I was in a different branch of service, but always found the Marines I worked with to be 100% top quality - America's best.

 

You were a very lucky man. I've had one acquaintance and one friend both killed when cars fell off of jack stands. The acquaintance was crushed by his Vette, the friend by a dodge van. It's a gruesome way to die. I'm glad you're OK.

 

Great ending to this. Great to read about Chris helping out.

It also sounds like Chris showed you a few things about jacking the car.

Personally, I've seen the wood and I've seen pictures with jackstands under hockey pucks at the rocker jacking locations and I don't like either. Put the stand with part of the frame "captured" in the V of the stand and it can't slip off.

I'll also stress again to anyone reading this how the 6 ton stands are just so much more stable. The base is about twice as wide as the cheap 2 or 3 ton stands. Also, with my floor jack fully raised the small stands are almost fully extended but the big stands are only raised 1 or 2 teeth which helps stability even more. If you're buying stands trust me when I say just get the bigger ones. If you use the larger stands then the little ones will give you a really uneasy feeling if you ever try to use them some day.

In that site that was linked with the jacking pics, I have my car on the 6-ton stands right now in about the same location as those stands are sitting. The space between my stands on the ground is about 1/2 of what you see in the pic on that site.

Peter

 

You have to be careful when jacking the opposite end of a car supported by jack stands or even up on ramps. Several times I've almost pulled my car off the ramps while jacking up the rear. Now I screw blocks of wood behind the wheels so the car won't move. If you're worried about scratching with the jack stands Harbor Freight sells protective covers that go over the V ends. I found an excellent deal on 6 ton stands at Tractor Supply and custom made them to fit my frame slots. I just picked up another jack today for next weekends header install and this thread makes me sit back and contemplate the what ifs.

 

Great Story

 

0331MARINE- you sir, are a credit to your country and this forum. I salute you, thanks for your service from a 23 year Army Signal Corps officer (reserves)

 

Some people would second guess his jacking techniques and kick him when he's down. Others jump in and help. Class act all the way.

 

One reason I bought a vette, the people! Thanks for your service Chris!

 

I never really felt kicked by anyone--but I sure deserved a swift one!!

Just goes to show--you can read, read, and read some more. But until you actually try doing something you'll never know how. Training Personnel will never be replaced!

I learned more from Chris in 30 minutes than 3 hours of studying!

 

Glad it turned out good!

 

OoooooRahhh!

Semper Fi

 

Glad your are ok. The vette can be fixed easily, yourself a little tougher. I have a way to lift your vette that works well, its all in how high you want to get it and your intensions under it. To get the wheels off the ground you don’t need it that high, but to crawl under it must be higher. I don’t like the aluminum pucks on the jack-stand cast iron supports, it seems too slippery, especially most jack stand cradles are rounded, not flat to be flush with the pucks. The hockey puck pucks offer more grip but I am worried that those will split on me some day. I cut a railroad tie into four pieces about 14-16 inches long and use those under the pucks at the side frame rail points , behind the front wheel and in front of the back wheel. I jack the car up at the side between the two pucks at the cross member on the frame rail ( location below the door/ mirror area), with the low profile jack and a hockey puck, making sure it is on the frame rail not the fiberglass rocker panel at the cross member. Jack it high enough to slide the ties in at the factory puck area with the pucks on the rails and lower. Do the same on the other side. This will be high enough to service the wheels, brakes ,oil etc. It’s a little tight to get way under the car but that depends on your size to. The railroad tie sections are laid on their sides and not on the ends. This works well for me and the locations or placements aren’t so critical. I do agree with the 6-ton each jack stand theory also, instead of the smaller ones.
To get the car higher with the jack stands, I lift it from the side as stated, mid-way location, and put the railroad ties under the tires, front and back of one side, then go to the other side lift it , mid way location again, to the height of the lowest setting on the jack stand, under the pucks, must be precise, and lower slowly onto jack stand. Then go back to the other side and lift the car to the jack stand height and set those. You don’t want to lift at max height all at once, do it in steps. I will post pics in future since car is in hibernation now. I’ve done this method many a times this way with no issues.
The person that built my car showed me this method and next time I lift it I’ll snap some pictures and post. Good luck, be safe.

 

Didn't read the entire thread... but never use wood to put the stands on. Use the wood to span the 2 ribs of the cross member to jack the car up, but put the stand on the cross-member itself so the side ribs sit in the "cup" of the stand. This way this can enver happen.

 

My hat's off to 0331Marine!

 

 

All fixed, beautiful day, go for drive! A pic of my baby after her "incident":



Again--thanks to all!!

 

she looks happy now!

 

Thanks alot man. Im going at 6 years as a Machine Gunner. We shall see if I do 20 or not.

 

 

Well lets hope that someone upstairs can shower you and your family with blessings. It was truly a miracle that you were available, had the part and were local. SuperBowl Sunday TOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!! What were the odds? 1 in 1,000,000,000 ??

Great job Marine, and glad that to hear that the OP wasn't hurt in the little mishap.


I wish there were more people like you man. The world would be a better place. I'm sure you just made a friend for life.