Date:         Mon, 28 Dec 2015 19:52:58 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: scissor jack under control arm?
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <201512290004.tBT04Uj2017696@mail45c45.carrierzone.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The stock jack has only one use and that's changing a tire. Anything beyond
that one use is dangerous.

Invest in a small roll around jack and a set of jack stands!

Thanks, Tom Hargrave
www.kegkits.com
www.stir-plate.com
www.towercooler.com
www.grow-sun.com
www.raspberryproject.com
http://goo.gl/niRzVw

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
David Beierl
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 6:05 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: scissor jack under control arm?

At 06:05 PM 12/28/2015, Michael McSwain wrote:
>drivers side up a bit to get the wheel back on, (both sides were on
>jack stands sitting on a square of 2x6 lumber), and as I raised the
>drivers side the van shifted past the tipping point of the remaining
>jack stand and down it went. On nice flat concrete the original jack
>seems ok. On anything

The stock jack provides -- *by design* -- ZERO horizontal stability.  It is
absolutely on you to chock wheels on every use.

Why is this a good thing?  Two reasons.  First, you're supposed to chock the
wheels when you use a jack.  This one doesn't give you false peace of mind
that this time you can get away without using chocks.  But the second reason
is the important one.  Because the jack rotates freely in the jacking point,
if you are forced to use it on a hill you can place the jack vertical
instead of perpendicular to the hill.  With the jack vertical, all of your
jacking force is lifting directly against gravity, instead of having a
horizontal component that is trying to roll the van ahead or astern.

Yrs,
d
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