[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Mikes procedure for safety when working under a Vehicle.

First, I want to say, is what "not" ever to do. I was out in the field, in the sand, rapeing a fuel tank out of an old Dodge van, working alone, "never work alone". It was supported on a car jack, "no" wheel on the D.S. rear. Even though I was young and fast, I was watching the jack while I worked. I got the gas tank out, just before it fell.

Today, I believe in safety first. We had four cinder blocks and am working on a solid pavor driveway. I need to go up high enough to pull the trans. out and then go back in. We already blocked up the front and left the back of the car on the ground. We pulled the Trans. back and dropped it on a motorcycle jack stand, that resembles a forklift. We tied the Trans. to the MJ with rope to keep it from falling. We block up the car from the center under the foot with the floor jack. High enough to use two cinder blocks per side, orientated as they are used in construction, which is the strength of the block. Hole side up. Add a piece of lumber in our case a 2"x 8" x 16" PT board. Block up under the lower "A"-frame on both sides. Leave the floor jack under the foot as a safty.

Installation is different, we have to block up the rear of the car for that procedure. We went out and bought 8 cinder blocks, two under each leaf spring and two under each sub- frame connector. Use the same wood as before on these areas. The sub-frame connectors are blocked in front of the wheels from the back. This gives you six solid points that won't move. Push the vehicle to make sure, better to find out now than later if there is a problem. Use new blocks, don't depend on used ones, they are $2.23 each. We then use our jack stands and extra floor jacks under the rear axle and anywhere else for safty sake. Use your bottle jacks for safty sake also. I won't depend on jack stands alone EVER.