Who uses an alternative to Rennstand jack stands for rotating tires and other work on their Tesla?

[dpilot83]

Does anyone do anything different than Rennstand?

I wonder about just buying four hydraulic jacks and then making a mechanical block for the hydraulic jacks so that it can't fall down even if there is a hydraulic failure. Something like one of these:

JACK LOCK

Turn your Pro Eagle Jack into a JACK STAND with this user friendly tool. Extends into place with the push of a lever, locking your Jack at the height you need until it is removed. Holds even if hydraulic pressure is released accidentally, and when you are done, it's small enough to store in a...

www.proeagle.com

Jack Rod

Turn your floor jack into a jack stand with the Jack Rod. Tired of the hassle and potential hazards of traditional jack stands? Say hello to the AGM Jack Rod, your ultimate solution for transforming your floor jack into a secure, reliable jack stand. No more worries about jack failures or...

agm-products.com

That would be even more expensive than Rennstands though. $1,000 worth of floor jacks and $400 worth of locks for the floor jacks.

Jut seems pretty crazy to spend $900 on a full set of Rennstands to be able to safely do some basic work on your car.

 

[Waltjo]

If you just need to rotate tires from time to time you might want a less elegant and less expensive solution. See

"Powerbuilt 2 Ton UniJack Combination Hydraulic Bottle Jack / Jackstand in 1 Unit, Compact, Portable, Wide Base, for Unibody Sedans, CUVs, SUVs, Cars, - 620470" currently $66 at Amazon.​

 

[stopcrazypp]

If you just need to rotate tires from time to time you might want a less elegant and less expensive solution. See

"Powerbuilt 2 Ton UniJack Combination Hydraulic Bottle Jack / Jackstand in 1 Unit, Compact, Portable, Wide Base, for Unibody Sedans, CUVs, SUVs, Cars, - 620470" currently $66 at Amazon.​

That looks way too high to fit under a Tesla, which is a common problem with bottle jacks. Even getting a regular floor jack you have to look for a low profile one to be safe, especially if you intend to use pucks.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Does anyone do anything different than Rennstand?

I wonder about just buying four hydraulic jacks and then making a mechanical block for the hydraulic jacks so that it can't fall down even if there is a hydraulic failure. Something like one of these:

JACK LOCK

Turn your Pro Eagle Jack into a JACK STAND with this user friendly tool. Extends into place with the push of a lever, locking your Jack at the height you need until it is removed. Holds even if hydraulic pressure is released accidentally, and when you are done, it's small enough to store in a...

www.proeagle.com

Jack Rod

Turn your floor jack into a jack stand with the Jack Rod. Tired of the hassle and potential hazards of traditional jack stands? Say hello to the AGM Jack Rod, your ultimate solution for transforming your floor jack into a secure, reliable jack stand. No more worries about jack failures or...

agm-products.com

That would be even more expensive than Rennstands though. $1,000 worth of floor jacks and $400 worth of locks for the floor jacks.

Jut seems pretty crazy to spend $900 on a full set of Rennstands to be able to safely do some basic work on your car.

If you are doing to spend $1400 anyways, have you considered something like a quickjack?

https://www.costco.com/quickjack-5000tl-portable-car-lift-bundle.product.100833721.html

 

[RISC601]

Does anyone do anything different than Rennstand?

I wonder about just buying four hydraulic jacks and then making a mechanical block for the hydraulic jacks so that it can't fall down even if there is a hydraulic failure. Something like one of these:

JACK LOCK

Turn your Pro Eagle Jack into a JACK STAND with this user friendly tool. Extends into place with the push of a lever, locking your Jack at the height you need until it is removed. Holds even if hydraulic pressure is released accidentally, and when you are done, it's small enough to store in a...

www.proeagle.com

Jack Rod

Turn your floor jack into a jack stand with the Jack Rod. Tired of the hassle and potential hazards of traditional jack stands? Say hello to the AGM Jack Rod, your ultimate solution for transforming your floor jack into a secure, reliable jack stand. No more worries about jack failures or...

agm-products.com

That would be even more expensive than Rennstands though. $1,000 worth of floor jacks and $400 worth of locks for the floor jacks.

Jut seems pretty crazy to spend $900 on a full set of Rennstands to be able to safely do some basic work on your car.

I bought a low-profile floor jack and jack stands from Harbor Freight. Didn't see the need to spend the money for a higher-end product since it's just for me to rotate tires in the driveway. If you have one in your area, drive by and check them out.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I bought a low-profile floor jack and jack stands from Harbor Freight. Didn't see the need to spend the money for a higher-end product since it's just for me to rotate tires in the driveway. If you have one in your area, drive by and check them out.

What's you procedure for getting the car on the Harbor Freight stands? I think the OP is trying to get all four wheels off the ground, and was not considering regular jack stands due to that (as the floor jack gets in the way).

 

[Goobers]

Does anyone do anything different than Rennstand?

