[CoyoteAZ]

First off.... I'm not new to working on vehicles..

I have rebuilt several engines, replaced suspensions on many trucks..... all kinds of fun stuff.


Today set to work on my truck, went to use my hydrolic jack, and found it leaking oil. Quick run to the tool store, and had a brand new 3.5 ton hydrolic racing jack.


Lifted the truck up, placed a jackstand under it at every corner. Made sure they were secure, then set a few cinderblocks under the truck as 'backup'



Sadly, that wasn't enough.


Don't know what happend, why the truck fell off the jackstands.... but when I had the passanger rear wheel out, it fell off the jackstands as I was about eye level with the fender.


I was lucky, I could of been hurt a lot worse.


14 stitches in my face

Pictures below:

jack stand got thrown out from under the truck. Truck was on level ground, but ended up a good foot from where I originally had it after it fell.

Note: cinderblocks are worthless against a falling truck as 'backup'

You can see where the truck hit, vs where it ended up

 

[rambrush]

Man glad you are ok! Truck can always be replaced

As you discovered cinder blocks are not so good by themselves. They are not so bad with wood and they are positioned like sit in a fence, horizontal.

 

[integraGSR]

holy crap. glad you ok. man, i always try to go to a buddies of mines shop to get my work done. i hate working on my back and with regular hand tools.

 

[Hickleberry]

OMG, you look horrible. And that cut isn't too nice either, but it adds character to an otherwise inbred looking face. lol

Just kidding.

You're lucky you didn't break any teeth.

Whenever I take a wheel off a vehicle, I usually put it under the vehicle.

I'm not sure whether it would have saved you the stitches or not.

 

[Imdone]

DUUUUUUUDE THAT SUCKS!!!!!!!

Good to hear you are okay. Be safe.

 

[CoyoteAZ]

OMG, you look horrible. And that cut isn't too nice either, but it adds character to an otherwise inbred looking face. lol

Just kidding.

You're lucky you didn't break any teeth.

Whenever I take a wheel off a vehicle, I usually put it under the vehicle.

I'm not sure whether it would have saved you the stitches or not.

LOL, thanks a lot..... still was pretty doped up on the vicadin when that picture was taken.


The best part was my dad's comment when i called him and told him what happened. "Is there going to be permament disfigurement?" -- LOL..... thanks a lot dad.


I'm very fortunate on the teeth....... my gums were bleeding from the hit, but no loose teeth.

 

[JustBNme]

I know that must've really hurt. Glad it wasn't worse. The strength (if you can call it that) in cinder blocks is in their "walls"--not the 3 cross support pieces--hence the reason the holes are oriented vertically when used in construction. They don't handle impacts or other forces very well, as you discovered. No matter what you do to "help", depending upon cinderblocks to support lethal vehicle loads overhead is not worth the risk.

 

[CoyoteAZ]

No matter what you do to "help", depending upon cinderblocks to support lethal vehicle loads overhead is not worth the risk.

I want to make sure people understand, I was NOT using cinderblocks to support the weight of the truck.


I was useing jackstands...... the cinderblocks were backup, and not making contact with the trucks frame.



I have/had several cinderblock leftover after a shed project.

 

[rambrush]

I want to make sure people understand, I was NOT using cinderblocks to support the weight of the truck.


I was useing jackstands...... the cinderblocks were backup, and not making contact with the trucks frame.



I have/had several cinderblock leftover after a shed project.

Yep I caught that right off!

 

[Diego]

Scary stuff, wow, glad your ok, still sucks to get a huge cut on yor face though. A guy I used to work with wasn't so lucky. A couple of years ago he was working under his car at home, don't know what he was using to support the car but never the less the car came of the stands as in your case BUT he was underneath when it happened and he was pinned to the ground. By the time his wife found him it was too late, he was gone.

 

[CHINKinatundra]

ay caramba. everytime i work under my truck, i jack it up, then place these giant wood slabs under each tire and make sure the parking brake is set along with some chocks. i only use jack stands if i don't have anything else.

