Don’t be a jackass with jacks during DIY car work

ACCC · 26-10-2011, 02:45 PM

Getting under a car that is only supported by a jack can be fatal. Nearly 50 Aussies have been crushed or killed over the last decade from getting under a vehicle that wasn’t properly supported. And over 160 Aussies are injured each year with amputations, fractures and crush injuries from not using a jack properly.

If you do your own repairs, avoid becoming one of these 160 Aussies injured or killed. Learn what you need to know to DIY safely in several easy steps.

Check out the new mobile-friendly www.productsafety.gov.au/dontbeajackass for instant tips and info on safe DIY vehicle maintenance.

Check out the new YouTube film on the dos and don’ts of DIY vehicle maintenance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fq0nh31BPs. Tell us what you think – leave a comment!

Follow us on Twitter @ProductSafetyAU & check out the #dontbeajackass hashtag for more. Can you add to the conversation? …and

Enter to WIN an Adrenaline experience at www.productsafety.gov.au/dontbeajackass!

Stay safe while caring for the car you love…

Fev · 26-10-2011, 03:54 PM

Entered! Tis bad, i've seen some dodgy ways of lifting cars. Always makes the heart skip a beat

XESP351 · 26-10-2011, 06:11 PM

I just changed the brake pads on the ute, and even though the front was on stands, the jack at the ready, and both wheels flat under the car, I was still nervous getting underneath it. I think I have a phobia lol.

mik · 26-10-2011, 06:32 PM

great to see a bit of a safety message for something that at some stage just about every driver would be faced with.
i had to go and change a neighbors wheel a week or two ago, the young girl did`nt have a clue how to change a wheel and just drove it home flat, pity it`s not a part of getting your licence.

**Giant Cranium** · 26-10-2011, 06:46 PM

already a old thread on it
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...hlight=jackass

Jim Goose · 26-10-2011, 06:50 PM

mik couldnt agree more... as part of licencing it should be made part of the test hat you know how to change a tyre "safely", or at the very least its part of the driver training and ticked off in the logbook by the instructor.

I always go a bit overboard now when working under a car due to a close encounter i had in my shed a few yrs ago.

NAK302 · 26-10-2011, 07:40 PM

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/t...503-1e6hf.html

asdf1234 · 26-10-2011, 08:47 PM

Errrr.. I jack it up and put a brick somewhere is that safe enough?

FAT245 · 26-10-2011, 08:53 PM

guys across the road.. were trying to balance the car on a jack while removing the IRS Diff from their VT Sedan...

i took em a few jackstands to save me the hassle of needing to deal with the police

Hulsty · 27-10-2011, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asdf1234

Errrr.. I jack it up and put a brick somewhere is that safe enough?

No, bricks,rocks etc are brittle and can crush/shatter etc. At least use a solid block of wood.

AndrewR_AUII · 27-10-2011, 12:51 PM

Those who participate at Motorsport events: This is something that is being watched. Stands are another item to add to your kit.
Also be aware of the surface that you are working on... earth/grass will move pretty easily - Bitumen actually can as well under enough pressure (eg if the weight is over a small area).

jrfttf · 27-10-2011, 01:43 PM

Couldn't agree more with it been part of your license ect, knowing the basics.

Agree with the bitumen sinking as it has happened to me, another pet hate of mine is scissor jacks. Absolutely hate the things!

Big beleiver in jackstands myself as i have had a relative been under a car and the jack was leaking which near led to a disaster.

2011G6E · 27-10-2011, 01:50 PM

I use a couple of old chrome 12-slotters underneath any car I'm working on (or the spare wheel of the car if I'm changing a tyre), or my "favorite lump of wood", a piece of stump about 20 cm in diameter and 40cm long, hardwood.

Yesterday coming out on the highway from Rocky, I saw a guy underneath a big camper trailer behind a car, one wheel off, just a jack holding it up, as he heaved away on something near the springs as his missus watched on.

At least there was someone there to phone for emergency services if it gave way and caved his skull in...

tankclare · 27-10-2011, 04:08 PM

I get a bit paranoid myself. Even went out and got one of those big trolley jacks thats rated to 2 tonnes I think it is. I feel safer changing tyres and small jobs with that instead of a crappy scissor jack or little trolley jack everyone has. When doing bigger jobs like pulling a diff apart etc I always use stands or at least some wheels to support the weight of the car.

Franco Cozzo · 27-10-2011, 04:59 PM

I've got a new jack and 6 new jack stands, two big 7800kg ones (they're 780mm high so could come in handy if I need the car raised high)

Safety first, I'm not getting under a car unless its resting on stands.

asdf1234 · 27-10-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hulsty

No, bricks,rocks etc are brittle and can crush/shatter etc. At least use a solid block of wood.

Where should I put a block of wood then? What if wheels are off?

Blue Oval Mopar Man · 30-10-2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asdf1234

Errrr.. I jack it up and put a brick somewhere is that safe enough?

Bad....VERY BAD , Bricks have a tendency to crack and break letting the car fall.
No joke, Ive seen it many times . Timber is much better , but only a hard wood should be used if nothing else is available. And never put a metal edge along the grain of the timber , always across it !

Decent quality jack stands are a much better option .

Mozz · 02-11-2011, 12:56 PM

Another supporter of proper jack stands, our cars aren't featherweight.

dawsman · 02-11-2011, 01:20 PM

I only feel 100% safe under a car when using ramps, but this really isn't possible with low cars and/or body kits (front spoiler, skirts etc.). Also no good if the wheels need to come off.

I know someone with a couple of hoists which often comes in handy.

fordman302 · 03-11-2011, 03:04 PM

I was lucky enough to have this one drummed into my head from a young age, a result of my fathers mate being killed by one of the old fassion hydraulic hoists back in the day, before i go under my car i try to push it off the stands if it stays i am happy to get under, and if if it comes off...... hmm well i havent had to deal with that one yet

Transit Truck · 03-11-2011, 04:32 PM

Or stack some pallets under the car.

Neale · 03-11-2011, 06:01 PM

one thing I remember hearing about was a guy that was jacking his car up in the garage with the small based factory jack.

When he was doing this the jack went through the concrete floor because the concreter that layed the slab used foam blocks in the concrete to make it go further.
A common practice for modern homes but should not have been done for the garage floor as the concrete was not thick enough to support the weight of the car while it was on the jack.

Its a freak accident but also a good reminder to use jack stands or some of the other suggestions that people have said.