Bent Jack Stand Ratchet Bar

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Aug 30, 2004
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I have a pair of Craftsman jack stands (black stand with yellow ratchet bar). They are used very infrequently
- they have probably seen fewer than 50 uses. During inspection today I found one of the ratcheting bars to be visibly bent, see below. The ratcheting bar on the other stand is fine.

How does this happen? I have never exceeded the weight capacity.

1AAE9A18-5EEA-48F1-9B49-EA271DF29B27.jpeg
 
Can you post a photo of the fully assembled good stand? I'm having a hard time visualizing this and google showed nothing.

Are you the only one who uses these? If not, I'm guessing that's how it was damaged.
 
That results from sideways force, should the car roll or tip while it is up on the stand. The weight rating is based on the load force being straight down. Yes the integrity is seriously compromised, do not use again.
 
Guess in someone managed to set the stand up on un-level ground / surface / ground or otherwise got the load off center to the ground / surface ?

Have you used it on a very heavy vehicle ( truck ) . I would think it would take a lot to bend that metal ? Good news is , it bent , in stead of breaking .

I agree , get rid of it . In a way that no one will find it and try to use it .

I have a pair of jack stands made from " sheet steel " that I gave my late Dad . They are still fine .

Also have a pair of cast metal jack stands I purchased used , several years ago . They maybe HF ? Wonder if they are part of the recall ? Are the recalled HF units breaking or bending ?
 
The recalled HF units have a different failure mode, the holding pawl will unlatch and allow the car to drop.
 
How often do you inspect for this? I'm wondering if it's always been there.

Could it be from lowering the vehicle onto one jack, then raising the other side, causing shift in load?
 
Yikes! I'll have to have a look at mine, as they get side loaded probably more than they should. I'm surprised that would bend even if you ran the stand over laying on its side
 
I'm also putting up my vote for them being bent before you ever bought them.


I can't imagine the lateral force required to bend that wouldn't have broken the base about 10 times over. Or in the real world it would probably tip over before it could ever come close to bending.
 
Originally Posted by Barkleymut
Is it possible that they looked like this when you bought them, and you are just now noticing the curve?

Originally Posted by E365
I'm also putting up my vote for them being bent before you ever bought them.


I can't imagine the lateral force required to bend that wouldn't have broken the base about 10 times over. Or in the real world it would probably tip over before it could ever come close to bending.



If you never really raised them up, you may never have noticed. To bend that, you had serious lateral load, you would know how you did it. I vote bad when you bought them, and lowered you didn't see it.

But i would not use it.
 
Aren't those made of cast iron that will crack/break, but not bend? My vote: already bent when purchased new. For fun, put it in a press and see if you can bend it back.
 
Originally Posted by doitmyself
Aren't those made of cast iron that will crack/break, but not bend? My vote: already bent when purchased new. For fun, put it in a press and see if you can bend it back.


Yeah, I've been confused by that as well for many years now.

I see US Jack and Pro-Lift advertise their ratchet bars as "cast ductile iron". From what I understand, "cast ductile iron" is a subset of "cast iron". It was apparently first made around 1943. Since it's been around for such a long time, does that mean that all ratchet bars in jack stands are cast ductile iron? And those other manufacturers that list their ratchet bases as "cast iron" - is that just a failure of their marketing guys, just omitting the term "ductile"? I have no idea.

Anyway, I just checked out my 4 ton craftsman black and yellow stands. They're straight.
 
Originally Posted by supton
How often do you inspect for this? I'm wondering if it's always been there.

Could it be from lowering the vehicle onto one jack, then raising the other side, causing shift in load?


+1. I'm surprised they would lower or raise with a bend like that. I know they're not tight tolerance items, but still...
 
I have those exact jack stands. I also have a set of Torin Big Red aluminum pin type stands. With all the horror stories in the last couple of years with jack stand failures I decided that pin type is what I want to use now. Plus I want a stand that has a zero failure potential. So I decided that my life as well as my sons life was worth the cost to buy substantial jack stands. So I just bought two sets of 22 ton steel pin type jack stands https://sunextools.com/products/22-ton-jack-stands-pair/ Got them on Wednesday and no way a car will fall with these stands. Unless the car is on uneven surface or is pushed off of them (if that is even possible). I will no longer trust a ratcheting jack stand

Don
 
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