Having a jack stand in your vehicle is essential if you like to travel. It could come in handy in emergency cases without needing professional help.
There are too many options to choose from when buying a jack stand. Even though aluminum or steel jack stands are useful and easier to travel with, in their own ways, certain aspects to it make one better than the other. However, they indeed have some certain differences, like their rust and corrosion resistance, weight standing ability, portability, cost efficiency, and more.
So, to know about their differences, read this entire article thoroughly and determine which of these jack stands serves your purpose and is suitable for you.
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Steel Vs Aluminum Jack Stands - All the Differences
The choice between aluminum and steel mostly depends on personal preference. They both work just as fine. Although, some significant differences between the two material makes them both very distinct in their ways, such as -
1. Rust And Corrosion Resistant
Since aluminum and steel are different forms of metal material used for tools, rusting and corroding over time is as certain as it is to be effective. Although rust and corrosion on jack stands may be inevitable over long-term use, getting better service out of it is mentioned below -
Aluminum Jack Stands:
Aluminum does not rust. It corrodes when in contact with salt water. Since a stand jack is a tool that comes in handy for your car, it is meant to be used in any weather, including heavy rainfall.
However, when it comes to aluminum jack stands vs steel, rainfall does not cause any damage or rusting to the aluminum jack. Aluminum materials are known for their property of not rusting over prolonged use.
Although, when used on a beach or any place with salty water or even cleaned using salt water too frequently, it can cause irreversible damage to the aluminum jack by corroding it severely.
Steel Jack Stands:
Steel is a favorite among users, especially for tools. Even though it requires a lot of attention to detail to maintain, since it is a combination of iron and carbon, the chances of it rusting are almost 100% certain.
Although it may be a slow process that develops over a few years of use, it will most certainly rust and must be thrown away. This is because repurposing the rusted steel jack stand will cost nearly twice the money it would cost to buy a new one.
This is when one must choose between steel vs aluminum jack; most automotive shops and experienced professionals prefer to use aluminum even though it needs to be maintained carefully.
2. More Weight Withstanding
As a jack stand, its sole purpose is to carry the car's weight on itself. Although, there is a staggering difference between steel jack stands and aluminum jack stands. Each of these is capable of withstanding a certain amount of weight, such as -
Aluminum Jack Stands:
Certain aluminum jack stands from a well-company is good enough for most vehicle. However, aluminum is a much lighter material and is prone to dents and disfiguring under a lot of weight. The weight capacity of most aluminum stand jacks is much lower than that of steel stands and requires being very careful with the amount of weight these jacks carry.
Steel Jack Stands:
Steel items are generally much heavier compared to aluminum. These can be difficult to move with yet capable of withstanding an impressive amount of weight based on the size of the jack you have. The larger size of steel jacks is known to be able to carry the weight of a large truck with ease and security. Since steel is naturally three times heavier than aluminum, it is safe to use for larger vehicles too.
3. Portability
Carrying a jack stand at all times is essential for someone who covers a long distance regularly or likes to travel. However, most steel jack stands have significant weight to them, which makes them difficult to carry and hard to transport.
Aluminum Jack Stands:
Aluminum is rather lightweight compared to other materials of the jack stand. It does not weigh down your car and makes traveling much easier. It is easier to carry by one person without needing any assistance. Being lightweight also makes it easier to store as it can be tucked away on higher shelves without the risk of breaking and falling.
Steel Jack Stands:
On the other hand, steel is a much denser material, making it heavier in weight and difficult to move. Even though these are more common, being heavy makes it difficult to carry in your vehicle. The weight makes it difficult to carry it from your vehicle and reposition it underneath the car. Positioning it underneath the car is also a whole other task that requires assistance too.
4. Cost Efficient
Stand jacks come in a wide range of prices and with different capacities of weights. This is why it varies so much in terms of price and material. Jack stands are known to be changing in terms of size, material, and weight capacity, which also directly affects their cost, such as -
Aluminum Jack Stands:
Strand jacks are not always cheap to find. However, aluminum stand jacks are much easier to find and are more affordable than steel and other versions. Aluminum is a commonly available material tool to find and is widely available. Due to its availability, most people choose to go for aluminum which is also why it is relatively cheaper to purchase based on its weight capacity.
Steel Jack Stands:
Steel is a more durable material that lasts longer under proper maintenance. Although steel has much lesser production than aluminum, when it comes down to steel jack stand vs aluminum, most people prefer steel over aluminum due to its heavy weight and strength. On the other hand, steel jack stands are much more expensive than aluminum. It is also difficult to find as steel stand jacks are not manufactured as widely as aluminum is.
Bottom Line
There are several types of jack stands to choose from depending on the size and weight of your vehicle. The most common types of jack stand that most people decide for themselves among aluminum vs steel jack stands to vary widely depending on their affordability, vehicle size, and preference.
Therefore, this article is for you if you are trying to get a jack stand but don't know which one to get. Go through with it without skipping to find out which stands suits your needs better.
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