I know this is not tech but I just wanted to say to be careful when you work under a jacked up car.

A guy I talk to sometimes that lives in my apt. complex was working on his (96?) impala and had jackstands and a floor jack under the axle but the car was on sloped pavement.

long story short the jack failed and the jackstands rolled foreward and let the axle down to the ground. only thing that saved this kids life was the floorjack got turned sideways and wedged under the trunk floor keeping a bolt on the body from going through his temple!

four firetrucks three fire rescues an ambulance, two cops and 2 hours later he was ok -- just some cuts and big bruises.

I know there are alot of you out there just like me who dont have access to a lift and who still want to do suspension work and stuff under the car. just remember this kid had jackstands and everything and yet I still woke up this morning to him screaming for help.

BE CAREFUL!

 

88,

Thanks for the info. This is why I always preach the use of jack stands.

For those of you who own jacks stands (which had BETTER be anyone who gets under a vehicle without it being on a post hoist) should have read the instructions. All the instruction sheets I have state that the stands are to be used only on a firm, level surface, and that the user should "jounce" or try to move the car while on the stands to make sure it is secure. I like to give the car a few good hip checks to make sure it won't settle or teeter.

This means that stands should NEVER be used on uneven ground, unpaved surfaces, nor even on asphalt. They should be used only on sound, level concrete floors or in conjunction with load-distributing plates on asphalt.

Aside from that, from your description of "the jack failing", it sounds like he wasn't using enough jack stands to eliminate the need for the jack - a major error. Always use four stands if you're raising both ends of the vehicle. No load should ever be left on the jack when a person is under the vehicle unless it is to raise or lower a component, like a control arm, transmission, etc.

He's very fortunate to be alive. I'm guessing he violated one of these rules, and I'll bet a week's pay he'll never do that again.

 

Hey, just wanted to ask, is it ok to work underneath a car if you're using ramps, like Rhino ramps? I live in an apartment building garage, and the floor there is not exactly even, so what I do when I change oil is drive the car unto ramps and block off the rear wheels. Is this alright? Thanks.

 

When on ramps or jacking up one end, use wheel chocks.

Ever since my dad's 1960 Chevy Apache 20 fell on him (jackstand sunk into the dirt, no concrete where he lives), I use jackstands and when I take the wheels off... I put them underneath the car or axle. It'd rather bend a wheel or blow a tire than get crushed by my baby.

 

holly sh** thats scary considering i have the rear of my car in the air. i always use jack stands. nothing should happen to mine because it is on a level surface. i also have blocks of wood in front and behind the front tires. thanks for the info.

PS. i'm finally putting in the new posi on monday .

 

My brother attempted to change the tranny in one of his older car, don't remember exactly but it was a big 70s type car. Is set it up on cinderblocks, while under it, the blocks broke somewhat pinning him under the car. No one was home, when my stepfather got home, he was like what hell are you doing.

 

I don't have any really firm surface in my yard where I work, so I got sheets of 3/4 inch plywood. It givesa decent surface for a jack and stands. It also keeps some of the dirt and mud off of me.

 

My brother almost died while under his camaro that was only supported by a jack... Jacked it up on the asphault driveway in 100 degree heat. THe parking brake was **** too. I pulled him out just in time before the car came crashing down.

 

I"M with vader one hundred percent You need to set the car on the jackstands, don't use them for a safety catch so to speak. and also give your car several bumps to make sure they are on there good.

