May 19, 20202 min read

((PSA)) JACK STAND RECALL - URGENT

As reported by Road & Track, certain 3-ton and 6-ton Pittsburgh jack stands sold by Harbor Freight are being recalled because "aging" factory equipment used to manufacture them is cause for possible disengagement of the cam pawls under shifting load.

"The recall document says that the problem could affect more than 450,000 6-ton jack stands produced between 2013 and 2019 and nearly 1.3 million 3-ton jack stands produced between 2012 and 2020. These jack stands were sold under the Pittsburg brand name, and can be identified by item numbers 56371 or 61196 on 3-ton models, and 61197 on 6-ton models."

I use four of these same 6-ton jack stands to set Matches up nice and high since it helps me to have the extra room for more leverage. (I'm six feet tall, too, so added bonus.) To do so, I'll first lift him up onto my smaller 3-ton stands (different brand), then use wood blocks to jack him up even higher for the large stands.

After I finished rebuilding the engine and suspension end of 2018, Matches had already been sitting on the large stands for seven straight months. Getting him back onto the ground, I raised the rear end to remove the first two large stands, and once I positioned the smaller stands into place, I began to lower it back down when suddenly a large stand's support post on the front end abruptly collapsed down to the floor. Although it initially spooked me, I just brushed it off as a fluke - probably because I wasn't underneath the car at the time, but I'll consider myself fortunate that it hasn't happened in all my continued usage since, even up to two days prior to forwarding this today (May 19, 2020).

My point in sharing this incident is that I am 100% aware of the concern here! LOL. Even my first thought when initially reading about this was, so, THAT's why that happened... If you have any Pittsburgh jacks, whether purchased or borrowing, please check your SKU numbers on the labels ASAP. If the labels happen to be missing or have been removed, just take them into your local Harbor Freight store anyway to see what they can do. Prioritize the safety of your self and others, and please encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.♡