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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > Ever had a car fall on you while working?? Lifting your lowered car a pain in the?



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      08-30-2012, 02:45 AM   #1
CrimsonXV
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Ever had a car fall on you while working?? Lifting your lowered car a pain in the?

UPDATE: Post #33 Concept sketches. Please give feedback for thesis project



Either ON you or just fall while you had it up? Regrettably I have, twice.

I'm a senior industrial design student and I'm starting my senior thesis project. The problem I am looking at is lifting and safety of working on a (lowered) car. So I need some feedback from you guys for research!

How do you raise your car when you are working on it? What process and tools do you use?
What safety devices/checks do you use? Tell me the little things too, personal-protective-equipment, lights, padding, mirrors, etc etc
What are some concerns you have while working on your car?
All of us lowered guys know it is often a major pain getting our cars up, what are some issues you run into? How do/have you attempted to solve those issues?
In a perfect world, how could this process of lifting your car to work on it be made easier/safer for YOU? What tools/systems/or modifications of tools do YOU wish existed?



STORY feel free to skip
Here are my two car falling stories real quick. The first time, my brother was selling his style m66 wheels off his e39. We met with the buyer in a parking lot and were going to just swap all four wheels over from and to both cars. I started with my brothers car, jacked it up using the factory elbow jack and removed the rear wheel. To speed up the process I then jacked it up further to get the whole side off the ground so I could get the front wheel off too. My mistake was that I forgot to put in the wheel chock, so the car rolled forward a bit and knocked the jack over sideways. BOOM down on the rotor my brothers e39 came crashing. FCCK I thought! Luckily I was only next to it and not underneath it. I was able to get the car back up and properly in place. Luckily no damage was caused.

My next incident was this past summer. I was working on changing the front brakes on my dad's 3/4 ton Dodge Cummins pick-em-up. My dads large metal shop was packed at the moment and I couldn't pull the truck in, so I did the job out on the grass. I used two large bottle jacks with a piece of plywood underneath as a base to jack the truck up. I got the front wheels off and the brakes already on one side. My dad then instructs me that I should put the truck on jack stands. So I proceed to position the first jackstand under the truck where it should go, NOT on the plywood base. I then proceed to use the freaking 6 inch handle for the bottle jack to release pressure on it to lower the truck down onto the jack stand. All is well,,, so it seemed. As I'm nearly half bodied underneath the truck, pulling the bottle jack out from under it; in a split fraction of a second there is a noise and a brief second of my life that never registered in my mind. I look over and I am now standing 20 feet away from the truck that is now sitting on its chasis in the grass. Lucky enough for me I am able bodied and have the agility and reflexes of a ninja, otherwise there is no question about it, I would be without a right arm today. I brush off my arm as it was actually scratched by the truck's metal step sideskirt coming down (not ninja enough). My mom and dad (outside at the time) freakout and thank god that I'm not dead while I realize, shit! the cinder block that I had put underneath to set the brake caliper on, is being sat on by the oil pan that is now impaled by it. We borrow a low-profile jack from the neighbor down the road to get the truck up. And to our amazement that dam cummins oil pan is unharmed and leak free, just now with a baseball sized dent in it. With the truck now properly jacked up, the rest of the brake job went on. What had happened was one leg of the jackstand got pressed into the dirt more than the rest and so the weight toppled it over
END STORY

Last edited by CrimsonXV; 09-29-2012 at 03:58 PM..
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      08-30-2012, 04:43 AM   #2
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Geez, that sounds nuts!

I always jack up whatever car I'm working on, then put a jackstand (or two) to keep it in place if the jack fails. I usually leave the jack in place as well unless it's specifically in the way. I try and think about where the car is putting the weight as well when placing jackstands. You want to make sure that it isn't going to roll off or fall off of whatever you put it on. I always leave it in gear with the parking brake on and sometimes will chock the wheels if I think it's in danger of rolling.

Safety first! I don't know if the methods I use are the safest methods, but they seem to make sense to me. If there's a better way I'd be happy to change to that.
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      08-30-2012, 07:36 AM   #3
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Always work on level concrete and place the wheels under the sides of the car. If the car happens to fall it might ruin the wheels but it will save your life.
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      08-30-2012, 08:00 AM   #4
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You must use poor practices to drop a car on yourself. Ive been dicking with cars for the better part of a decade and never even come close. And I dont mean just changing oil, engine/tranny swaps, diffs, bodywork, etc.

How do you raise your car when you are working on it? What process and tools do you use?
-I use a Crafstman alumnium speed jack. Its got a very low clearance, large lever and is quite quick. I then rest the car on jack stands designed for commercial equipment. Not because I need a 10 ton capacity but because the saddle is wide and flat. Also as stated before always on a level, hard surface.
What safety devices/checks do you use? Tell me the little things too, personal-protective-equipment, lights, padding, mirrors, etc etc
- Wheel chocks, the aforementioned jack stands, safety glasses, a myriad of gloves based on what I am doing, I have a magnetic pad to protect the fenders when working on the engine, a camping headlight for visibility and I do have a telescoping mirror.
What are some concerns you have while working on your car?
-The only time I am feeling unsafe is when I am trying to liberate an old exhaust, wiggling it back and forth is the only time the car might not feel safe on the stands.
All of us lowered guys know it is often a major pain getting our cars up, what are some issues you run into? How do/have you attempted to solve those issues?
-No issues, get a better jack.
In a perfect world, how could this process of lifting your car to work on it be made easier/safer for YOU? What tools/systems/or modifications of tools do YOU wish existed?
A dual post lift, but those things are damned expensive. So I guess if I wished something existed it would be an integrated lift for $50.
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      08-30-2012, 08:29 AM   #5
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I always use two jacks, wheels chocks, and I place a wheel under the car. I also try pushing the car off the jacks to see if there is any movement before going under.

