TILTABLE SUPPORT STAND FOR VEHICLES

A low cost, tiltable vehicle support stand (20) is provided which is inherently stable in use and is designed to develop a righting moment during vehicle setup operations so that a vehicle can be quickly and easily elevated to facilitate work thereon. The preferred support stand (20) includes a relatively wide base (22) having an elongate, transversely extending beam (38) secured thereto; a pair of padded vehicle-engaging members (48) are shiftably mounted on the beam (38) and are spaced apart a distance greater than the effective width of the base (22). In this manner the center of gravity of a supported vehicle lies in a plane which passes between the lateral side margins (34, 36) of the base (22), even in the event that the stand (20) or vehicle-engaging members (48) are located asymmetrically relative to the underside of the vehicle. This stand configuration also ensures that the vehicle and stand (20) will right themselves during initial setup, which generally involves sideways elevation and tilting of the vehicle, placing a pair of the support stands beneath the vehicle in a similarly tilted orientation, and lowering the vehicle to effect reverse tilting of the vehicle and stands (20) until the same are righted and the vehicle is elevated.