Boy injured from jack failure

[jb3]

Reminds me of a large fight i had with a former boss when he had his 8 year old son removing bolts from an oil pan from an engine that was hanging from an engine hoist only. The kid was mostly under it.

You cant cure stupid.

 

[rr1963]

Your math is good but use of units is questionable.

That's like the joke I tell my kids. If Mcdonalds sell Big Macs for 2 for $2. How much for 25 Big Macs? I've had adult give the wrong answer as well.

 

[bluebolt]

That's like the joke I tell my kids. If Mcdonalds sell Big Macs for 2 for $2. How much for 25 Big Macs? I've had adult give the wrong answer as well.

Since you picked an odd number it's $24 for the first 24 Big Mac's and full price for the 25th.

 

[shaggymutt1]

Off topic I know, but how often do jack stands fail?

I actually recently had a harbor freight jack stand fail on me, the lock is damaged. Luckily it was only supporting the trans and not the whole car, but it all of a sudden fell!

Every time I take the wheels off a vehicle, I slide them under the frame! So if for some reason it falls, it lands on the wheels and not on you!

 

[Quijote]

I've worked on a car without jack stands, but never under it but only when changing out wheels. If I go under, I always put it on jack stands. And I always chuck it no matter what.
Luckily my two post lift just became operational, so now I need two tall stands and I'll be all set.

 

[PKile]

Off topic I know, but how often do jack stands fail?

A number of years ago I heard about a guy that was crushed under a Buick when one of these failed at a brace weld:

I used that type of stand for years, when I heard the story I threw them out and bought some Griot's Garage stands (which the cretins have discontinued for some strange reason).
Cheers,
Paul

 

[stage20]

That's a person who needs a swift kick. Spoiling your kids is one thing, that's something well beyond. Being a parent is first and foremost looking out for your children's well being, NOT letting potentially harmful behavior occur because it's cute or entertaining.

i grew up under a car. you want to give my dad a swift kick too? if i hadnt been out in the garage doing transmissions and engines when i was a kid i wouldnt know how to change a brake pad.

id bet youve called child services more than one time in your life when it was non of your business.

 

[azhatchback]

i grew up under a car. you want to give my dad a swift kick too? if i hadnt been out in the garage doing transmissions and engines when i was a kid i wouldnt know how to change a brake pad.

id bet youve called child services more than one time in your life when it was non of your business.

I am with you. I also pretty much grew up under a car. I got little ones too and they work with me all the time. That is why I asked earlier in this thread. At what age do you all think it's proper for a kid to get under the car with you. Is it even an age thing as a grown up ca be killed just as easily as a kid. I have little ones and they do work with me this is why I am asking. They don't work with me to be cute. They work with me so I can pass down the things my dad has taught me and things I have learned along the way.

This is a good topic to constructively discuss. We can all learn something from it. So seriously at what age and at what point should we let our kids jump under a car with us? Let's keep in mind most of us here wrench for a living in some fashion or another and we are no dummies when it comes to safety.

I will start this ball rolling. I am guilty of taking my boys under the car with me. I have taken every safety precaution I can and they only go under if I am under. Accidents can happen and this thread is a real eye opener.

 

[wildbill23c]

I am with you. I also pretty much grew up under a car. I got little ones too and they work with me all the time. That is why I asked earlier in this thread. At what age do you all think it's proper for a kid to get under the car with you. Is it even an age thing as a grown up ca be killed just as easily as a kid. I have little ones and they do work with me this is why I am asking. They don't work with me to be cute. They work with me so I can pass down the things my dad has taught me and things I have learned along the way.

This is a good topic to constructively discuss. We can all learn something from it. So seriously at what age and at what point should we let our kids jump under a car with us? Let's keep in mind most of us here wrench for a living in some fashion or another and we are no dummies when it comes to safety.

I will start this ball rolling. I am guilty of taking my boys under the car with me. I have taken every safety precaution I can and they only go under if I am under. Accidents can happen and this thread is a real eye opener.

Its a very sad dose of reality, feel sorry for the kid.

