Bad weekend....Please be careful

[HeavyFuel]

Had a close call last weekend......I feel a little shook up and embarrassed by the whole thing.  

I'm very safety conscious, but also human.....so don't bash me too much.

I had the car elevated about 8" by putting 4 x 4's under the tires so that the TTI exhaust could get put on.  When I started to torque the exhaust manifold/exhaust pipe connection, from underneath the car, it rolled backwards off of the blocks.  The emergency brake was set....it obviously wasn't adjusted tight enough yet, and unfortunately the car's tranny was in neutral.

Well, I was positioned about the best way you could be, I guess, in a situation like that.......crossways, right behind the front wheels, laying flat.  The car's frame is 8" from the ground, and my chest cavity must be about 9"...I ended up with a cracked rib, at least it feels like one.  

Good thing (for me) that the garage door was down, or I'd probably be pretty f*cked up.  The back of the charger crashed into the garage door and pushed it out about a foot.  The car sustained I guess what could be called minor damage, considering.  The front tire stopped about a foot from my head.

Anyway...this was just...I don't know....a bad deal that fortunately turned out not too bad.  

You guys all be careful when working on your cars. It only takes a split second for things to get away from you.

[JB400]

That sucks   Sometimes, we learn our lessons the hard way.  Don't worry about the dint or the chipped paint, it can be fixed.  Just glad your ok

[FastbackJon]

Thanks for the post, makes us all take a moment and think twice about things. Sometimes we can all be too eager to get a job done.

[HeavyFuel]

Thanks guys.   

That's right.....just getting in a hurry, maybe a little careless.  Getting pressure from the 'war dept' (see: wife) to get 'er together.


Everyone...take the time to be safe.

[Fred]

GEEEEZ! Glad you came away mostly unscathed. As you say, it only takes a split second. Things could have been a whole lot worse.
I know it hurts to see the car damaged but luckily, even that was minor.

[tan top]

  yikes  , you was lucky  ,  sorry to see the damage to the charger !! but as you say !! if the door was open .... could of been real bad    

[charger Downunder]

Could of ended up a lot worse, i always put a block of wood behind the wheels as a chock. Never trust a hand brake or a car jack.

[XH29N0G]

Wow!  Glad you are OK and not worse.  Thanks for posting.  Will give us all more to think about next time we work on our own.

[Baldwinvette77]

Wow, luckily the door was closed, i always have mine open 

[Cooter]

Yep. Was in college and dumping a 727 Trans in my ol '65 with only a hyd. jack under it. BAM! Next thing I know, I'm being half crushed by it.
NOT good feeling.

Glad you made it out ok.Sometimes, when the boss at work is shouting "Get-r-done" I have to just slow down and force myself to take my time for fear of something like this happening.

[billfury]

I'm glad your OK considering what could have happened.I had a good friend get crushed under a car years back because he was always rushing.We told him all the time to get jack stands and to stop using 4x4's and cinder blocks.This time he jacked the car up and didn't even bother to put anything under the car.He just wanted to check something out real fast and move onto the next car.That decision killed him.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

That sucks  Sometimes, we learn our lessons the hard way.  Don't worry about the dint or the chipped paint, it can be fixed.  Just glad your ok

Thanks for the post, makes us all take a moment and think twice about things. Sometimes we can all be too eager to get a job done.

A cracked rib sucks, but as you know, it could have been a lot worse but I'm glad to hear that you're ok. Having been on the receiving end of a major injury 2 years ago while working on my car, the two posts above certainly hold true for me.

[projectanimal]

Glad you are okay!
That is my worst nightmare and think about it each time the car is on jacks.... I'm good about blocking wheels, but that doesn't mean some thing can't shift. 
The big question.... Did you finish the exhaust?!?!   

[Dino]

I'm real glad to see you got away just with a cracked rib.  I just took care of a guy in the hospital that had his jack fail and no jack stands so he took the full brunt of it.  He won't be going home for a while.

Your wellbeing is much more important than anything else, the trunk can be fixed but a crushed thoracic cavity is no joke.

[resq302]

Reminds me of when we were putting the engine back into my charger.  We had the front end of the car up on still jacks and my buddy leaned inwards on the driver side fender to help guide the engine into the bay while I was under it trying to get the bell housing to line up with the trans.  Well, my buddy leaned a little too hard on the car and shifted the still jack somehow and down came the car crashing with me under it.  I ended up getting my arm pinned between the torsion bar and the exhaust pipe and freaked me out a lot since the driver side of the car was only being held up by a toppled over still jack.  Luckily the jack was still close by and they got the jack under the k frame and got the car up enough to get my arm uncaught and got me out of there.  Needless to say, it does leave a VERY vivid impression in ones mind.

[HeavyFuel]

Glad you are okay!
That is my worst nightmare and think about it each time the car is on jacks.... I'm good about blocking wheels, but that doesn't mean some thing can't shift.  
The big question.... Did you finish the exhaust?!?!  

