[Updated] Taller version of Safe Jack "RennStand" or discount code?

Hi All,
I've just got a bad feeling about my 6ton HF jack stands (NOT on the recall list, but just don't feel good about them anymore...)

These look awesome and I think I can swallow the price, but max height of 16.5" is a little too short for my Tacoma. (I still might get a pair for working on my wife's car regardless)

Web site says "Heavier"versions are in the works, I would equate heavier to = taller but don't really want to wait.

Does anyone know of something similar that goes to say 24"

Does anyone know of a discount code for Safe Jack?

The RennStand by Safe Jack 18M-RS3 266 reviews $ 12000

 

I completely agree.

In fact I believe the common stamped style jack stands (such as the HF) are fundamentally a terrible design.

Here is my mechanical engineer perspective on them.

Yes, you absolutely can design and manufacture this stamped style of jack stand to safely hold the rated load. It has been done forever and we do not have vehicles killing people left and right. That said, the design is still fundamentally flawed. When that flat metal is stamped into shape and welded, that is how it gets strength. When a load is applied to the stand (and thus under compression), the welded seams are actually under tension. Should the welded seam fail, the stand is no longer a stand and will return to being flat metal. Your life is essentially dependent on those welds holding that seam from splitting apart.

In comparison, the pin style stand you have referenced above is a far superior design. The compressive load is transferred all the way through the vertical post and into the base plate. Those gussets are merely for support, their job is solely to keep the vertical post... vertical. The gussets are not load bearing. None of the welds are load bearing in fact. In the most simple of terms, you have two posts in a slip fit joint with a locking pin. With a properly spec'd pin, the shear force that would be required to cause this pin joint to fail would be astronomical.

To answer your question OP, these are the stands that I use. They are not 24" like you are wanting, but do extend to about 19.5".

Omega 32225B Black Heavy Duty Jack Stand - 22 Ton Capacity

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000GTMIQO/?coliid=IHN0D1QEMTXYN&colid=5CSHWJUIVORY&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

Great write up. How’d you settle on those particular stands?

 

I’ll admit that 22ton is ridiculously overkill for a Tacoma, but I wanted steel pin style stands that were at least 6 ton. Steel was important for me because it will usually elongate or “neck” before failure so you have a visual warning more so than other more brittle metals.

I really couldn’t find anything I liked that was under 22ton so I eventually settled on these monsters.

They do go on sale periodically, I got mine for $195.

 

They’re now in my cart

 

You’ll get a workout moving them around but well worth it in my opinion

 

Good discussion guys, thanks for the feedback. I'm pretty sure I want 20"+ with pin locks so I can sit the front end of the Tacoma on the frame with wheels off the ground. (I measured last night; floor to bottom of frame was almost 16")

@ksimms92 What are your thoughts on these?

$239 Sunex 1310 10-Ton Medium Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair, Red

Sunex 1310 10-Ton Medium Height Pin Type Jack Stands, PairSunex 1310 10-Ton Medium Height Pin Type Jack Stands, Pair

 

Looks like some reliance on welds as well, but better than Horror Fright

 

This one has a few notable improvements over the stamped style jack stands, but it still isn't as good as the one I linked above (in my opinion).

The use of tubing for legs and a thick top plate are an improvement to the stamped style, and the round bar that wraps around the legs mid way will certainly help rigidity.

Ultimately, the best possible design would be one that takes the applied load at the very top and transfers it straight down into the base plate. It's probably one of the simplest designs you could make and would fail very predictably.

Once you start having legs that are separated then you have load bearing welds. It's not that an ideal weld can't safely support a load, but rather how can you be sure you have an ideal weld? There are so many factors that affect the strength of a weld that in my opinion I just don't want to rely on one to be load bearing.

All this said, you could buy these jack stands or even keep using the HF ones you have and you'll *probably* never have a vehicle crush you. But, if possible, I would encourage you to choose one like the omega I linked. Hopefully someone makes one like it that will have the height you are after.

 

I bought the 12 ton stands from Harbor Freight just for the extra height. They don't go quite as high as advertised if you bend the tab in like you are supposed to.

 

I searched HARD and could not find exactly what I wanted... Purchased the reccomended Omega 22T pin style stands... A few weeks of modifications later and I am happy...

- Built 4" 12x12 bases: glued sandwich of 16ga sheet metal and plywood (with rubber anti-skid bonded to the bottom)
- Ground the saddles so the frame rails sits in them nicely + scallops for the axle to sit in when needed
- The posts had ~4mm of slop in them. So I cut some strips of 22ga metal to fit and JB welded them to the sides cutting the play in half
- The whole assembly is held together with 3/8" (removable) grade-8 bolts
- Painted to match w/bedliner on the sides and on the saddles

End result; I can hit my desired height of 21" on the 3rd pin, wider base is a more stable to compensate for the extra height, zero chance the actual stands will slide or topple off the bases and feels rock solid. I will be much more comfortable crawling under a 4k+ vehicle now. Thanks to all for the input



@ksimms92 What do you think?

 

I like it, good work

The only thing that comes to mind is to monitor the bases and replace them if they get too banged up. Especially if the wood gets wet from spilled oil or other fluids, that could cause the wood to deteriorate quicker.

I’m not sure how much compressive force would be needed to cause the wood to fail but I’m guessing it’s WAY more than the weight of a Tacoma.