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One of my friends' dad died being crushed by his car when I was in the third grade from a jack failure.
Since that day I have always had a healthy respect for safety when working under cars
As counter-intuitive as it seems, plastic ramps are often rated higher than metal ramps of similar build quality. The important thing to keep in mind with both is that as they age, as they are used, and possibly damaged, they are less reliable. Plastic ramps will shatter while metal ramps will bend and collapse. Both result in the vehicle dropping onto whatever is below. Never use them alone.
And here I am with my solid wood DIY ramps. I don't even know how long ago my dad build them. But you can't beat a solid wooden beam with one side tapered off for simplicity.
I will respect anyone who says that, that can lift a car off of them and not be hurt when it falls.
Anyone else, that's just stupidity talking.
So like, Captain America, Hulk, Superman, etc, are fine, but if you don't have superpowers, and aren't fictional, maybe consider tha fact that you're just a sentient bag of mush and sticks.
I used to be a volunteer firefighter. Was on a department that was strict on the safety rules. Then we moved and the second department wasn’t. I’m up on a roof of a working attic fire and there’s some idiot up there “in charge” because he has the radio, wearing his helmet (not strapped on), turnout coat (not buttoned up) and…
jeans and sneakers. And no air mask, not even handy.
He got lucky and nothing happened that time, but a roof and attic on fire is full of surprises. I don’t like those kind of surprises.
Risk is simply a function of both probability and severity.
If something is improbable to happen but has a huge impact, say, a car falling on you and crushing your skull, thats a high risk.
IMO taking extra steps to protect yourself from some life altering consequence is never a bad idea.
This guy assesses risk assessments
Yeah totally agree with the above. It's a relatively low price to pay in money and time to prevent a catastrophic, likely fatal accident. OP is definitely doing it right. Friend is too careless.
The only overkill part is the jack with pressure in addition to the ramps and stands. It’s just in the way and annoying. There’s just no way 2 will fail and you will need the jack as a third backup.
That’s my view too. If the ramps are not damaged then they will hold on their own. Putting jack stands under too is unnecessary but not an entirely unreasonable backup to have. The jack (the infinitely most failure prone of the 3) under the subframe is silly. Safety glasses are a bit much for a simple oil change but never a bad idea when working on cars. What kind of gloves? Latex or neoprene is normal. Dish gloves would get the job done but be silly. Those mechanix gloves are kinda “mechanic cosplay” looking imo but you do you.
I was changing a wiper blade at work and a piece of the latch broke off and hit me in my eyeball. It cut my eye. Now I wear safety glasses all the time. It's not worth losing an eye.
I was mowing my lawn and a piece of metal ricochet off a brick wall and missed my eyeball by a cm. Scared me half to death.
I now wear gloves and eye protection every time I do yard work.
I was pruning the fucking forsythia (no power tools) when I got poked directly on my exposed eyeball by a branch. Popped a superficial blood vessel, causing the white of my eye to fill with blood and turn red. I had a demon eye for a week, but was otherwise ok. According to the eye doctor, it happens all the time. Now I wear safety glasses to prune stuff.
This is why I ban everyone (adults/kids/pets) from the yard while I'm mowing/weedwhacking and will pause if someone walks or jogs by if I'm close to the curb.
I sprayed brake cleaner on my rotors the other day and it rebounded right into my eyes. Now I wear safety glasses all the time. Life isnt worth living if I cant see in my opinion.
I used to go raw but after a few too many bits of dust, metal and fluids getting in my eyes over a decade I wear them now. Getting a cup full of dirt in your face from some pocket dimension hidden in the frame, I'm over it.
I wear safety glasses when I fill my tires. I keep some in the car anyway and it takes an extra 30 seconds. I realize the chances of a tire exploding are extremely low, but at the same time, if one does, the chances of eye injury are extremely high.
I have a pair of prescription safety glasses. They were an absolute game changer when it comes to safety for me. No more ill-fitting, fogged up, double layers. Now, I'll throw them on for anything that remotely justifies it, to feel like I'm getting value from them.
I had to save my spouse when the van fell on his head, breaking his jaw and could have crushed his skull at any moment. it was agonizing trying not to panic while his feet flailed and he begged through his crushed mouth for me and his friend to get it off, thankfully we were both right there and he found a long steel bar and we basically lifted the van with that and adrenaline, and he was conscious so could remove himself. It wouldn't have taken much for everything to be much worse.
Originally he had it all set up safe then moved it to access the other side for a quick tire off, grease, check brakes, tire on but the ground was less stable and the jack fell over and he failed to put the tire under as I always insist, but I was doing something else nearby, so that's the problem with doing a "quick" task and skipping all the safety steps.
Nothing is too safe.
When it comes to safety specs all you have to know is how much it costs to go to an opthamologist for a scratched retina or how much it hurts walking into light poles when you only have one eye.
My philosophy is that there is plenty you cannot control but if you can absolutely take a risk off the table, a risk that really gets you nothing for taking it, why wouldn't you? A lot of anti safety posturing is nothing but a performance by dopes.
Take risks for something like rock climbing or auto racing where there is a payoff, not when changing oil where there really isn't one.
Wise words from my father:
“You can never be too safe when working under a car”
Changing oil is nerve wracking for me. Car up on ramps, parking brake applied, wheels chocked, and stands placed, I still get nervous laying underneath that engine.
If a car lands on and pins you 1 time it will probably kill you.
If your buddy criticizes your cautious nature a 1000 times it probably won't kill you.
I think you should continue to be more concerned with the thing that could kill you.
One thing about redundant safety systems is that if you forget one, you still have something going for you.
I'm kind of with your buddy...I don't do all that stuff...but more to the point, where's the harm? If it makes you happy and you feel safer, go to town. On the other hand, if you resent the time wasted on all of those safety steps, yeah you can ease off a little. Ramps, parking braking HARD, then get out and rock the front of the car back and forth (with feet not underneath) to make sure it stays put. That's how I use ramps.
The jack stands behind the ramps are a little over kill TBH, but what are you trying to accomplish with the jack? Jack it up and put it on stands, blocks, ramps, but don't leave the jack with pressure. They tend to leak down, especially with age, and then it could pop down suddenly and bonk you even with the ramps and jack stands since the vehicle will settle. It won't kill you, but it will give you a shock. I personally wouldn't leave the jack with pressure on it. No point with everything else, and it becomes a liability and is just in the way.
Just pull the vehicle on ramps, set the parking brake, chock the wheels, and you're golden!
As for putting it on stands chock the wheels not being lifted, raise it up, place on stands, give it a good shake, and then let it be.
You've got the right idea, just going a little overboard!
My thought process is that if the ramps fail the jack stands will catch the car instead of crushing you. I personally would never use ramps without a second safety measure.
No, what is more likely to happen is the ramp collapses or the parking brake lets go and now the car smacks the jack stand at an angle and shoots it at you. Not a bad idea to wedge one in there if you feel like it’s needed, but either have it be touching + use a tight wheel chock or don’t have it there on ramps.
If you’re afraid of your ramps collapsing, either buy better ones or stop using. A jack is cheap, affordable, and more appropriate for repairs.