 

Wow! must be a full moon.... here's a good one:

YESTERDAY- I was trying to re-work my exhaust system, and this required access to the whole underside. In front, I just drove up some metal ramps until the wheels were seated on the ribbed flats on top. Then, in the rear, I jacked up the whole back end at the center of the differential and set jack stands up at the frame on either side. Then, after realizing I needed to go even higher to wedge my muffler and piping into place, I again jacked up the diff. This time, apparently from the change in angle, the front tires rolled backwards down the platform- all the way down to the concrete with the jack rolling backwards with the car! I guess it was better that the jack wheels were paralell with the car, but I couldn't tell what was happening... the whole thing was pretty scary, but luckily, I wasn't underneath. The car stopped once it ran down the ramps, but because of the extreme angle, smashed the front nose piece and fender into the ramps cracking the cowling up. Luckily the cowling is messed up anyway, and I will be replacing it next. Anyway, the moral of this story is you can never be too safe. BTW- the car was in PARK the whole time and the wheels still ended up about 2" back from the ramps. go figure.
-Kevin

 

Several year ago, I was working on my 78 Caprice. Needed to have the front end up so I could get underneath, so, drove it up on my ramps. (these were heavy duty, solid steel, built to the hilt, ramps.) Imagine my surprise when, while I was working at a stuck bolt, the ramps collapsed!!! I spent three hours trapped under a 4000 lb. car, until my wife came looking for me. Luckily, the car did not do any real damage. I had some major bruises on my chest from where the car boucned when it came down, but, did not break anything, and it was simply VERY difficult to breathe for a while. I could not even call out for help.

The ramps instantly became scrap metal, and I will NEVER use ramps again, I don't care who makes them. Shortly thereafter, I spent the money on some really good jackstands, and revamped my floor jack.

I still don't know what caused the ramps to fail. The car was well under the weight rating for them...... Guess I was just having a bad day.......

 

The only ramps I trust are an old pair of craftsman ramps that I've had for about 18-20 years, these things are very heavy duty made out of 3/32" or 1/8" material with a bolted strap connecting the bottoms together and you can remove the ramps once the car is up on them!!! But you should still chock the wheels good and if you pick up the back end and put jackstands under it make sure it's level when the car is resting on the jackstands and make sure the jackstands are heavy duty too, I don't trust those cheep made in China casted and welded jackstands they sell at Walmart and autoparts stores.

 

It's preaching to the choir, but always use jackstands and use them properly.

Another thing to watch for is when you're lifting the car with the opposite end already on stands. Make damn sure that the as you lift, the jack moves forward underneath the car.

Years ago, I dropped the back end of a '68 LeMans off the jack stands while lifting the front of the car. No harm was done, but the car crushed one of the stands. The wheels of the jack got stuck in the wasted concrete I was working over and pulled the car forward off the stands. I practically soiled myself.

Be careful!

 

Another thing I like to do is leave the jack under the car as a back up. Put the load of the car on the stands but leave the jack pressed firmly against the frame.

 

I picked up a set of those stands made from recycled tires. I don't have any worries when working under the car BUT, I still use two jackstands just to rest my mind. If you're worrying about the car pancaking you (new term), then the job isn't gonna be done right.

 

Mark noted that the ciderblocks collapsed and pinned his brother.

Concrete blocks, bricks, whatever should never be used under a car. The problem is that concrete is a brittle substance and is designed to carry lateral, evenly distributed loads. When you rest a car axle, frame, or whatever on the block you are creating a point load... the block is not structurally sound in this situation and WILL fail.

I'm an architect who worked in a structural engineering office so I know what I'm talking about here... DON'T USE CONCRETE!!!

 

and besides when using cinder blocks don't they usually fill them with cement for more strength?

 

there are ways to make the block stronger but I won't get into them as I would be inviting disaster to those less inclined to engineering and/or care...

simply filling them with concrete is not going to work

 

out on the farm we have many peices of metal laying around and well.. welders (mig, arc, etc..) so, me being the lazy and sometimes cheep fellow, made my own... my dad uses them too.. (ramps).. 1 foot high, 4/12 slope.. 1' tublar framming with cross braces and some L shaped bracing.. it's got stops 6 inches overtop the 12 inches of hight and 1-1/2 inches forward... tested to 15 tons.. (grain truck).. i feel safe but i put a big 12 x 24" block underneith the rear pumpkin or in the middle of the front of the car.. just to be safer..
but i've never put in blocks in behind the rear (or front) wheels...
always on a level surface tho.. .. think i'll start to put in blocks behind the wheels....

