[SRR]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Concrete blocks are the absolute worst things ever to hold a car up. Most people place the block on it's side to get a flat surface to work from. The block isn't engineered to carry weight this way and it collapses without any warning.

Years ago I was scraping a chevy PU and we threw a concrete block under one of the brake drums as we removed the wheel to pump up the tire. It was temporary just for a few minutes and no one was going anywhere near the bottom of the truck. I was standing there talking to someone and that block just crumpled into pieces, it was less than 5 minutes, It made a believer out of me.

I asked a fellow worker one time that was under a car with no stands under it, if the car fell off the jack or it failed, was he strong enough to lift it off himself? He went and got 2 stands after I said that.

I had a teacher in Vo Tech that told a story about a guy that had a car on a bumper jack working on the brakes. He was seated on the ground with legs spread when the car fell down pinning his privates to the ground. No one was around and he had only a pocket knife and performed surgery himself in order to free himself from his situation.
I don't know if the story was true or not but it really got the attention of a bunch of teenage boys about the dangers of working with no stands under the car.....LOL

I caught my son working under his car with nothing but a floor jack once and after dragging him out by the feet, read him the riot act. He said he never saw me that mad before.

[fbody_mike]

Originally Posted by SRR

I caught my son working under his car with nothing but a floor jack once and after dragging him out by the feet, read him the riot act. He said he never saw me that mad before.

Good job!

[cdnroundport]

I always shake the car before going under that way no nasty suprises.

[NoMoCEO]

A local 17 year old that my wife knows died a couple of weekends ago the same way. Working on a Jetta, jack slipped, no one home...what a waste.

That being said, I have done a number of stupid versions of the same thing in the past. Verrry safe now. The minute the wheels come off, they go under the frame and heavy duty jack stands go in. Floor jack stays under the car, tight against the axle or frame.

[TAftw]

At my work we lift the front of the truck with an air jack, and each side is supported by two 12 ton jack stands. even when i'm under there on the creeper i always stay in area where I know I'll be safe if any of the jack stands were to fail.

[6869GTO]

I think we've all seen stories about accident's close to home/at work , but figure it won't happen to me.I've got some good stands but once while doing a fuel pump on a blazer ,the good stands were occupied so I grabbed the cheap Heavy sheet metal type and I no sooner set truck down and pulled the wheels when the stands folded.Hope they don't sell these any longer,,

[YVEYANT]

What a shame. A man nothing, 29 is a kid..

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Region Warrior

I use HD wide base stands and also have 12" thick x 16" long Oak logs to slide underneath the frame an/or place under axles just in case.
Been do'n this for 30 some years.

Couple years ago i had to adjust a B&M shift cable at the trans.
The front wheels where already on home made 2x8 wood ramps. 10" high x 36" long(base board) for something else?
Figured it would be safe enough shove a 4x4 behind the L/F wheel(2nd from top board).
Only be a few minutes....
Sometime during the porcedure, my elbow must of moved the block.
Well...ended up have'n to reroute the cable for a better alignment.
While pull'n the cable, it wedged against the x-member.
So i tugged, and pulled, and tugged...alittle to hard.
The car rolled back, the 4x slide out. Saw it come'n and tried to slow it down by holding the x-member-n-frame while make'n sure my head was clear of the exhuast, etc.
It was slow motion. But no time to slide free.
"Oh God, not like this".....
Ended up with the frame across my chest, and exhuast across my cheek-n-temple.
So there i am pinned try'n not to panic.
Cel phone's within reach. Do i call 911(expensive) or the wife(probly panic and call any way)?

Very hard to breath and get'n sore'r by the second. Stay calm and take short breath's.
Was able to push up against the floor enough to get my head clear.
Pulled with hands and pushed with feet towards the center/front of the car where there was just enough room to squirm out behind the L/F wheel and frame.
One small bleeding scratch on my cheek. Large bruise-n-abrasion across chest.
Took several weeks for the chest to heal.
And a big reminded about safety.

That's a pretty scary story. Kinda gives you that 'flashback' feeling. We've all probably had some of those close calls and only realized later that 'somebody up there' was looking out for us.

[ronj1977]

I was once changing the starter in my 77 trans am had the floor jack under neath car so i wasn't to worried. Well trying to get the starter out from in between the headers my arms got tired of holding it so i grabbed a small floor jack to rest the starter on so i wouldn't stretch the wires while i gave my arms a break. Then all of a sudden the car fell the only thing that saved me was the starter standing on end on the small floor jack. Never Again will i go under without stands.

[My442]

6 ton jack stands on concrete, with a stack of 6"x6" pieces as the back up.

My friend was killed by a floor jack failure, and he was a full time mechanic.

Never have too much safety and safety back ups.

[topless lemans]

After reading this im going to Home Depot to pick up some 6x6. I had the rear end up and taking down the gas tank and was a little gun shy being under it. Would you say putting it under the frame with the wheels relaxed or under the wheels. I want to replace some floor pans so the car has to be square. Any tricks on jacking the car up? Im assuming one end then the next.

[Tom Vaught]

If I am changing a trans, I use:

1) HD Jack Stands under the front lower crossmember plus a bare steel rim under each tire. The steel rims under the front tires keep the car from rolling front or rear.

2) I use a HD floor jack under the rear axle plus HD Jack Stands under the rear axle tubes.

3) I use worn tires mounted on steel rims laid on their side under the frame to have 3 levels of safety AND I still worry every time I am under the vehicle.

Tom Vaught

[1967Tempest]

My cousin, who might as well have been my brother, died this way.

Although the 6000lb, Ford F-250 1-ton diesel was on ramps and jackstands, the concrete driveway that he was working on gave way. He was crushed and died almost instantly.

That was 11 Years ago. He was 27 year old. NOT 1 day that goes by that I haven't thought about him. Every time I hear Cemetery Gates by Pantera.....We were gonna cruise America. Me in the Tempest. My cousin in his 68 Barracuda and our friend in his 67 Sport Satellite.

How many times has someone suggested any thing on here and say "cheap insurance".

If you are gonna have the car in the air for any amount of time please use jackstands.