DIY mechanics take care....neighbour squished under car!
Discussion
DapperDanMan said:
Dug out a different photo angle on the QuickJack
They are solid construction and I did my homework before I got them. There are loads of youtube reviews and tests by the manufacturer.
None of my cars swayed when raised. Maybe I should have axle stand as well belt and braces and all that.
They look great. I'm seriously tempted to order a set.They are solid construction and I did my homework before I got them. There are loads of youtube reviews and tests by the manufacturer.
None of my cars swayed when raised. Maybe I should have axle stand as well belt and braces and all that.
V8 FOU said:
The problem with trolley jacks is that 99% of them are sh*te.
They are too cheap to be any good. I recently bought a Snap On jack, cost about £400 and it is very good. Havent see a jack this good in years. The first one I bought in the 70's cost £120 and lasted 20+ years. Other ones bought since (apart from said Snap On one) have struggled to last a year.
Even scissor lifts at c£2000 aren't too good either. People want a cheap jack, so that is what they get. You pays yer money.....
Oh, plenty of axle stands have broken/worn out too. And it isn't uncommon for a car to roll on axle stands either.
The problem is you can buy the same re-branded jacks at massively different prices, making it hard to tell what is good and what is bad. Mine my low entry jack was from SGS, it's the same as one sold by Halfrauds for £20 more, except it's black instead of yellow.They are too cheap to be any good. I recently bought a Snap On jack, cost about £400 and it is very good. Havent see a jack this good in years. The first one I bought in the 70's cost £120 and lasted 20+ years. Other ones bought since (apart from said Snap On one) have struggled to last a year.
Even scissor lifts at c£2000 aren't too good either. People want a cheap jack, so that is what they get. You pays yer money.....
Oh, plenty of axle stands have broken/worn out too. And it isn't uncommon for a car to roll on axle stands either.
What affordable consumer grade brands would you think are good? Clarke? Sealey? Draper? they all use the same re-branded stuff and it makes you reluctant to pay big money for something you may well spot for half the price elsewhere in future.
.
A nightmare of a situation. One of the reasons why, like many here, I always stick as much as possible under the car – a jack or two, four axle stands and usually the wheels if they're coming off.
Getting a car off the ground to work on it is always the bit of the process I hate the most. Particularly on older (or flimsier) stuff, especially when you realise the head of the jack is still going up but the car's stopped moving...
Quite like the idea of those QuickJacks.
Getting a car off the ground to work on it is always the bit of the process I hate the most. Particularly on older (or flimsier) stuff, especially when you realise the head of the jack is still going up but the car's stopped moving...
Quite like the idea of those QuickJacks.
TurboHatchback said:
I had an RAC man out the other day who went underneath with just a trolley jack holding it up which made me cringe.
Very stupid when his H&S handbook will undoubtedly tell him not to, thus giving his employer a get out clause should he end up crushed. Like the guys at work who decide to show off lifting more than 20kg by themselves, they don't quite realise that if they get injured they are properly fooked, no job, no compo, no benefits.The lack of suitable places to place axle stands is also a bug bear for me when working on my cars. It's all well and good raising the car under the sill, but you then have to get creative to somehow get it off the jack and onto a stand without theoretically using more than one jacking location.
If raising a car I will apply as much handbrake pressure as I can, leave it in gear, chock both sides of all the wheels that will remain on the floor, then as soon as it's raised high enough I throw an axle stand underneath somewhere suitable. Once both sides are on axles stands, I give it a damn good shove to make sure it's stable, then put a couple of scissor jacks under each sill just as a fail safe incase a stand fails, then put both wheels under the sill by the jacks. Next I give it a second shove and then inspect all the stands to make sure nothing is twisted and everything appears square. Only then, do I think about going underneath.
If raising a car I will apply as much handbrake pressure as I can, leave it in gear, chock both sides of all the wheels that will remain on the floor, then as soon as it's raised high enough I throw an axle stand underneath somewhere suitable. Once both sides are on axles stands, I give it a damn good shove to make sure it's stable, then put a couple of scissor jacks under each sill just as a fail safe incase a stand fails, then put both wheels under the sill by the jacks. Next I give it a second shove and then inspect all the stands to make sure nothing is twisted and everything appears square. Only then, do I think about going underneath.
lyonspride said:
TurboHatchback said:
I had an RAC man out the other day who went underneath with just a trolley jack holding it up which made me cringe.