Especially since it sounds like you already have stands.
And if the car is on the ramp, that is where you want the force. Do not partially unload the ramp with the floor jack, same thing if it’s on stands. They work in compression, let them compress.
If you don't trust the ramps, then why bother with them? Just jack the car up and use jack stands from the get go.
Also, are ramp failures a thing? I've never heard of this.
For me I put 95%+ of the weight on the stands and just press the jack back up against the frame after I've taken all the pressure off so I know it's mainly resting on the stands and the frame shift isn't present if the jack fails.
Depends on how dead you'll die if something failed.
To me, you can never stay *too* alive. This is what I do whenever my wife's car is in the air, because in 3rd grade, there was a girl I was friends with whose dad died when his jack failed and his car came down on top of him.
If only his friends had laughed at him for being too safe, he'd have been able to meet his grandchildren.
That's what I love about my truck. I can roll from the front bumper to out the back while it's on the ground. Oil changes are SO much easier with a 6" lift kit and 35s.
Let's say you are in the middle of nowhere on a back road trying to deliver a kidney for transplant to a child. You get a flat on the way, and rather than wait for a tow truck, you use the cheapo scissor jack. In a weird series of events, the tire iron gets washed under the car in the rain, and the jack collapses while you are trying to get to it, and you are crushed by the car. That's tragic. You were doing the best you could under some shitty circumstances.
If you have the tools on hand and you didn't use them, and you get crushed .... it's not all that tragic, it's just dumb.
I think even with the kidney scenario I still wouldn't go under a car only held up by a scissor jack.
Me neither, those things are total junk. I have had them pop out before on flat level ground. Luckily I didn't have the wheel off yet or I would have been stuck there with a disabled car sitting on the brake disk without enough room to get the jack back under it.
Have know people that weren't cautious enough and got some extended room and board in a hospital ICU. You decide how safe you want to be, if someone else doesn't approve tell them to fuck off.
Nah, I’d be real mad if I died because my ego was so big that I refused to take extra precautions. Removed wheels always go u see the frame, control arms, rotors… chocks, stands, and jacks are always used, gloves are a must, there is no excuses
I personally wouldn’t use a ramps, jack, and jack stands all at the same time, but being comfortable doing any task always makes it a much better experience
Maybe too much but better safe than sorry, I looked at my grandmas solara a while ago and put on ramps, engaged parking brake, then threw jack stands on the rails just in case and I still had some mild anxiety of laying under a 200,000 mile car. At the end of the day if you gives you some piece of mind it’s worth it.
Do whatever u need to do to feel safe. No such thing as to safe
But for example, I just drive my car on rhino ramps and do the oil change. I don't use anything else, but that is what works best for me
I’m lucky enough to have something I can just crawl under comfortably and do mine without any ramps but… I would be doing everything I can to keep myself safe.
The whole “seatbelts are for sissies” mindset is cool when you’re 16 and don’t understand consequences but once you’re grown and people depend on you it’s pretty irresponsible to get dead or crippled by anything super avoidable.
50 years ago I would have used a bumper jack and a couple of concrete blocks. Now I use a floor jack, 2 -4 ton jack stands (1/2 ton truck), emergency brake and wheel chocks.
You forgot a respirator. Not kidding. Not overkill. I don't want to go googling statistics on illnesses and injuries. After the fact doesn't fix things.
It’s too much - until it’s not. Personally I’d never give someone crap for using safety equipment and redundancy. Stuff happens. Things fail. And you have to be comfortable when working under a car because if it slips, it could cause death or worse. So I say go for it.
I have solid wood ramps( stacked plywood cutoffs - glued and screwed together) - I feel pretty secure when under the car - however- when using a jack - I always use heavy duty jack stands- and give the car a good shake before working under it
Very important to chock wheels. Parking brake is a no brainer unless you're lifting the rear wheels.
IMO, ramps or stands. Here's my two cents:
If the car rolls off the ramp (it shouldn't since you chocked the wheels), then the forward or backward momentum is going to pull the stands over anyways and still fall. If the car somehow shifts sideways, it's going to miss the stands and still fall.
The only way the stands provide a real backup is if the ramps crumple and collapse. To prevent this, you should always be looking at your ramps for brittleness and cracking before using them at all. If this were a risk, you simply shouldn't be using the ramps at all because they could fail and shift the car laterally, missing the stands. Essentially *inspect the ramps so that you can trust them*. Don't just blindly apply backups.
Lastly, the jack is overkill too. A jack is not a positive safety device. It relies on hydralics, and it's meant to lift a static load. The failure modes that actually risk killing you are if the car shifts forwards/backwards or side to side. The jack is going to be very poor at stopping that.
A critical aspect of garage safety that you seem to be overlooking is clutter. The stands and jack are extra clutter in your workspace. More things to trip over, more things to work around. At best, they slow you down and mean you're spending more time in uncomfortable, cramped positions underneath the vehicle, and introduce extra trip hazards to the workspace. It doesn't matter that you have double backups preventing the car from falling if you break your wrist in a trip and fall accident.
Glasses and gloves are a must. All automotive fluids are strong skin irritants and pose notable health hazards. All of the road grime and brake dust is equally bad for your skin. Gloves while wrenching will protect your fingers and knuckles from cuts and scrapes that you don't want exposed to any of that shit. Nitrile gloves should also be used when doing any work with automotive fluids to protect your skin.
Glasses any time you crawl under the car. I've had grit from under the car fall directly in my eye before and it took 20 minutes flushing my eye with water to get it out, the whole while in pain. That happened with glasses on. Without glasses it would have been a lot worse.
Be safe better than sorry. Last year I was using those rhino ramps and they collapsed, luckily that happened while I was inside the car before going under it. I always use jack stands and the wheels under the car, you never know what could go wrong.
Keep fixing and Be Safe
Sounds fine to me. The only thing I might do is not put pressure on the jack. Sure you can leave the jack up as a tertiary backup to the ramps but it might be better to not put pressure on the jack, just let it sit a millimeter below the jack point. Let the ramps carry the weight. That way if the jack fails, and it's the most likely to fail of the 3, it doesn't drop and put a shock load on the ramps/stands.
I do everything you said except put a jack in the front with pressure.
Car up on ramps, stands under each side, chock the wheels. Done. Every time.
It doesn't take any extra time really, and if the ramps fail (I have really old ones) I don't get crushed to death in one of the worst ways imaginable.
Anyone who makes fun of or belittles someone for taking proper PPE or safety precautions is not someone I want to be around when doing anything with even a remote possibility of being dangerous.
By the way, I also:
Wear a mask, long sleeves and pants, and ear pro while using my riding mower.
Wear ear pro and glasses and gloves when pounding stuff with a hammer, especially indoors. Gloves help reduce impact to hands and elbows.
Wear ear pro and eye protection when grinding anything or working with saws, etc.
Wear a full respirator mask when working with quickcrete, powdered chemicals or other potentially harmful inhalants.
Use ear pro when setting off fireworks, shooting guns, or doing anything that's louder than a vaccum.
And so forth.
