saved a life today

You hear of so many things like this, it doesn't take any time to make sure your safe when your working on your car, especially when your alone. He's lucky you got there when you did.

 

Forgetting to use jack stands can be depressing. Glad you were there!

 

Good thing you were there, I know if I was him you'd NEVER run out of beer!

 

people are stupid. the other weekend a neighbor lifted his car up over his head with a forklift and was working underneath like it was on an actual car lift.

this wasn't a very big lift, and I'm sure it hasn't had any maintenance in years. idiot.

 

come on fellas' use your damn jack stands and eye proctection! I want to see you driving your cars, not pictures and farewell threads!!!!!!!!!

 

Even when using jack stands I put the floor jack under it near to where I'm working just to be safe.

 

I was 21 and helping a friend change his transmission. The car was up on good quality jackstands, well supported. What we didn't realize was that the driveway was asphalt and it was a hot sunny day. I was doing something a few feet away whan the car crashed on top of my friend.

One stand dug into the asphalt (not the most level driveway in the world) and the car went down. I was there in a flash, swung the jack under the car and got him out in seconds. He was a big guy, not fat but like 6'6" and strong. He has some bruises and an arm injury that turned out to be a severed artery that was luckliy enough crushed so the bleeding was next to nothing. A trip to the ER revealed that.

A few nights later we managed to get the job done safely, on a more level surface with plywood under the stands. He credits me with saving his life, which I doubt that he would have died since other people were around besides me. At home, I have a 1/2 dozen pieces of plywood cut into 16" x 16" squares that I use between my jack stands and the driveway, religiously.

I don't keep the jack under the car. If the car fell on top of it, it would either be trapped or bent to a point where it would be unusable.

Bob

 

The "It'll never happen to me" idea is bullshit.

I've always used jackstands, never had an issue that I can remember. Always wear my seatbelt too.

 

I have the big stacks of 2x4s as chocks for under the wheels, jack stands and a jack. I dig the overkill thing.

 

Your friend should consider you his "Guardian Angel" personified!

 

Every time i go to a buddys house to help or drink beer the first thing I do is check for jackstands on a raised car its just habit And i have 3 sets of stands myself and some big woodblocks just in case I hope your pal learned from this

 

HEY GUYS, thanks for making me feel like a hero, haha but i didnt do anything anyone of you guys wouldn't have done, anyways i wanted to update you on my buddys condition, he was really sore last night and went the hospital to get himself checked out, everything checked out ok, and doc called his a dumbass. haha

 

guess you were there at the right time, at the right place,
thank god too what a bad way to go

 

Back in high school me and some buddies were pulling a th350 from a blazer and my buddy kept slipping under with just a jack after we kept telling him not to. Long story short, when we were scavaging(sp) other parts, the truck fell on him, we all freaked out....then we realized he was okay, just enough to where he could breathe enough...we finished our beers before letting him up, we all learned a valuble lesson that day, mean yes, but taught him...lol. My dad was always pretty hard on me about it. For very good reason. Im also very strict about it.

 

Yeah, same here, I take enough pressure off it to just break contact with the car but leave it in position then lock it. If something does happen I figure it might buy me a few seconds to get clear or a few inches of clearance so I can at least breathe until help comes.