I wonder about just buying four hydraulic jacks and then making a mechanical block for the hydraulic jacks so that it can't fall down even if there is a hydraulic failure. Something like one of these:

JACK LOCK

Turn your Pro Eagle Jack into a JACK STAND with this user friendly tool. Extends into place with the push of a lever, locking your Jack at the height you need until it is removed. Holds even if hydraulic pressure is released accidentally, and when you are done, it's small enough to store in a...

www.proeagle.com

Jack Rod

Turn your floor jack into a jack stand with the Jack Rod. Tired of the hassle and potential hazards of traditional jack stands? Say hello to the AGM Jack Rod, your ultimate solution for transforming your floor jack into a secure, reliable jack stand. No more worries about jack failures or...

agm-products.com

That would be even more expensive than Rennstands though. $1,000 worth of floor jacks and $400 worth of locks for the floor jacks.

Jut seems pretty crazy to spend $900 on a full set of Rennstands to be able to safely do some basic work on your car.

How about a “half and half” option? Two normal stands and two Rennstands (or something similar).

Because the car lifts up a whole side, use a Rennstand with jack to lift the car higher than normal, put a stand at the other end of the same side, then lower the jack enough so it’s roughly level on that side and lock the Rennstand there. Repeat on the other side.

I haven’t done a normal rotation yet because I bought another full set of wheels and tires (thinking I could get a softer ride with better protection from curb rash… not as effective as hoped), so I just deal with one wheel at a time.

I also have the Modern Spare tire kit, so if I were to do a normal rotation (and not just swap wheels), then I could just use the spare as a temporary while moving the wheel one at a time (or similarly with one wheel from the other set). More time and effort, but doesn’t require more tools. I need the spare anyway since I can’t afford downtime if I get a flat doing deliveries.

Not sure about what kind of basic work you can do on a Tesla that requires lifting all four wheels up. The only other work that might come close is brake work, but I think that can be handled one wheel at a time if needed.

 

[RISC601]

What's you procedure for getting the car on the Harbor Freight stands? I think the OP is trying to get all four wheels off the ground, and was not considering regular jack stands due to that (as the floor jack gets in the way).

Understood, I didn’t read it that way. I’m just lifting one side at a time. If I were lifting the entire car, not something I’d want to attempt at home. Not unless I had my own hydraulic/electric lift.

 

[fholbert]

One Jack and some 2” x 4” wood blocks gets all four wheels off the ground. Where is that thread?

DIY Tire Rotation Ideas

Did mine today. Just got a 3 ton low profile at Harbor freight on Friday with a coupon they emailed me. I did the rear with the big jack, and then there was clearance to get my "regular" 2 ton much smaller jack (you can carry it in one hand) that wasn't low profile enough on its own (I don't...

teslamotorsclub.com

I tried this idea, it worked!

 

[stopcrazypp]

Understood, I didn’t read it that way. I’m just lifting one side at a time. If I were lifting the entire car, not something I’d want to attempt at home. Not unless I had my own hydraulic/electric lift.

Well, he said he was getting 4 floor jacks and then blocks for those jacks, which is only necessary if trying to lift all 4 wheels off the grounds. If just lifting one side, there is no need for that many floor jacks.

 

[RISC601]

Well, he said he was getting 4 floor jacks and then blocks for those jacks, which is only necessary if trying to lift all 4 wheels off the grounds. If just lifting one side, there is no need for that many floor jacks.

You made your point.

 

[dpilot83]

One Jack and some 2” x 4” wood blocks gets all four wheels off the ground. Where is that thread?

View attachment 1017291

DIY Tire Rotation Ideas

Did mine today. Just got a 3 ton low profile at Harbor freight on Friday with a coupon they emailed me. I did the rear with the big jack, and then there was clearance to get my "regular" 2 ton much smaller jack (you can carry it in one hand) that wasn't low profile enough on its own (I don't...

teslamotorsclub.com

I tried this idea, it worked!

I’m all for that idea. That is an awesome thread. Thanks!

 

[N1L CO2]

Invest in a QuickJack system. I purchased my setup 3 years ago at HomeDepot with their 18 month 0% financing. I've used it on both of my cars a dozen times each for various fluid maintenance, brake job and suspension work. Saved me expensive trips to the dealership. Paid for itself already in my opinion.

 

[tangible1]

Does anyone do anything different than Rennstand?

I wonder about just buying four hydraulic jacks and then making a mechanical block for the hydraulic jacks so that it can't fall down even if there is a hydraulic failure. Something like one of these:

JACK LOCK

Turn your Pro Eagle Jack into a JACK STAND with this user friendly tool. Extends into place with the push of a lever, locking your Jack at the height you need until it is removed. Holds even if hydraulic pressure is released accidentally, and when you are done, it's small enough to store in a...

www.proeagle.com

Jack Rod

Turn your floor jack into a jack stand with the Jack Rod. Tired of the hassle and potential hazards of traditional jack stands? Say hello to the AGM Jack Rod, your ultimate solution for transforming your floor jack into a secure, reliable jack stand. No more worries about jack failures or...

agm-products.com

That would be even more expensive than Rennstands though. $1,000 worth of floor jacks and $400 worth of locks for the floor jacks.

