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Hello All;
A disagree with one statement in this posting. Tripod jack, or axle
stands, are cheap garbage, do not use them. Anytime that I have seen
stands fall over, or tip, it was always the three legged kind. Four legged ones
always have a wider, more stable stance then three legged ones, it just plain
physics. Its the same reason that you don't see three wheeled cars or three
legged cows. I was loaned a pair or the tripod type and I threw them in the
trunk and decided not to use them, they were just too tippy especially when they
were extended.
Just for reference my jackstands consist of a pair of full
dimensional fir 6 x 6's under the frame, not the front axle, with a 2 x 8
and a 2 x 10 underneath each 6 x 6. The car will not move or shake with this
arrangement, I can stand one the bumper and jump around and it is as solid as a
house. The E-brake is on and the rear wheels are stuck in a rut and will not
roll. The car has sat that way for a year with no problems.
The question that I have with this accident is where was the poor
fellow situated when the car fell off the stands? Were the wheels off or on the
car? On thing that I have heard is that it is a lot harder to get crushed if the
wheels stay on, unless you are laying under one of them or the A-arms. The
wheels will at least stop the car from hitting the ground with its axles and
give some possibilty of breathing room. Of course the best way to avoid all of
this is to get a hoist like Kerry or move the car over a pit to work under it
but that isn't always feasable.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
Needing A Left Side Taillight bezel and other trim parts
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 4:05
PM
Subject: Re: IML: Tragic, yet preventable
accident!
I am extremely sorry to hear about
that trajic accident, as once again we are reminded how extremely valuable
life is. I would like to make a suggestion to everyone reading this....Do NOT
TRUST Jackstands by themselves! As we all know there are all makes and sizes
of stands out there and sometimes in the interest of saving a few bucks we buy
the cheaper ones. #1) As all IMPERIAL owners know, BIGGER is BETTER. Always
use overkill in deciding on a purchase that could affect your life when
working on your automobile. Jackstands should be of the TRIPOD design, meaning
THREE legs, and not FOUR. They should also have sufficient bracing and the
height adjustment should be PINNED in place. I myself very rarely use
Jackstands, and MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT use CEMENT(cinder) blocks( the weight of
5,000 + lbs. can easily crack the blocks!! I would rather use WOOD. I have
over 1 dozen 4"x6"x12"long pressure trated blocks along with several 4"x4"x6"
p.t. blocks that I arrange in a criss-cross pattern under each side of the
frame. The top block is always a 4"x4" that should end up placed perpendicular
to the frame, so that when the car is lowered onto the wood it will compress
across the grain of the wood so as to compact it, not split it. The wood acts
like a cushion and conforms slightly to the steel resting on it. You can
actually take a 20lb long-handled sledge and give them a few good wallops;
with the weight of the car and the pavement against the wood, it WILL NOT
BUDGE! #2) Any Jacking device should be of the 3 Ton or better #3) Ramps are
another point to consider- some are TOO small for a 15"+ wheel, I had a pair
where the backside of the tire was actually a few inches DOWN the ramp even
though the tire was up against the stop! When using ramps, ALWAYS use a Wedge
block behind BOTH tires on the ground; a few whacks with a hammer to lock them
in place won't hurt either(as long as you don't miss the blocks and whack
something else!) #4) Always try to place the auto on pavement or solid ground,
you"ll be surprised how fast a floor jack sinks into your lawn! #5) If working
on a Hot Summer day the blacktop becomes soft; I find that sliding a 1/2" or
thicker piece of exterior plywood about 3 feet wide x4 to 6 feet long will not
only protect you, it will prevent your floor jack from creating sink holes in
your driveway. Everyone just needs to use common sense and think things
through before doing them, that way there will be more IMPERIALISTS around to
enjoy their accomplishments.
Mike Veronesi-President of the Northeast IMPERIAL Owners Club;
(N.E.I.O.C.) 1967 Imperial Crown: 1969 Imperial LeBaron; 1990
Imperial....?
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