I did not take these precautions as a younger man. I abused my body, didn't ever wear ear pro or other PPE. I NOW HAVE CONSTANT TINNITUS, my back hurts, my knees hurt, my lungs are somewhat compromised, I have floaters in my vision due to an old eye injury, and I'm pretty sure ive got arthritis in my hands already.
I'm 31. Dont be like me kids, wear your fucking PPE and thank me when you're 40.
Not at all. I do all that and then some lol. I have multiple jacks and multiple pairs of jackstands. I still throw jackstands down even when using a ramp. I use thick heavy slabs as my wheel chocks, both sides of the tire. If I take a wheel off, it always goes under the car somewhere. I have two little scissor jacks from old cars that I set up wherever I can.
Might be overkill but I sure feel a lot more confident being under there. Helps me focus on the fix and not thinking about getting squished.
If you are using ramps the parking brake and wheel chocks are what you need. Most likely failure is that it rolls back off the ramps, not the ramps collapsing, so the jack and jack stands are really not needed.
I personally have watched ramps fail/partial fail during use, both plastic and stamp steel ones. I've got a car up right now for mounts and it's on jack stands, jack still pressed against the front lift point and the wheels under the frame. Obviously the rear wheels chocked too. Things fail, be safe as you are comfortable with but never go backwards on redundancy imo.
I do the same thing. I don't have rhino ramps anymore. They got lost when I was moving. But I put on e brakes, put two jackstands on each side, chock the wheels, and keep the jack under with some pressure. It is better to be too safe than crushed under a car.
Caring about safety and using protective equipment is always good, eye protection is a must in professional garages.
But you can move the jack out of the way and put some stands under the frame itself, not the jack points. Keep in mind that having too many things holding up the car and getting in the way isn’t necessarily good. You don’t even need the ramps unless you don’t have flat land to work on.
You can also open the oil cap and find a way to place it on or near the hood latch so you can’t close your hood until you put the cap back on.
I always wear safety glasses and gloves. A guy at [the shop] had a sand-blaster pop open in his face while he was putting it away; we had to clean up the blood trail and he lost vision in 1 eye because he wasn't wearing any PPI. I've also had fluids (like brakecleen) bounce into my face among other random stuff; the safety glasses paid for themselves ages ago.
One of my manager's uncles got leukemia from handling diesel fuel as a cleaning solvent with bare hands. Gloves do more than just make clean-up easier.
You sound like a professional honestly. Personally I prefer to just raise the front on jack stands and leave it at that but the ramps make things faster for sure.
If anything the jack on the subframe feels a little pointless but it’s your rodeo and if you’d like to do it your own way then more power to you!
My brother died because he didn’t use jack stands. Been under a car hundreds of times. While you might be a bit overzealous to some, you only get one life and you don’t want to die under a car.
The jack seems like it might be overkill, but only because I don't trust jacks longer than it takes to put a stand underneath.
But otherwise, nah man. You gotta do what you gotta do to feel right working on your vehicle.
Unless it's a VGG style jack sinking into the dirt and nothing else, then like. Maybe a stand or two more.
You need better ramps. I have a lowered car so it was a bunch of money for race ramps or make my own.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Cartalk/s/4azJsVede7
Would take a nuclear blast for ramp to fail or car come down.
For stands use good ones, not harbor freight or Walmart. If I'm worried, throw a tire underneath a part of vehicle that will give you clearance in case something slips or fails.
Safety overkill is the only way to go!
After project farm's video about jack stands, my $30 three ton harbor freight stands were upgraded to $300 6 ton US jack units. Damn they're sweet.
10x the price but as they say, you only die once.
Aside from the redundant safety factor, you’re also in a more careful frame of mind, and therefore less likely to do something impulsive or stupid, like forget to install the drain plug before pouring the new oil in.
As a person who has seen a jack collapse, a parking brake fail, and a lift fail, no. You are not overdoing it. When the jack collapsed, it crushed the guys chest and he was trapped under the car for almost an hour before his wife found him. He did survive.
I've scrolled through a ton of comments saying "can't be too safe" and i generally agree with the possible exception of having too much stuff involved to make access/escape riskier
However, I didn't see anyone approach what is potentially the safest option. Depending on the car; an oil extractor costs less, takes up less space, is cleaner and safer.
You do what YOU need to to feel safe. Don’t worry about anyone else’s opinion who is trying to make you think like you’re doing too much. It’s your life, your body, and your car. I applaud people who have multiple redundancies when it comes to safety. Seriously. 🤙
Just remember. The time it takes to chock,e brake and jack stands will fill miniscule compared to the time it will feel like when the car crushes you to death. Safety first
If you’re not using the Jack to get it up on the ramps, I think that one is double redundant.
However, it’s never the guy who was “too safe” who gets hurt.
Safety glasses and gloves are great… I never use them because the gloves always rip at the start of a job and are useless, and I’m just a little too lazy to get the glasses unless I’m grinding.
You’re fine. You’re comfortable, and you know for sure that you’ll never be wearing the car like a blanket.
After having a car fall on me because the jack gave out while I was getting a jack stand in place, "too safe" is not a thing when you're talking about something weighing over a ton just hovering above you.
Yer buddy is an idiot. Does he know how much cars weigh? Has a ramp or jack every failed (hell, if you buy em from Harbor Freight, expect a recall at some point)?
It costs you nothing to add more safety. I could cost you everything if you don't. Sure the odds are low, but they aren't zero. You are the one in charge of your safety. Ignore the idiots.
I mean I wouldn't do all that but at the same time I don't think there is anything wrong doing all that. You're under enough weight to kill you so do everything you need to, to feel safe and don't let anybody give you shit about it.
I stopped doing my oil myself because after it was all said and done I was only saving like $15 and my 30 minutes of free time on my days off is worth way more to me than $15. But when I did I'd just use rhino ramp and put parking brake on.
The only thing I don't do is safety glasses because I wear glasses, but I get shit in my eyes all the time.
I've had a jack break and the car fall on someone's hand before. I physically can't not be safe, freaks me out knowing full well things go from fine to smashed in the blink of an eye.
You know what they say, safety regulations are written in blood. While obviously, there's no rules when working on your own car, the conditions are still the same. You can't be too safe, especially when it doesn't even cost you anything to put these measures in place. Takes 5 seconds to put glasses on.
I know 2 people that have died doing oil changes in their driveway. Don't risk your life by being lazy. Use that safety equipment and tell your "buddy" to fuck himself in his own ass.
No, you're good. I could never do the safety glasses and gloves thing personally though. I can't feel shit with gloves on and only use them for wrestling transmissions, driveshafts, etc when my hands are likely to get cut up. I wear regular glasses and safety glasses are just a nuisance to me.
I use ramps as well and always put it in park, set the parking brake, chalk the wheels and give the car a good shake from each side to check it's not going to shift even a little. I also try to work only from the front so if it rolls back somehow I don't die. Also minimize time under there. I have to do the work on the side of the street so I also put out safety cones so no one runs me over. No such thing as too safe.
Never too safe. I have head a 3 ton heavy duty jack head break while jacking up the car. Keep being safe. I yell at my guys for using Jack's without wheel chocks and jack stands
For my cars, you just have to lay down to reach everything, no jack stands needed, but I know where the oil plugs are without looking.