Jut seems pretty crazy to spend $900 on a full set of Rennstands to be able to safely do some basic work on your car.

all you need is a 3 ton floor jack max. see Harbor Freight Tools.
remember, you're not lifting the whole 4450lb vehicle, just one corner.
that gets two wheels in the air and it's all you need to change / rotate wheels.

an inexpensive option, to add to the floor jack, is just standard jack stands.

I have the rennstands and they're overkill, but nice to have. Not necessary.

 

[gtae07]

I also have the Modern Spare tire kit, so if I were to do a normal rotation (and not just swap wheels), then I could just use the spare as a temporary while moving the wheel one at a time (or similarly with one wheel from the other set).

That's how I've always done it. One extra jack cycle but that's easy with a floor jack, and it gives you an excuse to check the pressure in the spare at the same time.

 

[ATPMSD]

If the reason you are doing this is just to rotate tires, why not take the car to Discount Tire instead? They will rotate them for free in about an hour. Safer and far cheaper!

 

[gtae07]

If the reason you are doing this is just to rotate tires, why not take the car to Discount Tire instead? They will rotate them for free in about an hour. Safer and far cheaper!

Because I already have the tools

Because I can get it done in less time, once you factor in the drive (takes me about 40 minutes start to finish for a tire rotation)

Because it gives me a chance to look things over while the wheel is off

Because I prefer to maintain my own stuff whenever I reasonably can


Same reason I've always done my own oil changes, plumbing, electrical, etc.

 

[fholbert]

all you need is a 3 ton floor jack max. see Harbor Freight Tools.
remember, you're not lifting the whole 4450lb vehicle, just one corner.
that gets two wheels in the air and it's all you need to change / rotate wheels.

I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer…

A three ton floor jack is rated at 6,000 lbs. why does it matter that you’re only lifting one corner of 4450lb car?

 

[dpilot83]

If the reason you are doing this is just to rotate tires, why not take the car to Discount Tire instead? They will rotate them for free in about an hour. Safer and far cheaper!

The nearest discount tire to where I live is 192 miles.

I live in a rural area. We do have a good high volume tire shop 30 minutes from my location but they don’t do free tire rotations.

I only know of one other Tesla within 100 miles of me. There are likely others but even if there are and even if they all use the same tire shop I use, I live in an area that is pretty EV adverse although there are a handful of Ford Lightnings.

I have a good relationship with the service manager at the tire shop so I could probably get it done without damaging the vehicle at that location but I don’t know how happy they’d be about it. It would slow their workflow down where he’d have to train each employee that is working on it how to avoid damaging the battery every time I come in.

I do $5K to $30K of business there annually (a set of 8 4WD 480-80R50 tractor tires would be between $24K and $30K depending on what you get and a set of drivers for a semi tractor is close to $4K) and there aren’t a lot of other choices in the area so I’d rather not send him stuff that will make the relationship less amicable. He’ll do it. He’ll just view it as a hassle.

Anyway, my preference is to do as much of it as I can without hassling him anymore often than I have to.

 

[dpilot83]

I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer…

A three ton floor jack is rated at 6,000 lbs. why does it matter that you’re only lifting one corner of 4450lb car?

I don’t know if you have ever used a floor jack or any jack to lift something that is near the max capacity of what the jack will do but it gets a bit sketchy. Like the jack will do it but it’ll be straining to do it to the point where you feel uncomfortable with the situation.

In my experience it’s better to lift about half of what the jack is rated for.

Lifting one corner of the Tesla comes pretty close to, if not actually does lift both wheels on that side so you’re lifting maybe close to 2,225# when you lift one corner. A 2.5 ton jack would be the minimum I’d like to have in that situation. Yes, you can do it with a 2 ton or even a 1.5 ton jack but the closer you get to the limits of what the jack can do, the less pleasant the experience is.

In addition to that, one doesn’t commonly see a long frame low profile 2.5 ton or smaller jack. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one. The long frame allows for a taller max lift height.

In the past I have not had a vehicle that needed such low clearance to change tires so I had a 5 ton Norco (made in USA and rebuildable) floor jack that could go from a low of 5 and 5/8” to a high of 22”. That height and weight capacity has been pretty handy for me on several projects in the past such as lifting the entire rear axle off the ground for my 2012 Gleaner S67 combine.

Now that I finally have need for a lower profile jack I will look forward to having a jack that not only goes lower but still goes high due to the long frame. I ended up ordering the Daytona low profile long frame 3 ton jack for $240 from Harbor freight last night. Should go from 3.33” for the low to a high of 24.25”.