Harbor Freight Jack Stand Recall

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The best (safest) stands are ones that have a pin that goes through them. Those cast lugs have been known to break off. Even if you have ones that are not on the recall list, be careful when dropping the car down on them. Let it down gently. I have seen them slip and heard many stories of those lugs breaking off.
I have a pile of 6x6 and 4x4 lumber blocks, its pretty much all I use most of the time. If I do use jack stands I will still throw a couple blocks under in case the stands fail.
I have those with the horseshoe pins and they must be 30 years old. Plus I always have a hydraulic jack somewhere under there as a back up.
 
I split my current set out of wild cherry with a small sledge and wedges. Incredibly dense and heavy, I’ve used the chop block as an anvil for working metal and not done any real damage to it...
 
I have 4 of the 3 ton units. Bought early 2000. I need to verify that number. Mine have deep engaging dogs as they are not that easy to unlock. And they are from HF. Interesting read for sure....

JW


2012-2020 for the 3 ton jacks

2013-2019 for the 6 ton jacks

Pretty sure mine are all older than that, and I’ve never had even the slightest issue with the ones I’ve got. I will check the numbers just to be sure of course.

And while any kind of jack stand failure is bad news, the recall specifically states a “shift in weight” can cause the release. This should go without saying, but if you’re using them properly there shouldn’t ever be a shift in weight.
 
10 vs 12 inches wide makes no real difference. Everyone has their comfort limits. No worries.
it's not the width per say, mine are about the same. it's the narrower board on the bottom that i don't like. i've been in enough earthquakes to know how easy it is for something to jump to the side a couple inches, and in a case like that, slide off the boards. you're in WI and don't have that concern :)
 
Regardless, what jack stands you use. You should always practice using a backup. When I lift my car off the ground using stands. I lift it high enough to use a back up under the wheels. Like those steel car ramps / cinder blocks with wood across the top of blocks / a floor jack. Or backup jack stands if you have enough. You never know with all of the cheap steel being used today. It seems most jack stands use cast steel for the post. Which is more prone to crack or break.
 
Wooden cribbing has it's issues also
190167_1280x720.jpg

There is nothing man can build that Mother Nature can't tear down.
Mother Nature and Gravity are best buds :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the post. I have two of the affected stands.
 
it's not the width per say, mine are about the same. it's the narrower board on the bottom that i don't like. i've been in enough earthquakes to know how easy it is for something to jump to the side a couple inches, and in a case like that, slide off the boards. you're in WI and don't have that concern :)
If I still lived in Northern CA like I did 91-02, I would be digging a pit to park the car over in order to work under it. Car doesn't have anywhere to fall. But then I would risk being buried alive by a cave in during an earthquake. Just can't win. Nothing is 100% safe.
 
I have an old set of jack stands that someone on YouTube identified as being dangerous as the locking pawl is not positively locked on the hand lever. https://youtu.be/T3W8SEDsuCI
After seeing this I rushed out to the garage to check mine and found that my same model jack stands have a drive pin that locks the hand lever to the pawl therefore were not at risk for this failure.
 
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My stands are from Walmart. I have no clue, but I’d be willing to bet they have the same integrity. They look exactly like the red Pittsburgh one pictured on the left.
 
My Dart is on these stands right now. Verified have 2 good and 2 bad, someone linked video showing different part #s and what is wrong with them. I ran outside to check but remembered have them at the lowest point so I'm good for now.
 
Have anyone seen this type of jack stands before, antiquated for sure. No latching paws or pins, filled with steel shot, when pulled up the shot fills the bottom tube. When done, turn the jack upside down, and the shot falls back into the upper tube through a small hole, collapsing the jack stand. Got to be made in the good ole USA…..

IMG_3919.JPG
 
If I still lived in Northern CA like I did 91-02, I would be digging a pit to park the car over in order to work under it. Car doesn't have anywhere to fall. But then I would risk being buried alive by a cave in during an earthquake. Just can't win. Nothing is 100% safe.

When the Loma Prieta quake hit in 1989 my '67 Dart hardtop was in the garage next to the GTS convertible. The '67 was on four stands (old style tube with pins). We lived in Milpitas which is about 50 miles or less from the epicenter. The car did not move.
 
I dont plate bottomed stands. If you look at old ones... they aren't flat anymore.

But all I wanna know...is who's gonna grind deeper teeth on their recall stands instead of returning them. Lmao
 
I dont plate bottomed stands. If you look at old ones... they aren't flat anymore.

But all I wanna know...is who's gonna grind deeper teeth on their recall stands instead of returning them. Lmao
oh wait, you can do that?.....

:rofl:
 
A lot of these new jack stands, have a U- shaped cradle at the top that aren’t wide enough when a frame or a rear axle rests on them. These stands are made of cast steel too. It puts a lot of stress on that U shaped section because it’s not wide enough. I always worry about that. So, I use backups.
 
Have anyone seen this type of jack stands before, antiquated for sure. No latching paws or pins, filled with steel shot, when pulled up the shot fills the bottom tube. When done, turn the jack upside down, and the shot falls back into the upper tube through a small hole, collapsing the jack stand. Got to be made in the good ole USA…..

View attachment 1715531915
I'm thinking I might need to go into business....
 
Have anyone seen this type of jack stands before, antiquated for sure. No latching paws or pins, filled with steel shot, when pulled up the shot fills the bottom tube. When done, turn the jack upside down, and the shot falls back into the upper tube through a small hole, collapsing the jack stand. Got to be made in the good ole USA…..

View attachment 1715531915
That is certainly clever.
 
^^ ouch!^^

Mine are the same design but are 15 years old. Put the stands up with a weight on it and see if you can push the lever down to release it. If its built right the lever will actually raise up the ram a little to release. The bad ones just shear across the pawl with no vertical change and release without a huge load on the lever. Im gonna look into mine and maybe make a pin or something. Dad said always put a rim under the car when you work under it.
 
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