Jackstands vs. Ramps

[burly]

I recently purchased a trolley jack and a set a of jack stands. However, the factory lifting point on my 2003 Malibu won't accept the trolley jack's "cup". It bends if you try to jack from that point, it really only seems to want to keep its shape when its used with the scissor jack that has a 'V' instead of a cup. Furthermore, I don't really see any place to place the jackstands on the vehicle safely. Some friends of mine suggest that I use ramps, and that they are safer anyways. So...

What are the benefits of jack stands and ramps? Which one is safer? What are your experiences with either ?

[MagicRat]

Overall, jackstands are better. They are more stable, since the car is less likely to roll away, and you can actually remove the wheels.

There are many safe locations to jack the car up and use jackstands. Your car has a subframe in the front. Usually, I will jack the front of the car up in the crossmember part of the frame, just in front of the oil pan. The jackstands can either support the front lower control arms, or be placed just behind the front wheels, right where the front subframe has large bolts that hold it to the car body.
At the rear, the stands are best on the lower control arms.
Alternatively, you could pick up a service manual for the car. They often will show a diagram with the safe jacking points for a car.

[quaddriver]

kep a set of both. sometimes you just need height (oil change), other times you need to spin wheels (brake job.)

for your car, you can jack either side on the subframe, even cheapie walmart jacks will get enuf height. the rear of that car is a bit more tricky, but you can get it from the side under the unit frame

[burly]

Yeah, I have a set of 4500lbs craftsman jackstands, don't remember the max lift height, and a 4500lbs craftsman trolley jack. The Hayes manual just tells me to refer to my manual, which refers me to those notch points in the unit body about 18" behind the front wheels, which are exactly what bent when using the trolley jack. I am using two pair of wheel chalks for the opposite wheels.

I think I'm going to go to the dealership or my mechanic and see if they/he can recommend a safe lifting and jacking point. I want to be 100% sure before I crawl under a 3100lbs vehicle that has less ground clearance than the diameter of my head.