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  • The weekend mechanic ......... working under your van safely

    Hi guy's.




    I own a couple 3 Tonne axle stands but don't really trust them, nor do I like the idea of ramps as it's quite easy to over-drive the ramps, which would be a major disaster, leaving your van beached on two ramps. So, what alternatives are there ? As I need to get under my van for some inspection work ( and maybe some repairs ), I need to do this safely ........ so I came up with the idea of building some 'cribbing blocks'. Much safer than breeze blocks that I've seen other people use. I know breeze blocks seem tough enough, but you go and put over two tonnes on them, and they could crumble ...... on they often do !


    So if it helps anybody, here's how I made my ultra safe lifting blocks .......... I was given some off cuts by a builders merchant that were 60mm x 70mm, ideal for the job in hand. I cut 18 lengths to 230mm then glued and screwed them together 'Jenga' style ! If any of you have ever played that 'Jenga' game before, you'll know just how solid that structure is. And then I just topped the top off with a square section of 22mm MDF as a 'spoil board' as MDF is very dense so won't split >>








    If you assemble it criss-cross fashion, the wood grain strengthens the structure even more, and by making three different sections you can also make the cribbing block adjustable hight wise. Here you see it with the middle section removed. Each section is glued and screwed together, which gives each section immense strength, and when they're interlocked, there's no chance of them slipping >>








    Cribbing block in situ ........ the main reason why you should build one in sections is, lifting the van' front end is different from lifting the rear ........ only two sections are required to lift the front. But my van is lowered, so yours will be different, so if you decide to make some of these, just remember ........ if you need to go higher, make the foot print bigger, like cut each section length to maybe 350mm >>








    And because of the suspension travel on the rear, the rear has to be jacked up higher needing that extra section >>








    I've only made one cribbing block for the moment as I just needed to remove my Borbet's for refurbishment, but I'll be making another one soon, so I can comfortably get under my van >>










    In some of those shots you will have noticed that I have side bars on my van, this is one of the issues of jacking-up a T4 with side bars, as the side bars are bolted to the jacking posts. I can just get away with lifting the van with my rocket lift trolley jack, but once the cribbing blocks are in place I can release the hydraulic jack a little. And remember, never get under a vehicle with just a trolley jack supporting it's weight !










    TURK
    Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
    And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
    The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

  • #2
    Stop Pissing about with wood and get back to them headlights!!!

    Sent from my HTC One mini 2 using Just T4s

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    • #3
      " And remember, never get under a vehicle with just a trolley jack supporting it's weight !"

      Ooppps 😁

      Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

      Comment


      • #4
        Think I'll stick with the ratcheting axle stands. They're pretty tough.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Ian6xtreme View Post
          Stop Pissing about with wood and get back to them headlights!!!

          Still beavering away matey on them there headlights ! ........... as I mostly work on the headlight project at night, I also have a few hours spare to work on my van, not as much as I would like though.





          Originally posted by d-9 View Post
          Think I'll stick with the ratcheting axle stands. They're pretty tough.

          Trust them enough with your life ? >


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNGk...heWreckingYard



          If you're working under your van, laying on your back ....... it's so easy to just kick that lever on the ratchet isn't it ! do what ever you feel comfortable with mate. I choose to support my van on blocks as opposed to balance it on what are really just little 'tripods'





          TURK
          Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
          And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
          The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by TURK View Post
            Trust them enough with your life ?

            If you're working under your van, laying on your back ....... it's so easy to just kick that lever on the ratchet isn't it ! do what ever you feel comfortable with mate. I choose to support my van on blocks as opposed to balance it on what are really just little 'tripods'

            TURK
            I'm pretty sure I could kick those levers as hard as I like, with the weight of a van on them I won't be moving them. Possibly with a jack under the lever I might move it, but the leverage is all wrong. The are very strong things, I ran one over with my A6, it bent the foot. Cut the foot off, hammered it flat and welded it back on, its as good as new. No damage to the structure of the stand.

            My worries over using softwood blocks is you are depending on the floor being totally flat over a large surface are (now think about the advantages of a tripod), and depending on the wood not warping, otherwise you are putting a point load on softwood that is prone to split. This will be a particular issue if you are supporting the van on anything other than the flat points. Couple that with MDF which acts like a sponge and delaminates when it gets wet, you've got a package that is could fail horribly in a few months.

            I'm not saying that having extra support under a vehicle is a bad plan at all, I use a stack of wheels so if it did fall off a stand, it would land on the wheels not me.
            Last edited by d-9; 4 October 2016, 07:42 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by d-9 View Post

              I'm not saying that having extra support under a vehicle is a bad plan at all, I use a stack of wheels so if it did fall off a stand, it would land on the wheels not me.


              Good point, and very wise ....... done that once or twice when changing over a wheel.







              TURK
              Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
              And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
              The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

              Comment


              • #8
                Wood? Are you joking.

                I keep a stash of concrete blocks down the side of the garage.

                Working on any vehicle that the wheels are staying on I'll sling a few blocks under the wheels , just as insurance against the axle stands failing. Often leave the jack under just in case.

