Homemade jack stands

[Buickspec6231]

I am in the process of fabricating a new Mustang II front crossmember to mount in my 1962 Buick Special Station Wagon with the intentions of installing an Turbo/intercooled 3.8l V6 out of the 1986-87 Grand Nationals or T-types. Having to set the vehicle at ride height for the new front crossmember I needed and easy way to make small adjustments. Regular jack stands were too tall and they don't allow you to make small adjustments. So I came up with small stands in the attached photos. Cost nearly nothing to build them, and because they are a screw type adjustment you can really dial in the height you want.

And before anyone barks about safety, there are also regular jack stands underneath the vehicle if something were to go wrong with my quickly fabricated stands. I should also add, that the vehicle currently has no engine, transmission, rear axle assembly, interior, or fuel tank. So it is much lighter than a complete car.

[BornBuick]

I like the idea and what you've done. It will not tip over if there is a side movement as standard perch jacks are prone to. I would suggest welding a U shaped saddle so it will grasp the frame rail otherwise looks good!

[DinoBob]

My father welded up a set of fairly standard-looking jackstands with screw posts 30 years ago. I have used them countless times and they held my '60 LeSabre off the ground for five months through a very windy and icy winter.

[bob k. mando]

nothing wrong with screw jacks as long as:
1. your welds are good
2. you've picked a heavy enough all thread.


all thread tends to be milder grades of steel so you need larger sizes in order to hold a given weight than you might think. also remember, the weight is NOT being held on the 1/2" diameter of the bolt ... it's only being held by the dimension of the thread depth.

have you considered a large grade 8 bolt? that would have excellent strength.



a good upgrade to normal jack stands that my father does, take a piece of flat stock slightly wider than the feet of the jack and weld the stand onto it.

this helps prevent the jack feet from buckling if they happen to get side or over loaded and it also makes them useable on turf or firm dirt.

[Buickspec6231]

Hey Bob, thanks for the other ideas. So far they have been holding up. When I purchased the threaded rod I went to a hardware supplier. They had some hardened threaded rod, not just the regular cheap rod. Although I don't know exactly what grade it is. Obviously this rod isn't nearly as strong as a grade 8 bolt would be, but as I said its been working so far. These homemade stands were only built to set my body shell at ride height so I can fabricate the new front crossmember in. One time use most likely. I would never use my stands on a car with a complete powertrain installed. I do have a fail safe plan also and there are regular jackstands under the car. I do like the idea of increasing to surface area of the jackstand base. I should do this for my father so he doesn't have to lug around pieces of plywood when he goes to work out in the gravel driveway.