 

[hndymn]

I'm glad you're OK, Coyoteaz! Thanks for posting the sobering safety reminder. I still get the heebeegeebees from an incident where a jack stand slipped on an undercoated frame member right after I slid out from under the car. The jack stand pierced the gas tank, but I was OK. I use chunks of 8" X 8" railroad ties as backups. It doesn't take much rocking to topple a 2.5 ton truck off its jack stand perch. It's good that you weren't under the truck, man. You know, Harrison Ford got his trademark facial scar from a car accident. There's honor in this. :tu: Now, take another Vicadin and get some sleep.

 

[dcab03]

Glad it wasn't worse.... I have done alot of work on my back in my driveway and especially when I have the whole vehicle off the ground I hit every jack stand with a hammer to make sure they are seated on all 4 corners. if you are only using one jack to lift the truck it usually tilts the jackstand on the opposite side of where you are lifting so it is only really sitting on 2 or 3 sides of the stand.

Looking back about 10 yrs ago a friend and I were both under my Integra changing the header with the vehicle only lifted up with 2 factory Honda scissor jacks. Not the smarted thing I have ever done.

 

[MOREPOWER]

Holy crap, glad your OK could be much worse.
Just wondering at what time this happened, because today I did just that, I put my truck on jack stands to rotate my tires, and got a premonition like in "Final destination" Mine went well but never trust a jack stand, I hate to jack all four corners at the same time.

I know I wont be using Cinder blocks for back up, they're like pork rinds, need Railroad ties. Hope you feel better count your blessings :tu:

 

[CoyoteAZ]

Looking back about 10 yrs ago a friend and I were both under my Integra changing the header with the vehicle only lifted up with 2 factory Honda scissor jacks. Not the smarted thing I have ever done.

Back in 2000, I was replacing an exhaust on my 95 eclipse gsx.


I had a jackstand on both front wheels, and a scissor jack on the driver rear wheel.... nothing on the passanger rear wheel.


I crawled under the passanger side fo the car for some stupid reason, probably to get to a hanger...... my buddy thought I had gone in the house.



Felt like the entire car was falling on me, as the weight shifted on the passanger rear shock.



I got out from under the car and proceeded to punch him a few times for being an idiot.

 

[Hickleberry]

I want to make sure people understand, I was NOT using cinderblocks to support the weight of the truck.


I was useing jackstands...... the cinderblocks were backup, and not making contact with the trucks frame.

Well, that's not entirely true, you were using your head as a backup.

Next time somebody tells you that your head is "as thick as a brick", you can smile (or whatever you'll be able to do after the stitches come out) and say "Yup, even thicker than cinder blocks"

 

[reivertom]

Yes, you are right it could have been alot worse! I'd be thanking the Man above. Thanks for the reality check , it might keep someone on here from being careless.




PS....There goes your lucrative "lip modeling" career.

 

[Salty_Dog]

I've shed plenty of blood over the years when working on vehicles, and once cracked a tooth when a wrench slipped, but nothing to require stitches.

Just remember: Scars are just tattoos with better stories.

 

[JustBNme]

I want to make sure people understand, I was NOT using cinderblocks to support the weight of the truck.


I was useing jackstands...... the cinderblocks were backup, and not making contact with the trucks frame. . .

Understood. Please don't think I was chastising you. No doubt, you've already done plenty of that yourself. I was posting in a bit of a hurry, but thinking about the dozens of times I've seen people using cinder blocks as the primary support(s). The only thing more dangerous is using them as backup. If they're subject to crumbling without warning when used as primary (in any orientation), it's even more dangerous to think they'd hold up under the impact of a falling vehicle. Someone had suggested using wood with cinder blocks, and while that might help even out a stress point or two, it's still a bad idea because of the nature of the cinder blocks themselves.

You've illustrated well the reason not to use cinder blocks under a vehicle, for any reason. Several others have added explanations re: jack stands that I will take to heart the next time I'm using 'em. I hope others will remember my explanations the next time they consider using a cinder block for anything more than a bookshelf support.

Glad you're still here to share your story and warning to others.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Glad that you are ok. Now I've got to ask you. Exactly where did you have those jack stands positioned under the truck? Were they under the frame or under the axle? I've used jacks many times and have never seen a vehicle fall off like that unless the vehicle itself moved and caused the stand to fall over.