I had a car fall on me with my head underneath it when the jack I was using got stuck while rolling and the wheels where chocked. Now, I tet the car roll a little while jacking.
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      08-30-2012, 08:39 AM   #6
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I use wheel choke and always place wheel underneath and have emergency brake on. Those are my preventive measures. Jack stands underneath wheel hub. Had it happen to me once and it was a life long lesson that I will remember. I didn't get hurt but it was scary
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      08-30-2012, 08:42 AM   #7
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Need to work on your common sense before moving on to Industrial Design
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      08-30-2012, 08:43 AM   #8
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Lift FTW!



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      08-30-2012, 09:27 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sammy_0559 View Post
Lift FTW!



^^^^Lucky... I wish I has my own lift.


I have 4 snap-on jacks at my disposal. I always put the handbreak on and always use jack stands, and sometimes if I am going to be completely under the car- for good measure i put an old wheel under there with me too.

Oh and I do everything in my garage on a FLAT level.
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      08-30-2012, 09:59 AM   #10
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I use wheel chocks, e-brake, and large diameter cut-to-length oak logs. If you can't trust the mighty oak, who can you trust?
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      08-30-2012, 10:32 AM   #11
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TLDNR...however, I had a jack fail on me. I was positioning the jack stand on my CRX and the jack just decided to lower itself and my right index finger got caught between the car and the jack stand. Luckily my friend was there to lift the car back up. When I looked at my finger(palm side up) it just flopped backwards. Yeah I had to go to the hospital and get admitted and had the pleasure of getting surgery.
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      08-30-2012, 10:45 AM   #12
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I had an e36 that was lowered approx 1/2inch with bav auto springs and bilstein shocks, went to put snow tires on one day and the car fell off the jack. I was using the bav auto jack adapter that was a metal plate and went into the factory hole for the jack on the side skirt but allowed you to use a regular floor jack instead of the factory jack. The jack adapter spun in the hole for the factory jack and the car came off the jack and ended up sitting on the rotor on the driveway. Car came off the jack before I was able to get jack stands under it.
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      08-30-2012, 10:54 AM   #13
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Ill play

Quote:
How do you raise your car when you are working on it? What process and tools do you use?
Ill use the OEM jacks or a hydraulic jack. Possition it on either the OEM location (oem jack only) or some other support area that I know will not bent/break when lifting. Once lifted Ill put some jack stands.

Quote:
What safety devices/checks do you use? Tell me the little things too, personal-protective-equipment, lights, padding, mirrors, etc etc
P-brake always on, unless replacing rear brakes.
Wheel chucks on.
As soon as I set the jack stands, I shake the whole car, make sure its sturdy.

Quote:
What are some concerns you have while working on your car?
Concerns are dirt falling on my eyes. I use eye protection
Car falling on me, I have jack stands and jack, but its always a concern.
Car moving while Im working on it. I always shake it before going under. Better it falls there than after Im under it.

Quote:
All of us lowered guys know it is often a major pain getting our cars up, what are some issues you run into? How do/have you attempted to solve those issues?
Lowered car here. I just need low profile jack. Have not bought it yet so I havent tried it.

Quote:
In a perfect world, how could this process of lifting your car to work on it be made easier/safer for YOU? What tools/systems/or modifications of tools do YOU wish existed?
Here is a really good way to make it easier. Cars should have marker underneath the car so you know where to put jack or stands on without breaking anything. That way you know that you put it in a good place.
For example my e90. You need a custom jack, and after that its a pain to find a good spot to put stands on, since every part underneath is covered by plastic.
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      08-30-2012, 12:16 PM   #14
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The other day, driving, I saw a car in a local garage up on a single post lift...wow, what a blast from the past.
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      08-30-2012, 12:26 PM   #15
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Sorry for jacking your post (lol puns). Where do you place a jack stand after you jack the car up? Do you put it next to the jacking point??? If I only have two jack stands, should I jack up the side or the end of the car?

Thanks.
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      08-30-2012, 04:20 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reddemon73 View Post
Sorry for jacking your post (lol puns). Where do you place a jack stand after you jack the car up? Do you put it next to the jacking point??? If I only have two jack stands, should I jack up the side or the end of the car?

Thanks.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461718
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      08-30-2012, 05:09 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sammy_0559 View Post
Lift FTW!



nice
I want one
how much?
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      08-30-2012, 08:09 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bumere90 View Post
nice
I want one
how much?
well the one in the first pic is 85k lol its an alignment machine.

the second one is a regular lift around 3k
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      08-30-2012, 08:32 PM   #19
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Try http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/...terms_car-lift
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      08-30-2012, 10:05 PM   #20
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Uhhh? Lol just stay away, I never ever had that kinda problem. Be careful make sure you use proper jack locations and level hard ground
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      08-31-2012, 08:11 AM   #21
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I had my brother's jeep fall on me when I was 9 years old. the rear tire landed on my left arm. It left a tire tread mark in my skin for a few days. It's the reason I have this - I was rebuilding the suspension on this BMW:
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      08-31-2012, 09:06 AM   #22
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Very nice lift and setup
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