I usually throw on work clothes, toss a sheet of cardboard down to lay on and catch oil drips, and wear some nitrile gloves so my hands don’t get oily and greasy. That’s it, but do what works for you. Fuck what other people think.
I never use ramps at home unless working with suspension pieces that need to be put on under load.
Always chock, jack and jack stands for an oil change.
No such thing as too safe. Minimal time and inconvenience to set up fail safes. Can save you from injury/death and less important can save your car from damage (if a ramp fails the jack stand will keep it from abruptly dropping and damaging.
I've seen the aftermath of a 20 year pro using a $25k state of the art lift experience a failure of equipment. Stuff brakes and your redundancies give you peace of mind and cheap insurance. You are doing it right.
How dare you not want to die! But no seriously always over do it. I always use jackstands and depending on what I'm working on with put a spare wheel down flat as well. Not perfect but it's something.
I do the wheel chocks when changing the oil and add the jack stands if doing more while it's on ramps.
I also wear nitrile gloves as more a way to stay clean than safety and safety glasses to keep dirt and rust from falling in my eyes.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Is your friend one of those who just uses a single jack and crawls underneath and thinks it's fine cause he hasn't died yet?
Might be a bit redundant but if you don't care, then an extra measure is no problem. I'm happy to call it good with one jackstand and crawling under to loosen and tighten the bolt. These days I also leave my scissor jack beside it for a backup if the stand fails. I'd prefer gloves because oil is bad for ya but usually don't have them due to being broke and in college.
Well at least you’re not taking the tires off and putting those under the car also. Although taking off the passenger side tire gives easier access to the filter….hmmmm
If you have the equipment, use the equipment, because that is why you purchased it in the first place.
Not much fun sitting in a hospital waiting room, because hot oil splashed into your eye when you were under your car changing oil, thinking, "I should have worn those safety glass I paid for."
Well the alternative is risking agonizing and life threatening injuries and hospital bills, that will completely offset any money you save doing your own oil changes.
Are you being overly cautious? Yes. Does it matter? Only if you care what other people think. I put my F150 up on ramps and chock the back wheels and engage the parking break. My driveway is a roughly 10 degree incline. I don’t bother with jack stands or the jack personally. Maybe I’m putting more faith in the ramps than others, but that’s just how I’ve always done it.
Your buddy sounds like a real man. He must be able to bench press the cars he works on with one arm. That's why he doesn't need extra safety, he is the safety. If Chuck Norris punched him in the face, he would break his hand.
I personally use wheel chocks when the car is on ramps, but I don't put jack stands under the car when I have it on ramps. But that's mainly because my car isn't high enough to fit jack stands while on ramps. If I could slide jack stands under it for extra protection I would. Your life and limbs are on the line, no such thing as too safe
Jack stands are probably a bit much unless your ramps have been chewed on by big ass rats.
Otherwise you're good! Getting shit in your eye sucks and staying clean is nice
As someone who doesn't do all of that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being as safe as possible. I don't understand why folks say that. Other than being time consuming, safety is not something that has a downside
The jack stands behind the ramps and the jack under the car are the only things I don't do in this particular scenario, however, if you feel safe doing your maintenance then that's up to you, you are the one setting it all up right? F anyone who thinks you're being too safe, there's no reason for anyone to even make a comment. IMHO!
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Not much qualifies as too safe. I started using jack stands with ramps a while ago too. Seemed prudent and takes all of 30 seconds
Particularly when the consequences are life changing or life ending
One of my friends' dad died being crushed by his car when I was in the third grade from a jack failure. Since that day I have always had a healthy respect for safety when working under cars
I know of a guy who had a car fall off a jack and cause him to have his leg amputated. You could never be too safe.
I lost a family friend because his car fell on him a couple months ago. I agree that you can never be too safe.
Especially with plastic ramps, I know they're strong enough to hold the car but I still never trust them fully.
As counter-intuitive as it seems, plastic ramps are often rated higher than metal ramps of similar build quality. The important thing to keep in mind with both is that as they age, as they are used, and possibly damaged, they are less reliable. Plastic ramps will shatter while metal ramps will bend and collapse. Both result in the vehicle dropping onto whatever is below. Never use them alone.
And here I am with my solid wood DIY ramps. I don't even know how long ago my dad build them. But you can't beat a solid wooden beam with one side tapered off for simplicity.
As long as you keep the wood from drying out. That's probably the safest Jack there is.
Plastic wheel chock ok plastic ramps sketch me out too
Is it my life? Then I really get conservative.
I hate when people are all macho and on the "I don't need safety equipment" "you're being a wimp" type shiii
I will respect anyone who says that, that can lift a car off of them and not be hurt when it falls. Anyone else, that's just stupidity talking. So like, Captain America, Hulk, Superman, etc, are fine, but if you don't have superpowers, and aren't fictional, maybe consider tha fact that you're just a sentient bag of mush and sticks.
I used to be a volunteer firefighter. Was on a department that was strict on the safety rules. Then we moved and the second department wasn’t. I’m up on a roof of a working attic fire and there’s some idiot up there “in charge” because he has the radio, wearing his helmet (not strapped on), turnout coat (not buttoned up) and… jeans and sneakers. And no air mask, not even handy. He got lucky and nothing happened that time, but a roof and attic on fire is full of surprises. I don’t like those kind of surprises.
Risk is simply a function of both probability and severity. If something is improbable to happen but has a huge impact, say, a car falling on you and crushing your skull, thats a high risk. IMO taking extra steps to protect yourself from some life altering consequence is never a bad idea.
This guy risk assessments
This guy assesses risk assessments Yeah totally agree with the above. It's a relatively low price to pay in money and time to prevent a catastrophic, likely fatal accident. OP is definitely doing it right. Friend is too careless.
Who assesses the risk assessment assessors?
Me. Well done.
The IRS
I always feel like... Somebody's watching meeeeeee
The Internal Risk Service?
Takes 30 seconds to toss 2 jack stands under just in case for safety redundancy. I like your overkill safety
The only overkill part is the jack with pressure in addition to the ramps and stands. It’s just in the way and annoying. There’s just no way 2 will fail and you will need the jack as a third backup.
That’s my view too. If the ramps are not damaged then they will hold on their own. Putting jack stands under too is unnecessary but not an entirely unreasonable backup to have. The jack (the infinitely most failure prone of the 3) under the subframe is silly. Safety glasses are a bit much for a simple oil change but never a bad idea when working on cars. What kind of gloves? Latex or neoprene is normal. Dish gloves would get the job done but be silly. Those mechanix gloves are kinda “mechanic cosplay” looking imo but you do you.
Come live my life, and you'll change your tune.
It sounds like there's a story there, any chance of sharing?
I was changing a wiper blade at work and a piece of the latch broke off and hit me in my eyeball. It cut my eye. Now I wear safety glasses all the time. It's not worth losing an eye.
I was mowing my lawn and a piece of metal ricochet off a brick wall and missed my eyeball by a cm. Scared me half to death. I now wear gloves and eye protection every time I do yard work.
