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Microbusdeluxe 
Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 1009
Location: Bellingham, WA
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 Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:48 pm Post subject: Re: Jack safety |
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What levi said. One of my earliest childhood memories is of the neighbor having a bumper jack ratchet down on his chest when he was under his 1950 something Buick.
He had a wheel off and the car slowly landed on his chest though, now that I think of it as an adult there must have been something keeping off part of the weight. Anyway he was pinned and called out "Help!" and 5 year old me wandered over to see what the commotion was all about, then followed his direction and ran off to get my dad. The old man was pretty worried when he first saw the situation, but they managed to get the car jacked back up and slid out the neighbor. Many cans of "Blatz" beer, courtesy of the almost squashed neighbor, were passed around the porches in the neighborhood that evening.
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'69 Squareback RIP
'65 21 window deluxe sold before the price spike, damn it.
'70 rhd bay now a taxi in South Sudan
'81 Westy sold
'89 hightop Westy Joker syncro 16" now with Bostig! |
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levi
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:41 pm Post subject: Re: Jack safety |
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| Steve M. wrote: |
| So how many people take the wheel they removed and place it under the car in case the jack/jackstand fails? |
Always 
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One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6933
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: Jack safety |
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I just can't decide if he's welding the gas tank or not?
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6933
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:32 pm Post subject: Re: Jack safety |
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So how many people take the wheel they removed and place it under the car in case the jack/jackstand fails?
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.
There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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B.O.B.Wanders
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2014
Posts: 351
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Jack safety |
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Reposting this from a couple of years ago. Stock jack rod snapped while lifting a wheel so I could place rocks under it after getting stuck in the mud. Fortunately I was being careful not to put any body parts underneath anything. Still scared the bejeezus out of me. Be careful out there!
FWIW - I always carry a jack stand with me under the back seat in the Westy.
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83.5 WBX 2WD Assuan Brown Westy, B.O.B.
"It feels good to be lost in the right directionโ - unknown |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3728
Location: Az
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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| danfromsyr wrote: |
also to NOTE that I use silver sharpie to write on EVERY STOCK JACK.
MUST SET PARKING BRAKE 1ST
maybe we can have a decal made?
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Good advise. The only thing I want to add is to set the brake after you lift it - especially with a floor jack. You need to allow the vehicle (and jack) to roll while you jack it up. I always try to place a floor jack in a way to allow the vehicle to roll as it follows the lift arc (not at a 90 deg angle at the vehicle). You can't always trust the casters on the jack to roll. This is a hidden danger as a side loaded jack can stay under tension.
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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| dougass wrote: |
Can someone post links to discussions on jack and stand selection?
I carry a pair of 3ton jack stands and a Hi-Lift with Gary Lee adapter.
From experience...
***Factory & Hi-Lift Jacks TIP***
***cinder blocks CRUMBLE***
***wood SPLITS***
***wheels ROLL*** |
I don't know of one here, but have seen them on other car forums. You want it safety rated, with a wide base and horizontal "ties" between each leg of the base. The tack welded ones are said to come apart under load...
Some prefer pins to the ratchet based ones.
Esco is good.
https://www.amazon.com/ESCO-10498-Jack-Stand-Capac...mp;sr=8-16
many places sell them
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joetiger
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2005
Posts: 5274
Location: denver
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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| erste wrote: |
| HD rubber wheel chocks |
Harbor Freight actually has some good quality, heavy, dense, inexpensive rubber chocks. I use them religiously.
Speaking of chocks, at Syncro Solstice last year I saw one of those great "why didn't I think of that"ideas.
Graham, a Samba member/rare poster had a Harbor Freight chock tied to a piece of cord and attached somewhere around the door jamb, and he kept the chock down in the driver's footwell by the bottom of the door.
We'd jump out of our vans on inclines on the trail (e-brakes engaged, of course) and Graham would set his brake then throw the chock down under the driver's front wheel. We'd get ready to head out and he'd yank it back up into its spot. Brilliant and simple.
As far a mechanicin' safety, my family lost a friend to a jack failure many years ago. It's not to be taken lightly. Doing some of the bigger jobs safely requires time, thought, and care for sure.
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Joe T.
'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"
"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron
"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond
Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell |
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vwhammer
Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2006
Posts: 1011
Location: Boulder CO.
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:44 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| Zeitgeist 13 wrote: |
| I always dismount my wheels prior to taking them in to a tire shop. I've seen enough to know I don't want them anywhere near my vehicles. |
This. ^^^ Whenever possible.... |
Ditto. |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17313
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12177
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:49 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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I always dismount my wheels prior to taking them in to a tire shop. I've seen enough to know I don't want them anywhere near my vehicles.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE. |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 4778
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:46 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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I didnโt take a picture of a guy in the parking lot of the Auto Parts Store where I bought my Marvel Mystery Oil this morning, but unfortunately he totally resembled the pictures posted. Small Service Jack and nothing else holding his vehicle up while he worked with the Drivers Wheel off .
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
โ84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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mikemtnbike
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015
Posts: 2955
Location: North Carolina
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10305
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 9:38 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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I wondered about this the last time I had tires mounted. They seemed okay with it but I took several photos just in case. This was not some fly-by-night shop - it was at (what I think is) the largest tire store chain in the U.S.
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 8523
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 8:23 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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No big deal...with the engine & entire front end out, what's left of that Honda is barely 200 pounds...
   
- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 24410
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 8:18 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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How did that last one even get there??
The rest...Sweet Jesus.
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๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ ๐ ๐ ๐ |
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 4405
Location: SWVA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 7:50 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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To make the picture owner feel better, I compiled some good bad photos
"One jack is fine. I do it all the time."
"i know, lets both crawl under the car without using jack stands. directly under the tire is a good spot."
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"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin |
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jlrftype7
Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018
Posts: 4778
Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 7:21 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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I remember the post, and the jack safety comments he got from his picture.
He promised not to do this anymore and to heed the advice given him.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
โ84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15410
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 6:44 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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it is good to note that a $10 rubber wheel chock will fit inside the spare tire inside the clamshell. in fact you should be able to get a pair of rubber wheel chocks in there..
*adding to my next check on mom's camper.
also to NOTE that I use silver sharpie to write on EVERY STOCK JACK.
MUST SET PARKING BRAKE 1ST
maybe we can have a decal made?
here's a scary lack of thinking it through, now I KNOW NO ONE driving a vangon can ever be this misguided, clueless and downright stupid.. but they are out there.. so maybe we can help..
changing a tire in the middle lane of the highway.
Link
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like โwankerโ |
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dougass
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2016
Posts: 300
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:46 am Post subject: Re: jack safety |
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Can someone post links to discussions on jack and stand selection?
I carry a pair of 3ton jack stands and a Hi-Lift with Gary Lee adapter.
From experience...
***Factory & Hi-Lift Jacks TIP***
***cinder blocks CRUMBLE***
***wood SPLITS***
***wheels ROLL***
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'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.
#klausvan & @thisisklausvan |
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