Very stupid when his H&S handbook will undoubtedly tell him not to, thus giving his employer a get out clause should he end up crushed. Like the guys at work who decide to show off lifting more than 20kg by themselves, they don't quite realise that if they get injured they are properly fooked, no job, no compo, no benefits.Although, at the other end of the spectrum we had to get the mrs 330 recovered, they dumped it 18" from the kerb somewhere that's really not ideal and told me he's not allowed to push it and his lorry has cameras
Although, working on building sites nothing really surprises me any more.
(Told this story before on PH, BWTF)
Few years back I went out to tinker with my car… my neighbour was checking for a “funny noise” from his front brakes. IIRC he had a Renault Grand Scenic thingy - damn great lump of a car.
He had the car up on the emergency jack (bloody high up it was) and was peering at the inboard side of the brake disc with his legs sticking out into the road.. So the disc was perfectly positioned above his larynx!
If the jack had given way he’d have died a very nasty death.
Dragged him out, gave him a massive b
king and wouldn’t leave him alone until he’d properly supported the car.
Thing is, he’s a trained mechanic and had at least 2 sets of axle stands and an half decent trolley jack nearby – he said he “couldn’t be bothered” to get them out of the shed.
Idiot.
At least one axle stand per corner, trolley jack left in situ as an added measure and a wheel under the sill is the way I do things. No debate and no excuses.
Known of at least 2 people killed under cars (one under a MK2 Jag. Hey, if you gotta go…) and I’ve heard of too many close shaves with old, dodgy or substandard jacks to ever, ever risk slithering under a car that is not properly supported.
Few years back I went out to tinker with my car… my neighbour was checking for a “funny noise” from his front brakes. IIRC he had a Renault Grand Scenic thingy - damn great lump of a car.
He had the car up on the emergency jack (bloody high up it was) and was peering at the inboard side of the brake disc with his legs sticking out into the road.. So the disc was perfectly positioned above his larynx!
If the jack had given way he’d have died a very nasty death.
Dragged him out, gave him a massive b
king and wouldn’t leave him alone until he’d properly supported the car.Thing is, he’s a trained mechanic and had at least 2 sets of axle stands and an half decent trolley jack nearby – he said he “couldn’t be bothered” to get them out of the shed.
Idiot.
At least one axle stand per corner, trolley jack left in situ as an added measure and a wheel under the sill is the way I do things. No debate and no excuses.
Known of at least 2 people killed under cars (one under a MK2 Jag. Hey, if you gotta go…) and I’ve heard of too many close shaves with old, dodgy or substandard jacks to ever, ever risk slithering under a car that is not properly supported.
long time ago my uncle and I took his car to a home mechanic to show a stiff gear change
that guy parked the car on a slope used a really rusty old trolley jack and went under it and told my uncle to get inside and try changing gears while he looks under !,we never went back to him for that job again
that guy parked the car on a slope used a really rusty old trolley jack and went under it and told my uncle to get inside and try changing gears while he looks under !,we never went back to him for that job again
SHutchinson said:
DapperDanMan said:
Dug out a different photo angle on the QuickJack
They are solid construction and I did my homework before I got them. There are loads of youtube reviews and tests by the manufacturer.
None of my cars swayed when raised. Maybe I should have axle stand as well belt and braces and all that.
They look great. I'm seriously tempted to order a set.They are solid construction and I did my homework before I got them. There are loads of youtube reviews and tests by the manufacturer.
None of my cars swayed when raised. Maybe I should have axle stand as well belt and braces and all that.
Glad I did it but open wallet surgery is never nice but now I can check brakes etc. in more comfort and faster then corner at a time.
ikarl said:
I drive my car up onto Celcon Foundation blocks (the big 300mm ones) and use that to get the car plenty high enough.
Even at that, I then fully support the car with axle stands!
Wooden railway sleepers are a good alternative to this if you don't need to get the wheels off, I used some when I was doing work on the Westfield, but then I re-purposed them in the garden by SWMBO request. Even at that, I then fully support the car with axle stands!
Edited by ikarl on Monday 16th April 11:36
TriumphStag3.0V8 said:
Never rely on a Jack. Always have secondary support in place that will not give way as well if a Jack gives up.
In fact, I always use stands or ramps and then take the back out. Hacks are for lifting not supporting.
When on ramps I also use chocks and put a strap round the wheel holding it onto the ramp.
Always best to be safe.
