Don't forget your jackstands!!!

fxlr8

fxlr8

Staff
Administrator
Can't stress this enough...

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/48449955/ns/today-good_news/#.UBmyd5Yb34Y

I had a car fall on me when I was working under it back in 1999, luckily i was in an area (front) where the bumper just smashed into me.. plus I had the wheels on. I was able to use my arms from underneath to lift up the car just enough to slide out. I had bruising on my stomach for a couple weeks but was fine. Watching the car start to fall while I was underneath was the most terrorizing thing I have ever witnessed, as it was falling I thought, oh crap!!! I am about to die. My son was only 3 years old and my wife was in the apartment watching him. Working under a car without the proper safety equipment is the worse thing you can ever do to your family!!!! Please always use Jackstands and Chocks, I don't care if you use 5 jackstands and a jack to keep it safe...just do it. Never ever get under a car with just the factory scissor jack.


Thanks
:iS:
 
Great story. There is no way I'd ever get under any car without jack stands.

A related story:

When I was 19 I was in my driveway watching a friend route a new clutch cable under his 60's VW Beetle, when the factory jack fell over and the passenger floorboard fell on his chest. It pushed the air right out of his lungs and he didn't make a sound, just started kicking his legs around frantically. After a full second of frozen terror, I grabbed the fender and lifted it enough for him to do a sort of inverted caterpillar crawl out from under the car. Luckily those things are super light and it had all four wheels installed, otherwise I may not have been able to lift it at all.

It was 100% the most scared I've ever been in my life. For that one frozen second I thought I'd just seen my friend die.
 
On the FX, I put the car up on ramps supported by jack stands as back up. I do this everything I do an oil change on the car.

On my other cars, I just use ramps. Ramps are very sturdy and I actually trust these things more than jack stands.
 
This is how Kim's dad died. Even after 15 years, she gets tears. I'm not allowed under the car no matter what. This story is horrible but ended so lucky. Please be safe guys and think of your family if you are considering being lazy.
 
I Never, never, never get under a car without jack stands or loose tire shove under it.
 
wow. Scary story which could happen to anyone. Glad something positive came out of it in the end.
 
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