Lost a dear friend..totally avoidable accident.

I just got a letter from my old Air Force buddy's widow. He was crushed while working under a van supported only by a jack. Don't let this happen to you or anyone you know.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_16900976

 

Oh dear, I am so sorry. Let this be a lesson everyone. Jack stands will help save lives and only take one moment to place under your auto.

 

It'll only take a few seconds to slide some supports under there, sorry bout your bud.

 

......Man...This happens way to much.......Sorry to hear about your lost of your friend.......posting a thread like this may prevent another accident....

 

I had the same thing happed to my best friend, and hunting partner, a year ago september. He was under a fork lift. "just to make a quick adjustment" at work. Left behind a wife and young son. I miss him every day , and still cuss him for not using jack stands! Dont let this happen to you or yours... I am truley sorry for your loss... Wayne.......

 

Rule number 1: Never get under a car without jack stands. The first thing I was taught!
Very sorry about your friend.

 

wow...what a loss to this world.....the lord must have been needed very badly else where, my condolences.

 

Happened to my friend too.
Smashed his head between the frame and garage floor.
Not enough to kill him, just enough to transform him from 'handsome lady's man' to 'paralyzed face' = no more pulling the hot chicks.
Anyone can afford jackstands and they're super easy to stuff under there - so why risk creating a human size mousetrap?

 

Man, that's rough- sorry about your friend. Just last night I dropped the 390 in a '66 Country Squire, quite a tank. Had jack stands under it, but as i had to run my creeper between the legs of the picker to get to the bell & flexplate, and was alone, I actually put a second set of jackstands under there- still don't like being under there

 

Sorry to hear about that. Its something that scares the hell out of me and my wife so i got some jack stands.

 

Lost a very good friend the same way a couple of months ago. Crawled under his 32 with only a floor jack. He was the very last guy I expected to die that way. All it takes is one second and bad luck. I told my wife that "I never go under without stands", then recalled I had slid under my daughters car to change oil just the previous weekend. It was just long enough to remove the drain plug and re-install it. Now I realize how ignorant that was. Lesson learned. My friend taught me a great deal, just wish not this lesson. Sorry for your loss.

 

I think I had jackstands before I even had a decent floor jack.

if you like old cars and don't have jack stands go out and buy a good set today. they are pretty cheap, and even if you only use them once it is money well spent.

 

Sorry to hear this...my friends always make fun of me but I totally over do everything when it comes to safety...heard too many sad stories like this

 

Sad to hear this and we hear it so often.

Jack + jackstands + a big spare tire + wheel chocks, just for good measure, especially if doing heavy wrenching on stuff under there.

 

Yep, almost of us are guilty that "just for a second thing". And a lot of us have slid back out from under a car and had the jack collapse or in the case of being outside having the car fall over because the ground under it was soft.

Sorry to hear about your buddy Adjustablejohnsons that is news no one wants to hear.

 

I've taken a lot of crap over the years for refusing to work under ANYTHING not blocked into place, especially hydraulics and cars... but that's okay 'cause I'm still here.

Sorry to hear about your friend AJ, it's never easy to get those messages, we have to remember to not put someone else in the position to receive one.

 

When we got the letter, I had to assure my wife that I always do everything possible to make sure that cannot happen. I just don't understand why Tom was so foolish.

 

Sorry about your friend adjustablej. I'll usually take an hour just setting up the stands to where I feel comfortable. Then I shake the shit out of the car. Then I double triple check the stands. Then, when I finally get under the car, I'm still spooked by it.

 

very sorry to hear about your friend. i actually fired my own son for not using jack stands when he was doing a "quick" oil change. my heart actually skipped a beat when i walked out in the shop and saw him under there without the stands. he was told to always use jack stands, as with all my employees. ( i only have about 10 pair in my shop) i re-hired him the next day, only to know he will never do that again. be safe guys, only takes a few seconds compared the alternative.

 

Jackstands yes!
I've also managed to get ahold of a few HUGE wooden blocks, used for supporting guardrails on the highways. I use them from time to time along with stands.
Just remember to NEVER substitute cinder blocks as jack stands, they don't work.

 

I know I am living on borrowed time. I had a car fall off a jack on the side of the road.... stupid ass me jacked it up in the dirt. The weight of the car pushed the jack up on two wheels in the soft stuff and down she came. I was stupid.... but lucky.

Very sorry to hear about your loss. Hopefully this will cement the idea in peoples minds and prevent more accidents.

 

Sorry to hear about your buddy. Its amazing how many people this happen to every year. If I go underneath a car, I always throw a spare tire under the frame somewhere as well as use jackstands. Might be overkill, but I know of a coupe of people locally that have had cars fall on them....

 

That's just a damn shame. My heart goes out to those he left behind, sounds like he was a real nice guy and was loved by many.
When I was 17 I had a 57 Ford convertible that dropped on my chest when the bumper jack tipped...it didn't do any permanent damage but it sure did make a believer outta me early on. Jacks are made for lifting only...

 

sorry to hear about this accident, i tell both my boys to put jack stands no matter how quick your going to be under the car. heard about to many things like this. and even with my little sprite when i put it on stands i give it a good shake to see if its stable..RD

 

One of my nightmares while working under the car... RIP

 

Tire and wheel and blocks up to frame so it can't fall even an inch.

 

So sorry to hear of the loss of your friend,... This has happened to a few guys I've known over the decades,... The funny thing, is one of them was the guy always beating "Be safe, not sorry" into our heads.

 

Sorry to hear about this. A big thanks to you and Tom for your service to my country.

Horrible as it is to have to post this thread, maybe at least it will cause someone to be safer.

Like 49 Ratfink, I had good jack stands before I had a good jack. With my daughter coming out to the garage to help, I give her the talks about safety, and then I teach them by example.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss. Thanks for posting this as it may prevent someone else from doing it too..