Car on axle stands - does this look safe to work under, any suggestions?

[mickthemaverick]

I use axle stands as my way of supporting things which I am in the process of removing rather than supporting the car. I have 4 car ramps and I drive onto one pair then jack the rear if needed onto the other reverse facing pair. Thus all four wheels are supported and chocked by the ramp stops. I do have a long reach trolley jack which has sufficient elevation to get the rear wheels onto the ramps. Of course if the car is not running then I have to jack each corner onto the ramps.

When doing work which requires wheels off I just support 3 wheels on ramps and the one I'm working on on one of my 5 tonne Sheffield steel stands which have served me well for donkeys!! Only when needing to disconnect both sides do I use both axle stands freeing up the pair of wheels but I think that is a rare situation

Having said all that, if I am working at home my downward sloping drive towards the garage is actually a great help. I often drive onto the ramps at the bottom of the drive and the rear wheels are up on the slope giving me ample room underneath and the advantage that the ramp height sets the car almost level which is handy for draining oil etc.

MTM Original

[MattBLancs]

Never considered a mixture of ramp and stand "across an axle" as it were, have only ever done a front/back mix. Have had two wheels on one side both on a ramp for something (when the stands on the sill jacking points, would have been in the way) had them opposite way to how you've described - both slopes "backwards" to how you'd actually use them as a drive on ramp, but against the two end stops as you say.

[Rp0thejester]

There's something about hollow metal I don't trust, I'd rather solid wood supporting a 2 tonne load on the jacking points on all sides, not Jenga style wood but railway sleeper wood. Grown by nature, the welder of an axle stand/ramp might of had a bad day.... before anyone mentions computer controlled welding, it's still human controlled

[Stickyfinger]

I bought some CE marked ones (Lidl).....I got four, one of each pack had incomplete welds around the top cap of the post and when used (after I welded them) one of the legs distorted, it turned out the metal was really quite soft (I used grips to bend it back into shape !)
For brake work etc, OK, on my back under the car = nope. I see no hardship in sourcing far more stable/secure methods to keep the car up if I wish to go deep under it.