Martin Monsjou Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Hi there,I would like to know if the car is safe on it's stands and jack. There is some work to do on the rear brakes. The right wheelcylinder is leaking so I will put some new ones on it (left and right).the jack is supporting the center drive shaft.Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 I would only use the jack stands. You could mess with the pinion angle if you try to support the drive shaft and you don't keep it perfectly lined up. Make sure your jack stands are rated for the weight of the Riviera (yours look rather small.) If you want to use the jack as well as the jack stands, put it under the third member. That way all three items are supporting the weight of the car as it would be if the car was on the tires. Make sure that you chock the front wheels, both fore and aft. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Monsjou Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Hi,Thanks Ed,The decal on the stands says 3000 kg, I agree they look rather small. If needed I will change the position off the jack.Is it better to fully clean the outside off the drums (sandblasting???) There is some rust on it. I have lightly brusht the vins for better cooling or am I just doing useless cosmetical cleaning because no one will ever see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 ......am I just doing useless cosmetical cleaning because no one will ever see it?Yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Those jack stands do not look safe to me.....spend the money to buy some heavy duty jack stands......I always use jack stands that are rated way way higher than what I'm working on......you just can't take a chance on a failure. also, I always put a floor jack under the car somewhere and raise it up till it is just touching the bottom of the car so that if a jack stand fails, I have a backup....kind of like a belt........and suspenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Monsjou Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Thanks for your reply.So the next question will be what is a good stand? Should I go for 5000 kg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Your Riviera weighs upwards of 4,000 lbs. (U.S.) convert 6,000 lbs. to kilograms and you should be safe.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) I have two pairs of Hein Werner jackstands rated a 3 Ton. That's 6,000 pounds. THey are around $75 a pair in the US. Mine are colored orange, newer ones are blue. I always support the end of the car where I am working with the jack as well; like a belt and suspenders.When we were spending time under the car the four wheel and tire assemblies were also under the rear bumper. Squashed bodies make such a mess.Bernie Edited November 3, 2014 by 60FlatTop (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Monsjou Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 The decal on my stands says 3000 kg ---> 6.600 pounds. I do not want to work unsafe and agree they look light for the job but still they should do the job according the decal. Am I making a mistake with the conversion from kg to pounds ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You are doing the conversion correctly.I used that type of jack stands for many years, but I have switched to the heavy duty cast iron type because those sheet metal ones just don't look or feel as stable and sturdy.I also bent the upper plate on my stands when I had them under one of my larger vehicles; that got me very concerned!I have found that the stated load ratings are not always consistent. Many retailers and manufacturers show the rating for the stands when used as a pair, while some indicate the rating per individual stand.Even if rated as a pair, your stands are rated for significantly more than your vehicle's weight so they should be fine.HOWEVER: I HIGHLY recommend the procedures listed by 60FlatTop; they provide an extra margin of safety that could save your life in the event of a catastrophic failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Monsjou Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 Thanks again.I will take care for extra support and just to be sure I orderd a pair of stands good for 6000 kg...74.91 dollar. Could be much much worse.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petelempert Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 All the advice about heavy duty stands is absolutely right. Get the biggest/heavy duty/widest foot/cast jack stand that will fit beneath the car. Also, I always take the tire/rims I removed, lay them flat and put them at the corners under the car too. I figure if the damn thing falls, at least the rim and tire will keep it off me at least a little. Could mean the difference between getting cracked ribs and being flattened like a license plate. I guess that makes me a "two belts and suspenders guy". PRL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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