I know this Post is going to sound like "how to use a screwdriver" or something but I am constantly amused to hear stories of cars being jacked up and disintegrating. Sometimes, as I drive by and see some people working on cars, I grimace in horror.
I once saw a kid under a car with nothing but the jack holding it up. Other times I have seen the car resting on 4 cinderblocks, with each tire on a block. And the worst thing I heard was how an experienced local mechanic was killed in his garage, underneath a car.
It doesnt mean I dont make mistakes. I know when i am very very tired, or its 95 degrees outside, I myself, and everyone starts to lose good judgement,and most of us smart, its the judgement that gets us when we are fatigued.
Thats what happened last night. I jacked my car up off balance to one side, which is not a crime unless that one side is one foot from a garage wall. When I went to put the jackstand in place, I actually entered that one foot zone...figuring that if the car teetered, i could pop out of thre like a jack rabbit..in retrospect, I would have become part of the drywall instantly.
I think everyone has "dropped" a car at least once...
I know there are a lot more experts than me on this, but this is what I do:
(1) never use the jacking points for changing a tire. They just are not that strong.
(2) Always use the center pad of the center beam under the engine to support the jack. Place your floorpad jack there with a rubber pad or a thick manual there to protect the frame member. you can always add a Phonebook safely ( I mean this) for extra reach if you dont want the arm of the jack to over extend..
(3) Your jack will do funny things if you leave your transmission in P and your emergency brake on. If there's a crack in the driveway, and the jack can not roll, your car might slip off.
(4) If supporting the car in the front, use frame members. Place an old phone book on top of each jackstand tip so you dont mar the frame undercoating.
(5) In the rear, either use the axles for support and the pumpkin to jack...
I hope someone can embellish on this. I don take it lightly, I mean I am no pro, but I have removed and replaced at least 23 engines solo in my career...