under car safety

[NOT A TA]

I use wheel cribs, wheel dollys, and go jacks a lot. I have about a hundred of the cribs and leave them on jobs building cars until I finish. The wheel dollys in the pics of the red car are rated for 1000 lbs each and with no drive train or front end the car only weighs maybe 1500 in the pics so 3 dollys is double whats needed.

The wheel cribs used on the truck above aren't ideal for the use pictured. They aren't long enough for the diameter of the tire so the tire doesn't sit down enough between the 2X4's. Another thing is without a flat surface for the tire to sit on the cribs want to tilt on the opposite end of the vehicle when raising the vehicle more than a couple cribs high because of the arc the floor jack makes as you pump it up. If you're going to put the car up high you have to raise each end in stages. While jacking the wheels on the opposite end need to roll a bit so a flat top longer than the contact patch is better.

I would not build rolling cribs with the above mentioned 6" wheels from Harbor Freight (or any of their castor wheels). They are crap. I examined them closely as a possible replacement for all the wheels on the rotisserie after we broke a couple of the stock ones. They have cheap bearings, a pressed pivot point, and the rubber wheels make it hard to get the wheels to turn together on concrete as opposed to the smooth tile floors they're marketed toward.

I also use wheel cribs a lot on cars without wheels. I like them more than jackstands.

 

[grumpyvette]

good points to look into further! you can,t ever be too careful when your going to potentially be forced to do bench presses with a car if you screw up!

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... ?hftref=cj
yes I think the 6 of these 12 ton jack stands I bought and have used for over 2 decades are a good deal
if you own an older corvette, even if you generally park it in a garage, chances are fairly good that you've purchased a car cover.
I know from experience quality varies WILDLY and so does the material and fit, of the cover, most of the better covers cost at least $160-$200
and if properly used they do help retain the finish on the car and reduce the wiring tendency to get corrosion damage as better covers shed moisture.
obviously you need to try to keep the car in a semi cool and dry environment, with decent air flow around the car, to prevent mold & mildew from slowly forming, and protected the cars interior and wiring from critters like mice!
throw a few glue traps with a few bits of dry dog food on them around the shop tends to limit the pests
https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Mouse...locphy=9026987&hvtargid=pla-312075923033&th=1

if you build the tire support stacks like shown , measure the distance under the tires when you use YOUR FLOOR JACK, or you may find you built the support stacks too tall to insert under the tires
and if your not going to drive the cart putting it up on jack stands just high enough to relieve about 1/2 the suspension travel distance won.t hurt, and you certainly want to store the car with a fresh oil change and battery trickle charger

Top 10 Best Car Battery Chargers Consumer Reports in 2018​

Amazon had this Schumacher Battery Charger at $120 earlier this week. It has been raised to $161.99 today. Price Gouging. Looking for Vintage Used No Electronics Battery Charger right now. Have to take a Road Trip to Chicago again soon. All deals are there for me here. Gp has no high tech...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

Ways To Prevent Infestation
Try to park away from trash bins and natural food sources. Use sealed garages to store your vehicle and keep your doors closed. Look for gaps in your vehicle and try to seal them. Weatherstrips can be installed on the underside of vehicle doors.

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shoppi...nt Infestation,the underside of vehicle doors.

Best Car Covers 2023: Custom fit, weatherproof, 50% off, free shipping​

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Chevrolet Corvette Car Covers​

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https://www.covercraft.com/us/en/ve...MIhK705YHQgAMVMC7UAR2yDA5VEAAYAyAAEgLh5_D_BwE
https://www.topflightautomotive.com/products/chevy/corvette/c4/exterior/car-cover/
https://www.northerntool.com/produc...VjSzUAR2_CQWJEAQYAyABEgIYPvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

3 Ton Low-Profile Super-Duty Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP, Yellow​

Amazing deals on this 3T Low-Profile Sd Floor Jack, Yellow at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[grumpyvette]

HERES A couple NEWER OPTIONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCvq6D ... 82837#t=75

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j9e2aa-UIk

 

[grumpyvette]

having the car up on (4) 12 ton jack stands allows easy access under the car, that you generally need when pulling or installing an engine, and having a mechanics creeper available for under the car access and an easily moveable engine crane can be useful features

your corvette will have enough clearance for you, on a creeper,
the transmission jack and removing the transmission with 4 12 ton jack stands on the frame

IF you have the car up on jack stands to allow use of the larger add-on caster wheels on the engine crane,
Then you need boxes to stand on ,too reach into the engine compartment, thats going to be a huge P.I.T.A.