I was changing a wheel with the vehicle jack, when the car moved slightly and bent the jack. Luckily, as always, I had the replacement wheel under the car as a temporary stand (gave about 50mm space to drop). Bought chocks after that. I was not under the car, still a nasty shock, and had to buy a new OE vehicle jack (E36 BMW, about £58 if I recall)In fact, I always use stands or ramps and then take the back out. Hacks are for lifting not supporting.
When on ramps I also use chocks and put a strap round the wheel holding it onto the ramp.
Always best to be safe.
Ste372 said:
I had to drag my missus brother clear from his kuga after he was doing brakes using just a jack as a support. The jack twisted and collapsed.
It was pure luck that I had gone out to give him a bking, literally 20 secs before it happened. I had chucked one of his wheels under the sill area in case anything happened.
Did I get a thank you?... Nope just a load of abuse because his alloy was damaged. Better than his legs!
This is the very minimum I do when the car is jacked. As soon as the wheel is off it goes under the car. Even then i would never intentional place any part of my body under a car that didn't also have proper support. It was pure luck that I had gone out to give him a b
king, literally 20 secs before it happened. I had chucked one of his wheels under the sill area in case anything happened. Did I get a thank you?... Nope just a load of abuse because his alloy was damaged. Better than his legs!
I'd much rather be paying for a new wheel than losing a limb.
As others have said I always raise the car on level ground, with axle stands, jack left in place and wheels under the sills. Having said that, even with proper professional equipment the worse can still happen:
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/west-...
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/west-...
lyonspride said:
ikarl said:
I drive my car up onto Celcon Foundation blocks (the big 300mm ones) and use that to get the car plenty high enough.
Even at that, I then fully support the car with axle stands!
Wooden railway sleepers are a good alternative to this if you don't need to get the wheels off, I used some when I was doing work on the Westfield, but then I re-purposed them in the garden by SWMBO request. Even at that, I then fully support the car with axle stands!
Edited by ikarl on Monday 16th April 11:36
lyonspride said:
The problem is you can buy the same re-branded jacks at massively different prices, making it hard to tell what is good and what is bad. Mine my low entry jack was from SGS, it's the same as one sold by Halfrauds for £20 more, except it's black instead of yellow.
What affordable consumer grade brands would you think are good? Clarke? Sealey? Draper? they all use the same re-branded stuff and it makes you reluctant to pay big money for something you may well spot for half the price elsewhere in future.
.
Most of the makes you mention are terrible. Just about OK for a wheel change. I bought an alloy "race" trolley jack rated at 1.5t. Used it on a fiesta and it folded over to one side.What affordable consumer grade brands would you think are good? Clarke? Sealey? Draper? they all use the same re-branded stuff and it makes you reluctant to pay big money for something you may well spot for half the price elsewhere in future.
.
As I said it IS very difficult to buy a decent jack. Expect to pay upwards of £300 for a really good one. All the cheap ones slowly drop to their lowest common denominator.
Also, there are a lot of nasty axle stands.
If a jack or stand is rated at 1 tonne - then regard that as the weight of the WHOLE car, not the load.
julian64 said:
That looks totally inadequate for that weight of car. That small section box steel only has strength along its axis. I bet if I pushed that car sideways the jack would fold like a wet lettuce. I personally wouldn't get under the car with that setup..
That picture is a photoshop...I saw a Landy (s3 Airportable, so a bit shy of a ton and a half) parked on the drive outside somebody's house the other day. It was on axle stands, with the rear leaf springs disconnected and dropped down, no wheels on...
Except... The axle stands weren't tall enough. One side had three bits of 3x2CLS stacked between it and the back of the chassis, the other had five, because the driveway wasn't flat.
Fair made me queasy, it did. Unfortunately, the bloke wasn't about, because I would definitely have had a friendly word - "Nice Landy, mate, I've got an s3... BTW, not sure if you're aware, but..."
Didn't have a pen and a sheet of paper with me, but I don't think I'd have wanted to touch it - even to stick a note under the wiper.
Except... The axle stands weren't tall enough. One side had three bits of 3x2CLS stacked between it and the back of the chassis, the other had five, because the driveway wasn't flat.
Fair made me queasy, it did. Unfortunately, the bloke wasn't about, because I would definitely have had a friendly word - "Nice Landy, mate, I've got an s3... BTW, not sure if you're aware, but..."
Didn't have a pen and a sheet of paper with me, but I don't think I'd have wanted to touch it - even to stick a note under the wiper.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff