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Date:         Fri, 14 Nov 2003 11:35:13 -0500
Reply-To:     "Higginbotham, David A." <dhigginbotham@HAZENANDSAWYER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Higginbotham, David A." <dhigginbotham@HAZENANDSAWYER.COM>
Subject:      Re: was tune-up 20 ?'s now how long on jack stands
Comments: To: Joel Walker <jwalker17@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I am very fortunate, I have a good neighbor who has a really nice workshop which the entire neighborhood uses including me. It is indeed flat, concrete, and enclosed. I only have four jackstands at the moment but can get more, multiple jack stands is a good idea. The shop has two bridge hoists, one in each bay, usually when one of us is working under a vehicle we will move the hoist over there and hook it up to the vehicle some how, as you say just in case, the tow hooks on the van are what I use. Right now one of the teenagers in the nighborhood is doing a full body off restoration of a 79 Trans Am, (different strokes...) and his engine is hanging from the empty bay hoist waiting for the chassis and some new body parts to come back from his cousins body shop. So, yes, I will indeed pull a floor jack under there when I crawl under, another good idea.

Thanks Joel, David Higginbotham 82 Westfalia Silk Hope, NC

-----Original Message----- From: Joel Walker [mailto:jwalker17@earthlink.net] Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 9:14 AM To: Higginbotham, David A. Subject: Re: was tune-up 20 ?'s now how long on jack stands

What does anyone think about leaving the van on jack stands for several weeks? I will be refurbing the entire brake system and anticipate it taking several weekends to get it done, in the meantime the wheels will be off and the brakes in various stages of tear down and rebuild, and the van will be on the jack stands. I have some decent 6 ton jack stands but still feel a little reluctant to leave her up on stands for that long, I mean, stuff happens. Any suggestions on what I might set her on that may be more stable?

i think it would be ok IF ... a. your garage floor or driveway or wherever you're putting it up is flat. or at least, reasonably so. b. the floor or driveway or wherever is concrete. if not, you'd likely be better off to get some squares of 1/2 inch marine/exterior plywood cut ... at least six inches wider than the feet of the jackstands ... to put under the jackstands. to keep them from sinking into the ground/asphalt/whatever. this works well on my asphalt driveway. c. i'd put more than four jackstands, just to spread the load. but at least four ... d. while working on the bus, put the jack back under it somewhere close to where you're working and jack it up so the jack is almost touching the bus frame. that way, if any jackstand should start to tilt, the jack would catch the bus and hopefully give you time to get out from under.

but as far as rusting or anything like that, i don't see it making any difference whether it's up on jackstands or just sitting outside on the tires. :)

good luck! joel


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