Remnder: BE SAFE WHILE WORKING ON YOU CARS!

Discussion in 'General Maverick/Comet' started by Rick Book, Aug 11, 2007.

  1. Rick Book

    Rick Book Member

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    No need to bash the deceased and say what he should've done - just a reminder to all my pods out there.


    HOUSTON -- A man died after a call fell on top of him on Thursday, KPRC Local 2 reported.


    Harris County sheriff's deputies said Hilton Simmons was working on the car in his driveway on Plain River near Maple Hill Drive at about 9 p.m.

    Neighbors said they became concerned when they noticed that the car had been running for a long time. They went to check on Simmons, 68, and found him under the car.


    ref source:
    http://www.click2houston.com/news/13863717/detail.html

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2007
  2. dmhines

    dmhines Dixie Maverick Boy

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    Where are the jack stands? Never work under a car without them ...
     
  3. Maverick Guy

    Maverick Guy Maverick Enthusiast

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    It's unfortunate to hear news like this. That's a sober reminder never trust a jack alone. I hate to admit when I was a teenager, it was easy to be tempted to run the jack up and check things out underneath the car real quick. Today, I when I grab the jack, I always use my jack stands. Safety first!
     
  4. scooper77515

    scooper77515 No current projects.

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    Anna sits out in the garage with me most of the time when it is off the ground. At least if it DOES fall on me, she can get it off or get help within seconds, not let me lay there for a few hours...

    She does this because she is worried, not because I ask her to. But I don't mind, I like the extra security.

    and I DO use jackstands...
     
  5. Jean Doll

    Jean Doll Maverick Restoration Tech

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    We never, ever jack up a car and not use jack stands. If you don't use them you are taking your life into your hands, as that poor fellow found out. It's also a good idea to ' lock ' the stands in place, that is tap the sides of them with a hammer to be sure they are firmly in place. A couple of times I have seen cars sitting on jack stands and the stands were leaning because they were not locked in place.
     
  6. bmcdaniel

    bmcdaniel Senile Member

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    And make sure they are good jackstands, there are some cheesey ones out there. I've related this story before, but...

    About 25 years ago I was replacing a power steering rack on my mother's car. The front of the car was up on jackstands. Don't remember the brand or where I got them but they were the folded and welded sheetmetal style. I crawled out from under the car to do something at my workbench, crawled back under the car and realized I left a tool I needed on the workbench. Crawled out again and went to the bench, which was only about three steps away, and I heard a loud cracking noise and the car fell on the floor! Remember the steering rack and front wheels were off the car. It was flush on the ground where I had been laying just 10 seconds before. Well, after I cleaned the $hit outa my pants I looked to see what happened. The welded saddle on one of the jackstands had broken off. When that one went the stand on the other side bent a leg and kicked out. I immediately went out and bought the strongest set of forged-saddle jackstands I could find.
     
  7. jmgford

    jmgford Member

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    I had a friend in high school that suffocated when his car rolled forward and tipped the jack stands over while he was under it. It was on a very slight incline. He had no injuries, but the car put enough pressure on his chest that he was unable to breath.
     
  8. don graham

    don graham MCG State Rep

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    at the track if you are caught under the car with no jackstands, they'll ask you to leave. i very rarely get under the car without 2 ways to hold it up. jack and jackstands. if one fails there's a 2nd option.
     
  9. greasemonkey

    greasemonkey Burnin corn

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    A freekin continental!!! Sometimes when i worked on them at the lincoln store i wish one would just fall on me and put me out of my misery!
    But back to topic,yes be safe it only takes a second to set the stands and be safe.
     
  10. fan2488

    fan2488 Member

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    i have had a car fall on me. glad my friend was there to jack it back up. he almost hit me in the head with the jack putting it back under the car. scary ordeal. this was many years ago when i was 18. now always use jack stands
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2007
  11. PINKY

    PINKY .....John Ford.....

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    at the Sportsdrome a few weeks back I watch 3 guys crawl under a late model that was only on the floor jack.
    MikeO. who is my buddy that helps me (he is trying to learn about cars) was shown, by me, that is NOT the way it will be done in the #5 pit!
     
  12. CaptainComet

    CaptainComet Large Member

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    Jack stands

    When I was 18,(30 years ago ... ) I had my first Comet up on a scissor jack.I had just gotten it and wanted to check the rear brakes. Got the wheel off, tugged on the brake drum and realized that the parking brake was still set. I stuck my head in through the open drivers window and released the brake.

    That is when the whole world went into sloooowww motion ...

    The Comet slowly started to roll forward. I tried as hard as I could to stop it by pushing on the back part of the open window frame and get back to the brake in time, but it just kept coming forward. The car finally popped off the jack and the rear frame landed on my dad's freshly painted garage floor in the brand new house, cracking it. My 12 year old sister, the only other person home at the time, came running out of the house, fully expecting to see two twitching legs sticking out from under the car. I'm glad to have disappointed her. :p

    I am much more careful now.

    Not that long ago, I was the "jack stand Nazi" at the local drag strip. Three 18 year olds had their Fox Mustang a couple of feet it the air, supported only by a rolling floor jack under the rear pumpkin. All three of them under it. I squawked at them pretty well, but somehow I doubt it sank in.

    It is amazing we ever make it to be adults. ;)
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2007
  13. ATOMonkey

    ATOMonkey Adam

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    I learned this lesson early in life from my dad.

    Always use jack stands and shake the car real hard when you get it up.

    I let someone borrow my 2 ton stands to work on his 3rd gen camaro. It came back shaped liked a U. I was helping him R&R his tranny in his driveway. It was on an incline, but that's not a big deal if you set it up right. Anyway, I don't know how the hell he did that, but I'm glad I wasn't under it when it happened.

    I really liked the "cam lock" or whatever type jack stands, just because they're easier to use, but lately all I can find is the kind that use the big pin. I gues the pin is more safe, but it's kind of a pain in the ass.
     
  14. Slk70

    Slk70 Member

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    A tire or something... this was something my dad drilled into me when I was approx. 16 when I started working on cars. Has stuck with me every since. You should always sticjk something under the car no matter how small the job is.
     
  15. 408w-maverick

    408w-maverick Member

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    I am 16 and me and my dad put my mav on stands last week end he taught me a long time ago to use all the extra support ya can i have 4 6-ton stands and 4 2-stands under for saftey.
     

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