                Comment


                • #9
                  We use wooden blocks to jack up and take weight of trains at work. It's good enough for a few hundred tonnes

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by regcheeseman View Post
                    Wood? Are you joking.

                    Yeah, wood Reg ...... not marsh mellows !!!

                    Wood has been used in the construction of bridges and buildings for 100's of years, some of which are still standing ! You don't have to be a structural engineer to know just how solid wood is, you just need to think like one. Railway sleepers are made of wood, they're good enough for entire trains to travel at high speeds along them. Go to any lumber yard, and what are the tonnes of lumber sitting on ? 2 x 4's !

                    I've heard in the past that axle stands have fallen over, but never have I heard of 'cribbing blocks' falling over.

                    You of course you're entitled to your opinion ......... but having said that, you'd rather risk sitting a two tonne vehicle on concrete ! Don't tell me ......... breeze blocks ?
                    Concrete cracks ! I know which one I prefer, and it certainly ain't poxy axle stands, nor concrete blocks.

                    Each to his own aye !






                    TURK
                    Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                    And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                    The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I've had a trolley jack collapse on me before while changing a tire on the side of the road, got pinned by the ankle and rescued by a very confused farmer who jacked the van back up and walked away without saying a word, I know what he was thinking, I know what you're probably thinking too

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Like d-9 was saying the weight of the vehicle helps lock the handles in on the axle stand. One thing I noticed from the video was that them axle stands only relied on the handle to hold them in place, where as you can get axle stands the same type but have a hole at the side of them to put a triangular piece of metal in which also locks into the teeth as well as having the handle holding the stand. We use them where I work and they have never let go (touch wood) 😂

                        Sent from my SM-J500FN using Just T4s

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          FWIW I tried to lift the release lever on an halfords ratcheting axle stand with the weight of a mk4 golf on it. Couldnt. Belted release lever with a lump hammer. Didnt drop. I guess i could put a scaffold bar underneath it, but Im fairly happy that Im not going to drop it by accident!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Yeah only time iv seen them dodgy is when the catch inside broke away from the handle so it didn't lock in properly, soon fixed it though

                            Sent from my SM-J500FN using Just T4s

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by TURK View Post
                              Hi guy's.




                              I own a couple 3 Tonne axle stands but don't really trust them, nor do I like the idea of ramps as it's quite easy to over-drive the ramps, which would be a major disaster, leaving your van beached on two ramps. So, what alternatives are there ? As I need to get under my van for some inspection work ( and maybe some repairs ), I need to do this safely ........ so I came up with the idea of building some 'cribbing blocks'. Much safer than breeze blocks that I've seen other people use. I know breeze blocks seem tough enough, but you go and put over two tonnes on them, and they could crumble ...... on they often do !


                              So if it helps anybody, here's how I made my ultra safe lifting blocks .......... I was given some off cuts by a builders merchant that were 60mm x 70mm, ideal for the job in hand. I cut 18 lengths to 230mm then glued and screwed them together 'Jenga' style ! If any of you have ever played that 'Jenga' game before, you'll know just how solid that structure is. And then I just topped the top off with a square section of 22mm MDF as a 'spoil board' as MDF is very dense so won't split >>



                              [ATTACH=CONFIG]1632[/ATTACH]




                              If you assemble it criss-cross fashion, the wood grain strengthens the structure even more, and by making three different sections you can also make the cribbing block adjustable hight wise. Here you see it with the middle section removed. Each section is glued and screwed together, which gives each section immense strength, and when they're interlocked, there's no chance of them slipping >>



                              [ATTACH=CONFIG]1633[/ATTACH]




                              Cribbing block in situ ........ the main reason why you should build one in sections is, lifting the van' front end is different from lifting the rear ........ only two sections are required to lift the front. But my van is lowered, so yours will be different, so if you decide to make some of these, just remember ........ if you need to go higher, make the foot print bigger, like cut each section length to maybe 350mm >>



                              [ATTACH=CONFIG]1634[/ATTACH]




                              And because of the suspension travel on the rear, the rear has to be jacked up higher needing that extra section >>



                              [ATTACH=CONFIG]1635[/ATTACH]




                              I've only made one cribbing block for the moment as I just needed to remove my Borbet's for refurbishment, but I'll be making another one soon, so I can comfortably get under my van >>



                              [ATTACH=CONFIG]1636[/ATTACH]






                              In some of those shots you will have noticed that I have side bars on my van, this is one of the issues of jacking-up a T4 with side bars, as the side bars are bolted to the jacking posts. I can just get away with lifting the van with my rocket lift trolley jack, but once the cribbing blocks are in place I can release the hydraulic jack a little. And remember, never get under a vehicle with just a trolley jack supporting it's weight !










                              TURK
                              Good post this. Worth a bump.

                              I have a question, however. Is there a reason you offset the screws on the top block?
                              Noticed they were inboard of centre and given I've read many of your posts, thought there may be some cunning reason.

                              Thanks as ever.

                              Comment

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