So my floor jack raises to 18.75" which is not high enough to fit the jack stands under the support slots. Would it be safe to place a wood block on the floor jack to give it that extra couple inches?

Or should I get a new floor jack? I bought the 3 ton Harbor Freight one, but the Maasdam 3-ton from Home Depot lifts up to 21".

What say you Auto Ags?

I've done it plenty of times (knock on wood) without any problems but your mileage may vary.

How short are you from putting the jack stands in?

You could always use a piece of plywood or 2 to set your jack on.

Wood is fine, especially 4x4 (the wood, not the vehicle). Just be very, very careful about the angles and how the weight is loaded.

Yeah, what KY said, it can shift as the car lifts, and slip. Try to get it well centered on the cup of the jack.

Blue parachute for KY

Seriously though, make sure the block is oriented so that the height does not exceed the smallest base dimension. Also have the wood grain run transverse to the load.

Well, I'll just warn you that once I was using a block of 4x4 on top of my floor jack lifing my truck, and the block suddenly split in two and dropped the truck back to the ground. Fortunately, I was just starting the process of putting it on stands, so no harm done.

I'd done it a dozen times with that block, and it finally gave out. Must have had a split in it or something.

Or you could get a 4x4 and place it underneath the jack. The wood is much more stable on the ground. It all depends if a 4x4 fits between the wheels on the base of your jack, but if it does I figure that would be the best way to do it, that way the force from your jack goes right through the frame, square onto the wood. You could also put a concrete patio tile or something under the jack, important thing is that either all 4 wheels are on the platform (tile) or that whatever you are using is parallel to the frame (like the 4x4).

Best of luck and hope you dont die.

It's definitely do-able. Had to use a number of wood blocks to lift my buddy's 300ZX high enough to drop the transmission.

Take your time, and pay very close attention to the blocks during the lift. Assuming they don't have any splits they can support the weight, but if they start sliding it can get dangerous very quickly.

Is this a one time thing or something you'll be working on frequently?

I'll be using it for changing brake pads this time around, but was going to start using it for oil changes also. I do have ramps for oil changes so not necessary for frequent usage.

What you do think about the Home Depot one that lifts up to 21"? And would it just be safer and more stable to put wood or tile underneath the actual floor jack instead of on top of the saddle?

And thanks for the words of encouragement Randy03...gulp!

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And would it just be safer and more stable to put wood or tile underneath the actual floor jack instead of on top of the saddle?

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If you decide to put the jack on top of the wood, make sure you've got a large enough piece of wood for the jack to move a few inches forward or back, since floor jacks move as part of their operation.

If you put a block on the saddle, take your time centering the block and pay close attention to the lifting point. Once the jack is loaded, the wood should not move. Doing it this way, stability isn't a problem unless you're having to use a wood block on top of another wood block...

If you're going to be jacking your car up frequently, I'd suggest getting a jack with a higher lift height capacity. Wood blocks and boards are handy in a pinch, but I'd rather have the appropriate tool for the job.

[This message has been edited by madd_ag_05 (edited 3/5/2012 8:54a).]

Did they teach you that in Germany?

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Floor jacks are designed to roll as part of their operation.

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This is why I'm not a big fan of putting wood under the jack, it only adds to the complexity and risk. There's always a potential you could shoot that wood out from under the jack because of rolling and THEN you're in a world of hurt.

If you can't get it with a 4x4 on top, get a new jack or some ramps. They're not that expensive, and much cheaper than a trip to the ER.

Well, for doing wheel/tire work i can't use Ramps..but you guys were very helpful. Thanks.
I think I'm going to check out the Home Depot Floor jack before trying the wood block on the saddle.

Do it all the time. Prefer using 2X6 or 2X8 over 4X4 on the saddle. Stack them if necessary, screw them together. Alternate grain direction to reduce likelihood of a split. Never had any issues.

Jack it up, and lower onto a jack stand? Which you should be doing anyway.

Reading is hard?

Maybe...

2x4 wood block worked like a charm, I centered carefully and slowly jacked it up (on my HF 3 ton) until the wood "locked" into place b/t the saddle and rear lift point on my '04 Acura TL. Made sure I placed the jack stands in ASAP.