Factory Jack Failure

3.2 CAB · 07:46 AM

My green dot, factory jack decided it wanted to be a 2 piece jack yesterday. I have always been very cautious when using this factory jack. I have used this jack many times before without any problems. I will NEVER use another one of them. I was in the process of lowering the car, after having to replace the oil pressure sender, had to take all the other crap loose to be able to remove the little block, then the sender. My exhaust gaskets finally arrived, put everything back together and tested...NO LEAKS!!!! Great. I had already removed the jackstand from the right side, no problems, it was while I was removing the jackstand from the drivers side when the failure occured. I raised the car just enough to get the pressure off the jackstand, and lowered the jackstand to get it out of the way by sliding it between the rear tire and the rocker, just then, I saw the car shutter just a little, and the lifting arm seperated from the jack, the car was FALLING, with my hands under it, on the big jackstand(12 ton) it seemed like it was in slow motion, but it only took a split second for it to come down, I was able to get the stand turned so it would not hit anything, and got one hand out of the way, but the other was not so lucky, it was on the jackstand release handle when the car came down, the rear of the rocker hit that part of the stand, luckily enough there was something soft for it to land on so it would not do much damage, MY HAND, it bent the rear of the rocker panel right at the very end, bent the end cap, and made the top mounting screw pull out of the car, when the end cap popped off, it let my hand free again. I straightened the rocker, and the end cap, as well as the inner body where the screw pulled thru, I used the next size up screw, to reattatch the end cap, it had stripped the hole, everythingwas fine, except for me, dislocated thumb, a bruise on my arm the size of a handball. I will heal, the car is fine, things could have been a lot worse. As Wayne states in his book, "Using the factory jack can be dangerous, and should only be used in an emergency." I think the factory jack should not be used at all, I could not believe that such a small amount of metal, after I saw what broke and how the jack is constructed, is being depended on to lift these cars.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

wow! I'm glad you weren't more seriously hurt. That jack wasn't one of Porsches better ideas.

I've only owned my car for 5 months now and admit I never have used the original jack, but after seeing it, I could not imagine using it on the side of road to change a tire. I purchased an aluminum scissor jack that came with a Mazda off eBay. It works great.

Zeke · 08-28-2004, 07:58 AM

Wow! I am so happy nothing worse happened! And thanks for the remimder about jacks and safety. Damn shame you had to suffer an injury to illustrate the inherent dangers of the facory jack.

Hope your hand heals as good as new.

Whew!

(I, too, have a scissors jack in the car and the orginal in a box on a shelf.)

masraum · 08-28-2004, 08:01 AM

Glad you're relatively OK. I felt comfortable using mine, but I prefer to use a good floor jack.

porcupine911 · porcupine911's Garage

another data point: i had a mazda scissor jack fail while lifting my old rx-7.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

I had my Porsche fall off jack stands earlier this year. The jack stands were placed under the rear torsion bar. I was just sliding away from under the car when without warning the car just came down.

Don't know why the car came off the jack stands, the stand was on a concrete slab. I felt that someone was looking out for me when the car fell off the stands without any warning. I have been working on cars for the past 30 years and this was the first time I had a car fall off jack stand.

Lucky I only receive a minor cut on my head when the rear valance hit my head.

Lucky to be alive. Now not only do I use jack stands when I'm under the car, but I leave the jack in place also. I also try to have someone else around when I'm under the car so that they if something happen they could help me. My wife told me one of her co worker husband was crush under their car when he was working under the car one day.

tmctguer · tmctguer's Garage

every time i jack a car up, i put stands in place, leave the floor jack up and locked, then i AGGRESSIVELY try to rock the car before i get under it.

even with all that, accidents & failures can happen. you are a lucky man !

Emission · Emission's Garage

3.2 Cab - Glad to hear you weren't seriously hurt.

I use jack stands, and leave the floor jack under the car (pumped and locked 1/2" under the chassis) just in case. Often, I will also slide the wheels under the rocker panels.

In earthquake-prone areas, I always worry about the "big one" hitting while I am under my cars. Paranoid? Yes.

1973911s · 08-28-2004, 09:59 AM

Glad you weren't hurt, mine broke a few months ago, the car came down and was sitting on the rotor.

Gota love that wife, walks out and say's "Something doesn't look right, do you know what your doing?"

I bought a cheap jack from Pepboys and was able to get the rear wheel back on.

