Hey guys, I just found out a contractor my wife works with was crushed under his car working on it WITHOUT jack stands when the jack lost pressure. His 18 yr old daughter found him hours before her graduation. Some of you have kids and I'm sure that's not how you envision yourself going out.

I know it's been said to death but apparently this guy never got the memo. This is a great community and it sucks to loose guys to something that takes a few extra minutes. Dont screw around with your safety.

 

and wheels should be blocked

 

A jack let a trans drop on my head awhile back. I got lucky tho, the tail cone of the tcase landed on the body of the jack, and the side of the tcase almost crushed my head. (I may have even started a thread with some pics...)

My wife would have come out and found me with my head crushed like a water melon.

I had a pretty bad lump on my head. Could have been much worse.

Always be careful!

 

Even the cheapie jack stands made from split tubing are unsafe. My Corvette fell because one of them collapsed.
Use the welded ratchet type.

 

Someone once told me "theres no short cuts to life, but there is to death".

 

Thanks for posting, it should be required reading. It reminds me, as a dumb/broke 16-year old, when I had my '57 Chevy with a heavy Pontiac 389, front wheels off, supported by a single scissors jack when it litterally exploded and shot the worm gear across the alley, denting my neighbors garage door. No squeaks, groans just bang and the car was flat on the ground. I was just a few minutes away from getting under it.

Needless to say I always use jack stands, even if I'm going to slide underneath for a few seconds.

 

I like that, it would make a great t-shirt or a tattoo.

 

I'm guilty of not doing this one. Noted!

 

Wow man that's horrible...prayers for the family.....

if I'm just doing basic stuff like maintenance I use ramps, and I'll be sure to chock the wheels after hearing this.. even though you're just under there for a second doesn't mean you should count on the parking brake...

I've had a hydraulic jack loose pressure while under the car as well many years ago, I had stands underneath just in case but one wasn't set right so when it gave way it bent the stand as I crawled out...

 

An old friend of my Dad's died when the car collapsed down on him.
I believe he didn't support it properly.

 

My friend was changing a flat on his 02 blazer his legs were under neath the car he heard a pop noise i grabbed him from under neath the truck yanked him out just in time the jack fell after that i always no matter what put a peice of 4x4 behind each wheel and e brake is up and always on jack stands

 

someone qouted this to me a while back, and it stuck with me ever since; that 'those who dont use jackstands become jackstands'.

it always sucks to hear stuff like this though.

 

my cousin passedaway fron this. i use logs for jack stands if im doing just wheel bearings im cheap

 

I've got a couple sets of jackstands and use them if I'm working in the driveway on pavement. On my XJ or my truck I'm usually in the yard on dirt so I use logs. They're much wider and a lot more stable.

 

I always put jackstands under the vehicle I'm working on and position my 3 ton floor jack in a spot just in case one of the others give way. I hate getting under vehicles. It makes me nervous and work much slower to be cautious. Also throw a tire and rim or two under the frame or axle.