linky
RIP
Just a reminder for us all to be vigilant when working under our cars. A chap just down the road from me was sadly killed earlier when working under
his car. Its so easy for us to take a short cut to get the job done.
linky
RIP
Poor bloke
Been under various cars so many times just on a jack it does not bare thinking about TBH.
But with age I've stopped doing it,looking for risks in everything I do now,so ramps or jacked on axle stands now.
from day one my dad taught me to always store the wheel you've taken off under the car. If the jack gives way you'll still get squashed but
you hopefully will only get a broken rib or 10.
(we also had wood and bricks under the car supporting it with the jack in place as well to make sure ......... in hindsight it would have been easier
to just buy some axle stands)
Nearly happened to me, will not make that mistake again.
SD1 rover, drove it on to ramps, jacked the back up and placed on axle stands, of course the handbrake now no-longer works, as I was draining the
gearbox oil felt it start to move and got out quick!
If I had reversed onto ramps and put the front on axle stands the handbrake would have worked.
Did not help I had cheap halfords axle stands, the ones where the spilt a bit of 2" tube to make three legs, these were binned and some really
sturdy ones with wide feet replaced them.
Used to lift cars up on forklift prongs (come in at car from side, take the whole thing up 7ft high), with lengths of steel laid on said prongs to reach the other sill. Used to hoist it up then "give it a wiggle" by hand just to check it was "safe", then work underneath. Bonkers. Would never let my kids do that, but it was my old man that showed me how to do it! Don't think he really liked me looking back
If I use ramps on the front and stands at the back I ratchet strap the front wheels to the ramps, takes a couple of mins but means the car cant come off the ramp whatever.
I nearly got squished between two cars. Was jacking the Jeep up to listen to transmission noise. Fell off the four axle stands, rolled into my van. Very lucky, because my dive out of the way didn't take much further than it got.
Sadly we have had one death in our village in similar circumstances:
http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/11537723.Mechanic_Michael_King_crushed_under_his_beloved_Land_Rover_in_Drayton/?ref=mr
Something to take very seriously.
I also have some 2 tonne Halfords axle stands and must get around to replacing....
Dan
I was under my Transit looking for rust (hard to lose it really) and managed to get stuck. The air suspension leaks a bit and the rear end sat down enough to trap my chest under the side step. Each time I breathed out, it sank a bit lower until I was totally out of puff......I managed to loop the trolley jack handle with a rag I had and get it close enough to reach and pull it under the van with me and lift it enough to get out. A few broken ribs and bruises but not dead yet......
In the early 80s our local Skoda dealers had a couple of Checkoslovakian mechanics doing an exchange working visit , one of them died trying to stop a car rolling backwards off a single post lift, the old type with a single ram coming out of the ground with an "H" shaped platform
As above. My old man has always told me to stick the wheel and additional blocks under a jacked car. And chock the wheels..
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
from day one my dad taught me to always store the wheel you've taken off under the car. If the jack gives way you'll still get squashed but you hopefully will only get a broken rib or 10.
(we also had wood and bricks under the car supporting it with the jack in place as well to make sure ......... in hindsight it would have been easier to just buy some axle stands)
When I was a kid I spent ages digging a big hole in the garage, then got some bricklaying instructions off me dad. Its till there and comes in handy for oil changes and other things under the car... A good pair of wellys are the only thing needs to be safe (and dry!)
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
When I was a kid I spent ages digging a big hole in the garage, then got some bricklaying instructions off me dad. Its till there and comes in handy for oil changes and other things under the car... A good pair of wellys are the only thing needs to be safe (and dry!)