need a stronger jack of 4 tons. something like a 4-ton jack.
- Use Wheel Chocks
Wheel chocks prevent the rolling of the car by pushing up against the tires located at the opposite end of the vehicle. You can do this job using bricks too but wheel chocks that are specially designed to prevent car rolling are better and safer than bricks.
- Place the Jack on a Flat, Stable Surface
Placing the jack on an undulating, sloped, or unstable surface is risky. To avoid any kind of risk place the jack on a flat, stable surface. The surface should not be so smooth that may cause slipping of the vehicle, there should be enough grip to ensure stability.
- Use a Pair of Jack Stand
Always use a pair of Jack stands is safer than using a single jack stand. When you use a pair of jack stands the load is shared appropriately preventing the failure of the jack.
- Purchase Good Quality Jack
When you are dealing with jack do not compromise with quality. Sometimes compromise with quality may lead to compromising with life. So, I would discourage you to buy cheap, and inferior jacks. I would encourage you to buy jacks that are manufactured ensuring the highest safety and quality standards.
- Ensure that the Vehicle is Turned Off
The vehicle must be stationary and unable to move. During raising the vehicle it may roll in one direction or the other. To prevent rolling place the handbrake on while the vehicle is parked properly.
- Check Owner’s Manual
Do not forget to check the owner’s manual before starting the operation. Even if you are an expert in jack handling I would suggest you not ignore the owner’s manual.
- Don’t Work in Hastiness
Take enough time when releasing the pressure in the jack to lower your vehicle. Hastiness may lead to an accident. Lift the vehicle at the correct points and also, ensure that your whole body is out of the underneath of the vehicle.
You can run test stability before reaching under the vehicle. How to run test stability? After raising the car in the air give it a bit of push to ensure that the jack doesn’t slip.
Final Words
Handle the jacks with proper care and attention. If you notice any leaking from your jack then replace it with a new one. Besides using the jack with proper care and attention, its maintenance is also equally important to prevent failure.
Dropping or throwing the jack may generate cracks in the body. So, it is recommended not to drop or throw the jack harshly after use. And keep your jack lubricated. Good maintenance increases the longevity of the jack and decreases the possibility of failure.
