The safe-lift checklist

Flat, hard ground first. Hydraulics forgive almost everything except a slope: pick concrete over asphalt on a hot day, and never a dirt driveway. Wheels that stay down get chocked on both sides — the car should have no opinion about moving before the saddle touches steel.

Find the true jack point. Pinch welds, subframe pads and axle tubes are load paths; floor pans, sills and suspension arms are dents waiting to happen. A rubber jack pad or pinch weld adapter on the saddle spreads the load and saves the seam sealer.

Pump to height, then transfer the load. Stands go under rated points at matching height, saddles kissed up to the metal, and the jack eases down until the stands own the weight. The jack stays in place as a backup — lazy-looking, professionally correct.

Shake before you slide. A firm push at the fender should move nothing. Then work with the release valve closed, lower in one smooth feather when done, and stack the chocks, pads and handle back on the wall hooks — the next lift starts faster when the kit never scattered.