hacker-pschorr

That's horrible - indeed a good reminder for us to stay safe. Like Bill said, put something solid under the car along with the jack stands.

I'm suprised there are not more accidents like this at the track. Most do not have paved much less level ground to work on track cars. I see very dangerous situations every track event in the pits.

the flyin' scotsman

We punctured a tyre in a new ford Escort (many years ago) in the middle of nowhere. No issues I thought, get out the scissor jack, off with the wheel, replace with spare, done. That was the theory anyway until the car moved slightly after it was jacked up and punctured tyre off causing the car to fall to the ground. Thankfully the only damage was time to wait for another car to come along with another jack to get it back in the air again.

Never trusted jacks, jack stands since on uneven surfaces.

Mike Frye

This is a very strange coincidence.

I'm really sorry to hear about this accident. I was actually thinking of starting a thread like this when I logged in tonight. I was just going to switch out my O2 sensor this afternoon, quick up and down (using the stands). But I got a test of my technique when the jack moved and the car dropped back down about a foot. Apparently my technique was OK, because it didn't hit me but it did scare the crap out of me. And it was too close for comfort because I wasn't expecting it.

I've done this so many times in the past 8 weeks that my mind wasn't really in it. This was a wake up call for me and this thread really brings it home.

Thanks for posting this, hopefully everyone that reads it will discuss it with their families as well and people will pay more attention when jacking and working on their cars.

Ron_H

Well, think about THIS then: If you live in California, particularly along the San Andreas fault or nearby, where are you going to be if "the BIG ONE" hits?? Anyone who has experienced these quakes, (and I have literally gotten all shook up in one of them), must realize how lateral displacement of masses as large as an automobile can take place, and in a VERY short period of time. Just remember the freeway through Oakland that collapsed on the cars travelling under it. What makes anyone think the car on the jackstand will remain in place if it begins to rock and roll while you're under it? Its one of my biggest fears in this state. I use two sets of stands and leave the floor jack in place somewhere under the car so that I might have a way out. Or maybe you're Superman and the above doesn't apply to you? Well, in that case, good luck. Or you can keep a pet elephant in your yard. Elephants and dogs and cats sense these things sooner and become restless. You could train him to set off an alarm..... Oh forget it. Just be prepared for lateral displacement moving the vehicle off of the jackstands instantly.

JHowell37

This is why I leave the hydraulic jack under the car in addition to the jack stands. Should something happen, it serves a back-up and all someone has to do is crank up on the jack.

It's terrible to hear of someone dying that way. But honestly, if you've got a family, you've got no business only having a cell phone that doesn't even get coverage at the house.

Deb

Sure don't trust jacks or jack stands especially when reefing on those bolts as in motor mount and torque tube replacement. Have always used two stacks of 2 x 4's (one for each wheel), the 2 x 4's are 3 feet long and each row is screwed to the row immediately below and alternating the long direction by 180 degrees. I believe that I ended up using 15 layers and jacking up each side of the car alternating sides till I had the right height leaving the tires on.

With proper wheel blocks in front and behind there is no way you can't safely tug away on those bolts and nuts.

Fogey1

Awful story. May he rest in piece.

When I was about 18, I was seated on the concrete garage floor, working on a wheel-less Citroen 15-6 that was up on two screw jacks on the passenger side. My legs were under the car when one jack started falling over toward me, along with the car. I was just quick enough to tuck my legs, push off and roll clear before the frame rails chipped concrete where my lap had been.

That one put the fear of God in me - and later I worked in the shop of a fellow who had a prosthetic leg in place of the one amputated by a Cadillac transmission in the 50's.

Today I'd be too slow, but today I wouldn't be there. Since then I've used just jacks to change tires, and even brake pads, but no body part goes underneath without a lot more safety. And I know even that is foolish.

Tampa 928s

I HAD THE Porsche jack slip on me the other day, that thing is a joke. I wanted to take all four wheels off it slipped sideways on the front pad, good thing the tires were on. I can't find a way to use the front jack point and a saftey stands at the same time. I use the rear cross member and put the stands on the rear jack points but the front I cannot find a way to do both. I feel unsafe even with the floor jack under the car with a 4x4 for back-up support. The other option is to place a safety stand on the body seam and watch in horror if the cars shifts and compresses the body panel. If anyone has a good way to over come this let me know, I have a lot more time planned under the car.

Daniel Dudley

A timely reminder. I too will leave the jack in place, but more often will try to shake the car off the stands before I pull the jack. If nothing budges, I feel OK. If anything shifts, I reset the stands.

It should go without saying, but how many people do you know who will have a few beers or smoke a joint before going out to jack the car up . The most important piece of safety equipment you have is your mind. I am always sorry to hear about these kind of accidents. Most are preventable.

F4GIB

These really work. They aren't cheap but the peace of mind is worth it.
http://www.kwiklift.com/

killav

I was told that the guy just barely eeked out a living. That's why he had just cancelled his home phone a few weeks earlier. And that's why he was out in the country, living in a trailer with his family, and working on his own cars.

One of the scariest moments under my car happend recently during a motor mount change. I had the car way up on four jack stands. During some heavy grunting and tightening of bolts, the rear passenger side jack stand slipped off the jacking pad. To my amazement, the car chassis was so stiff, that the car only dipped about an inch or less on that corner. I scrambled out of there like greased lightning. Only now do I realize how lucky I was. If it was a front jack stand, I might not be typing this today. The bad thing was that I HAD noticed that the jack stand was only about half way on the jacking pad. My guess is that is shifted around during my jacking of the front end. I think something had caught the front wheels of the jack and it pulled the entire car over slightly. All it takes is a small pebble or piece of stripped wire or anything and it will stop the jack from rolling under the car as you lift. Instead, the car comes to you. This is bad. Especially if you already have the rear of the car on stands, which I did.

Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net

Tampa 928s;
"but the front I cannot find a way to do both"

I usually jack up by the "skid plate" section under the front control arm mounting point. This allows you to put jack stands in the proper location.

hacker-pschorr

Friend of mine was helping out one day while I worked on the 928. Once I had the car up on 4 stands, I started to rock the car. He yelled out "what are you doing, you are going to knock it off the stands!!!"
I told him that was the idea.

It's rare that I'll have all four wheels off. Usually I have either the front / back on ramps. The end I'm working on, two stands and the jack on the cross member. Unless you are doing rod bearings. That was a bit nerve racking - wrenching on the suspension taking the cross member off without the safety net of a center mounted jack.

I purchased some good Snap-On stands, the center post is so long, even if the stand collapsed, the car would still be high enough to fit under.

Ted928

Very unfortunate and a good reminder.

When I was a teen, I heard a very long crash in the garage. Two cars and a boat were damaged. My sister had parked a Datsun 810 using the emergency brake only (did not put it in gear). After a few days, it rolled down the driveway - through the garage door which was up, and crashed into a 260Z up on stands -no wheels. As the Z moved and fell, the hood which was open caught and pulling down a sunfish boat which was suspended to the ceiling.
A few years prior, the other sister made the same mistake and a car damaged the divider between the two doors. A few year later, my sister in-law's car "committed suicide" the same way.
You have to teach people to keep it in gear.

piccardo

I have made it a habit. The second the wheel comes of the car, I lay it down and slide it under the car. Never trust the jack stands alone. Before you get under your car push it around to see if it is stable and leave the jack under there too.