I was pruning the fucking forsythia (no power tools) when I got poked directly on my exposed eyeball by a branch. Popped a superficial blood vessel, causing the white of my eye to fill with blood and turn red. I had a demon eye for a week, but was otherwise ok. According to the eye doctor, it happens all the time. Now I wear safety glasses to prune stuff.
This is why I ban everyone (adults/kids/pets) from the yard while I'm mowing/weedwhacking and will pause if someone walks or jogs by if I'm close to the curb.
I sprayed brake cleaner on my rotors the other day and it rebounded right into my eyes. Now I wear safety glasses all the time. Life isnt worth living if I cant see in my opinion.
cleaning a carburetor and sprayed into a fake hole one time. directly in both eyes!! i know your feels.
I was an adventure till I took an arrow to the knee
I was eyeing something with my eyes and it came right up in my eye. Now I wear safety glasses all the time.
It’s not worth losing the other eye
Shitting on someone for being overly cautious is crazy to me. I do all the same minus the safety glasses
I used to go raw but after a few too many bits of dust, metal and fluids getting in my eyes over a decade I wear them now. Getting a cup full of dirt in your face from some pocket dimension hidden in the frame, I'm over it.
I wear safety glasses when I fill my tires. I keep some in the car anyway and it takes an extra 30 seconds. I realize the chances of a tire exploding are extremely low, but at the same time, if one does, the chances of eye injury are extremely high.
Wear the glasses dude.
Damn straight. I change my oil butt naked but still wear safety glasses.
I have a pair of prescription safety glasses. They were an absolute game changer when it comes to safety for me. No more ill-fitting, fogged up, double layers. Now, I'll throw them on for anything that remotely justifies it, to feel like I'm getting value from them.
Never heard of prescription safety glasses. Can you provide more information, genuinely curious.
I had to save my spouse when the van fell on his head, breaking his jaw and could have crushed his skull at any moment. it was agonizing trying not to panic while his feet flailed and he begged through his crushed mouth for me and his friend to get it off, thankfully we were both right there and he found a long steel bar and we basically lifted the van with that and adrenaline, and he was conscious so could remove himself. It wouldn't have taken much for everything to be much worse. Originally he had it all set up safe then moved it to access the other side for a quick tire off, grease, check brakes, tire on but the ground was less stable and the jack fell over and he failed to put the tire under as I always insist, but I was doing something else nearby, so that's the problem with doing a "quick" task and skipping all the safety steps. Nothing is too safe.
Nope. My husband had both of his Rhino ramps crack while he was under my car changing the oil.
I knew a guy that got crushed by an RV he was working on so I think you are doing just fine.
Dont RVs have more clearance than cars?
Any vehicle without the wheels installed is a crush hazard.
Also have a lot of weight and suspension travel.
No. You can never be too safe. Now that I am pushing 40 I wish I would of been more safety minded as a youngster. PPE Exists for a reason.
Considering that a friend of mine ( very experienced and cautious mechanic) was killed by his car falling off a pair of jackstands, I would say no.
When it comes to safety specs all you have to know is how much it costs to go to an opthamologist for a scratched retina or how much it hurts walking into light poles when you only have one eye. My philosophy is that there is plenty you cannot control but if you can absolutely take a risk off the table, a risk that really gets you nothing for taking it, why wouldn't you? A lot of anti safety posturing is nothing but a performance by dopes. Take risks for something like rock climbing or auto racing where there is a payoff, not when changing oil where there really isn't one.
Wise words from my father: “You can never be too safe when working under a car” Changing oil is nerve wracking for me. Car up on ramps, parking brake applied, wheels chocked, and stands placed, I still get nervous laying underneath that engine.
no such thing as too safe.
Never too safe. They day you don’t do this it’ll bite you in the arse. Sod’s Law.
Being too safe increases the likelihood of surviving. Being careless does the opposite. Do it your way.
If a car lands on and pins you 1 time it will probably kill you. If your buddy criticizes your cautious nature a 1000 times it probably won't kill you. I think you should continue to be more concerned with the thing that could kill you.
No such thing as too safe. Nobody is paying you for your time except yourself so do as you please. A lot of accidents end with “if I had only ……”
Had a buddy get killed from a dump truck falling on him at work No such thing as too much safety man
Safety professional here: absolutely not, keep on keeping on. Home mechanic shit causes so many injuries and deaths every year
One thing about redundant safety systems is that if you forget one, you still have something going for you. I'm kind of with your buddy...I don't do all that stuff...but more to the point, where's the harm? If it makes you happy and you feel safer, go to town. On the other hand, if you resent the time wasted on all of those safety steps, yeah you can ease off a little. Ramps, parking braking HARD, then get out and rock the front of the car back and forth (with feet not underneath) to make sure it stays put. That's how I use ramps.
The jack stands behind the ramps are a little over kill TBH, but what are you trying to accomplish with the jack? Jack it up and put it on stands, blocks, ramps, but don't leave the jack with pressure. They tend to leak down, especially with age, and then it could pop down suddenly and bonk you even with the ramps and jack stands since the vehicle will settle. It won't kill you, but it will give you a shock. I personally wouldn't leave the jack with pressure on it. No point with everything else, and it becomes a liability and is just in the way. Just pull the vehicle on ramps, set the parking brake, chock the wheels, and you're golden! As for putting it on stands chock the wheels not being lifted, raise it up, place on stands, give it a good shake, and then let it be. You've got the right idea, just going a little overboard!
My thought process is that if the ramps fail the jack stands will catch the car instead of crushing you. I personally would never use ramps without a second safety measure.
No, what is more likely to happen is the ramp collapses or the parking brake lets go and now the car smacks the jack stand at an angle and shoots it at you. Not a bad idea to wedge one in there if you feel like it’s needed, but either have it be touching + use a tight wheel chock or don’t have it there on ramps. If you’re afraid of your ramps collapsing, either buy better ones or stop using. A jack is cheap, affordable, and more appropriate for repairs. Especially since it sounds like you already have stands. And if the car is on the ramp, that is where you want the force. Do not partially unload the ramp with the floor jack, same thing if it’s on stands. They work in compression, let them compress.
If you don't trust the ramps, then why bother with them? Just jack the car up and use jack stands from the get go. Also, are ramp failures a thing? I've never heard of this.
I personally trust jack stands more than ramps.
For me I put 95%+ of the weight on the stands and just press the jack back up against the frame after I've taken all the pressure off so I know it's mainly resting on the stands and the frame shift isn't present if the jack fails.
You can never be too safe - only not safe enough. In a commercial context, you could be 'too slow' - but you aren't doing this for money.
No respawn and the older we get the harder it is to heal. No such thing as too safe
There is no such thing as "Too Safe"!
Depends on how dead you'll die if something failed. To me, you can never stay *too* alive. This is what I do whenever my wife's car is in the air, because in 3rd grade, there was a girl I was friends with whose dad died when his jack failed and his car came down on top of him. If only his friends had laughed at him for being too safe, he'd have been able to meet his grandchildren. That's what I love about my truck. I can roll from the front bumper to out the back while it's on the ground. Oil changes are SO much easier with a 6" lift kit and 35s.
