WARNING: BE VIGILANT

[dreemz]

Over Memorial Day weekend a tragedy occurred in my neighborhood. A 23 year old individual was doing brake work on his car when it slipped off the jacks. I don't know exactly how it was secured otherwise. He sustained massive crush injuries to his head and face and died three days later. I know at times we can be somewhat lax when working underneath a car on jacks so please be vigilant.

[mockingbird812]

Very sad to hear Mark. Thanks for the reminder.

[MosportGreen66]

That sounds terrible, Mark...

Was the car on Jack stands or a floor jack?

[Bill Pritchard]

Sad indeed. Many, many years ago I learned my lesson about working under the car...I used to work underneath occasionally with just a floor jack supporting it. I was about to do some work and jacked the car up, went to grab some tools and heard a loud crash. Car was back on the ground...a weld broke on the jack. I never again worked under a car without sturdy jack stands or other suitable support.

[dreemz]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MosportGreen66</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That sounds terrible, Mark...

Was the car on Jack stands or a floor jack?</div></div>

I do not know exactly how the car was secured. I was just told it slipped off the jacks

[Mr. Chevy]

Thanks... Tragic story.. I know sometimes I get careless and too lazy to get the jackstands out... I put too much trust and faith in the hydraulic floor jack alone which is a very BAD HABIT....

Rich

[Woj]

I've had two cars come down off jacks in my 35 years of playing with this stuff. Fortunately I wasn't under either one and the cars did not sustain damage. I never get under a car now without jack-stands and a hydraulic jack.

Thanks for the reminder Mark. Unfortunately too often it takes a tragedy to remind us.

Phil Woj.

[jtower1969]

I always use the stands.. My dad was trapped under a car in the 60's. the hydrolic fluid leaked out of the jack. The car didn't fall, it put enough pressure on him that he couldn't get out. He yelled for help until a neighbor rescued him. He drilled a few things in my head, use stands, and clean and put the f#%~ing tools back in the right spot. Lol

[69 Post Sedan]

I had a friend ask me years ago if I was using stands when I worked on my car.......I told him no. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif He told me a story of when he had driven a car up on ramps then jacked the back of the car up to put jack stands under it. When he went to get them, the jack dropped, the car rolled down the ramps and through the garage door. THAT cured me of not using jack stands!!!! <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/scholar.gif

I always leave the jack under the car plus jack stands. I also shake the car to make sure it's stable before getting under it.

Kurt

[L-79 Nova]

I had a journeymen 30 years ago that was changing his clutch in his pickup, although it was on jack stands, as he grabbed the rockers to pull himself out he pulled the truck off the stands and on to his chest. He didn't survive. Probably wouldn't happen to most of us but he was 6-5 and 360 lbs. real sad. Ron...

[iluv69s]

My Uncle, a mechanic of 35 years had a car fall off a front hydraulic bumper jack. It collapsed his lung and he had a close scare. I ALWAYS use jack stands!!!!!

Also in my cousin's VW shop back when I was in college, (many decades ago !) I saw a VW bus fallen of a hydraulic lift from 6 feet in the air.!!

Make sure you wiggle/rock the car a bit to settle the car or the stands or on the lift before crawling under !!!

[ss427copo]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jtower1969</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I always use the stands.. My dad was trapped under a car in the 60's. the hydrolic fluid leaked out of the jack. The car didn't fall, it put enough pressure on him that he couldn't get out. He yelled for help until a neighbor rescued him. He drilled a few things in my head, use stands, and clean and put the f#%~ing tools back in the right spot. Lol </div></div>

Good call jtower.
Never, ever, ever get under a car w/o jacks stands. What you're doing is putting ALL YOUR TRUST in a .02 o-ring that can let go at anytime.<span style="font-weight: bold"> THINK BEFORE YOU JACK</span>

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r59/nhra1060sc/image-10_zpsb94c2f31.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/nhra1060sc/media/image-10_zpsb94c2f31.jpg.html)

[jtower1969]

That's exactly how I crawl under my car, except I go and put a floor jack under the subframe connector of the side I'm working on also. Yes it's overkill, until it saves your life.

Joe