The problem with people today are they seem to be afraid to let kids do anything...hence the stupid child labor laws. Well sorry, but how about teaching the kids right from wrong, teach them how to do things the right way, then these accidents are less likely to happen. Just sitting the kids in front of the TV, video games, etc. all day long is part of the reason this country is falling apart, the youth don't have a clue how to work, they've been sheltered, had their hands held, and hidden in the dark their whole childhood so by the time they are old enough to work...they don't want to because they're too lazy.

Its one thing to work on a car carelessly, but if its done properly, there's no reason your son or daughter can't crawl under it and turn wrenches and learn. I was running a table saw when I was 8, my grandfather was right there with me showing me how to do it safely, but still, I was always out in the shop learning and doing something. Even now I rarely watch TV, I'd rather be outside working on something.

I do notice that a lot of people are becoming more and more complacent as the years go by regarding safety. Well, all those cool little safety devices will save me type mentality, totally blocks out the reality of working safely to begin with. I'll jack up the car and change a tire and not use jack stands, but if I have to crawl under it for any type of work, the jack stands and wheel blocks are put in place first. Takes a couple extra seconds, but makes me feel a lot better anyhow, not just the safety thing, but the jack I have is an el-cheapo to begin with LOL. I've seen screw jacks fail, hi-lift jacks, scissor jacks, you name it, they are not fail-safe. I've even seen a couple jack stands fail at weld points. Nothing is totally fail-safe, but having the jack with the jack stands helps alleviate a total failure in many cases.

 

[stage20]

I am with you. I also pretty much grew up under a car. I got little ones too and they work with me all the time. That is why I asked earlier in this thread. At what age do you all think it's proper for a kid to get under the car with you. Is it even an age thing as a grown up ca be killed just as easily as a kid. I have little ones and they do work with me this is why I am asking. They don't work with me to be cute. They work with me so I can pass down the things my dad has taught me and things I have learned along the way.

This is a good topic to constructively discuss. We can all learn something from it. So seriously at what age and at what point should we let our kids jump under a car with us? Let's keep in mind most of us here wrench for a living in some fashion or another and we are no dummies when it comes to safety.

I will start this ball rolling. I am guilty of taking my boys under the car with me. I have taken every safety precaution I can and they only go under if I am under. Accidents can happen and this thread is a real eye opener.

 

[DodgeMech]

Never trust your life to a .50 cent O-Ring.

you work under a lift pretty often don't you? so you trust your life to two 50 cent o rings...and a couple of 10 dollar hooks...and fwiw, those hooks don't work on the racks i use...

 

[ADSR]

you work under a lift pretty often don't you? so you trust your life to two 50 cent o rings...and a couple of 10 dollar hooks...and fwiw, those hooks don't work on the racks i use...

The bendpak lockouts are pretty good, no? I do try and be safe

 

[internetdude]

Prayers sent out to the boy and family.

That'll help!

Sad situation, especially when it involves an innocent child.

 

[stikman56]

man, so terrible! I hope the kid pulls through. I always use a floor jack with jack stands when I do something under a vehicle. If it's much more than low-torque where I'm pulling on something, I'll even add a scissor jack to back up the jack stand. Last time I had the ***-end of a vehicle raised I had no less than 6 supports total, 3 per side. If I'm crawling under it, the dr bills if I get hurt and the lost work make the 5 minutes to make sure it's safe and over-supported are well worth it!

I do the same thing. I never trust just the stands, I leave the jack there as well.

 

[stikman56]

That would be incredibly rare. A jack stand's design provides a positive block so the only way it could fail is if the metal or weld broke, which I would bet would be most likely caused by abuse of the jack stand to begin with (i.e. damaged, bent, etc) or overloading it.

However, you need to make sure the jack stand is on solid ground such as concrete, as it could easily sink into dirt or even asphalt. Also, if you are working on an incline without the wheels blocked the vehicle could still roll back and fall off the jack stands.

They can and do fail. It just happened to a guy I know, he got a broken rib out of the deal. Harbor Freight 12 ton jack stand on the rear frame rail of a bus, he set it in there, let it down, went to put the other one in and the part that extends broke, he got pinned by the fiberglass body panel.

 

[bushmechanic]

Off topic I know, but how often do jack stands fail?