yes I can see where that could potentially be an issue on some cars for some people, I'm thinking that issue with being able to reach the engine compartment interior might be dependent on both your physical size and the car your working on plus factors like what needs to be reached, yes obviously if you can,t reach the areas required having a milk crate too stand on might be useful.(small issue if you need to reach both under the car and into the engine compartment in my opinion) but I,m 6'3" and mostly work on my personal corvettes with a few neighbors GTO's road runners,novas,,CHEVELLES AND CAMAROS etc. thrown into the mix) Id also point out that I don,t know a single guys home shop that I or my friends have that does not have at least one

milk crate in use as a mechanics seat ,so its unlikely to be a huge logistical issue getting a bit more height if its needed

yes this is one of my vettes,

no this is NOT my corvette but it might be useful in showing why Ive never seemed to need a box


BTW if you have a decent mig welder, and some scrap 1" box steel tube and an old engine crane or other assorted parts, an afternoon could be spent fabricating something similar to this, top access creeper , to make life a bit easier on your reaching hard too access tall engine compartment areas, or you could just buy one if the checking acct. balance allows it!

http://www.mygaragestore.com/detail.aspx?ID=98

 

[NOT A TA]

The topside creeper looks pretty cool. I have the same truck in the pic above and hate working in the engine compartment of it because I have to lay on my stomach on the hood latch the whole time. I have a dedicated fender cover I've poked a bunch of holes through laying on that damn latch. Gotta get the fender cover out soon as I need to do fuel system work on it and don't want to ruin others on the latch.

 

[Grumpy]

Picked up off craigslist. $850. Included 2 bridges

yeah! I see those occasionally listed in the bargain trader and on craigs list and classified adds,
and considering how useful they can be at times, its certainly an option many guys that don,t have the shop/garage ceiling height to install a lift may want to look into.
I helped do a clutch replacement using one of those kwik-lifts at a friends home a few months ago and as long as you have a quality mechanics creeper to go with it it seemed to work out well....well as long as you have some younger guy to either hand you tools or help get your old geezer butt up off the floor any way!

http://www.kwik-lift.com/index.html

http://www.kwik-lift.com/products_authorize.php

 

[87vette81big]

Unbolt the Hood latch and lay it off to the side with the cable attached '70Bird Man.
When its time to Replace all 8 injectors in your 6.0 Ford Powerstroke, Replace the Injection Oil pump too.
Its a Nightmare job.
Getting both valvecovers off. Remove replace injectors. Replace the 2-piece oil injection Feed tubes with O-Rings.
The Turbo Comes off to gain access to the Oil injection positive displacement oil pump. Gear driven off the Cam crankshaft.

If you remove the front wheels and lower slowly with 2-post lift and radiator & Fan removed you can stand up in the engine compartment.

Flatrate time to replace all is just 8-12 hours.
You work like an Animal.
Think sometimes your going to Die.
Pure Misery.
All Mechanics today hate them .
Most refuse to work on them 6.0 &6.4 Ford Diesel trucks.
Dealership mechanics Quit Retired early because of them.

I have worked on many.
At least 40 now.
I hate them too.

 

[Grumpy]

https://gma.yahoo.com/tennessee-tee...ng-pinned-112543804--abc-news-topstories.html
another near fatality (ABOVE)
theres several dozen guys killed every year do to failures in proper use of equipment and their use of jack stands that were improperly installed or defective or not rated to support the loads, or use on other than a level concrete floor
you can raise the rear of the corvette with a floor jack under the center of the differential (ideally use a thick rubber pad about 4" in diameter use contact cement on pad to jack ) on the floor jack contact lift point to spread the load, a pad cut from the tread of a scrap truck tire you find along the interstate highway works and its not too expensive or difficult to fabricate
the same padded floor jack, can be used to raise the center point on the front cross member , once you place two jack stands under the rear frame... look at this picture,
use of two floor jacks and 4 jack stands is highly recommended
you don/t want twisting loads on the frame of the corvette, if it can be prevented
now you can use the two floor jacks on one side then move them to the other side, to place the jack stands, most guys drive a vette up on two floor ramps to get the required clearance for a floor jack under the center front k-member (cross member), they use the single jack, or two floor jacks to get and place the two front jack stands, then they move to the rear to place two rear frame support jack stands.

I bought two of these and they work great

3 Ton Low-Profile Super-Duty Floor Jack with RAPID PUMP, Metallic Purple

Amazing deals on this 3T Low-Profile Sd Floor Jack, Purple at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/ohb-face/Documents/falling.pdf

http://www.vehicleservicepros.com/a...-jack-stands-improperly-when-lifting-vehicles

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/02/genesee_township_man_dies_afte.html

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/...an-27-killed-when-car-hes-working-under-falls

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...d-by-falling-car/story-e6frea83-1225735876158

look closely at the FLIMSY JACK STANDS IN THIS PICTURE, Ive seen several of that particular jack stand design , suddenly fail and collapse
I would strongly advise pitching them in the dumpster if you own any

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... ?hftref=cj
yes I think the 6 of these 12 ton jack stands I bought and have used for over 2 decades are a good deal
your corvette will have enough clearance for you, on a creeper,
the transmission jack and removing the transmission with 4 12 ton jack stands on the frame

IF YOU USE NAIL POLISH TO Color each “tooth” or notch on jack stands a different shade, OR model-car paint. A quick glance will show whether the jack stands are the same height; no counting required.

