I saw these going on eBay, and since flat-top jack stands seem like the way to go with a W126 300SD, I thought I'd ask your opinion if these are any good:



They are heavy duty steel 2-Ton jack stands and have adjustable height from 12 3/4 to 16 1/2 inches.

From searching this forum, I found a thread where (Brian?) suggested inserting heavy-duty metal rods into the car's factory jacking holes and then using the standard axle stands right next to the car body to support those protruding rods.

Which solution is more stable/safe? The type of a jack in the picture above, or a standard axle stand with the rod? My concern about the rod method is that if the car is supported like this for a while, the jacking hole might creep and deform slowly because stress would be applied over small contact area. On the other hand, flat-top jacks are expensive and seem to be very hard to find, which to me speaks in the favor or the rod method...

I'm sorry to revisit this debate, but it doesn't seem clear to me how to best support this car without damaging the body and maintaining safety, even from reading a bunch of threads on this. In the Saab, it was simple - I always put the axle stands under the circular-shaped lower control arm mounts, and it was rock-solid. In the 300SD, I didn't find a place like that to fit well to the axle stands.

Those stands would be fine. However, I'd put a 2" x 4" across the top of them to distribute the load somewhat better. There is not all that much surface on the top.

I recently found a set of aluminum jackstands on ebay with tops that were almost flat. I had the machinist turn them so they were perfectly flat. Then I'll put a 1/2" piece of hard rubber on the top for some "soft" support of the body.

Yea, I don't like those grooves on top either. If I get them, I'd probably end up flattening these to distribute the load, as you're saying.

I saw true flat top jack stands at some online place, and they even come with a rubber pad on top, well made - but at $99 each??

Actually, is there any reason why these can't be used as jackstands on a W126 with a 2x4:



They are "ALUMINUM STABILIZER JACKS" for RVs, and each is rated at 6,000 lbs! The description says [Levels and stabilizes trailer when parked. Rust-resistant zinc-plated screw lets you adjust jack easily from 11" to 17"]. The best part is, the set of 4 only costs like $40 - probably just because they are made for RV market rather than for the automotive market.

Looks to me like a nice solution... any objections?

I'd be doubtful that such jacks are rated at 6,000 lb. Normally stabilizing a trailer requires far less than this number........something on the order of 1,000 lb. or so. The construction of those jacks would appear to support my conclusion. The price is probably reflecting the relatively weak construction.

Personally, I would not trust my life to them.........but........that's just me.

I have 4 of those in my garage from an old departed RV. Those will steady a 6000lb trailer, but you do not "lift and hold" with those. They merely control the shaking. (which is a moot point after so many years of marriage anyway..... )

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

hahahaha... good one

alright, point taken about the RV jacks. i was having doubts about them anyhow.

Another question... from experience, are single-post jack stands like these here



less stable than the 3- or 4-legged jack stands like the first picture i posted in this thread? i was considering buying these aluminum stands at one point, but it was questionable to me whether the one hexagonal footprint of such a jack compromises stability.

I've just purchased those exact stands and had the machinist turn the top so that it is flat. I'm going to put a 1/2" thick piece of rubber on the top and they will be perfect for supporting the body of the W126.

the single footprint geometry of these stands doesn't raise any concern with you, Brian?

are you planning to use these with a piece of wood or metal to distribute the load?

It's the size of the footprint that counts. My existing steel stands have a significantly narrower footprint in one direction and a non-existant footprint in the other direction. Sometimes I get the feeling that I could push the vehicle over in the "non-existant" direction if I gave it a decent shove from way up high.

These stands are much more stable than the conventional steel stands.

As mentioned, I'm putting a piece of hard rubber on top and will try them without wood. We'll see how they do.

Tripod type jack stands can be bad news. It's important to pay attention to their orientation so that they are less likely to tilt. If used in pairs and not oriented in a mirror image fashion, it is indeed easy to push them over in one direction. Having recently been in the market for a new pair of stands, I did not see the tripod type stands for sale anywhere. Maybe there is a reason for that!!!

Another thing that I noticed was that the maximum weight ratings for jack stands always seem to be for the pair when used together. With that in mind, a two-ton rating is not all that impressive.

I wound up buying the same stands as pictured in post #7. They are a lot more stable than they look. Used on a hard surface, they are quite solid.

Thank you. I'll be here all week.....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

While on the subject of safety and stands. Is everyone aware some of the drive on ramps do collapse.
Seen it twice and nobody was hurt. If you are going to use the cheaper ramps either reinforce them with welded on metal or insert some blocks in them before getting under the car. I am almost paranoid when supporting a car even with jackstands. My fear is I might apply too much leverage without thinking. Probably not logical I know but it is the way it is. Only takes a few seconds to insert a couple of things at strategic points so there is absolutly no possibility of the car getting you. An assortment of good wooden blocking suffices for me. I want to be close to my mercedes cars but not so close they develop a crush on me..

Yes, that can be a "once in a lifetime" experience.

This might seem like a weird question, but

1) where can I get rubber to use with the jack stands?
2) where can I get some scrap wooden blocks?

Sorry, I don't own a house and don't have a garage, so I don't have any scrap whatsoever laying around... I went to a home improvement store, and they said they don't sell rubber sheeting (of course that was Lowe's, not Home Depot)...