Didn't know if I wanted to put this up or not. A couple hours ago a call came across on the scanner for a man trapped under a vehicle came. Couldn't do a thing to save him. Turns out it was the grandfather of my granddaughter's boyfriend. Small town and everyone knows everyone else. Vehicle drifted off the jack.

 

While that sucks big time, I'm glad you did.

Safety folks. Jackstands and wheel chocks. And sometimes, even that isn't enough. Things happen. Be as safe as possible, minimize time under the vehicle as much as possible.

 

I won't get under any car with it on jackstands and i even throw a wheel flat down under the car just in case the car comes off the jack stand i might make it.Some people will use those metal drive up ramps i think they are nuts i have seen them bend before.I have had a floor jack let go on me removing a trans the tail housing smacked me in the foot lucky i only broke one toe.After that i replaced the jack and wear steel toes working on any car.

 

Horrible way to go.

 

Sorry to hear the terrible news Earl...


I agree. I use the plastic ones and, though I trust them more than the metal ones, I only use them to get lower vehicles high enough to get a jack under, and would never get under a vehicle without jack stands for backup support. I usually use jackstands, ramps and jacks at the same time.

The plastic ramps I refer to are these. They're stout.:

 

What makes worse is we found out his granddaughter was there and tried to get to the jack but couldn't. This happens more often then people realize. Had a friend I worked with have the same happen to him. Within a week another one.

I had someone give me a set of the metal ramps YEARS ago. You could see how they both were torqued to one side. Scrap metal pile.

 

Oh man... the poor thing.

 

I grew up watching my dad use those orange metal ramps. By the end of their life they wouldn’t sit flat on the ground and were starting to twist pretty badly. I hate being under a vehicle and having to over torque on a stubborn bolt all the while the car is moving and things are creaking

 

"Safety folks. Jackstands and wheel chocks. And sometimes, even that isn't enough. Things happen. Be as safe as possible, minimize time under the vehicle as much as possible."

This is about all you can do.

 

Wow, can’t began to imagine the horror of seeing that tragedy.

 

That sucks. It happened in my town as well. Twice within the last 6 months.

I use ramps sometimes. Mostly on stock cherokees or other vehicles that aren't lifted. Also if I put it up on jackstands I always chock it and will leave the jack partially holding it.

 

I use jack stands, chocks, keep the the jack up, and I toss a tire under the vehicle just in case the jack and jack stands fail.

 

Also don't get cheap jack stands and cheap jacks you don't have to spend a lot of money just make sure they are made well and hold what are working on , I've seen the cheap sheet metal stands bend and drop a car , so just be careful .

 

I grew up using a set of jack stands my grandfather made himself out of some old axles. I think they were Model A axles, but I could be wrong. They are the heaviest, sturdiest stands I've ever used. Being used to those heavy bastards, the first time I ever saw sheet metal jack stands I thought, surely that can't hold a vehicle.

 

They make very heavy gauge professional grade metal ramps, they are costly but worth it. I have a set and can feel completely safe even with my Dodge 3500 dually diesel service truck with a heavy tool bed full of tools up on them. But these would be the ONLY ones I would trust.