nsbluenose
Silver Level Sponsor
Just a reminder how things can go sour so very quickly while working underneath a car.
On this past Friday, late in the afternoon, I was feeling tired and it was getting cold in the garage. I wanted to take my car off the jack stands, as all winter maintenance under the car was completed.
Front stands were a easy and quick. Rather than jacking up each side of the car to remove the rear jack stands one at a time, I thought I would jack up the rear axle pumpkin and remove both at the same time. Laying on my left side, behind the car, not actually under it, lifting the rear axle the jack slipped, as if in slow motion, the car shifted about 6 inches to the left and back towards me about 12 inches, coming over the stands. As the car moved back, it moved over me, and came to rest on me.
There I was, completely trapped. My right arm and shoulder were jammed into the space between the rear bumper and the body, limited movement of my arm, just a bit from elbow down. My left arm was jammed under my rib cage, again unable to move it, except from the elbow down. Nothing seemed to be broken, no cuts, I could breathe, but not deeply. This was good.
No one was home, my cell phone was in my breast pocket but because of my limited arm movement I could not reach it. This was bad. I could reach the jack somehow, got it under the axle because of very limited arm movement I could not apply enough leverage to raise the car.
No choice but to wait until my wife returns home and to rescue me. Which she did, about 20 minutes later.
I was lucky, no injuries but man am I stiff and sore from being jammed into too small and awkward places.
So, don't, for your sake, take shortcuts like this under your car.
On this past Friday, late in the afternoon, I was feeling tired and it was getting cold in the garage. I wanted to take my car off the jack stands, as all winter maintenance under the car was completed.
Front stands were a easy and quick. Rather than jacking up each side of the car to remove the rear jack stands one at a time, I thought I would jack up the rear axle pumpkin and remove both at the same time. Laying on my left side, behind the car, not actually under it, lifting the rear axle the jack slipped, as if in slow motion, the car shifted about 6 inches to the left and back towards me about 12 inches, coming over the stands. As the car moved back, it moved over me, and came to rest on me.
There I was, completely trapped. My right arm and shoulder were jammed into the space between the rear bumper and the body, limited movement of my arm, just a bit from elbow down. My left arm was jammed under my rib cage, again unable to move it, except from the elbow down. Nothing seemed to be broken, no cuts, I could breathe, but not deeply. This was good.
No one was home, my cell phone was in my breast pocket but because of my limited arm movement I could not reach it. This was bad. I could reach the jack somehow, got it under the axle because of very limited arm movement I could not apply enough leverage to raise the car.
No choice but to wait until my wife returns home and to rescue me. Which she did, about 20 minutes later.
I was lucky, no injuries but man am I stiff and sore from being jammed into too small and awkward places.
So, don't, for your sake, take shortcuts like this under your car.
