Ramps Vs. Jack Stands: Which Is Better For Working Under Your Car?

HY-DP/Shutterstock

There comes a clip successful each amateur gearhead's life erstwhile they're underneath a car wondering if they group nan jack precisely correct — that's erstwhile it's clip to put successful immoderate ramps aliases jack stands. But which should you get? You should person a group of jack stands if you're going to do much nether your car than cheque nan oil. That's because location are jobs you can't do erstwhile your conveyance is up connected ramps, which don't let you region nan wheels. That's important for tasks for illustration tyre rotations. And dissimilar ramps, jack stands person adjustable heights. They besides return up little room to store. Just beware of inexpensive jack stands, which are dangerous.

That's not to opportunity you shouldn't fuss pinch ramps. Ramps tin beryllium awesome additions to your car shed because they are simpler to usage than jacks stands and tin greatly trim down nan clip it takes to do definite tasks, for illustration nan aforementioned lipid changes. As acold arsenic we're concerned, devices that prevention america clip are often good worthy nan investment. If you conscionable request to return a speedy look nether your car, ramps are nan amended prime for conscionable that reason. However, if your fund only allows you to person 1 aliases nan other, we urge getting jack stands truthful that you're capable to support your car lifted for immoderate occupation you request to do. Later, you mightiness springiness immoderate thought to adding ramps to your repertoire.

Wahid Hasyim Asyari/Getty Images

Every DIYer should person a group of jack stands successful their garage. Their biggest advantage is astir apt their versatility. There are, successful fact, respective jobs that you tin do pinch jacks stands that you can't do pinch ramps, for illustration changing a tire, for instance. Jack stands besides return up a batch little room successful your car shed than ramps, and you don't request abstraction to thrust up to jack stands for illustration you do pinch ramps. Jack stands besides person adjustable heights, dissimilar astir ramps.

Jack stands person their downsides, of course. They can't beryllium utilized by themselves and must beryllium utilized successful conjunction pinch your jack. Also, mounting up pinch jack stands takes longer than utilizing ramps. Jack stands are stable, but only if they are precisely placed nether nan framework of your car (or nan points indicated successful your owner's manual if you person a unibody vehicle) and connected moreover pavement aliases very coagulated ground. Otherwise, they tin slip, which is nan past point you want erstwhile lying nether your car.

To usage jack stands, spot them connected solid, level ground, preferably pavement. Jack nan car up using nan correct jack points, somewhat higher than nan desired height. Position nan jack stands, and set them to nan due height, locking them successful place. Then little nan car connected nan stand. Don't region nan jack. Jack stands are to beryllium utilized successful pairs, 1 brace per axle.

Anetlanda/Getty Images

The awesome point astir ramps is that they are elemental to use. All you person to do is thrust your car's wheels up onto them erstwhile you want to raise your vehicle, past backmost down erstwhile you're done. It shaves disconnected a ton of clip from jobs for illustration lipid changes. Ramps tin beryllium safer arsenic well, since they supply a overmuch wider aboveground to support nan car. Also, you tin usage ramps by themselves, without getting retired nan jack.

There are a batch of jobs that can't beryllium done erstwhile nan car is connected ramps. If it involves taking disconnected a instrumentality aliases accessing nan full undercarriage, hide it. You besides request much abstraction to usage ramps than you would for level jacks. That includes abstraction to thrust up to and onto nan ramps, arsenic good arsenic abstraction for storage. Another disadvantage is that they are difficult to usage for low-riding cars, though they do make debased floor plan ramps, and immoderate usage 2x10 "run-up boards" to mixed results.

To usage your ramps, make judge your wheels are straight, and spot your ramps straight successful beforehand of nan tires. Then, slow thrust your tires up nan ramps. Some urge having a 2nd personification to guideline you up nan ramps. Once you're connected nan ramps, prosecute your emergency brake and spot a chock down nan wheels that are connected nan ground. When you're done pinch your project, cautiously backmost down nan ramps.

Sunyawitd/Getty Images

Like we said, location are immoderate jobs you conscionable can't do pinch ramps. For thing that requires accessing nan instrumentality aliases taking nan tires off, you're going to person to spell pinch jack stands instead. We emotion jack stands for tyre rotations, for example. The occupation goes beautiful quickly erstwhile each nan tyre lugs are loosened and nan car has been jacked up and placed connected nan stands.

Of course, brake jobs can't beryllium done connected ramps either. Removing your drivetrain is different occupation wherever you'll request to spell pinch jack stands. Are you moving connected your suspension or replacing instrumentality bearings? Pull retired nan jack stands.

Jack stands are a amended prime for exhaust activity wherever you request entree to nan full undercarriage. If you're conscionable checking nan exhaust, you tin usually get by pinch ramps. However, if you're doing much intricate activity connected nan exhaust, it's often conscionable easier to spell pinch jack stands. This is, successful part, because ramps aren't really designed to beryllium utilized for each 4 wheels astatine once. They are expected to beryllium utilized for 1 axle astatine a time. Some person put their cars connected 4 ramps astatine once, but we don't urge it. It's amended to put nan car up connected jack stands erstwhile you request to assistance some ends, but beryllium judge to usage 4 jack stands instead of making do pinch two.

Justhavealook/Getty Images

While we've talked astir nan limitations of ramps, they surely person their uses. What kinds of jobs are good suited for ramps? Pretty overmuch thing that doesn't require you to return a instrumentality disconnected aliases entree nan brakes aliases suspension. Ramps are beautiful useful erstwhile you're changing your oil. The full occupation goes much quickly since you don't person to jack up nan car, group it down connected nan jack stands, jack it up again to return nan jack stands out, and past jack nan conveyance down. Since your car is tipped up from nan front, nan lipid whitethorn really drain amended if nan plug is connected nan backmost of your lipid pan. Of course, this won't activity nan aforesaid if nan plug is connected nan beforehand side. Ramps tin besides beryllium utilized erstwhile changing transmission fluid. 

Sometimes, you conscionable request to get nether your car to inspect nan undercarriage, look astatine nan exhaust, aliases effort to find a leak. Ramps tin beryllium awesome for that arsenic well. Depending connected nan ramp height, you'll mostly person capable room to get acold capable nether your car to get a bully view. Basically, if nan occupation is elemental and you request it to beryllium speedy and easy, ramps are usually nan measurement to go. If you're looking for a group of ramps, cheque retired this comparative torture trial of car ramps.

Vasyl Dolmatov/Getty Images

We should talk astir weight ratings and checking that your jack stands aliases ramps tin grip nan weight of your vehicle. In astir cases, jack stands are rated arsenic a brace for axle load. For example, a brace of stands that are rated for 4 tons tin handle, arsenic a pair, an axle load of 4 tons. To fig whether jack stands tin grip nan axle load connected our vehicle, we for illustration to comparison their weight standing to nan GAWR (gross axle weight rating) of nan axle successful mobility (front and rear axles transportation different weights). The GAWR is nan maximum weight nan axle tin handle, not nan existent load connected nan axle, but utilizing nan GAWR gives you a separator of safety. 

In comparison, ramps are often rated for nan GVW (gross conveyance weight) of nan full car. In different words, if a brace of ramps is rated for vehicles pinch GVW ratings up to 4 tons, that intends they tin grip either axle of a car that has a GVW of 4 tons. Together, they tin really grip astir 2 tons, since they tin only assistance 1 axle astatine a time. Make judge to publication nan specs intimately to find whether nan ramps' weight standing is for GVW aliases immoderate different weight. 

Depending connected nan job, jack stands aliases ramps tin beryllium a bully choice. Just beryllium safe, and don't get crushed.