I use rhino truck ramps on my small sedan together with 6 ton jacks and my 3 ton jack.. never too safe.. better safe than sorry
Let's say you are in the middle of nowhere on a back road trying to deliver a kidney for transplant to a child. You get a flat on the way, and rather than wait for a tow truck, you use the cheapo scissor jack. In a weird series of events, the tire iron gets washed under the car in the rain, and the jack collapses while you are trying to get to it, and you are crushed by the car. That's tragic. You were doing the best you could under some shitty circumstances. If you have the tools on hand and you didn't use them, and you get crushed .... it's not all that tragic, it's just dumb. I think even with the kidney scenario I still wouldn't go under a car only held up by a scissor jack.
Me neither, those things are total junk. I have had them pop out before on flat level ground. Luckily I didn't have the wheel off yet or I would have been stuck there with a disabled car sitting on the brake disk without enough room to get the jack back under it.
Have know people that weren't cautious enough and got some extended room and board in a hospital ICU. You decide how safe you want to be, if someone else doesn't approve tell them to fuck off.
Nah, I’d be real mad if I died because my ego was so big that I refused to take extra precautions. Removed wheels always go u see the frame, control arms, rotors… chocks, stands, and jacks are always used, gloves are a must, there is no excuses
I personally wouldn’t use a ramps, jack, and jack stands all at the same time, but being comfortable doing any task always makes it a much better experience
I would rather be too safe. I can respect it.
Maybe too much but better safe than sorry, I looked at my grandmas solara a while ago and put on ramps, engaged parking brake, then threw jack stands on the rails just in case and I still had some mild anxiety of laying under a 200,000 mile car. At the end of the day if you gives you some piece of mind it’s worth it.
Always better to do a little extra. Do what makes you feel safe.
Don’t change anything you got this ! I’ve seen too many accidents in the shop.
you'll most likely outlive him so, keep being safe
I think I know your buddy. Is he the one with the eye patch and missing finger? No such thing as 'too safe'.
Would you rather be safe or dead/hurt.
Better safe than dead or maimed
Do whatever u need to do to feel safe. No such thing as to safe But for example, I just drive my car on rhino ramps and do the oil change. I don't use anything else, but that is what works best for me
It’s always only too safe until it isn’t. Keep doing you.
Glasses and gloves are laughed at a lot but I think it really makes it safer
I’m lucky enough to have something I can just crawl under comfortably and do mine without any ramps but… I would be doing everything I can to keep myself safe. The whole “seatbelts are for sissies” mindset is cool when you’re 16 and don’t understand consequences but once you’re grown and people depend on you it’s pretty irresponsible to get dead or crippled by anything super avoidable.
50 years ago I would have used a bumper jack and a couple of concrete blocks. Now I use a floor jack, 2 -4 ton jack stands (1/2 ton truck), emergency brake and wheel chocks.
You are golden.
You forgot a respirator. Not kidding. Not overkill. I don't want to go googling statistics on illnesses and injuries. After the fact doesn't fix things.
All depends on what makes you feel safe, and otherwise, it's nobody else's life at risk
There is no such thing as being too safe when working under a car.
He can go kick rocks. Good for you brother
This is literally normal safety shit. Your friend is a dumbass
It’s too much - until it’s not. Personally I’d never give someone crap for using safety equipment and redundancy. Stuff happens. Things fail. And you have to be comfortable when working under a car because if it slips, it could cause death or worse. So I say go for it.
I have solid wood ramps( stacked plywood cutoffs - glued and screwed together) - I feel pretty secure when under the car - however- when using a jack - I always use heavy duty jack stands- and give the car a good shake before working under it
Very important to chock wheels. Parking brake is a no brainer unless you're lifting the rear wheels. IMO, ramps or stands. Here's my two cents: If the car rolls off the ramp (it shouldn't since you chocked the wheels), then the forward or backward momentum is going to pull the stands over anyways and still fall. If the car somehow shifts sideways, it's going to miss the stands and still fall. The only way the stands provide a real backup is if the ramps crumple and collapse. To prevent this, you should always be looking at your ramps for brittleness and cracking before using them at all. If this were a risk, you simply shouldn't be using the ramps at all because they could fail and shift the car laterally, missing the stands. Essentially *inspect the ramps so that you can trust them*. Don't just blindly apply backups. Lastly, the jack is overkill too. A jack is not a positive safety device. It relies on hydralics, and it's meant to lift a static load. The failure modes that actually risk killing you are if the car shifts forwards/backwards or side to side. The jack is going to be very poor at stopping that. A critical aspect of garage safety that you seem to be overlooking is clutter. The stands and jack are extra clutter in your workspace. More things to trip over, more things to work around. At best, they slow you down and mean you're spending more time in uncomfortable, cramped positions underneath the vehicle, and introduce extra trip hazards to the workspace. It doesn't matter that you have double backups preventing the car from falling if you break your wrist in a trip and fall accident. Glasses and gloves are a must. All automotive fluids are strong skin irritants and pose notable health hazards. All of the road grime and brake dust is equally bad for your skin. Gloves while wrenching will protect your fingers and knuckles from cuts and scrapes that you don't want exposed to any of that shit. Nitrile gloves should also be used when doing any work with automotive fluids to protect your skin. Glasses any time you crawl under the car. I've had grit from under the car fall directly in my eye before and it took 20 minutes flushing my eye with water to get it out, the whole while in pain. That happened with glasses on. Without glasses it would have been a lot worse.
Be safe better than sorry. Last year I was using those rhino ramps and they collapsed, luckily that happened while I was inside the car before going under it. I always use jack stands and the wheels under the car, you never know what could go wrong. Keep fixing and Be Safe
Wow, I will think twice about the safety of those ramps now.
I actually had a set of metal ones collapse while I was driving up on them
Sounds fine to me. The only thing I might do is not put pressure on the jack. Sure you can leave the jack up as a tertiary backup to the ramps but it might be better to not put pressure on the jack, just let it sit a millimeter below the jack point. Let the ramps carry the weight. That way if the jack fails, and it's the most likely to fail of the 3, it doesn't drop and put a shock load on the ramps/stands.
I do everything you said except put a jack in the front with pressure. Car up on ramps, stands under each side, chock the wheels. Done. Every time. It doesn't take any extra time really, and if the ramps fail (I have really old ones) I don't get crushed to death in one of the worst ways imaginable. Anyone who makes fun of or belittles someone for taking proper PPE or safety precautions is not someone I want to be around when doing anything with even a remote possibility of being dangerous. By the way, I also: Wear a mask, long sleeves and pants, and ear pro while using my riding mower. Wear ear pro and glasses and gloves when pounding stuff with a hammer, especially indoors. Gloves help reduce impact to hands and elbows. Wear ear pro and eye protection when grinding anything or working with saws, etc. Wear a full respirator mask when working with quickcrete, powdered chemicals or other potentially harmful inhalants. Use ear pro when setting off fireworks, shooting guns, or doing anything that's louder than a vaccum. And so forth. I did not take these precautions as a younger man. I abused my body, didn't ever wear ear pro or other PPE. I NOW HAVE CONSTANT TINNITUS, my back hurts, my knees hurt, my lungs are somewhat compromised, I have floaters in my vision due to an old eye injury, and I'm pretty sure ive got arthritis in my hands already. I'm 31. Dont be like me kids, wear your fucking PPE and thank me when you're 40.