Michael

tsuter · 08-28-2004, 10:01 AM

The factory jack is for emergency use. I think its even in the manual. I can't believe people keep using it for routine maint.
Want to talk metal fatigue? It should probably be thrown away after 2-3 uses. Like a motorcycle helmet after a crash or a rope after a fall!

Randy Webb · 08-28-2004, 10:54 AM

I'm sorry to hear about this, but glad it wasn't worse.
I hope you went to a Dr. and had an X-ray done. Be sure to do that if you haven't, as some injuries are worse than they appear.

I always push and pull on the car when it is on jack stands to make sure it is up there stably.

The "emergency use" that the stock jack is intended for is an emergency where you need a big metal bludgeon to hit people with...

Emission · Emission's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by tsuter
The factory jack is for emergency use. I think its even in the manual. I can't believe people keep using it for routine maint.
Want to talk metal fatigue? It should probably be thrown away after 2-3 uses. Like a motorcycle helmet after a crash or a rope after a fall!

Thanks for saying what I was thinking.

I am just glad we aren't reading about more guys losing limbs (or worse) with the factory jack...

3.2 CAB · 08-29-2004, 07:40 AM

O-well, one thing good has come of this, I turned the broken off lifting arm into a jacking pad tool. I ground off the rest of the broken, c- shaped ears and slipped on a piece of square tube, then added a 3 1/2" round piece of 5/16 flat steel plate. Now it can still have that same ol' familar feeling when it gets slipped on in. Hand is getting better, can actually use it some, as long as it doesn't involve my thumb, still sore though, but swelling has gone down a lot.

tsuter · 08-29-2004, 10:05 AM

You must be crazy.

So now you got a homemade jack pad contraption from a failed part where you could buy an engineered one for $12.00??

Maybe you need to bruise the other hand!

Tinker · 02:28 PM

A similar experience as 3.2 cab with my bro's 930. Left the dismounted wheel in the rear wheel well and when it shifted rearward, it twisted the factory jack and came down on loose wheel resulting in a nice dimple and wrinkle on the rear flair edge. I felt terrible. ALWAYS BLOCK/LOCK THE WHEELS. I will only use that jack in roadside emergencies and only then after ensuring the most wheel are blocked and locked.

And yes I now has two 3 ton floor jacks for work around the garage.

Tinker

Randy Webb · 08-29-2004, 04:50 PM

tsuter - what makes you think that pad in your pic is engineered?

3.2 CAB · 08-29-2004, 07:19 PM

I don't see it as "homemade" as you say, implying it might be held together with bubble gum. It is though, self made, using a German engineered part, that has not failed, a big solid piece of metal. I could have made one like you pictured, using square 7/8" bar stock then welding the plate on. No, not crazy, because I would not ever suggest that anyone should "maybe" get injured.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Timely thread. I am on the mend from a *car falling off of a jack* accident myself, but it was a cheapo Sears floor/trolley jack.

I thought about starting a thread as a cautionary tale since these things can be so deadly, but frankly haven't felt up to it. On Aug. 11th, I raised the 2 front wheels of my daily driver, (Volvo 940 wagon), to do some routine maintenence when it fell off the jack and crushed my right heel. I almost got both feet out, it literally caught the bottom 1/2" of my heel and shattered it. It is w/o question the most painful bone fracture that I have ever experienced, (unfortunately I've had many), and I'm praying for a full-functioning recovery. 10-12 weeks is the prognosis, obviously can't drive my 911 (or walk) at the moment.

It could have been worse, could have lost my foot or been killed. For various reasons I do not wish to discuss the details at this time on the internet, but I will say that I have been working on cars for 30 years and would never get under a car supported by a jack, in this case I was not under it and still got stung real good.

Factory jacks? I've had cars tumble off of those things more times than I can count when they are the *Porsche type*, (other cars use the same deal), usually while I was raising the car. They don't even wait until you are through cranking.

You cannot be too careful with raised cars, don't ever get lazy and/or complacent even for that "just this once" time.

Wil Ferch · 08-30-2004, 07:02 AM

Can pic be posted of exactly where the fracture of the jack occurred ??

---Wil

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

I toss all factory supplied jacks. They suck. Learned back in the 70s when my factory suppled VW/Billstein jack took a dump on me while putting snow chains on my 63 bug.....never again.

GOOD jack stands and a GOOD floor jack are a healthy choice. I have a friend down the street....he's in a wheel chair from a falling car. Survived Viet Nam to get it from a failed jack and a 57 Chevy....