Last week a young man died after his car jack collapsed and he was crushed by the car. Not only is this terribly sad, but it's an all too often occurance.
Over the years I've had at least three or four car jacks fail, just break totally and bang your cars on the floor, and I've had them slip out at least as many times again.
I was tought at an early age to NEVER go under a car supported just by a jack, and with the above I can see why I was told that, no doubt my father had the same problems.
On the odd occastion I had to work under a car I would wedge the spare wheel and the one you've usually taken off under the car, this works in holding the car up if the jack fails, better yet wodden blocks. Or the ideal answer is axle stands, designed for the job.
The fact is most supplied car jacks are so flimsey and badly made. they are not really up to changing the wheel, never mind working on a car. For that very reason I carry a trolly jack in my car, not only easier and a bloody LOT quicker for jacking the car up, they are gennerally a lot safer, although the never work under the car rule still applies.
So a few tips if your changing the wheel. First and important, get the car on level ground first. If your parked on a slope the jack is a lot more likely to slip out. Secondlly, loosen the wheel nuts before jacking the car up, dont take them off, just loosen the stiff part. Pushing hard on wheel nut can move the whole car, and again the jack can slip (it's also easier to loosen the nut if the wheel doesnt turn).
When you jack up the flat tyre, remember to jack it up high enough to get the INFLATED tyre back on the car. the flat wont need to be lifted much to get it off, but the inflated one will need more space, again it's about not disturbing the car or jack while it's jacked up and reducing the risk of it slipping or failing.
Never put any part of you thats important under the tyre, the car, or the brake disk. If it does fail that way you'll still be about to eat your dinner and smooth the cat, always lift the wheels on and off by holding the sides, never underneath.
Afrer changing the wheel hand tighten the nuts, on opposite sides, then tighten them up again opposites with the wheel spanner before touching the jack. Then after the jack is lowered and removed, tighten up the nuts properly with the wheels on the ground (again so they cant turn).
Wheel nuts shoud ideally be tighten with a torque wrench to around 110-120 N-M Thats not cranked up as tight as you can get them using a mountain gorilla. Thats why you often struggle to get the bastards off in the first place. Plus over tightening can danage the wheel and the stud.
Final tips. Buy a trolly jack, a good make one up to lifting the weight of your vehicle, secondly buy a socket bar and soxket to fit the wheel nuts, it's a bloody sight easier to undo the nuts with this than the tiny, crap one that comes with the car. Especially when Guy the bloody gorilla at your garage has tightened them with a 6 foot length of scaffold pole over the socket bar to get "extra" leverage!
Lastly, please dont go under your car on a jack. One report claims over 4.800 people a year in the US alone are injured or killed. One company recalled 1.7 million defective jacks and axle supports. Makes you think doesn't it.
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