Cheap "thrill" ho-boy. - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

Paul Workman · 04-25-2015

Killed. Back in my college days, an acquaintance at a rival gas station (back in the days when gas stations had lifts and did actual service!) was killed when "the jack slipped"; he was crushed and died almost instantly, all before horrified witness co-workers could lift the car and drag him out.

So, whenever I'm under the car working off jack stands, his death is always in the back of my mind, and maybe I'm a little paranoid too, ya think?

Now-a-dayz, I gently set the car down on the jack stands to transfer the weight to them, BUT if possible I leave the (two) floor jacks still in contact with the frame, "just in case". Yesterday, was a "necessary" exception...I thought.

LSS, I had the rear up on jack stands, and the front rested on the hydraulic floor jacks as I Lie on my back, under the rear end to top-off the differential fluid I had just replaced.

Suddenly without warning (or provocation!), the purchase point of one of the jack stands shifted. I guess I hadn't had it positioned one of the stands just right and the car settled some. Well, that has happened before, but never while I was "exposed", as it were! (Heck, I was just going to squirt a little more fluid in the diff, having re-arranged the jacking to better level the car...no big deal, right?) BANG! The rear dropped about 1/2" and the car shuddered, the differential just inches from my face... It was over in a split second, but it SCARED THE LIVIN' PISS OUTTA ME! Not knowing what happened, and no redundant floor jacks protecting me, I banged my head and barked some knuckles in my panic getting out from under there!

Well, after catching my breath and reinspecting the jack stands and their setup, no harm done; the stands were perfectly perpendicular to the floor and securely under load-bearing frame pinch seams. False alarm. All was well. Refusing to let fear get the best of me, I crawled back under there, finished in about a minute w/o jostling the car more than needed to replace the fill plug when I finished.

I've NO ceiling height to allow a post lift, but I'm seriously in the market for a "Kwiklift", soon as funds allow! But, in the mean time, maybe those flat 2x4 "shims" that slide under the wheels might be a good interim solution...along with the redundant floor jacks for us paranoid DIY'ers.

Be safe out there, my friends! (Now, excuse me while I find some clean underwear!!)

04-25-2015	#1
Paul Workman Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Squires (near Ava MO in the Mark Twain N'tl Forest) - Missouri Posts: 6,493	Cheap "thrill" ho-boy. Killed. Back in my college days, an acquaintance at a rival gas station (back in the days when gas stations had lifts and did actual service!) was killed when "the jack slipped"; he was crushed and died almost instantly, all before horrified witness co-workers could lift the car and drag him out. So, whenever I'm under the car working off jack stands, his death is always in the back of my mind, and maybe I'm a little paranoid too, ya think? Now-a-dayz, I gently set the car down on the jack stands to transfer the weight to them, BUT if possible I leave the (two) floor jacks still in contact with the frame, "just in case". Yesterday, was a "necessary" exception...I thought. LSS, I had the rear up on jack stands, and the front rested on the hydraulic floor jacks as I Lie on my back, under the rear end to top-off the differential fluid I had just replaced. Suddenly without warning (or provocation!), the purchase point of one of the jack stands shifted. I guess I hadn't had it positioned one of the stands just right and the car settled some. Well, that has happened before, but never while I was "exposed", as it were! (Heck, I was just going to squirt a little more fluid in the diff, having re-arranged the jacking to better level the car...no big deal, right?) BANG! The rear dropped about 1/2" and the car shuddered, the differential just inches from my face... It was over in a split second, but it SCARED THE LIVIN' PISS OUTTA ME! Not knowing what happened, and no redundant floor jacks protecting me, I banged my head and barked some knuckles in my panic getting out from under there! Well, after catching my breath and reinspecting the jack stands and their setup, no harm done; the stands were perfectly perpendicular to the floor and securely under load-bearing frame pinch seams. False alarm. All was well. Refusing to let fear get the best of me, I crawled back under there, finished in about a minute w/o jostling the car more than needed to replace the fill plug when I finished. I've NO ceiling height to allow a post lift, but I'm seriously in the market for a "Kwiklift", soon as funds allow! But, in the mean time, maybe those flat 2x4 "shims" that slide under the wheels might be a good interim solution...along with the redundant floor jacks for us paranoid DIY'ers. Be safe out there, my friends! (Now, excuse me while I find some clean underwear!!) __________________ Good carz, good food, good friendz = the best of timez! 90 #1202 "FBI" top end ported & relieved Cam timing by "Pete the Greek" Sans secondaries Chip & dyno tuning by Haibeck Automotive SW headers, X-pipe, MF muffs Former Secretary, ZR-1 Net Registry Last edited by Paul Workman; 04-25-2015 at 10:16 AM.