Too busy or too 'smart' to block up your vehicle ???

Well... THIS can happen to you. WHEN not if it happens
I only hope your injuries are as trivial.

BLOCK YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE YOU GET UNDER IT !

Wife’s intuition saves husband

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Saw that on the news. I've been preaching this sermon for years. AND TOSS THOSE RAMPS!!!

Dan

I had a guy helping me one day in the spring, when the driveway was still a tad mushy (mine is not paved). I know at home he is bad for working with just the jack in place to I have pounded it into his head that chez moi we use jackstand(s) with plywood underneath the legs.

Getting the idea that the jackstands to under the FRAME took more time.

Anyway, on this morning he arrived early and decided to get stuck into it. I go outside to find he has the jackstand, no plywood base, under one of the jack points.

"Richard, that isn't going to work."

He barely has the "WHY?" out of his mouth when with a small groan, the car collapses off the jackstand.

Sorry I forgot the punchline. When I arrived outside he already had one leg sliding under the car. He stood up when I pointed at the jackstand. Had I been 30 seconds later, half or so of him would have been under there. We were raising the car to pull the block drain plug.

This guy grew up (literally) in his pop's service station/garage. He was the only of five brothers who did not go on to have their own shop. Perhaps that was just as well. He has a good eye and great knowledge on some stuff but safety was apparently never his strong point.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I suspect we all take some risks. This type of risk has no rational as the result is so bad.. Elevation failure will probably result in death if you are under the vehicle. The chance it will not is there but the odds are still bad.

I have always been very cautious when dealing with the raising of cars to work under them. Always using a secondary support system like heavy wooden blocks.

A jack stand alone can fail or slip. I picked up a spare two at a yard sale last year that need the welds reinforced for example as one factory weld has visuallly already failed. It has little more than tack welds. I suspect the weld let go because the jack stand was placed on an uneven surface.

Fortunatly it did not collapse when the weld let go for the last person to use it.

I am not sure why I do not feel comforatable with just jack stands alone but I never have. Perhaps it is just my intuitive understanding that if man builds something it can fail. If i do not feel totally comforatable I just do not slide under.

Never use hollow concrete blocks as a back up either. You may not be thinking at the moment and insert them in a way that they have fundementally no strength. They are structurally far weaker than most people think anyways.

Personally I preffer large chunks of wood. Another precaution is to place the car somewhere where another car cannot accidentally bump into it while on the stands.

That was WAY too close. Hope the ol' boy learned from this.

Dan

Im a little cloister phobic and on a bad day i cant go under, with the correct conditions even. I do 6 ton stands, the jack placed slightly underneath, and i slide the tires underneath. And block the tires on the ground. And in gear. And the parking brake. Lol.

I had an uncle and a neighbor die that way.
The uncle was using a bumper jack.
The neighbor had the car up on concrete blocks.

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Greg
2012 S350 BlueTEC 4Matic
2007 ML 320 CDI
2007 Leisure Travel Serenity
2006 Sprinter 432k
2005 E320 CDI
1998 SLK230 (teal)
1998 SLK230 (silver)
1996 E300D 99k, 30k on WVO
Previous:
1983 240D, on WVO
1982 300D, on WVO
1983 300CD, on WVO
1986 300SDL 237k, 25k on WVO (Deerslayer)
1991 350SDL 249k, 56k on WVO - Retired to a car spa in Phoenix
1983 380 SEC w/603 diesel, 8k on WVO
1996 E300D 351k, 177k on WVO

Great Safety Moment TnBob.

keep a pair of chocks in the trunk.

__________________
1986 560 SEL
1960 Ranchero
1970 Cougar XR7
2002 Crown Vic Sport
1992 F150

I always put an old inflated tire/wheel under at least one side of the car.

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1982 300sd from craigslist $800 greased on one tank with NO CONVERSION in the Hot Texas Sun. (currently dead & awaiting engine damage investigation and/or longblock swap)
new daily: '03 vw 5speed jetta tdi wagon. bagged&chipped

The story's of those who died abound.
Worse yet are the story's of those who are maimed, you know, those who end up missing a hand or a leg !!

IF ... one smuck who used to never block anything reads this and takes corrective action... I have done my job.

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

I like the ramps better than the stands. I have seen cars tilt when on stands. In any case since I only have a gravel drive way I always put plywood under what ever I am using.

__________________
1983 300SD
200000miles

It only takes a split second for something to go wrong.

Here is a list Whunter put together.

Go down to post#7 and there is a picture of two types of Stands.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/general-information/294952-man-crushed-working-car.html

These Jack Stands with the handle you flip to drop it down, are not the safest things designed. They should be drilled for a pin as a safety after they are set to the height needed.

I read on a Bimmer forum about a kid that was using these type Stands, and the car fell on him when the lever accidently was hit.

Baurspotting: Time out: Public Service Safety Message Followup

This is from the following Bimmer link

Safety First: Homemade Stands


Charlie

__________________
there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Charlie-
There was some disagreement here recently about whether the ratchet type type of jackstand are unsafe. I hope not because I just bought a new pair.
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/366990-homemade-car-ramps-no-laughing-3.html

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

Of course I wasn't there and didn't do the accident investigation so I can't say for sure but I'll wager that either the stands weren't on anything solid to start with or the ratchets weren't fully seated in the rack that the saddles are attached to. I've tried to dislodge the ratchets with a car on the stand and COULD NOT dislodge them with a pry bar. Guess what I'm saying is that there's got to be more to the story.

As far as ramps - if I ran the world they'd be illegal and all remaining ones would be destroyed. They are dangerous and the only way to make them safer is to set stands of some sort under there before any human goes under. Two deaths in my personal experience is enough.

Raising a car to work under it is always problematic. You have SO MUCH energy stored above your head when you lift that much weight that if anything goes wrong it won't be a good result. This is the place where a belt and suspenders makes sense. Guys have recommended putting a rim or a mounted tire/rim assembly as a back-up - nothing wrong with that. I've solved the whole issue by installing a hoist - worth evey penny of the $1700 I have invested (+ the shop to put it in). Still, whenever I set up a car on it I'll get all 4 tires off the floor and shake before raising the car any further. Every once in a while the car will shift a tad. After I change my undies I reset the hoist dogs.

Dan

I don't know the specifics of that boy's death, but I'll wager either elcheapo pin style stands were used what's a "4 ton stand" anyway? I've only seen 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 ton stands... or a ratchet style stand was used, and not seated well...
I simply cannot imagine the force needed to lift the lever of the ratchet stand...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!