[divotandtralee]

Screaming for help is hard to do if you can't breathe.. always have a buddy.. like swimming.

 

[PSk]

Screaming for help is hard to do if you can't breathe.. always have a buddy.. like swimming.

Not always possible, and if that is the case, turn brain on and think first and don't take short cuts

Pete

 

[divotandtralee]

I always have a buddy to hand me a tool when I'm under a car..... It's my excuse to have one.. but deep down I know the real reason.

 

[Vivace]

Yeah, if my wife is leaving the house, she says don't you crawl under that thing! I've read to always have your phone close by - but it has to be in reach and not stuck in your pocket.

On the original subject, I looked at the very tall HF stands that look just like the ones you posted. Did some measuring. It would be so nice to not be dragging and crawling around under there. Then I realized even my big 3-ton floor jack won't reach that high. Could use wood blocks, but....

 

[formerfiatfrank]

Once had a friend that modified his regular jack stands with extension pipes. He probably raised his Lancia 18” to 20”. With those small three legged footprints there was no way I would venture under his car though he did. Some folks like living on the edge.

 

[jimbbo]

Very surprised that there is no How To Safely Jack Your Spider article in the FAQ of the Spider-105 & 115 Series Forum. There are several little gems of advice mentioned here in this thread that you cannot find in a jack's instruction manual which could form the beginnings of a good FAQ:

• after removing a wheel, lay the wheel under the rocker nearby to back up the jack stand.
• after placing the car on jackstands, lower the jack and turn the handle to close the valve so that it is at the ready.
• never work under a jacked car with nobody else around to rescue you.
• teach your wife how to use the jack so as to be ready for a rescue jacking. (Don't go there!)
• have an easy to reach & activate method of signalling for help

To these, I could add:

• a portable air horn looks ideal as a "Help" signalling device (inexpensive, loud, easy to activate).
• do not use cinder or concrete blocks, stacks of wood or other crushable material to replace jack stands.
• do not use a jack or jack stand with ANY broken parts.
• disconnect the battery to prevent others from turning the starter over while you are under your car (especially if you have put the car in gear).
• chock both leading and trailing edges of the tires still on the ground.

I am sure there are many other members here who could add some more little gems to this list, and then maybe it could be rewritten as one post and put into the FAQ.

 

[PSk]

• never work under a jacked car

Corrected

Pete

 

[Vivace]

BMW E30 forum has this kind of info available -

 

[PSk]

So who is going to tip their car on it's side so we can do the same?

Pete

 

[jimbbo]

How does this look?
I welcome all comments and will make changes if needed.

 

[Covelo]

Another warning/observation: don't think that when things are stable that they will remain stable.

I am working on my 1987 Spider's front suspension and lifted the car up on four jack stands at the jacking points. Appeared to be a very stable setup with much repeated pushing and shoving. No problems when I took off all the passenger side front suspension bits.

Yesterday I did the drivers side and when I had it all off I brushed the front driver side jack stand and the bloody thing moved! No weight on it at all. After recovering from the heart attack I now had a car balancing on three jack stands (both rears and the right front). I solved it by jacking up the opposing corner a bit more with the car's jack to get everything stable again and then quickly lowered the rear wheels to the ground using a floor jack under the differential. It seems that the weight of the left front suspension kept the car on that left front jack stand and removing it made the whole setup tippy. A contributing factor is that I am using three different types of jack stands (all strong and secure) and they apparently don't lift/indent to exactly the same height (or my garage floor is not 100% level).

So I guess I won't be doing front and rear end work at the same time anymore...

 

[andylarry]

I remember back in the 70's, working on my first car, a 67 MG Midget, I would use plastic milk crates as jack stands. One summer day, a fellow MG owner was there helping me by handing me tools while I was under the car. After I came out for a breather, his dog crawled under the car for a cool respite. He immediately called for the dog to come out from under the car. I asked him why he did that. He replied that it wasn't safe.

 

[alfaloco]

I remember back in the 70's, working on my first car, a 67 MG Midget, I would use plastic milk crates as jack stands. One summer day, a fellow MG owner was there helping me by handing me tools while I was under the car. After I came out for a breather, his dog crawled under the car for a cool respite. He immediately called for the dog to come out from under the car. I asked him why he did that. He replied that it wasn't safe.

Jeez... What are friends for, right?