5/8 in. x 4-3/4 in. Clevis Pin available at home depot for $4 each

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...sional-rapid-pump-floor-jack-black-64781.html


Maximum Lift Height (in.)
24-1/4 in.
Maximum Working load (lbs.)
6000 lb.
Minimum height (in.)
3-1/4 in.

+++++++++


BTW if your looking for a low lift trans support and lift jack,

800 lb. Low Lift Transmission Jack

Amazing deals on this 800Lb Low Lift Transmission Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

IVE used and like this one above, which I paid 1/2 the cost of with a friend and would recommend as a decent option

IVE used and own, and don,t like this one below, much thats one reason I went in on the friends jack purchase

450 lb. Low Lift Transmission Jack

Amazing deals on this 450Lb Low Lift Transmission Jack at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

but a 800 lb- 1500 lb rated cycle lift, lifting less than 300 lbs should not be under much stress.

IVE used the motor cycle lift as a trans jack in the past and Im seriously looking at purchasing one to use a a trans jack for the shop

1500 lb. Aluminum ATV / Motorcycle Lift​

Amazing deals on this 1500Lb Aluminum Atv / Motorcycle Lift at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com

this motor cycle lift can be used as a transmission jack and in my opinion is slightly better built than the 800 lb rated trans jack listed before this
http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-Capacity-ATV-Motorcycle-Lift-60636.html

 

[87vette81big]

I threw out those Crappy Tripod jackstands years ago.
Good way to Die.

I use only HD Diesel truck jackstands too.

 

[bytor]

Another lucky person....

http://6abc.com/news/teen-says-siri-made-the-call-that-saved-his-life/939196/

 

[Indycars]

I saw that here on the local news, he was using a 3 point stand that collapsed.

 

[Grumpy]

sometimes it looks like morons tempt fate and really have a death wish

 

[Grumpy]

I got asked how you can easily move a car around your shop after you have removed a good bit of the suspension from the car,
and theres no tires and wheels for car skates.
well Id point out that if your willing to and able too disassemble a car to that point or extent your probably well past the point ,
in learning car maintenance and repair skill levels, That I need to go into this, but just in case.
you generally have several options.
many guys grab a welder and some sections of 2" box tube with 3/16"-to-1/4" wall thickness build a table like support with 4-to-8 heavy duty swivel casters

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...mpaignId=T9F&gclid=CI_iksOm7csCFQsPaQodN7AHxw

http://shop.servicecaster.com/Swivel-Caster-Polyurethane-Tread-p/scc-30cs620-pur-rs.htm

(one more in an endless list of reasons you need a 180amp-to-250 amp MIG or TIG welder in any serious auto shop)

http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-2-pc-60343.html

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/champ-adjustable-rolling-wheel-stands-7070-p-11518.aspx

but I have seen many guys figure the cheap routes to buy several moving dollys and screw them to a sheet of 3/4" plywood

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-In-x-12-In-1000-lb-Capacity-Hardwood-Dolly-61899.html

http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-hydraulic-wheel-dolly-4pc-set.html
CAR SKATES ARE A GREAT TOOL FOR MANY SHOPS BUT YOU NEED TIRES AND WHEELS ON THE CAR

http://www.backyardbuddy.com/backyard-buddy-easy-access.html

http://pitstopusa.com/i-7935840-triple-x-frame-stands-set-of-2.html

 

[NOT A TA]

I made special cribs fit onto the top of the Go-Jacks my regular cribs stack on top of so I can wheel stuff around really easily. Go-Jacks roll sooooo nice!

http://www.repquip.com/Dolly/AutoDolly.html

 

[87vette81big]

Have to tell a story.

A 16 year old boy is having the Life support plug pulled tomorrow.
From my hometown I grew up in.
Happened right in my old neighborhood the accident.
Just a few doors down from the house I grew up in.
I live now on my Farm - house about 8 miles away with my Family.

The 16 year old was working under his car .
Just a Floor jack I heard.
Someone else I know was there., member of
An infamous Hotrod Family - Street race drag race legacy..Chevy Family I am close to.
The Floor jack slipped out kicked out.
Car came down on his head & body.

20 minutes later declared Brain Dead.
On the lifeflight to Peoria IL.

Been a week....I heard on the local AM Radio but didn't hear all details.
Today I did.

Not a Mother Joke Guys.
Use Good jackstands.

