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Mechanic gets crushed by car

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by LOW LID DUDE, Dec 5, 2009.

  1. LOW LID DUDE
    Joined: Aug 16, 2007
    Posts: 1,223

    LOW LID DUDE
    Member
    from Colorado

    Jack stands,what jack stands.We don't need no stinkin jack stands.Being stupid can get ya killed! Never go under a car without them.A jack alone is not a guarantee your safe. You will see why if you google(Mechanic gets crushed by car,) OH YEA keep stupid friends away when working on cars.
     
  2. 94hoghead
    Joined: Jun 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,289

    94hoghead
    Member

    I know of two people that happened to. One's crippled and ones dead.
     
  3. historynw
    Joined: May 26, 2008
    Posts: 806

    historynw
    Member

    I agree its not a pleasant thing to get a car off a body. I even shove the spare under the frame when changing a tire. Some people think its silly but some jacks are pretty crappy.
     
  4. LOW LID DUDE
    Joined: Aug 16, 2007
    Posts: 1,223

    LOW LID DUDE
    Member
    from Colorado

    Those cheep junk jackstands made out of stamped steel that they have been selling for years should be outlawed.I have seen too many people working on cars with them.It amazes me how someone could think they are safe with them. If you have them throw them in the scrap pile. Saving $ could cost a life,always buy good quality heavy duty jacks and stands.
     

  5. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,294

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I had a freind have a motor home crush him to death. The guy was a roundy-round driver and a good one, as well as a great mechanic. He was in a hurry to fix the motor home to get going on vacation. His young son found him............

    It only takes one instance of neglect to change many people's lives. Slow down and think before you act and use a back-up system, if possible. I have a couple of 10" square hardwood blocks I put under the car when it's up on jack stands, just in case.

    And DON'T use cinder blocks or those #!*&! tin jack stands for anything - cut 'em up and trash them!
     
  6. In our group years ago we lost one of our club members, Wayne Hay, http://www.streetkingsokla.com/HISTORY_1.html , due to this problem, young and being in a hurry. Wayne had a lowrider pickup truck and had just gotten the new engine/trans installed and in his haste to put the driveshaft in, he used a bumper jack, and obviously not thinking, he crawled under it to tighten the driveshaft bolts. And of course in doing so the tightening motion carried to the wheel, caused it to move and roll off the jack and no jackstands. The really sad part was that his two young boys, 2 and 4 were watching thier father work on his hot rod. One of our group had gone to help Wayne and came upon this situation.....It was too late for him but not to late for you, be safe, block the tires and use jackstands. Safety first, not just a motto, but a lifestyle!
     
  7. I have one of those cheap stamped sheet metal jack stands in my garage. The welded seam on it split under load. Fortunately I wasn't under the truck when it did. I keep it around just to show people how dangerous those things are and why they should throw theirs away.
     
  8. fanspete
    Joined: Oct 22, 2006
    Posts: 686

    fanspete
    Member

    It's happened twice around here. A guy I know just barely slid away in time, too. It eats at me also when you see some cat with the jack under something and the stands in place but the vehicle is hovering an inch or so above the stands! I guess that buys you enough time to think 'oh, shit' before you die!
     
  9. hotrod-Linkin
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 3,382

    hotrod-Linkin
    Member

    been covered many times.
     
  10. Scott K
    Joined: Oct 17, 2005
    Posts: 824

    Scott K
    Member


    ...and yet we still have people doing it.

    The occasional safety reminder never hurts.
     
  11. blojectedj
    Joined: Nov 9, 2009
    Posts: 117

    blojectedj
    Member
    from oklahoma

    When I was still in high school I was in a hurry to work on my car, raised it with the bumper jack got under it and realized I needed a larger wrench. I crawled out and took two steps the car rolled off the jack, taught me a lesson!!
     
  12. Strange Agent
    Joined: Sep 29, 2008
    Posts: 2,879

    Strange Agent
    Member
    from Ponder, TX

    It's a dangerous thing. I'm guilty of it, though. I'll work on being more careful. Getting yourself crushed isn't worth it.

    Patience. Patience.. Patience...
     
  13. MarkzRodz
    Joined: Sep 12, 2009
    Posts: 533

    MarkzRodz
    BANNED

    I still have a pair of those muffler tubing split in 3 and tack welded legs type of jack stands. I need to cut 'em up so my sons don't use them later on thinking that I used them.
     
  14. 40chevythrowensparks
    Joined: Aug 16, 2009
    Posts: 100

    40chevythrowensparks
    Member

    i had a car come down on me once... i got out by the skin of my teeth...today when i have to get under a car i put it on stands and i have a set of rims that are welded together i slide under...
     
  15. Abone29
    Joined: Mar 20, 2007
    Posts: 234

    Abone29
    Member

    In high school I had a buddy whose big brother had a 61 Corvette.He was under it ,in the yard,on some of those cheap drive on ramps.They sank in the dirt and rolled over trapping him underneath.Fortunely his buds were there and got the car off him pretty quickly.There was depression in the dirt where it pushed him down and that probably saved his life.He was damn lucky.
     
