Technical I'm resisting temptation

I need to get under Clarence for about 30 seconds. I'd love to just do it and be done. I'm going to block it up with cribbing like a good boy though. Don't need Sherry to come looking for me in a few hours only to find me crushed.

 

Like a healthy alive good boy.

 

Cribbing

 

I'm partial to cribbing. I don't trust jackstands, no matter how high they're rated.

 

I got tired of questionable jack stands and/or lugging around 2x4 cribbing. This is what I sprung for. Not as cheap as 2x4's but lighter and easier to move around.
https://www.raceramps.com/

 

Another option so you don't have to roll out the floor jack. The ramp assembly is removable.

Eastwood Detachable Car Ramp Set for Low Cars

 

Those might work, but I’d be scared to put a heavy car or truck on them since they are plastic. It might be strong, but I don’t trust plastic as much as I do steel or even properly supported wood.

 

At least use something. Getting squished would ruin your whole day.

 

3600 pounds each ramp, 7200 pounds total. Work just fine on the front of my '39 p/u with a flathead. Just saying.

 

I know, I'm preaching to the choir, but since you showed up....
Good going, slow is cheap if the price of quick is your health and well being.
There is larger price than a sudden tragic end.
It's been mentioned before, but I have experience with a Buick's gravity giving me an unscheduled time off.
The point I'll make is that some things are permanent.
The damage is carried every day there after.
Thanks for sharing.

 

I feel ya, but they ain't the plastic we grew up with.

 

Yeah, recent threads about failing jackstands are a little scary. Usually, I'll rest the car on the stands then pump up the floor jack so it has pressure on the chassis as well. One might think a shop with a lift would eliminate the need. But it's packed with projects!

 

Awwww, go for it. Have a neighbor kid hold your beer.
What could go wrong?

lol. Obviously kidding.

 

I see a rack of wheels in the background. Lay down one under each wheel and ease it back down. Good Luck.

 

Every year I see a story about someone getting crushed under a car, I always use my jackstands but also leave the jack holding against the frame. Most of my vehicles are trucks that are high enough that they would not crush me, but I am old enough to have learned the hard way that what can go wrong will.

 

Wise to excercise caution. It is always good to get to participate in tomorrow.

Someone will probably be along shortly to say that you worry too much...... and that everyone is getting soft...... and blah blah blah. Can you guess who it might be? I'm sure it won't be 2long.......

 

You get no do overs on this activity, if something goes wrong!

 

The modern plastic ramps are well-engineered, light, and sturdy. I use them regularly to change oil and other chassis service on my modern DD pickup. Plastics are not what they were 20+ years ago. I trust them over steel ramps, for sure.

As a materials engineer, there is no reason not to trust the plastic ramps.

Especially if we're talking about the stamped steel style pictured below that are prone to flexing, twisting, collapsing, and even cracking.

 

I’ve got two sets of metal ramps just like that I’d trust any day with any vehicle I own.
Plastics may have improved the last few years, but I have memories of not so good plastics that would break without notice, so no, I still don’t trust plastic. My metal ramps have never flexed or twisted, and I do look at them each time to make sure there aren’t any cracks or breaks on them.

 

Good idea. Snowman ⛄️

 

@atch
Are you still alive? We are starting to worry.

 

Oh, yeah. Thanks for asking.

I put solid wood cribbing under each side of the front end; out close to the wheels.

You'll NEVER see me under any car/truck without very solid wood cribbing.

 

Short sections of railroad timbers make excellent cribbing. If you get under there and get crushed, we’ll never speak to you again!

 

The debate about plastic being no good reminds me of the old crochety parts store owner in town that years ago didn't want any of that "new fangled plastic pipe" in the lawn sprinkler system being installed at his house. It took forever for him to find someone who would even work with "good old" galvanized pipe and I don't even want to think what it costed. But to each his own.

 

Railroad timbers with jackstands on top of them.

 

I have jack stands, plastic ramps, metal ramps, 10" race ramp cribs, and 12" 2x4 cribs, all used for various situations, but a lot of the time I use some 4' long sections of 12" aluminum I-Beam and just slide them under the vehicle as a backup.

 

My son had someone give him a pair of those steel ramps that were both twisted and nearly smashed to the ground. I believe he has already scrapped them. The guy drove his modern 1/2 ton Chevy truck onto them, but bumped the steering wheel as he was climbing out of the raised, still running, truck. The tires turned a bit and the new (1st time used) steel ramps just folded up and collapsed. Those steel ramps were rated well above the weight of the truck. Seems the modern steel ramps are on par with the modern jack stands.

For the few times I'm going to be under anything I jack up around here, I'm going to keep using my 40 year old made in the USA 8,000lbs jack stands.

 

I can see why you would have that opinion, but plastics have changed a lot. I'm just saying modern plastics can be trusted.