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Author Topic: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...  (Read 5230 times)

Peter Holden

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #30 on: June 28, 2022, 10:33:38 AM »

I had the misfortune to have to change a rear tyre on our old Romahome one Friday tea time on the Thelwall viaduct.  I have never been so frightened in all my life.  It has prompted 2 things.   One I carry a can of gloopy stuff in each of our vehicles and I will never change a tyre at the side of the motorway again.

Peter
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Wittsend

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #31 on: June 28, 2022, 11:56:35 AM »

I think now the preferred procedure is to recover the vehicle off the motorway - you and your passengers should bail out PDQ behind the barriers.

It's far too dangerous to be messing around on the hard shoulder - even if there is one  :stars
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Peter Holden

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #32 on: June 28, 2022, 12:38:07 PM »

Agreed, my experience was 20 years ago but I still remember it vividly.  Wife and kids back against the Armco spotting cars and trucks coming too close.  Otherwise of Armco was a 200 foot drop

Peter
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w3526602

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #33 on: June 28, 2022, 12:47:53 PM »

Hi,
Two incidents seen near the Severn Crossing (2 mile suspension bridge, Wales into England.), plus one of my own.

1. Outside lane, everybody doing 70mph plus. Commer 15cwt (750kg) camper van parked on the central reservation, with the driver standing in front, one eye ball peering round the front corner, at the oncoming traffic.

I pulled into the Aust Service Station, and told a police driver ... it was the first he'd heard of it.

2. Another occasion, about two miles into England, late on a stormy night, no street lights, bucketing down with rain, no other traffic, me probably going faster than was sensible. Flash of white in my headlamps, on hard shoulder. Boy's face, probably about 12 years old. He looked somewhat miserable.

I phoned it in from the next roadside phone.

3. So I parked hard against the white wooden gate, which seemed sensible in the circumstances, but forgetting that the passenger in the front, and the three in the rear couldn't get the NS front door open. The signal-man, in his box above us shouted down that he had stopped the express.

British Rail Police later withdrew their NIP.

602.

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linesrg

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #34 on: July 04, 2022, 07:52:10 AM »

Good Morning All,

One of the reasons I'm installing this.

Regards

Richard

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The Shed

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #35 on: July 04, 2022, 07:33:42 PM »

Good Morning All,

One of the reasons I'm installing this.

Regards

Richard
Richie. You don't need a bigger jack ! 😀
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w3526602

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #36 on: July 08, 2022, 05:29:52 AM »

Hi,

If you use the transmission brake, even in 4WD, and lift BOTH front wheel of t he ground, like with a HI-lift jack, the front end can still fall sideways, as there is nothing to stop the wheels rotating in opposite directions .... unless you have chocked both wheels fore'n aft.

The Aunt (1959 S2 109") came with rear wheel cylinders that obviously had started life with hydraulic + hand expander capability, that had been sawn off. Maybe these  were "specials" for "engineering plant" vehicles? The Aunt started life as a BBC Arial Erection vehicle. The Rover 3-litre saloon car (P5 ? ) seems to have had similar rear wheel cylinders, but retaining the complete cable/rod pulled cam plate. Unfortunately, the P5 pistons were too small diameter to be used on a Series ... something like 5/8" dia. (Which would give a nice firm pedal).

602
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w3526602

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #37 on: July 11, 2022, 08:04:02 AM »

Hi,

Looking at the problem, while wearing your Mr Sensible hat, IS there a sensible way of working on an "elevated" vehicle at the roadside .... or even in your garage?

Memory suggests that my MOT tester had some sort of device, involving small jacking devices, standing on the ramp, and some thick shims.

So what is available for the home mechanic? I am not convinced by axle stands ... too easy tp push them over, and while I accept that hydraulics are not ideal, I'd prefer a sturdy trolley jack to stands.

Railway sleepers and spare wheels do not come with KITE MARKS and SWL advice. ..... although I might accept an axle stand with a "channel" to accept a chassis rail, and welded to a wheel (preferably still wearing a tyre. Even better if it could be fitted under the front (or rear) cross members.
e just crept
I do not consider anywhere, on either front or rear axles, to be really ideal as a jacking point, or locaton for a stand. Some thoughts have just crept into my head, which may only interest us Series enthusiasts who don't mind spendina a few bob.

Devise a SAFE way of lifting either end of the truck using a FARM hi-lift jack. high enough to slide sturdy trestles (on bogies?) under/across both chassis rails, to provide stable equilibrium (as opposed to unstable equilibrium).

Back to the drawing board.

602
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Clifford Pope

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #38 on: July 11, 2022, 08:19:26 AM »

The ulimate test surely is what would happen if you barged violently against the vehicle, like police breaking down a door, or you were heaving on a reluctant bolt with a scaffold pipe. If you can rock the vehicle at all then it becomes very dangerous, having some of the wheels on the ground and one on an axle stand allows just that.
The only everyday remedies  in my opinion are railway sleepers. You'll never push a car by hand off a stack of 3 sleepers.
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Wittsend

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #39 on: July 11, 2022, 10:13:08 AM »

This is my rig - tell me it's dangerous.