  16. yeah I was lucky in highschool I had my 58 chevy up on those cheapass stands on a DIRT driveway and pulled the trans out,well in Oregon it kinda rains alot and I was on a dirt driveway,you can guess the rest the damn stand sunk into the ground with me stuck under the car,fire dept had to come get me out I was lucky......oh yeah the stand bent when it was pulled outta the mud.............I was lucky and learned a good leson early
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2009
  17. This post made me realize that I loaned my jack stands years ago and never got them back. Obviously I haven't needed them or I would have missed them earlier. Are there any brands that someone could recommend? I'd appreciate knowing what to look for before I go shopping. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. (I tried searching but didn't find anything, maybe due to my short attention span.)
     
  18. Me and historynw are the same. When I have my Ranchero on the stands, I do two other things. 1) I keep the hydraulic jack under it also, one the end I am working on 2) I put the spare tire under then other end it also just in case. Even then I get the creeps being under there, especially when I am alone

    Makes my skin crawl to think of that guy being pinned under there...........
     
  19. Da Tinman
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 4,222

    Da Tinman
    Member

    [​IMG]

    Thats not a good idea either, taken at the Rust Revival this year..... DUMBASS!!
     
  20. badlefihand
    Joined: Apr 20, 2007
    Posts: 318

    badlefihand
    Member

    Ramps need chocks before pulling drive shft.Wonder how he could have forgot.
     
  21. HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Joined: Apr 11, 2007
    Posts: 1,437

    HOLLYWOOD GRAHAM
    Member
    from Ojai,Ca

    Knowing the danger of crawling under a car with just a jack holding it up I put it on jack stands also.. Safe as safe can be right.....Earthquake hit while I was under and car started to sway, got out FAST. It did not fall but sure caused me a little concern. I like the idea of putting a spare tire down so if it does not crush you if it falls. I worked in a gas station long ago and the owners always put a drive shaft between the rack and floor in case the rack malfunctioned.
     
  22. I know I'm going to get bit someday. I have a set of ramps that I've had since the '60's that are made from exhaust pipe split into threes with a band around the bottoms and another tube that telescopes inside.
    I replaced them years ago with good cast stands but I kept them to put parts on for paint.
    I know one of these days I'll screw up and use one for too much weight.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2009
  23. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    My best friend got trapped under his dad's ot wagon a few years ago when he had a brain fart and crawled under it W/O proper blocks. He was ok but was stuck under the car several minutes until someone got there to jack it back up so he could get out. He damned well knows better.

    I had my 55 Buick fall sideways off a pair of those split tube stands way back in 1966 in my dad's carport. I had been under it and got out to look for something and it fell. I almost knocked the carport down along with coming close to doing myself in.
    About the same time one of my friends in trade school had his 58 Impala stolen and they found the kids who stole it under it dead after they had decided to take the four speed out after taking the wheels and tires off. the bumper jacks fell over.

    I preached having a rig safe to get under before getting under it to my students in auto mechanics class for the 13 years I taught. If they learned only one thing from me I hope that is what it is.
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  24. I use a motorcycle lift to pickup the front end of the greaslapper. It fits under the axle nicely, is padded, really stable, and has a pawl to lock it in place at various spots.
    They just hppen to match one notch on my jack stands.
    I have to admit sometimes tho, it gets in the way if I leave it under the car.
     
  25. milner142790
    Joined: Apr 21, 2009
    Posts: 87

    milner142790
    Member

    wow.... i always use jackstands, but watchin that video made me open my eyes... that would suck... and the worse part is that you can see the dumbass turn the jack handle...
     
  26. Bigchuck
    Joined: Oct 23, 2007
    Posts: 1,159

    Bigchuck
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    Theives killed when the car fell on them? That is some serious car karma there!
     
  27. shadetreerodder
    Joined: Aug 4, 2006
    Posts: 291

    shadetreerodder
    Member

    I use my old stamped style jack stands for mock ups. They are great for holding rear ends and front axles in place when setting up your chassis. Would not crawl under a car though.
     
  28. JamesMcD
    Joined: Dec 19, 2008
    Posts: 138

    JamesMcD
    Member

    OK, so where do you buy "good" jack stands from?

    I've never seen new jack stands for sale that weren't made of sheet metal. Mine are made of what looks to be about 10ga welded in a sort of pyramid shape. Is this not sufficient in you guy's opinion?
     
  29. citcapp
    Joined: Oct 18, 2008
    Posts: 172

    citcapp
    Member
    from Bothell WA

  30. LOOK at the ones that are CAST with lugs,I got one set from a snap on dealer and anoother from a used tool supply.You might try Northern tool,heres what the GOOD ones look like
     

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