Car fell off of jack... Don't do this....

Ok, ok, ok.... I really didn't mean for this to be some safety briefing and analyzation of what I did. I really meant for it to warn people about making sure their jacks/etc were in good position on jacking points.

1. I had not removed any wheels/tires while jacking the car, nor had I crawled under it before or at the time the jack/block slipped...
2. No, the wheels were not chocked, but the Parking/E-brake was pushed down hard with my big arse putting some serious pressure on it.
3. Yes, I was using a piece of wood, that's what I meant by a piece of 2x6. A scrap piece of 2x6 framing lumber.
4. The center of the framing cross member is a bonafide jacking point, on this car.
5. Yes, I know how much new trucks cost. No, I wouldn't put $12k in a Ram, but I wouldn't have to, I wouldn't own one to start with. Would I put $10k in a new 5.7L Engine in my 2014 Tundra? Yes. But there's historical data proving that would be a great decision; the Tundra isn't likely to fall apart around the engine.
6. No, BlueOvalFitter didn't post in the wrong thread. He was halfway hi-jacking the thread, but also posting some helpful info to the young'uns about making sure you can refill the differentials before draining them.


Now...... back to your spreadsheets and other over-analyzing you need to do today.
 
Ok, ok, ok.... I really didn't mean for this to be some safety briefing and analyzation of what I did. I really meant for it to warn people about making sure their jacks/etc were in good position on jacking points.

1. I had not removed any wheels/tires while jacking the car, nor had I crawled under it before or at the time the jack/block slipped...
2. No, the wheels were not chocked, but the Parking/E-brake was pushed down hard with my big arse putting some serious pressure on it.
3. Yes, I was using a piece of wood, that's what I meant by a piece of 2x6. A scrap piece of 2x6 framing lumber.
4. The center of the framing cross member is a bonafide jacking point, on this car.
5. Yes, I know how much new trucks cost. No, I wouldn't put $12k in a Ram, but I wouldn't have to, I wouldn't own one to start with. Would I put $10k in a new 5.7L Engine in my 2014 Tundra? Yes. But there's historical data proving that would be a great decision; the Tundra isn't likely to fall apart around the engine.
6. No, BlueOvalFitter didn't post in the wrong thread. He was halfway hi-jacking the thread, but also posting some helpful info to the young'uns about making sure you can refill the differentials before draining them.


Now...... back to your spreadsheets and other over-analyzing you need to do today.
So the 2x6 scrap was being used as a jack-pad?
 
When I was young and stupid, I used to go under the car with just the scissor jack. One day, I was helping a friend and went under the car looking at something. Came back out from under car and went into garage to get something (I had the wrong socket I think) came back out and the scissor jack had folded itself in half and the car was resting on the rotor of the front passenger wheel (drivers side still had the tire on it.)

If I had the correct socket initially..........I would have been under there. Shook me up, big time. I still shudder thinking about it now years later.

I have NEVER gone under a vehicle again without proper jack stands (and if tires are off, they go under frame also.

To OP, glad you're okay!
 
And since you can't edit threads here -


When I say the "car fell off the jack", It's not like I had it jacked up 24" in the air, I was jacking it up... I wasn't under it, nothing was under it except air. Maybe I should have said "it slipped off while I was raising the front of the car"
Safety is important but you'll never avoid the safety police online. It's a form of virtue signaling. I just hope you were wearing your mask while jacking your car, alone, outside......then at least we know you're a good person
 
When I was young and stupid, I used to go under the car with just the scissor jack. One day, I was helping a friend and went under the car looking at something. Came back out from under car and went into garage to get something (I had the wrong socket I think) came back out and the scissor jack had folded itself in half and the car was resting on the rotor of the front passenger wheel (drivers side still had the tire on it.)

If I had the correct socket initially..........I would have been under there. Shook me up, big time. I still shudder thinking about it now years later.

I have NEVER gone under a vehicle again without proper jack stands (and if tires are off, they go under frame also.

To OP, glad you're okay!
When younger and somehow dumber than I am today,, I installed a TTB lift on a FS Bronco with questionable jack stands WAY back on the frame (you kinda have to to get behind the radius arms)...outside in the dirt. I *did* put the jackstands on equally questionable plywood so they would sink into the dirt less

In hindsight today there's no way I'd get under that setup now.....
 
Safety is important but you'll never avoid the safety police online. It's a form of virtue signaling. I just hope you were wearing your mask while jacking your car, alone, outside......then at least we know you're a good person

I was. Mind you, I live on 10 acres and also had three industrial fans blowing away from me in three different directions to be the safest.
 
So the 2x6 scrap was being used as a jack-pad?
I’m thinking that is what he meant.

I have a HF 1.5 ton aluminum jack that works fine on my accord and her Altima but doesn’t get her daughters jeep or her other daughters 2009 Crv high enough so I use two 2x4 pieces screwed together to help me get it jacked a little higher then put my jack stands in
 
All kidding aside glad you're ok and $110 is something we can all likely live with. I used to take getting under the car for granted but I don't and at least place jack stands. I have these nice Escos that are low and have flat rubber so no excuse not to.

I've done dumb things before. Was doing rear brakes and forgot I had set the parking brake. Yanked and yanked on the rotor and it ripped the shoes from the parking brake off. I panicked--could not find a pic online to see how it's supposed to be. Then I pulled a genius move. Take the other side off and look....
 
I’m thinking that is what he meant.

I have a HF 1.5 ton aluminum jack that works fine on my accord and her Altima but doesn’t get her daughters jeep or her other daughters 2009 Crv high enough so I use two 2x4 pieces screwed together to help me get it jacked a little higher then put my jack stands in
I recently saw the Project farm review...I have 2 3 ton low pro steel HFT from long ago when they were like $80. they seem to be all over YouTube. Besides being heavy, they seem to do well. I also have 2, 1.5 ton that are nice and light, but I prefer the 3 ton. My wife's SUV is 4980 lbs so that's why I got the 3 ton ones.
 
Learned the hard way when I was 18 not to trust a jack, and concrete blocks isn't a replacement for jack stands. Got lucky and only didn't my hand get out when it rolled forward, tore the pad off my thumb. That's a life long reminder.
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I used to be that way. Now I try to do everything. Heck, if the engine was gone in this thing, I was contemplating going to HF, getting an engine crane, engine stand/etc., another floor jack and looking for a replacement engine and swapping it myself.
Heck yeah!

Safety is important but you'll never avoid the safety police online. It's a form of virtue signaling. I just hope you were wearing your mask while jacking your car, alone, outside......then at least we know you're a good person
Well, unlike some things, jack stands have been proven to be effective.
 
I only do stuff on my vehicles that I feel like doing. So brakes and oil changes.

Oil changes I can do with car on the ground.

Brakes I do with the wheel jacked up but don't get under the car.
 
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