 

Holy Cow! I've been getting under my cars for oil changes and to check brake pads, and so on, just using a jack, usually. But I also put a spare wheel rim sideways and flat under the car just in case the unthinkable does happen.
I also drive up on ramps sometimes. I was always a little bit paranoid about those ramps, which I got at K-Mart. It's not giving me a warm and fuzzy feeling hearing about these ramps collapsing on some of you guys...
One more thing to be aware of... I watched in amazement once when my firend had his car jacked up (improperly) and the jack shot straight up about 20 feet in the air when someting slipped. Anyone standing near that jack could have been toast.

 

My story doesn't have a happy ending. My cousin, who lives on his own, was changing his oil, and I believe he was doing it in the street. Anyways, he was just using a floor jack. He was going to quickly change his oil and head over to a friends place. After some time his friend called to see what the deal was, but never got an answer. He went over to his place and found him dead under the car.

So please, always use floor jacks!

 

I guy I went to highschool with was killed when his car fell on him a couple months ago, he was using cinder blocks to hold it up. He was only 18. Saving time by just jacking up a car is not worth your life.

 

Doing repairs in the field is always a little hairy.
We were using a Hi-Lift jack to do get at the wheel we'd just torn off of a CJ7, when the whole mess shifted and spit out the jack. Fortunately, no one was under the jeep, but I got hit square in the chest by the jack, which threw me back about 8-10 feet. I got a couple really ugly brusies and some scrapes, but nothing else.
When we actually started working on the jeep, we set the extra wheel under the axle so we could get a more stable support.

For those who don't know, a Hi-Lift is like one of those old fashioned bumper jacks, but it's about 6 feet tall and made of cast iron.

 

I worked with a guy in Pittsburgh who was a Millwright,(head mechanic). He was working on his Z/28 with just a jack, when his wife came down to call him for dinner the car had rolled and crushed him, so be really careful, use jack stands , prking brake, and wheel chocks , and maybe try to have someone around whenever your tinkerin'

 

An old friend of mine worked for a construction company and had a bulldozer set up on a set of automobile jackstands(obviously overstressed) well the jack stands went and he was crushed to death by it. Never overload a set of jacks!!!!

 

I have had something similar happen with my Escort. Jacking up the front end, the damn thing shifted !!!SIDEWAYS!!!! as I was jacking it up... TWICE!! I ended up having to back the car up and reposition it back onto the concrete driveway.

 

<b> spearson :

So please, always use floor jacks!</b>

Didnt you just say he was killed using a floor jack?

 

I hate getting under my car. When I have to work underneath, I put it off as long as possible. The first thing I was taught in High School Auto Mech. class was safety. Always bounce the car when using stands, never rely solely on a jack, never use blocks, etc. I will never use any kind of ramps again either. Last time I used ramps they shot straight out from under the car, and the car slammed straight down. The car didn't roll any, they just flew out like bullits. I'm glad I was not under it.

 

Left turn, you're scaring me! I don't think my recycled rubber ramps will fly out like the flimsy steel ones I've seen out there.
I always shove a few jackstands under there just in case. I would hate to be a mechanic cause I don't even trust those damn lifts at the garages. Can you imagine being a mechanic and getting killed by say, a Caravan or Mustang?

 

When using 4 jackstands on your f-body, NEVER remove the front ones first.
I did this a couple years ago, as soon as I put the front wheels down the car rolled foward off the rear jackstands, luckly noone got hurt, but it did cost me a brand new tire, a stand went through one of my brand new Eagle gsc's.

Ever since then I get claustrophobic when working under the car.

 

Wow, I'm glad to see I'm not the only who's scared $***less when working under a car. 3500 lbs. of pure American GTA is not something you want on your chest... literally. I've only worked under the car once, and that was using Rhino Ramps. After reading this board, I will ALWAYS shove at least 2 jackstands on there from now on.