Just a reminder...

[michelle]

Use jackstands people.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/man-dies-after-car-falls-on-top-of-him


Man dies after car falls on top of him
35-year-old Marvin Welch died Saturday

Updated: Sunday, 04 Jul 2010, 2:19 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 04 Jul 2010, 12:58 PM EDT

LAWTON, Mich. (WOOD) - A Lawton man died after the car he was working on fell on top of him Saturday afternoon.

Lawton police told 24 Hour News 8 Marvin Welch, 35, was at his home on Nursery Street working under his car. Around 3:30 p.m., the car fell off the floor jack and ramps holding up the vehicle, pinning Welch underneath the vehicle.

A passerby saw Welch trapped under the car and rescue crews were called. The crews were able to lift up the car and remove Welch from underneath. Welch was taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead later in the day.

Welch is survived by his wife and two children.

Another article stated it was a 1982 Camaro.

[GRM-REPR]

I hear this article loud and clear. When I was young, I didn't use stands; just the jack. Worst was when a u-joint on a 72' Skylark I had, broke on I-43 at night. Came back the next morning and used a little floor jack (the 20lb type) and replaced the joint on the side of the freeway with my brother. Every time a semi would go by, the car would shake.

Pretty f*cking stupid and this article is a good reminder to play it safe and I'm not talking to the seasoned veterans here but maybe the younger ones who disregard the use of jack stands.

Good post...

Jon

[Feature Pony]

I remember when I was a kid there was a guy that lived off of hwy 32 in oak creek at his parents house and every summer you would drive by and see him outside in his bed. He was working on a car without jack stands and the same thing happened to him, the car fell on him pretty much making every part on his body useless. Needless to say that picture is still in my head today and I don't know if he is still living or not, but man that sucks! My dad pretty much hit a home run telling me when I was 4, everytime I put jacks under the car I think of that dude.

[88Nightmare]

I don't always use jackstands. This article is making me reconsider that and want to get in the habit of using them, as opposed to being in the habit of not using them.

[Yooformula]

someone here(or perhaps friend of someone here) died a few years ago when his diesel truck fell on him. very sad and horrible way to go.

[Holeshot]

A $15 set of jack stands is well worth your life.

[Larrygto]

I'm not brave enough not to use jack stands even then I'm still nervous when I first get under the car.

[fivonut]

I don't always use jackstands. This article is making me reconsider that and want to get in the habit of using them, as opposed to being in the habit of not using them.

When I was 19 I was putting a set of headers on my mustang using only an old bottle jack my dad had laying around. The gears inside the jack broke and the car fell. Lucky for me the broken gears jammed and the jack stopped about 3 inches before it hit bottom. The drivers side front rotor was pressing on my chest. If it had gone all the way to the bottom who knows what damage it would have done. I never crawl under a car without jackstands now and even then I still feel very uncomfortable.

[CPonyGo]

common sense....

[Voodoo Chick]

Ironically, today my car tried to fall off a floor jack, the jackstands caught her easily, so nothing bad happened, to us OR the car, so, yeah....USE THEM.

[SSDude]

Not using jack stands is your nomination for a Darwin award.:chair:

[GRM-REPR]

To the posters who mentioned common sense and Darwin award; there are times in everyone's life who has lifted a car--didn't use stands. Anyone saying otherwise I will struggle to believe such.

My opinion and it's not to offend anyone.

[CPonyGo]

You would be correct^^ thx ;)

[05caddyext]

When I was about 19 or 20 I was working under my fox stang without stand. I didn't have a great place to put one because I needed to lay right where I could put it. I had the eerie feeling under there and about a minute after I got out from under the car it slammed to the ground. Im not sure if it would have crushed me, I could almost get under it without a jack even, but it wouldn't have felt real good.

[HITMAN]

I remember when I was a kid there was a guy that lived off of hwy 32 in oak creek at his parents house and every summer you would drive by and see him outside in his bed. He was working on a car without jack stands and the same thing happened to him, the car fell on him pretty much making every part on his body useless. Needless to say that picture is still in my head today and I don't know if he is still living or not, but man that sucks! My dad pretty much hit a home run telling me when I was 4, everytime I put jacks under the car I think of that dude.

The guy's name was Red and he was a mechanic at a station that was at Howell Ave. and Ryan Rd. when there was a restaurant (Barwick's) and the gas station. (Same guy owned both places) He was working on a car and it fell off the rack and pinned him. Fell Off A Rack! The guy ended up a quadriplegic. He got a bunch of insurance money, but it doesn't do you much good when you're shitting and pissing in a bed pan and you have to have somebody scratch your nose for you when it itches. Bottom line is, you cant be too safe. Yes, most definitely use jack stands.

[Reverend Cooper]

no jackstands = thinning the herd

[Gregor]

I have had a car slide off of a set of jack stands. Bad stuff.

[lordairgtar]

I remember my dad would have me change the oil on his POS 61 Chevy wagon held up with just a bumper jack, the kind the manufacturer put in the trunk in the old days. Looked like a piece of steel bar with notches in it to raise and lower the bumper hook with a tire wrench. Sat on the ground on a 9 inch square plate the bar attached to. Very wobbly! I asked why he didn't change his own oil and he said because he didn't want the car to fall on him. My dad was a real piece of work.

[pjturkey]

I always use jackstands or wood blocks (if I dont need the suspension hanging)......I just don't feel like putting my life in the hands of hydralic seals on a Harbor Freight jack ;-)

[xxsn0blindxx]

My great grandfather died from a car falling of the jack and on top of him. Even though it happened long before I was ever born it sticks in the back of my head. I'm pretty sure there were a few times when I was a teenager and didn't use them, but when I was a teenager I was doing a lot of other more dangerous and stupider stuff. I'm in the habit of using stands and leaving the jack snug just in case something would happened and a stand would fail. Call it overkill but the jack eventually has to go up to lift the car off the stands anyway and freak things can happen any time.

[PureSound15]

My jack failed this spring AS I had laid down to put jack stands under the car, I don't think it's fair to instantly assume that people are dumb.