One snapped on me a while back under the weight of my Land Rover. It was supporting the front axle, which shot down under the spring before being followed by the rest of the damned front end.

I caught it and pulled the whole thing up, nearly at the expense of one of the already dodgy discs in my back, but not before the steering knuckle ball joint nut took a bite out of my index finger.

I almost got my hand out of the way in time. Indeed, I'd have been out of the way in time if I wasn't in an awkward position to begin with.

The jack stand was appropriately rated, at the weight of the entire vehicle. I'm sure every man here who owns a vehicle with high ground clearance owns some of these. Chrome body, with a blue ratcheting support.

This is what happens when you own those generic stands from places like NAPA and Harbor Freight. So, when I call people cheap, I mean it. Even a ratchet can hurt you if it fails.

It's not the first failure I've witnessed, but it's the first that bit me.

 

[Jas29]

Nothing wrong with having kids under a car as long as your doing it safely have the jack and jack stands supporting the car so if one fails the other will still be holding it

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Very sad. And my prayers. Please people use jack stands. SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY





I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[nicksnothereman]

I keep the jack snug (but not load-bearing) against a crossmember or frame of the vehicle I'm working on, but only as a backup in case the jack stands (which have the load on them) fail.

Yep.

 

[aaronrkelly]

Me and my friend were working under/around cars on either a 2 post lift or jackstands from the age of 7 or 8.

Both my kids were the same. We also ride motorcycles, shoot guns etc.

Unsafe to you may not be unsafe to me.

Take proper precautions and all the above activites are safer then going to the swimming pool.

 

[azhatchback]

Awesome! Glad to hear some of you are teaching your kids too! I also rarely watch TV. I generally fall asleep if I do. I am constantly in the garage. We have a project fox body mustang in the garage right now which we did so serious engine bay reconstruction on it recently. My boys are 3 and 7 and they love every bit of being in the garage. My 7 year old changes the oil in my push mower every year and this year he sat with his little brother and showed him what he knows. I am always there with them and very safe. They are my world but I will not keep them in a padded room!

I started working as an industrial mechanic at the age of 20 and am 38 now. I work around very toxic, pyrophoric, and combustible gasses. One whiff and your dead. I have to get in a full face breathing air mask plugged into house air when I do this work. I take safety very serious. If I screw up I don't come home, plain and simple. Going into the industry as a kid and I was. Looking back I didn't know ****. I worked with experts that showed me the ropes and now I am the expert and I train new guys. Over the last 18 years I have had 0 incidents. I also work with very high voltage. My current machine runs on 480vac, it's a baby. The last machine I worked on ramped up the incoming voltage to 80,000vac. This stuff is no joke. My job has made me very paranoid with safety at home. I take every precaution I can.

We also shoot guns and the boys are learning all about gun safety. People that would rather not teach their kids about guns are nuts. When your kid goes to their buddies house and god forbid that kid plays show and tell with their parents firearms or any weapon I would hope my kids will know enough to walk away. You cant prevent everything but being blind to the the dangers is even worse.

I almost died when I was 5. Till this day my parents don't know about it. My mom let me swim with the neighbor kids while we where over at their house, unattended! First time in a pool and the two kids got me on a Scoobie Doo raft and it flipped on me. I took in so much water. I don't know how I got out but in shear panic at the bottom of the pool I kicked the floor so hard and launched myself out of the water and landed on the cool deck. You know the stories where people lift cars. I believe in that because something happened that day that saved me. I was afraid of water and at about 12 years old my uncle forced me to learn to swim when he saw that I would not leave the shallow side of the pool. Needless to say we got our boys in swimming lessons at 2 years of age.

 

[azhatchback]

On another note. Do you all prefer to have your cars on ramps or stands. I use ramps a lot. During the mustang engine bay surgery I had to have the car on stands as the entire front suspension was out. I would have to say I feel better with the car on ramps.

 

[skruft]

As a careless teenager I dropped a 1966 Lincoln on myself, luckily without injury, so these are good concerns.

I tend to use stands because the ramps I have are not wide enough for wide tires. There are some very nice ramps nowadays that would be very convenient.