Please don't let this happen to you

[Jimc]

Good idea, George.
Would not be difficult to make one.

[EMSjunkie]

Good idea, George.
Would not be difficult to make one.

Darn good idea!!! real cheap insurance. I like Franks idea of shaking the snot outta the car or whatever once it is up. better safe than sorry. hope I didn't bum anyone out, just want you folks to please be safe. once the coupe is done I plan on hitting some of the runs and meets around the country. gotta get out of the Panhandle for awhile. look forward to meeting some of you.  


Vance

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a handle on reality, but it broke

[34ford]

I had a little experience with my daily driver (97 Ford Explorer) a couple of years ago. On the way to Louisville for the nationals it developed an awful vibration and by the time i got pulled over from going 70 it was now a loud clunk, clunk and the truck would kind of lurch forward with the clunking sound. Upon checking it out it was the drive shaft to the front wheel drive. This is an all wheel full time 4wd. Got out the tools and proceeded to remove the shaft which the CVC had froze up. Looked like the rubber boot split and it lost all the grease and got hot. No problem down the road we went in 2 wheel drive and should improve gas mileage too I thought. No problem getting there and things seemed alright.

The morning we were leaving I came out and found the explorer pulled out of it's parking place about 3/4 of the car length. There were the usually parties in the parking lot that night. I looked it over for any damage and any signs of someone (really happy people in the parking lot) having jacked it up and pulled it out of it's parking place but no signs of any road film rubbed off. Loaded up and headed for home. Still was puzzled as to how the truck was clear out of it's stall cause I know it was in there when parked and backed in to boot.

Well a couple of weeks later I had it parked on the driveway to wash it and while standing there and talking to the neighbor I and noticed the truck rolling backwards ever so slightly, a little bit at a time. Stood and watched as it slowly inched it's way down the drive (drive slopes to the street).

I didn't know it had to have both drive shafts in to be able to be in park and not move. If it had been the rear I took out I would have guessed it wouldn't lock in park.

So guess I was lucky it didn't roll into someone's street rod in the parking lot. When we left that morning there were not a lot of cars in the lot and the ones parked across from us were gone too so it could have been up against someone's bumper for all I know.

That's my story

[moparrodder]

.

sometimes my job really sucks. :cry:


thanks for letting me vent.

          Vance,  from one medic to another I surely know what you're saying.  It seems like the whole world is going way too fast and everyone takes chances they shouldn't.  I even catch myself doing things I shouldn't sometimes ( I'll just do it quick) and don't take the time to think what could happen if something goes wrong.  Now that harvest is in full swing here I see the farmers doing the same bad things as they do every other year...in a big hurry to get the crops out and not thinking of safety....that might take a minute or two, can't take the time.   They along with the rest of us need to use our head for something other than a hat rack.   Yes venting does help,  it makes us slow down and think and if just one person gets the message it makes it all worth while and is a very priceless moment in life.   Thanks for the post and God Bless!!!     Bill

[unklian]

It's easy to think something is just "common sense",




when you already know the answer.
Hopefully someone will learn from this guys unfortunate mistake. :cry:


--------------------------------------------------

Excellent idea George.

[phat46]

Geeeze, that's awful. I got goosebumps thinking about that.  I had my car roll off the ramps once, but all it did was hit the shop door, and scratch the liscense plate. The plate is still on the car and i often think of that incident when i notice the scratches on the plate. I'm paranoid about ramps and jacks now. We had a local trans shop that had a car roll off the lift when the driveshaft was removed...unfortunately the customer was behind the lift and the car crushed him.

 I hope all the EMS and Responders and police on here stay safe too.  My brother is a firefighter; when he was at traffic accident in his volunteer days he was on the scene of winter crash on an overpass. Another volenteer from a differnt dept. stopped to help with traffic. While they were talking another driver lost control on the black ice of the overpass and slid into the other volunteer and knocked him over the guardrail. He's now paralized.
Thanks to you guys for doing what you do.

[EMSjunkie]

This nifty handle came with my motorcyle jack to move it around and it works real good for sticking jack stands under a car too.



Built myself one of these puppys yesterday outta some left-over 1/2" square tubing and a piece of 1" square tubing. Thanks for posting the pictures. everybody who uses jack stands should build one.
don't get sucked into thinking "it won't happen to me" 'cause it will!


Vance

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Beer, proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" Ben Franklin

[Gambler]

tell ya what, this post got me thinking HOW STUPID I've been all summer working under my 68 J3000 Jeep Truck (it's big..and rather heavy)..propped up on two walmart jack stands.  I removed the front driveshaft last week while under it, and noticed the 2 stands under the front axle were ttilted at an angle..sank into the mud the truck is in. Good thing I have the rear wheels chocked. I put a stump under the front bumper, but after reading this, I'm going to make sure she's sturdy before crawling back under. Thanks.