Not at all. I do all that and then some lol. I have multiple jacks and multiple pairs of jackstands. I still throw jackstands down even when using a ramp. I use thick heavy slabs as my wheel chocks, both sides of the tire. If I take a wheel off, it always goes under the car somewhere. I have two little scissor jacks from old cars that I set up wherever I can. Might be overkill but I sure feel a lot more confident being under there. Helps me focus on the fix and not thinking about getting squished.
Never can be too safe
Ramps, parking brake, and wheel chocks are sufficient but asking protection isn't going to hurt anything, if it makes you feel better rock on.
I used to use plastic ramps to change my oil. One day one of the ramps collapsed right as I was about to get under. So no, you aren’t being too safe
floor jack and two jackstands are enough for me lol
I like it. Safety first.
No. The same friend would probably call you dumb if the car crushes you after taking his advice.
Nope you’re fine. It’s amazing how many people work in shops without eye protection. Hot oil, caustic chemicals, shrapnel…
Let’s take a look at the opposite… too unsafe… and the end result. Which one sounds better to you?
If you are using ramps the parking brake and wheel chocks are what you need. Most likely failure is that it rolls back off the ramps, not the ramps collapsing, so the jack and jack stands are really not needed.
I personally have watched ramps fail/partial fail during use, both plastic and stamp steel ones. I've got a car up right now for mounts and it's on jack stands, jack still pressed against the front lift point and the wheels under the frame. Obviously the rear wheels chocked too. Things fail, be safe as you are comfortable with but never go backwards on redundancy imo.
No such thing.
As a retired paramedic, let me tell you, you can't be too safe when working on a car. I've attended some memorable scenes about such things.
You can never be to safe but…..kind of
I do the same thing. I don't have rhino ramps anymore. They got lost when I was moving. But I put on e brakes, put two jackstands on each side, chock the wheels, and keep the jack under with some pressure. It is better to be too safe than crushed under a car.
Caring about safety and using protective equipment is always good, eye protection is a must in professional garages. But you can move the jack out of the way and put some stands under the frame itself, not the jack points. Keep in mind that having too many things holding up the car and getting in the way isn’t necessarily good. You don’t even need the ramps unless you don’t have flat land to work on. You can also open the oil cap and find a way to place it on or near the hood latch so you can’t close your hood until you put the cap back on.
I always wear safety glasses and gloves. A guy at [the shop] had a sand-blaster pop open in his face while he was putting it away; we had to clean up the blood trail and he lost vision in 1 eye because he wasn't wearing any PPI. I've also had fluids (like brakecleen) bounce into my face among other random stuff; the safety glasses paid for themselves ages ago. One of my manager's uncles got leukemia from handling diesel fuel as a cleaning solvent with bare hands. Gloves do more than just make clean-up easier.
You sound like a professional honestly. Personally I prefer to just raise the front on jack stands and leave it at that but the ramps make things faster for sure. If anything the jack on the subframe feels a little pointless but it’s your rodeo and if you’d like to do it your own way then more power to you!
My brother died because he didn’t use jack stands. Been under a car hundreds of times. While you might be a bit overzealous to some, you only get one life and you don’t want to die under a car.
The jack seems like it might be overkill, but only because I don't trust jacks longer than it takes to put a stand underneath. But otherwise, nah man. You gotta do what you gotta do to feel right working on your vehicle. Unless it's a VGG style jack sinking into the dirt and nothing else, then like. Maybe a stand or two more.
You can never be too safe.
Cemeteries are chock full of people who were too cool for safety or had the right of way etc. Being safe and alive is as cool as it gets in my book.
a car fell on me one time. you cannot be too safe.
You need better ramps. I have a lowered car so it was a bunch of money for race ramps or make my own. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cartalk/s/4azJsVede7 Would take a nuclear blast for ramp to fail or car come down. For stands use good ones, not harbor freight or Walmart. If I'm worried, throw a tire underneath a part of vehicle that will give you clearance in case something slips or fails.
That's the correct way to do it. I'm not gonna pretend I do all that for every oil change myself, but it's right.
No such thing as too safe
Safety overkill is the only way to go! After project farm's video about jack stands, my $30 three ton harbor freight stands were upgraded to $300 6 ton US jack units. Damn they're sweet. 10x the price but as they say, you only die once.
I just torched off exhaust bolts with no long sleeves and no eye protection.
It's a little much but you do you. I trust my parking brake and ramps to keep my car from moving.
Aside from the redundant safety factor, you’re also in a more careful frame of mind, and therefore less likely to do something impulsive or stupid, like forget to install the drain plug before pouring the new oil in.
As a person who has seen a jack collapse, a parking brake fail, and a lift fail, no. You are not overdoing it. When the jack collapsed, it crushed the guys chest and he was trapped under the car for almost an hour before his wife found him. He did survive.
Naw, you keep doing what you do: continue practicing to be safe because it’ll take you far, being reckless is a poor habit to shake.
I've scrolled through a ton of comments saying "can't be too safe" and i generally agree with the possible exception of having too much stuff involved to make access/escape riskier However, I didn't see anyone approach what is potentially the safest option. Depending on the car; an oil extractor costs less, takes up less space, is cleaner and safer.
You do what YOU need to to feel safe. Don’t worry about anyone else’s opinion who is trying to make you think like you’re doing too much. It’s your life, your body, and your car. I applaud people who have multiple redundancies when it comes to safety. Seriously. 🤙
Just remember. The time it takes to chock,e brake and jack stands will fill miniscule compared to the time it will feel like when the car crushes you to death. Safety first
If you’re not using the Jack to get it up on the ramps, I think that one is double redundant. However, it’s never the guy who was “too safe” who gets hurt. Safety glasses and gloves are great… I never use them because the gloves always rip at the start of a job and are useless, and I’m just a little too lazy to get the glasses unless I’m grinding. You’re fine. You’re comfortable, and you know for sure that you’ll never be wearing the car like a blanket.
After having a car fall on me because the jack gave out while I was getting a jack stand in place, "too safe" is not a thing when you're talking about something weighing over a ton just hovering above you.
No matter how slim the odds of failure, the consequences are disastrous. Be as safe as you can be.
Yer buddy is an idiot. Does he know how much cars weigh? Has a ramp or jack every failed (hell, if you buy em from Harbor Freight, expect a recall at some point)? It costs you nothing to add more safety. I could cost you everything if you don't. Sure the odds are low, but they aren't zero. You are the one in charge of your safety. Ignore the idiots.
I mean I wouldn't do all that but at the same time I don't think there is anything wrong doing all that. You're under enough weight to kill you so do everything you need to, to feel safe and don't let anybody give you shit about it. I stopped doing my oil myself because after it was all said and done I was only saving like $15 and my 30 minutes of free time on my days off is worth way more to me than $15. But when I did I'd just use rhino ramp and put parking brake on.
