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Wondering what is going to be the safest way to do spend some time on my back under the car. After PandaSelecta's horror story with the axles stands, it has made my wonder if these are the best way to go after all? I don't need to take the wheels off so the small wheel ramps are an option. I need to work on the floor so want the car horizontal, at least a foot higher than standard ride height. So axle stands or steel car ramps?
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Stu_B
Posted a lot
Investing in rust!
Posts: 1,266
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Both. I drive mine up onto ramps at the front then jack up the back & support it with axle stands. If you use them correctly with the axle sitting in the cups they can't/won't/shouldn't slip.
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got any old wheels you can put under the cars wheels ? or blocks of wood
as long as theres something solid under it so you wont get squashed if something was to slip
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91 golf g60, 89 golf 16v , 88 polo breadvan
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Correctly positioned jack stands should be fine - alternativley jack the car up and lower the wheels down onto something like an old set of steels, breeze blocks etc so its sitting on all 4 wheels and stable
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check the condition of your axle stands periodically, a lad I know was killed when his car fell on him off axle stands. They are steel so they rust and the welds on some cheapo ones can give out over time
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Safest working under car?BenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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check the condition of your axle stands periodically, a lad I know was killed when his car fell on him off axle stands. They are steel so they rust and the welds on some cheapo ones can give out over time Christ, that's awful. I much prefer working under a car on ramps or with the wheels standing on something (very) solid. If I must use axle stands, and that's often the case, I put wheels under the sills as extra insurance. I might still get bruised if the worst happens but at least I won't be crushed.
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Buy big sturdy axle stands.. there's no reason why good quality ones should ever cause an issue providing they're used correctly. If it's a long term job consider making something more sturdy. I made these adjustable trolleys on castors. Adjustable for height and width. A car is mega stable on these... Or you could do it like an Aussie scrapyard by welding some rims together ;D
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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I have almost pulled several cars off axle stands, they are not that stable if your pulling on a long bar trying to undo something or split a ball joint for instance, ramps can be used under the car in the same way if you need all the wheels off and are more stable, the best way is to only lift one end at a time and make sure the wheels on the floor are well chocked so it cant roll backwards or forwards.
You have to be carefull how ever you do it though a couple of wheels and tyres under the chassis rail somewhere gives you some safety margin if it does fall off.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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As has been said it's often good to leave 2 wheels on the floor, or at least something stable. When working on my exhaust or something similar where the whole car needs to be in the air I tend to bump one side up a curb and put the other side on stands with something like some wheels under it as a fail safe. I also usually leave the jack under and locked, just not quite touching.
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I'm I'm going to be working for more than what I can do in a couple of hours (i.e. the car is up for a week or two etc) then three breezeblocks sit at each corner. They hold up houses, so a car isn't going anywhere.
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breeze blocks are not good, they can crumble unexpectedly if you add enough extra stress, bricks are the same, your better off with railways sleepers or something similar.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Breeze blocks are only meant to take an evenly spread static load,
If a car drops on one and the load is focused on one spot dynamically it may shatter. (like hitting it with a sledge hammer)
Wheels and tyres or large lumps of wood is what I use as a backup
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1985 Bedford CF2 camper 1991 Volvo 240 Turbo
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Breeze blocks are unsafe as hell for this sort of thing. Its so very easy to break them, and they will crumble without warning under many conditions. I have a cruddy old camper van at the farm parked on a slope with a breeze block holding it since the handbrake is useless. Just the other day I saw the block had broken up into 3 or 4 pieces. I did the safe thing and....well, no I didnt.... I put another block infront of a different wheel. Do as I say, not as I do etc etc.
As for lifting a car, get 2 pairs of drive-on ramps. Drive up one pair, then jack up the back end and slide the second pair under the rear wheels. Assuming the ramps are reasonable quality and on solid, level ground its about the safest way to work under a car.
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1986 Panda 4x4. 1990 Metro Sport. 1999 Ford Escort estate.
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I suppose how you support the car depends on what you are doing. I find a combination of ramps one end, axle stands the other works pretty well to get a couple of feet maximum space under a car, this is fine for brake pipes, some exhausts (some will be a pain and hit the floor) many rwd gearbox/clutch jobs and of course the inevitable welding (fire precautions apply.. don't get boxed in under the car!). Anything involving long bars/levers should be done with as many wheels on the floor as possible - backs on the floor if it is bellhousing bolts, if you are in a wheelarch leave the other 3 on the ground, that sort of thing, also don't put your legs underneath, squat or kneel in front of the job.
Quality stands are a must, not the tiny folding ones either (I've had mine 20 years) as is a solid, level floor. Don't even try to stand a car on a sloping driveway. Common sense is the main thing, and not getting complacent and sloppy because you haven't died yet. I have also lost friends this way, always check stability, and think about what you are doing. Placing the axle stands under the car but leaving the jack raised for example...
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in
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jikovron
Part of things
mechanical chaos
Posts: 633
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not much to add as ive had a few questionable methods before but,,,,,assuming the car is on a hard flat surface i always put the handbrake off untill jacked to the required height,,and try to line up the trolley jack longitudinaly with the car so as the jack arm lifts in an arc it pulls the car freely on its wheels rather than drag it sideways and potentialy slip the pad off the jacking point ( if the jack snags on a crack or hole etc) then i stick wheels under or use wide base stands
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chevazon
Posted a lot
1939 Chevrolet 2 door coupe, `67 `Zon estate, `87 Ragtop Cavalier, 4 x 800 Drifters,(!) 1500 Drifter
Posts: 2,259
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Good advice by people who know what they are doing. Do not use bricks/breezeblocks ! Use decent stands on the level surface. Leave your jack up as another stand for extra safety. Try not to use scissors or side jacks that use the jacking points which always seem to be the first point on a vehicle that rust attacks ! Ramps and stands are the way to go.
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I've got two pairs of ramps. Second set have the ramp part detachable so end up as just a "wheel platform".
Paul H
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Ive just been under the back of the herald with the back wheels on ramps, works okay.
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Plenty of backups is the method I always use, a second set of stands to 'catch' the car if it slips off the first, and wheels underneath whenever they're off.
I've never had a problem but a guy a few houses down from me was killed last year by a car falling on him. Not nice.
When undoing something really tight, especially if you're using a big extension bar, I always try and position it so I'm pushing the car directly down onto the stands. If you're pushing forwards, backwards or up then there's much more chance of it coming off whatever it's standing on.
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Safest working under car?accord83
@accord83
Club Retro Rides Member 51
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Railway sleeper cut into 18 to 24" sections, Stack em under them lower the car, then the sharp bits of vehicle bite in and grip the softer wood, Then I rock on the car (17 stone of me) to make sure its firm, if it supports a train, it'll support an Escort! I have a habit of kicking axle stands. Ya can't beat a good wood! Bricks/breeze blocks etc are a quick route to being two dimensional.
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74 Mk1 Escort 1360, 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL2000 Estate.
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