When I was in high school, early '70's, a friend died when he was under his VW Beetle trying to kick a stuck wheel off that had rusted to the brake drum. This was fairly common on the old VW's.
He hit the jack with his foot, it slipped, VW fell onto his chest. Just a kid with no safety awareness making a fatal error.
Bad, bad scene.
I always put something big under a vehicle besides the jack stand.
Usually the tire/wheel I take off or a big block of wood.
jharry3 wrote: I always put something big under a vehicle besides the jack stand. Usually the tire/wheel I take off or a big block of wood.
I call these "horror reducers."
Oh sure, but when I put two wheels under a car to support it on a loose surface, the Internet goes apeE36 M3 over me not using a jackstand...
I got rid of my old pin-type stands, partly because they were many decades old, and I didn't feel that secure with them. Although I think that the risk is pretty low when using the ratcheting stand that I have now, I ordered two pairs of the double locking strongways.
I also like redundancy. I drop the car onto the jack stand, check it for stability, then raise the jack back up until it has a bit of load on it.
GameboyRMH wrote:jharry3 wrote: I always put something big under a vehicle besides the jack stand. Usually the tire/wheel I take off or a big block of wood.I call these "horror reducers."
mild crunch vs squish. I'll take it
Another jack stand safety thing came to mind. You need to mind the center of gravity of the car you're dealing with, with a lot of FWD stuff the balance point isn't very far aft of the front pinch weld jacking points. I figured that one out when I discovered that I could bench press a 2000lb car from underneath the back bumper.
I don't understand the purpose of the video. Using a lever to release a jackstand isn't proof of anything except a math law. The roll pin isn't a "safety feature", it secures the pawl to the release handle and is not intended to shear in some safe manner or in some way protect the user. If it was, it would be stated so in literature included with the jackstand.
ChasH wrote: I don't understand the purpose of the video. Using a lever to release a jackstand isn't proof of anything except a math law. The roll pin isn't a "safety feature", it secures the pawl to the release handle and is not intended to shear in some safe manner or in some way protect the user. If it was, it would be stated so in literature included with the jackstand.
Skipped past page 2 of this discussion, eh? 
mainlandboy wrote:ChasH wrote: I don't understand the purpose of the video. Using a lever to release a jackstand isn't proof of anything except a math law. The roll pin isn't a "safety feature", it secures the pawl to the release handle and is not intended to shear in some safe manner or in some way protect the user. If it was, it would be stated so in literature included with the jackstand.Skipped past page 2 of this discussion, eh?
Not really. Just adding my 2 cents since I couldn't post earlier.
Toyman01 wrote:Trans_Maro wrote: Tools don't have a brain, you'll have to use yours.I think I'll be hanging a sign in my shop that says this.
Trans_Maro, I sent you a PM. I got some bumper stickers made. I'll be happy to send you a couple if you shoot me a address.
Oh man I want one!
Toyman01 wrote:Toyman01 wrote:Trans_Maro, I sent you a PM. I got some bumper stickers made. I'll be happy to send you a couple if you shoot me a address.Trans_Maro wrote: Tools don't have a brain, you'll have to use yours.I think I'll be hanging a sign in my shop that says this.
I would like to purchase one if possible. My el Camino needs it.....
They cost me about $4 each. They are too big for a regular envelope, but I can probably mail them for about $2 including a large envelope. Anyone that wants one, send me a PM and I'll shoot you a paypal email.
I only ordered 10 of them, so if more than 10 people want them, it will take a week or so to get more in.
Oh my...
BrokenYugo wrote: Another jack stand safety thing came to mind. You need to mind the center of gravity of the car you're dealing with, with a lot of FWD stuff the balance point isn't very far aft of the front pinch weld jacking points. I figured that one out when I discovered that I could bench press a 2000lb car from underneath the back bumper.
I like the time I pulled the engine out of a K3500 and the front came off the lift.
Fortunately the rear tires were close to the ground.
At my old shop there was a guy using the jack as the holding tool and the stands as the safety. There was two inches between the jack and the I beam. When the jack failed it dropped around 12,500 pounds on a pair of twelve ton jack stands which failed in spectacular fashion. The pin ripped the adjustment holes from top to bottom, it was astounding.
As an aside, leaving the jack up as a safety can cause problems also. We had a W9 that the air bags settled and pulled it off the jack stands and the "safety" went through the cast oil pan of a C16. Mucho dinero.
Knurled wrote: Oh sure, but when *I* put two wheels under a car to support it on a loose surface, the Internet goes apeE36 M3 over me not using a jackstand...
Is this where I don't tell you guys about the time I was involved in a lifted Dodge truck being supported by harbor freight jack stands at full extension...on top of 2x6 pieces of wood...spread across 15" Pacer steel wheels...
(had to drop the rear axle, pretty sure there was a log under one of the frame rails as well)
Knurled wrote: Oh sure, but when *I* put two wheels under a car to support it on a loose surface, the Internet goes apeE36 M3 over me not using a jackstand...
I don't see no jackstands.
Thank you Evan. 
(The jack is holding the rearend up as I manipulate it to find the appropriate height to access what was left of my exhaust system. The car is supported by other means.)
(PS - After I got back to Cleveland, I stitched the muffler back together with my friends Miller, Argon, and ER70S6. Muffler still good 2 1/2 years later, been driving the car all week!)
If you are really concerned about it you can remove the pin and grind off more of the pawl to increase the force required to release.
The further the pawl can go past vertical, the more force that will be required to release the stand for a given load.
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