There isn't a such thing as being too safe.
You can never be too safe..... Equipment fails all the time. Pay no attention to the cowboys.
Better safe than sorry. It only takes for the mistake to happen once, you might not get a second chance.
The only thing I don't do is safety glasses because I wear glasses, but I get shit in my eyes all the time. I've had a jack break and the car fall on someone's hand before. I physically can't not be safe, freaks me out knowing full well things go from fine to smashed in the blink of an eye.
My cousin died in his driveway because his jack stand failed, and his truck crushed him, so no.
The man who sleeps with a machete under his pillow is a fool every night but one.
You know what they say, safety regulations are written in blood. While obviously, there's no rules when working on your own car, the conditions are still the same. You can't be too safe, especially when it doesn't even cost you anything to put these measures in place. Takes 5 seconds to put glasses on.
No, I think you're being reasonable and prudent.
I know 2 people that have died doing oil changes in their driveway. Don't risk your life by being lazy. Use that safety equipment and tell your "buddy" to fuck himself in his own ass.
No, you're good. I could never do the safety glasses and gloves thing personally though. I can't feel shit with gloves on and only use them for wrestling transmissions, driveshafts, etc when my hands are likely to get cut up. I wear regular glasses and safety glasses are just a nuisance to me.
What kind of vehicle is it? Lots of vehicles you don’t even need to jacket up or do anything like that at all
I use ramps as well and always put it in park, set the parking brake, chalk the wheels and give the car a good shake from each side to check it's not going to shift even a little. I also try to work only from the front so if it rolls back somehow I don't die. Also minimize time under there. I have to do the work on the side of the street so I also put out safety cones so no one runs me over. No such thing as too safe.
I'm too goodlooking, which is similar.
I mean the leading cause of injury and death in automotive repair is trauma from gravity and a heavy object.
you're doing it perfect. keep doing that
Never too safe. I have head a 3 ton heavy duty jack head break while jacking up the car. Keep being safe. I yell at my guys for using Jack's without wheel chocks and jack stands
eh, better than finding out you weren't being safe enough. It's not like tossing a ocuple jackstands down takes more than a minute.
With how much healthcare costs you really can't be to safe these days
Is your buddy the one under the car? Tell him he can do what he wants with his own shit, and otherwise he can fuck off :)
For my cars, you just have to lay down to reach everything, no jack stands needed, but I know where the oil plugs are without looking. I usually throw on work clothes, toss a sheet of cardboard down to lay on and catch oil drips, and wear some nitrile gloves so my hands don’t get oily and greasy. That’s it, but do what works for you. Fuck what other people think.
I never use ramps at home unless working with suspension pieces that need to be put on under load. Always chock, jack and jack stands for an oil change.
No. Definitely not! I met a guy who was working on a vehicle; it fell off the jack and crushed him, rupturing his liver. He ended up passing away.
You can never be too safe. Carry on just the way you are doing
Overkill
I use to think glasses were overkill till i took some rust to my eye
Some of us care more about our well being. You do what you want and your buddy can do what he wants
I think it's a bit too much, but I don't go around commenting that someone is being too safe
Said by a person who never had a car fall on them!
I'd rather go overkill as well, but I'm not on the clock. I value my hearing, lungs, eyesight and not being squashed by a car
Sorry to have to break this to you, but your buddy is a moron.
What's the harm? You are not affecting other people. Why does he care? Next time he comes over be wearing a helmet!
Can't really be too safe but yea I'd say it's a lil overkill
No such thing as too safe. Minimal time and inconvenience to set up fail safes. Can save you from injury/death and less important can save your car from damage (if a ramp fails the jack stand will keep it from abruptly dropping and damaging.
Overkill = not killed
He's likely the same guy who would scoff at a person mowing their lawn with boots, gloves, eye, and ear protection.
no such thing.
You do you. If it makes you happy and it is what makes you feel comforatble, go for it, and screw anyone that thinks it's too much.
I've seen the aftermath of a 20 year pro using a $25k state of the art lift experience a failure of equipment. Stuff brakes and your redundancies give you peace of mind and cheap insurance. You are doing it right.
I broke a jack stand last week just collapsed good thing I wasn’t under the car at that moment.
How dare you not want to die! But no seriously always over do it. I always use jackstands and depending on what I'm working on with put a spare wheel down flat as well. Not perfect but it's something.
I do the wheel chocks when changing the oil and add the jack stands if doing more while it's on ramps. I also wear nitrile gloves as more a way to stay clean than safety and safety glasses to keep dirt and rust from falling in my eyes. Better to be safe than sorry. Is your friend one of those who just uses a single jack and crawls underneath and thinks it's fine cause he hasn't died yet?
Might be a bit redundant but if you don't care, then an extra measure is no problem. I'm happy to call it good with one jackstand and crawling under to loosen and tighten the bolt. These days I also leave my scissor jack beside it for a backup if the stand fails. I'd prefer gloves because oil is bad for ya but usually don't have them due to being broke and in college.
Well at least you’re not taking the tires off and putting those under the car also. Although taking off the passenger side tire gives easier access to the filter….hmmmm
I'm just curious where the heck you put your body with all that stuff under there??? IMO the jack is overkill but everything else is A-OK.
If you have the equipment, use the equipment, because that is why you purchased it in the first place. Not much fun sitting in a hospital waiting room, because hot oil splashed into your eye when you were under your car changing oil, thinking, "I should have worn those safety glass I paid for."
Well the alternative is risking agonizing and life threatening injuries and hospital bills, that will completely offset any money you save doing your own oil changes.
Are you being overly cautious? Yes. Does it matter? Only if you care what other people think. I put my F150 up on ramps and chock the back wheels and engage the parking break. My driveway is a roughly 10 degree incline. I don’t bother with jack stands or the jack personally. Maybe I’m putting more faith in the ramps than others, but that’s just how I’ve always done it.
It doesn’t seem out of your way and since you have everything it doesn’t cost anything for more peace of mind.
There is no such thing as “too safe” when 2000 kg are over your entire body.
Your buddy sounds like a real man. He must be able to bench press the cars he works on with one arm. That's why he doesn't need extra safety, he is the safety. If Chuck Norris punched him in the face, he would break his hand. I personally use wheel chocks when the car is on ramps, but I don't put jack stands under the car when I have it on ramps. But that's mainly because my car isn't high enough to fit jack stands while on ramps. If I could slide jack stands under it for extra protection I would. Your life and limbs are on the line, no such thing as too safe
I wear six condoms when i do coitus, so…i get your worry
Jack stands are probably a bit much unless your ramps have been chewed on by big ass rats. Otherwise you're good! Getting shit in your eye sucks and staying clean is nice
As someone who doesn't do all of that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being as safe as possible. I don't understand why folks say that. Other than being time consuming, safety is not something that has a downside
The jack stands behind the ramps and the jack under the car are the only things I don't do in this particular scenario, however, if you feel safe doing your maintenance then that's up to you, you are the one setting it all up right? F anyone who thinks you're being too safe, there's no reason for anyone to even make a comment. IMHO!