Be careful, Max!

 

Take it slow,don,t take any chances.:anim_25::anim_25:

 

Glad I have my lift, but when I have to put a car up on stands, I try and shake it as vigorously as I can to insure it won't fall with me under it.

 

Even with jack stands I still put some solid blocks of wood under the frame rails in case the car slides off those jack stands. Be carefull buddy.

 

Always felt a little insecure w/jack stands - steel on steel is low friction combination . Hard to beat good big wood blocks against the steel - frame, rear axle housing or whatever.

 

I always double up some how.Even when its on stands I have the floor jack under the car somewhere.

 

I'm pretty paranoid about it now compared to my youth. A girlfriend lost her brother when his car sat on his chest for a couple hours with no one around. Not how I'd want to go so I triple up when I can..ramps, stands and jack..lotta car shaking before hand too. Be safe!!

 

Extending small jack stands all of the way out is dangerous.

Suggest 6 or 8 ton stands they are taller / sturdier.

Glad your ok.

 

Max, you don't know how lucky you were. Stands were on the axle which you separated from the vehicle i. e. vehicle free to pivot on the tangential surface of the axle. 3lease double up, cheapest insurance is to self insure. This to me would have been an event that caused me to revue all my final responsibilities: will, life ins., does the wife know where all documents are, all passwords,etc.
Jim

 

Never enough safety measures when under a car, I have several jack stands as a back up.

 

don't have to tell you, but will anyway. you are one lucky guy Max. 3:

 

I have always to my wife if she ever came up to the garage and found me dead on the floor, she would know I died doing what I enjoy doing. I meant if I died of natural causes not crushed to death with the car on top of me. Please be safe guys.

 

Yes shore it up. Mike

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but it looks like the car itself was secure on its jack stands, but the rear axle rotated off its stands because it was front heavy compared to where it was supported in only 2 places.

You always need a 3 or 4 point support on things like this unless you have something that will resist torque, like a transmission or differential jack.

Plan and always think ahead.

 

I believe you are correct. I had everything unbolted and was hammering on that front bolt on the leaf spring. It isn't a normal hex bolt but the bolt head has a small star/allen head that I can't turn as the star tool rounded out the bolt. Anyhow i did jack up the leaf spring a bit to relieve pressure on the bolt. Maybe that started the chain reaction. Not looking forward to moving the rear of the car back to its original spot. Its blocking my basement door.

 

In the photos, it appeared you had the car supported by jack stands UNDER The axle... NOT a safe thing to do when you are *removing* the rear end! I know you were removing the leaf spring, BUT.. when you remove the leaf spring, you are also REMOVING THE rear end.. Put the jack stands under the frame, front and rear, under an area that is 'flat' (not sloped) so it doesn't slip off. And as someone else suggested, after putting the car weight on your jackstands (under the frame), GIVE the car a good shake to make sure it's all secure before getting under it.

PS. For what you were doing, having the Jack under the rear end would be OK, so long as the frame was secure on jack stands..

 

Look at the photos again. He had jack stands under the frame, as well as under the axle. Trouble is, when the axle needed full support, it didn't have it and rotated off the stands. The car itself was stable.

 

Close call for sure.
Had a friend whose car slipped off the jackstands and pinned him underneath, he hollered until his family heard his screams and summoned his Dad who lived nearby to lift the car off of him.
Living alone, I always take my cell phone with me so I can either call someone for help, or call the coroner in case the worst happens...

 

WHEW !!!!!!!
Cowboy :flag6:
:gba:
bowtie-trifive

 

Please be careful, I hope the incident scared you enough to triple think all your jack stands from now on. Like was said, small jack stands up real high don't cut it. For that matter large stands up all the way aren't safe either. So make sure they are they are large enough that you hardly have to raise them. And as also was said, stands under the rear do no good when you are taking the rear out. You need stands under the frame.

 

I guess I really did not see the big disaster here, it appears he had bottle jacks and stands both under frame. The rear axle rotated on the springs when u -bolts were removed.