BR

 

[Grumpy]

I doubt a 4-6 month time span has gone by in the last 50 years that I have not run into a guy with a story about someone they knew getting killed or injured due to either being flat out careless or negligent in the way they supported a car they were working under.
or having seen a similar incident referred too in a local news paper.

theres always, a few rather creative IDIOTS to deal with

SO THINK THINGS THROUGH AND REMEMBER A FEW EXTRA PRECAUTIONS CAN EASILY MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING THE JOB DONE OR YOU GETTING KILLED

the story usually involves, some guy in a hurry with a jack and no other support, stacked cinder blocks or wood supports, crappy, 3 ton rated ,bargain priced, jack stands, or working on soft ASPHALT VS CONCRETE or inclined drive way,
use of ramps vs 4 jack stands, etc.
BUYING AND USING a set of 4 of the 12 ton rated jack stands linked early in the thread and a decent high lift floor jack, and only working on level concrete floors , go a long way towards keeping your butt alive!
guys do really stupid stuff like driving a car up on ramps, and thinking thats safe enough!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200487978_200487978

to do oil changes or linkage adjustments and then, don,t set the parking brake and chock BOTH REAR WHEELS

http://www.discountramps.com/rubber-wheel-chock/p/DH-WC-1/

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200594358_200594358
4.... 12 ton rated jack stands, carefully located on the frame help provide a secure place to work under the car.

if you can,t afford to buy 4-6 of the 12 ton rated jack stands or a lift building car supports from 15" sections of 2" x 4" scrap is a decent option, but a 15" square 1/2" plywood section inserted and wood glued and screwed, into the support stack, every few layers adds considerable structural rigidity

they make mechanics creepers with a safety roll cage that will support a car if it falls and .
any decent machine shop with a good welder,
could with a bit of care and thought and measuring.
fabricate something very similar

http://www.creepex.com/c/BodyGuard.html

links
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mechanics-creepers.3178/#post-38649

 

[87vette81big]

Yes.
Thinking ahead.
Safety.

 

[87vette81big]

Teach my Boys the Right way Grumpy.

 

[Grumpy]

a few days go one of my local neighbors decided he needed to buy or build some decent car ramps so he could easily work
on a muscle car project, he assumed that the cost of materials and time required would make building his own custom ramps a BARGAIN compared to the cost of purchasing commercial ramps.
while I fully agree that having a set bof auto ramps can make many minor automotive jobs easier the cost quality ease of use and distance the car is potentially raised off the floor varies a great deal between the different options so youll need to know exactly what your trying to accomplish plus the price your willing to pay to do so.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton...llowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2359697

https://www.amazon.com/Profile-Sports-Lift-Service-Ramps/dp/B00069G51S/ref=pd_sbs_263_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=41HeNy9y+zL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&psc=1&refRID=YFBJVS54ENHPY24XXJ63

http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...amp-set-with-built-in-safety-chock-67722.html
at about $39-to-$45 a set these may be fully adequate for most oil changes

a decent floor jack, and 4 serious 12 ton rated jack stands are an option

most of my friends have purchased 4-to06 of the HF 12 ton rated jack stands simply because when matched to a decent quality floor jack they provide one of the safest and least expensive options to get your car up to about 20"-24" off the concrete floor of the shop to provide the room required to use a mechanics creeper and a decent transmission jack


IF your budget is really tight you can salvage scrap 2" x 4" and cut them to about 15.5" lengths and stack & glue & screw them together to custom build a decent car support like pictured below

you will need a decent quality floor jack but its a combo that can be ACQUIRED FOR UNDER $200--$400
If you do build a second performance engine rather than modify your single existing original cars engine,theres some advantages, that us older geezers have come to appreciate at times.
as a general rule, its best to take your time and build a separate performance engine that you can swap into the car over a weekend, this has several advantages
(1) you will not be tying up the car, in an un-driveable condition waiting for weeks on parts to arrive or waiting on machine work to be done,
and you can always swap the original engine back into the car,
to have the car as dependable transportation while the performance engines being built or worked on.
(2) you can sell either engine separately from the car itself and still have a drive-able car.
(3)having your performance engine out on an engine stand certainly makes it far easier to work on.
(4) having a second engine available allows you to drive the car while you make repairs on the original engine
(5) if you screw something up, your not effectively stuck with a non-driveable car for long.
(6) with some experience you,ll find an engine swap between two similar engines can be done in a day , or at most a weekend by yourself, with a skilled and experienced local buddy, a long afternoon!

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-...vy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-60678.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=12+ton+jack+stands

 

[NOT A TA]

As I mentioned previously I use wood cribs a lot. Sometimes they're not the best support for certain tasks though, that's when I put the big boy 22 ton Matco jack stands to work. Notice (in the background) I use the wheel cribs as my "safety" by sliding them under the car where they won't be in the way. Depending on the vehicle a jack stand might punch right through a sheet metal floor board if it somehow slipped off a frame rail especially if it's an old & rusty vehicle.