Car blocks

[Hotrod1]

I know this may seem elemental, but how do you build the 2x4 wheel blocks (in place of jack stands) to raise a car up to on and work under? dont want to try and re-invent them and want to rely on safety. How high can you make them? Nails, screws, how many, how long of material, etc. In fact, I dont even know what you call them.

Thanks in advance.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

proper term is cribbing blocks. They use these to lift houses from their foundations.

Heres a great write up to make a sturdy set.

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/multi/wood-block.htm
Tire size will determin width and length. I have found that 16" long and wide works well for tires up to 345 mm. I like to use 2" wood screws in case I want to lower or increase the height easily.

[Hotrod1]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[Ron in SoCal]

Agree w Vince. Some guys do 16" x 12" ...

http://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?45721-Dse-Stands&highlight=car+blocks

[MaxHarvard]

Agree w Vince. Some guys do 16" x 12" ...

http://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?45721-Dse-Stands&highlight=car+blocks


I did mine 18"x18" square.

[Flash68]

I did mine 18"x18" square.

Let's see a pic of your car on the 18x18 version. :popcorn2:

[alvin3a]

Built these this weekend 17"x12" screwed together cost me about $45 and took about a 1/2 hr for each one. Which seemed like a long time but it was a lot of screws

Alan

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/alvin3a/IMG_4698_zpsaewmqhcd.jpg

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/alvin3a/IMG_4702_zpspqgwwpmv.jpg

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/alvin3a/IMG_4700_zpspdjtnyib.jpg

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/alvin3a/IMG_4699_zpsf9ep51qi.jpg

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/alvin3a/IMG_4701_zpslhoceekt.jpg

[Panteracer]

I made up a set of these last year
They work great and give you a little
more stability in earthquake country

Nice job

Bob

[BMR Sales]

I made up a set of these last year
They work great and give you a little
more stability in earthquake country

Nice job

Bob

Always wondered how you guys get under a car with any confidence when the ground could shake at any time!

[NorCal72]

I went 16x12 i believe. I went just high enough where my big floor jack could get to the bottom of the housing. Stable as can be. No clue why the pics are upside down.....Buy a Mac they said.....

[MtotheIKEo]

I made mine 16" long x 14" wide. I also made them so each corner is actually 2 cribs stacked since my jack wouldn't lift my car high enough in one shot.

As far as strength goes, we used to stack 20k lb roof sections on 36" high cribs (one at each corner) built the same way.

[Zoomin]

Glad you asked the question as I need to build a set myself. I have a two post lift, but there's some things that require having the weight on the suspension.

[SSLance]

I made the tops of mine flat all the way across and I put shims under them so that they sit perfectly level on my unlevel garage floor. This gives me a flat platform to use when making suspension adjustments with the weight on the tires. Being flat on top lets me use turn tables to check and set caster while on the blocks.



https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AGAXkuE1cdw/UrXVOi-vrSI/AAAAAAAALSc/EacP0R8VWgQ/w1215-h685-no/IMG_20131221_115040_881.jpg

[Panteracer]

Lance I was under the Firebird many moons ago
with it sitting on jackstands when we had a 5.0 quake
I was out from under that car in no time

It does make you think about it
My new shop has t-bar ceilings with 2x4 drop-in
lights.. I don't think the lights have the extra wires
and there are no compression posts on the ceiling grid
that we normally do on new ceilings...(I am a contractor)
The building is metal and will flex but I am sure lights and ceiling may not
be good bouncing off the cars

Bob

[minendrews68]

I made mine 16"x16", 6" tall. I also made them where I could interlock them together and get additional heights at 6" each. Best money I've ever spent. Although, (and it takes a little work) find where someone is building a house and ask if you can go through their scrap 2x4's. I'm betting you could probably get enough free wood to build them.

[G-Body]

Best tool in my garage is these blocks never a worry to climb under car and u can have car at ride height wit out suspension hanging!
have had mine for 10 yrs.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee87/Fleetline48/Fleetline48021/side3_zpsdifxctkr.jpg

[will69camaro]

Yea I built mine 16" x 16" as well as you can cut clean 8ft 2x4's into this length and have no small scraps. I made mine 8 stacked high so they're right at the top of my jack which is nice. Feel 100% confident crawling under the car, which I never was on jack stands.

Wish I had built them sooner. Cost about $35-40 in materials.
http://i.imgur.com/LXcARv6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IvtDG70.jpg

[randy]

I did the same but made another set 5 stacks high. I use the short ones to get the car up under all 4 and then the 8 stack so that they are 12 stacks high. Easy to work on