Why you DONT get under the car with out axle stands!! [Archive]

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 04:37 PM

Decided to service the car this afternoon with a mate, we jacked the car up from the both front jacking points and was going to place a axle stand under the point behind the front bumper.

Before putting the axle stand under the front. I opened the bonnet and with that felt the car moving sideways and fell off the jacks. Lucky I had four jack as these two are now f**ked!!

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/jayhowl/Forum%20stuff/001-2.jpg

Surprised there was no damage under the car other than a scratch on the underside, Was half expecting the jack to come through the floor!!

Anyway let this been a lesson not to crawl under the car when on jacks, Im sure we've all done it to quickly do/check something. I know I have but the jacks arnt that stable!!

Phate

15-10-10, 04:38 PM

Next time put a wheel under there :) Could save your life!

Leigh_EvoIX

15-10-10, 04:39 PM

Lucky there mate....

p_b82

15-10-10, 04:48 PM

those are not proper jacks though, not really designed to lift the car any higher than to change a wheel.... Been very lucky there.

I got a trolley jack if you need one, but at the moment it is at the parents house to remove the clutter to try and sell the flat quicker.....

bit late that info now really.. but i am going to the parents this weekend (then heathrow) so *if* you are able to store it you could borrow it - it is a proper 3T job so weighs the appropraite amount

lawrence-zs180

15-10-10, 04:53 PM

luck dude very lucky!!

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 04:55 PM

Cheers for the offer pete I had two more jacks so just moved off the sloped drive and on the road and used them with a stand. Ive got a big trolley jack at my parents house but think its a good excuse to get one of the slim line trolley ones ;)

Southside_ZS

15-10-10, 04:56 PM

Epic fail using scissor jacks to lift up the front of the car anyway to be honest mate. They're nowhere near sturdy enough. They're only designed to lift one wheel at a time at no more that about an inch off the ground. Using them at full hight you may aswell of tried to balance the car on upturned snooker cues.

On another note dont get one of them slimline lightweight clarke jacks. They're terrible quality. I had 3 in the end. Kept having to take them back to the point where i refused to have another one and demanded my money back. First one the piston popped it seal, 2nd one evertime you wheeled it across the floor all the bolts came loose. Even with threadlock. So superglued all the bolts in then the piston popped again. 3rd one wouldn't even lift the car more than an inch off the floor.

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 04:59 PM

haGGard

15-10-10, 05:18 PM

Very lucky you are!! But them scissor jacks are only for emergencies and IIRC only meant to be used to jack up one corner of the car at a time. Using two to lift the front at once was asking for trouble :no:

You had a lucky escape, at least no real damage to the car or worse, yourself.

Ritchy

15-10-10, 05:23 PM

Know somwonw qho was killwd by a falling car. And had onw fall on me as well

Kat2512

15-10-10, 05:43 PM

Glad you...and the car...are alright Jay

Zippy Saloon

15-10-10, 05:50 PM

Know somwonw qho was killwd by a falling car. And had onw fall on me as wellLooks like someones started on the beer early ! (or got a dodgy keyboard :) )

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 05:58 PM

Looks like someones started on the beer early ! (or got a dodgy keyboard :) )

Its the scottish in him :)

BUCKYDEVIL

15-10-10, 06:03 PM

Glad to hear you never got hurt bud...
Lidl are doing cheap Axle stands from yesterday..

KevG

15-10-10, 06:22 PM

One thing I would never trust is a scissor jack, the MG's one is still in its holder, and the wifes one in her Astra has never been used, I also use a trolley jack and axle stands

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 06:22 PM

I have a few axle stands only lacking jacks to jack the car up on to them. :laugh:

Ritchy

15-10-10, 06:30 PM

Looks like someones started on the beer early ! (or got a dodgy keyboard :) )

was trying to type one my phone...stupid touch screen useless

know someone who basically pulled themselfs from under the car, pulled it off the stands and it crushed him, meaning he was unable to breathe, was 2 hours before anyone found him

i was working on an astra with an axle stand and it just toppled off it, lucky the wheel was on so i just got a good smack in the face off the back suspension,

so if you have any old wheels logs anything just chuck ehm under, glad you and the car where okay jay,

its easy to get complaceant about things, but remember ton n half of metal hanging above you does need some properly good support

Zippy Saloon

15-10-10, 06:45 PM

know someone who basically pulled themselfs from under the car, pulled it off the stands and it crushed him, meaning he was unable to breathe, was 2 hours before anyone found him

Poor ****** - thats nasty!
I've always fancied one of those trolley jacks that locks but they're expensive. Trolley jack I have is "cough" years old - probably older than a lot of the members on here :)

peterzs

15-10-10, 06:47 PM

We live on a hill, drops down on the road, and also drops down the drive, so its like a two way slope.

Daughters Galaxy had a flat so we run it onto the drive and across the pavement. Jacked it up, took the wheel off, son in law tried to lift the spare on but couldnt get it lined up.

Car gently slid off the jack and tried to go down the hill!!!! As he pushed/lifted the wheel to try and fit it, was all that it needed to let go.

Had to get my little trolly jack and lifted the car up, bent the sill a little bit, but it taught us a lesson. Only takes a little bit of pressure to push it off the scissor jack.

Glad your OK Jay, lesson learnt.

:yes::yes::yes:

Ritchy

15-10-10, 06:51 PM

jacking on a slopes a pretty bad thing as well, idealy flat level ground, or if you do have it on a slope jacked up, make the car face either up or down the slope, not side to side up and down the hill if you know what i mean

Jay-ZS+

15-10-10, 06:53 PM

Its easy done pete thats for sure, stupid thing is I know its dodgy but as Richy said easy to be complacent.

peterzs

15-10-10, 06:56 PM

As Ritchy said, I always try and get a wheel under the car as well as axle stands.

:yes::yes::yes:

Ritchy

15-10-10, 06:59 PM

indeed mate, you lose your fear when you do something enough and forget the danger, classic case grinder vs my eye the other month, at least you planned to put a stand under jay, i went to halfords n bought a decent big industrial 3 ton rapid lift jack and set of stands n chocks, with my card it was about ?100, one of the best hundred quid ive ever spent so good to have

stamford

15-10-10, 10:16 PM

I never use them things unless it is due to a puncture. Always a decent trolley jack and ratchet axle stands. My trusty trolley jack is out in all weathers, been to all the tracks with me and still works! Was a Machine Mart one, have had it around 20 years now!

SharronB

15-10-10, 10:22 PM

Could have been nasty :yikes:

WXM Matty

18-10-10, 01:33 PM

Always used the standard jack, made me tink twice!

Jay-ZS+

18-10-10, 01:39 PM

Popped in to halfrauds at the weekend they had a set with a trolley jack, wheel chocks, axle stands and a wheel thing to roll under the car on all for ?40!! Didn't fancy risking that for that price!!will get a proper one at some point.

SticklesMickles

18-10-10, 02:16 PM

I was under an old car that was up on a trolley jack while i "just checked something"

And it still fecking dropped on me, i was stuck with the car on my chest, lucky for me both wheels were still on, so it did not drop enough to intially kill me.

My brother heard my muffled noises from the bedroom window and helped me escape.
It appeared that the jack had lost its hydraulic pressure, lessons learned!

stamford

18-10-10, 02:59 PM

Count yourself lucky indeed! Learning lessons the very hard way.

Ritchy

18-10-10, 04:51 PM

wont do that again! need stands with a trolley jack, but you can still support the weight withe the jack, i put the stands there as a failsafe incase the jack loses pressure