Yeah, got the exhaust tighten up last night just before I started this post.....with about 57 jackstands and blocks holding up the car.    Operating the floor jack was a nice reminder to my ribs of what happened.  

Just modified the subject line.....guess I can't spell anymore either.

[Tilar]

I used to use the solid concrete blocks until I watched one of those turn to dust when I let the car down on it. Now I have 4 jackstands rated at 5 ton each and still keep a jack under the car holding weight.

Glad you're ok, That definitely could have ended up bad.

[HeavyFuel]

Reminds me of when we were putting the engine back into my charger.  We had the front end of the car up on still jacks and my buddy leaned inwards on the driver side fender to help guide the engine into the bay while I was under it trying to get the bell housing to line up with the trans.  Well, my buddy leaned a little too hard on the car and shifted the still jack somehow and down came the car crashing with me under it.  I ended up getting my arm pinned between the torsion bar and the exhaust pipe and freaked me out a lot since the driver side of the car was only being held up by a toppled over still jack.  Luckily the jack was still close by and they got the jack under the k frame and got the car up enough to get my arm uncaught and got me out of there.  Needless to say, it does leave a VERY vivid impression in ones mind.

Yeow!  That sounds scary.....glad you made it out in one piece.


That goes for everyone.  Thanks for posting your near misses and maybe some 'hits'....makes us all feel better, and we can learn from them.

My incident was over so quick I don't even know if my breathing picked up.   It was just: "Oh sh*t...BAM...it's over...ok, I'm still alive, and nothing is hurt really bad.  Now I've just got to get this car off my chest."

[HeavyFuel]

I used to use the solid concrete blocks until I watched one of those turn to dust when I let the car down on it. Now I have 4 jackstands rated at 5 ton each and still keep a jack under the car holding weight.

Glad you're ok, That definitely could have ended up bad.

The sad part is that I've got four jackstands as well...but getting the car raised to the height of getting the stands under is scary in itself, when you're using a smallish 2.5 ton Craftsman floor jack.  It's a nice jack, it just doesn't go very high.

Another lesson learned....get the right equipment, and then use it.

I am getting dangerously close (no pun intended) to getting this car fired up.  Starting to think that should have been done before making it so pretty.....oh well.  

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,95015.msg1200825.html#msg1200825

[1970Moparmann]

Man, glad your ok.  I have to say, I'm kind of glad you started this thread.

I was just talking to a buddy yesterday about this.  My #1 fear, and uncomfortable aspect, is working under a car and something happens like it did to you.  I usually have 4 jack stands up, even if I only have one end up, with the jack itself as backup.  I'm really careful and feel kind of claustrophobic while under a car.  

Been thinking of biting the bullet and getting a lift in the garage, just always seem to buy parts versus the lift.....

Glad your okay!

[Dino]

The only reason I am contemplating paying a mechanic to install my shocks and fix the exhaust is because I have seen too many people get severly hurt. 

[stripedelete]

Glad you're ok

People sometimes think I'm a f'up for always passing on my mistakes or near misses.  But, I always figure that if it gets through to just one person........

Good post!

[mopartybob]

Wow....... That's as close as you can get, another danger when working on the charger is the torsion bar system, the one that adjust front wheel ride height.... all it takes is a momentary lack of concentration and SNAP.... you got a broken wrist or worse....  Glad your OK, you definitely got an angel on your shoulder........  Robert

[ws23rt]

This is a good topic to revisit as a reminder to all about the risk of taking short cuts. I was selling a 57 imperial and a buyer wanted to get a better look underneath. the car was on the lawn and we used the bumper jack to lift it. I turned away for something and when I got back only his feet were sticking out. I grabbed his feet and pulled him out. Told him to go kill himself somewhere else. When we are under the car and feel nervous get back out and look over the supports again.

[472 R/T SE]

Almost 10 years ago 3rd week of November my life changed forever.  A buddy sprayed me with sand so I took off after him to get him back.  I followed him over a widows peak & my Banshee's front right tire caught the back of his ATV when I landed in essence ripping the handlebars out of my hands.  I face planted & broke my back @ L1, a piece of my spine shaped as an arrowhead compressed my spinal cord 77%.

My fate happened in less than a minute.  I had just got a $2 million 360ton Leibherr mobile hydraulic crane, my 2nd new crane @ the company.  I don't have to tell you crane rental pays well.
All of it gone...

I stop & talk to people that are loaded up with ATV's heading for the coast whenever I can.  I know that I've made a difference in how they & all my work buddy's ride.  They tell me whenever someone starts getting crazy they remind them that's how Groff got jacked up.

So your story will undoubtedly help others'.  If even only 1 person you made a difference.  Good job & I'm glad we're not hearing about this from someone else if you know what I mean.