On firm flat ground.
I use a trolley jack with a wood block under the diff and lift.
Each axle stand has a small block of wood which goes between the spring U-bolts.
(When I fit the springs I angle grind off the excess U-bolt ends. Less drag when green laning and easier to get the axle stand underneath.)

Both rear wheels suitably chocked fore and aft.

The vehicle is rock solid.

I wouldn't use any of those minimalist, folding axle stands  :shakeinghead

Back in the day we used car ramps - do they still sell these ???
Great fun trying to drive up them - they often skidded along the road.

 :jack
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2286

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #40 on: July 11, 2022, 02:06:38 PM »

Try driving a hgv tractor unit up the xl version of those ramps.

If you go too slow no grip and no go even with diff locked.

So a bit more momentum and they get spat out in all directions unless someone brave spots them like the foot of a ladder.

 
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Genem

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #41 on: July 11, 2022, 02:22:08 PM »



Back in the day we used car ramps - do they still sell these ???
Great fun trying to drive up them - they often skidded along the road.

 :jack

It was my friend Roberts anniversary last weekend, killed last year when the vehicle he was working on rolled back off the ramps and crushed him....
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Ian F

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #42 on: July 11, 2022, 02:53:30 PM »

A tragedy Gene, my condolences.  I do still use ramps (together with jack's, axle stands, sleepers etc.).  When using ramps I always insert some hefty pieces of timber into the ramp behind the wheels. This cradles the wheel in a shallow V if you can visualise it. And I always have a back-up whatever system I am using.
I did have some close encounters with accidents as a young and callow youth - this is often what it takes to make anyone be ultra cautious in future.

Ian F
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w3526602

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #43 on: July 12, 2022, 06:16:28 AM »

Hi,

Barbara learned the hard way that ramps are not "driver friendly". The exercise involved a Ford Mk.3. Zephyr.  :thud

Over the years I have pondered, as you do .....

1. Ramps are too steep (I'm guessing 1:2?  !:3?)

2. If you are lifting the non-driven wheels, there should be some way of imposing the weight of the driven wheel onto the ramp. I visualise a 100" strip, at ground level, behind the ramp, for the rear wheels.  OK, not viable!.

3. It should be nigh impossible for the elevated wheels to roll over the "stop" at the blunt end of the ramp. But just as importantly, there should be something to deter the wheels from rolling backward down the slopes.

about the nearest I've got to any of the above, was to place 9" x2" planks between the ramps and the garage wall, tp preventing either or both ramps "cherry-pipping" away from the wheels trying to climb them.

From the 602 History Book ... RAF Sharjah (think Dubai) had a ramp for heavy trucks, built out of girders. One day an AEC Matador was unable to get a grip on the steel slopes, so the driver backed off, and took a run at it. Success! As soon as all four wheels were on the elevated level, he slammed on the brakes.  The 3ft high structure gently folded underneath him. Ooops!

Luckily, we also had a big brick-built ramp, filled with concrete, but I never saw either of our Coles crane lorries, nor the Leyland Hippo 3000 gallon aircraft refueling bowser, use this ramp.

Which reminds me (OT) ... an Avro Anson, piloted by an Air Vice Marshall (probably visiting for a Sunday morning G&T, while keeping his "flying hours" up to date), departed, but returned 20 minutes later, to collect the petrol filler cap, which was still lying where it had fallen. I'm guessing a poor "erk" then  had a couple of miserable weeks. (Surely it is the pilot's responsibility to do the pre-flight walk-around?   Eg. Count the engines and kick the tyres)

602
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2286

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Re: A salutary warning about working under our vehicles ...
« Reply #44 on: July 12, 2022, 12:05:01 PM »

602 'cherry pipping' thats a new one to me, you live and learn.

I think the lesson here is do everything within your control to keep yourself safe as possible.

Re pit, we used a concrete incline ramp but its span got a bit sketchy as the inner edges broke up and the ramp itself splayed and had to be braced.  Inspection pit in the floor was preferred but they are not ideal depending on there depth and what tasks you are aiming to do.

Re wheel when they are on, in gear, and chocked belt and braces.

One of the biggest scares was when we had a vw bus in the air via a chain block and tackle around the towbar, not my idea i might add.

Trying to lower the vw in a controlled way the worm and cog hit a worn spot and paid out unexpectedly dropping 2ft before yanking to a halt.  It was promptly put in the skip.  Maybe henry cole can make a lamp out of it!

Growing up around hgvs and tractors, keep clear of unpropped body was drummed in to me, that goes for tipping cabs too.

Assume everything is going to roll and drop and take measures to make yourself space should that happen.

I do like my screw bottle jacks harvey frost and so on, and my old lake and elliot hydraulics.  Epco too.

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