EXPERIMENT: WARNING! Doing this to your Jack Stands will get you KILLED!

**PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE HARBOR FREIGHT JACK STAND RECALL - GOOGLE IT***

Can you release the handle of a jack stand with the weight of a car on it?

[jesuisravi]

always back up jack stands by leaving a hydraulic floor jack engaged under the car near where you are working. Jack stands plus floor jack makes Jack a safe boy.

[rsisente]

an additional note. I was always taught, if you remove a tire, especially if you are using a jack with no jack stand, place the tire you took off, under the vehicle. This gives you an extra layer of protection.

[lightningsmokerXx]

To anyone reading this : Get a Jack stand with the extra safety pin (that's on a little ring chain) the pin slips through as a backup. Also don't forget to bend the jack stand safety pin. Also putting a tire, block of wood or something in other areas might be a extra safety measure, Don't forget wheel Chalks to block off the wheels.

[oantech]

I always back it up with a floor jack slightly pumped to share the load. Chances of both failing at once is next to impossible, unless there is a hit-man out for you. Place in gear, park and parking brake and of course wheel chocks. Be safe guys...

[step]

I always use a jack stand with my floor jacks. If I have to get under the car, i use two or more. There is nothing wrong with over doing safety, when your own car can crush you.

[steveles]

Just put your tires under the car as an extra safety measure

[richardhenry]

After 40 years of working on everything from heavy equipment to cars. I’ve never had a jack fail that way. I’ve bent stands and had welds break. I’ve even had hydraulics leak, blow apart but never have I had a jack stand fall because I hit the lever.
The most dangerous thing that scares me is bumper jacks. My dad used to worry about killer wheels somebody he worked with got hurt by one of those. I’ve been around a shop since I could stand.

[icecreamladydriver]

My husband always puts blocks under the axles or somewhere. Seeing this just reinforces how grateful I am for his wisdom.

[rickborrettjr]

I think it's important to know that the pin is probably not a shear pin, but a steel roll pin. The steel roll pin is designed to hold components im alignment, not to act as a safety device. I have jack stands that are substantially similar and the pins are steel roll pins, not shear pins.

[danielww]

Always put the jack stand handle on the outside of the car. For one thing, you'll be working under the car & want to avoid the accidental impact. For another thing, it'll be easier to drop the arm from the outside once you lift the car off the stands to lower it with the floor jack.

[benb]

FYI... They just put out a recall for those HF jack stands you got! Stay safe!

[TeamFish]

The Daytona Stands from Harbor Freight have a locking pin for added safety. Great feature.

[Luci.]

thats why you always slide the/a tire under the car where you are working.

[Fireship]

This was just like a mythbusters style of experiment. You really covered the details. Good video!

[charlieromeo]

Good experiment. One set of jack stands I have are made by excello where the lever actually has to move upward in a curved slot to release. I’ve complained about them, but this video tells me that feature is a very nice one to have. The base of these stands is solid plate on all 4 sides. They’re quite heavy too, but I think they are well-built. I’ve had them for about 30 years.

[JohnnysWhips]

Awesome video. Harbor Freight recalled their jack stands and replaced them with new and improved ones. They then recalled the new and improved replacement jack stands. I received an email from them in regards to this. Just wanted to share.

[JackRR]

I'm a freak under cars so here a good way to be super safe. I usually work with either the car on 4 stands or only 2 (front/rear). After placing the stands, I keep my jack under and I will then use the wheels as another safety put them under the car.

[SchrodingersBox]

“Doing this to your jack stands will get you killed”: If by that you mean don’t apply a pry bar tto a jack stand handle and apply 1000lbs of pressure while lying under the car, then i would agree. Also don’t use a sledgehammer and swing directly at the jack stand while under the car either. Also don’t tie a chain to the jack stand and the other end of the chain to a moving vehicle. also....

[davefenton]

Someone may have suggested this already, but I reckon to test/measure the shear load of the handle pin, you should put it under the hydraulic jack like you had at first, then use another hydraulic jack under the handle, or a winch and cable over it, in combination with a force gauge to test at what load does the pin actually shear off.

[mylifestartsatk]

I have been using those type of jack stands for about 20 years. Never encountered an issue like that. I do find that it rare cases if you're not careful, the handle may not be in its full locking position, meaning that the ratchet type gear would rest the weight on the end of the tooth with the handle in a slightly raised position. In which the slightest movement of the car such as undoing a tight bolt will slide the tooth off causing the failure. That's my theory on what may have happened if it was a ratcheting type stand.