Jack stands & survival

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

The question was asked about working under a car supported only with a
trolley jack.

Yew gonna DIE, boy!

Don't EVER do this! All you need is one idiot neighbor to lean on the car as
in "Whatcha doin?" and y'all are DAID, son!

I saved a guy's life one time - he was working on an old Ford, bumper jack
only, rear wheels off, tar driveway, hot day. I just - just - noticed the
car beginning to move and yelled "GET OUT - ITS MOVING!!" Fortunately, he
didn't ask any questions and bailed out from under RIGHT NOW - no more than
a second later, the car fell. With no rear wheels on it, there was maybe an
inch between the steel frame rails and the very hard ground. Two more
seconds and he would have been killed.

Always use jack stands AND block whatever wheels are still on the ground -
set the parking brake or put it in gear (as applicable or practical) and BE
CAREFUL - don't use cinder blocks either - they frequently crumble totally
without warning. I try to use blocks of wood - I have some old 8 by 12s
about two feet long, nasty, oily scrap lumber PLUS jack stands AND keep
everyone away AND minimise the time spent unde the car (can I do this from
the side or top?) AND always keep an escape route open if the worst happens.
(Don't work under a car up against a garage wall so you have to crawl out
the long way if it starts to move - don't laugh, it happens!)

We sure don't want to lose any Audinauts this way!

Unflattened and survived to a ripe old age Audinaut,

Mike Arman