Putting Car Up On Skids

[Bingster]

I really can't afford to pour concrete in my metal building right now and I've considered a pit but that's a lot of trouble as well.

So what I've thought of doing is putting the car up on solid wood skids - like railroad ties - and then blocking the wheels. I could then get undwerneath.

Any thoughts on this plan?

[Niel Hoback]

I used to use a pair of sears metal ramps to drive up on, then jack up the other end and use stands on that end. You want to have all the room and mobility you can get to work under there. Four jack stands would be better since you could then remove all four wheels for brake work and such.

[Eneto-55]

You'll be restricted on the sides from being able to just slid under, of course, but it sounds safer to me than trying to block up the car some other way w/o a concrete floor. I know some guys weld a steel plate on the bottom of their jack stands, but I'm not sure I'd want to trust it not to tip, even then. We used to use cement blocks all the time, but they say never to trust those blocks not to collapse. (I wonder, though, if they mean if you set the car right down on the block itself. We always had a piece of some 2-by material in between, to spread the weight.)

Maybe a 2 x 12 to run the floor jack under on top of, then use sections of 6x6's on top of sections of 2x12 or 2x10 would be safe, and still give you better access.

Work safe.

Neto

[Rusty O'Toole]

You do not say but it seems your floor must be dirt or gravel. In similar situations I have used pieces of plywood to make a solid surface. A sheet of plywood under the car allows use of a floor jack. Pieces of plywood 3 feet square under the jack stands.

I don't like the ramp idea unless you give them a wide enough base that they can't tip over sideways. Also as has been pointed out, makes it difficult to get under the car.

Whatever you do don't take any chances when working under a car. When you put it up on stands try to push it over before you go under it. If you think, he's crazy I'm not knocking my car off the stands then it is not solid enough. You must have confidence that you can't knock it over no matter what happens. If you do not have this confidence fix it so you do, then try to knock it over. I don't want my car to fall off the stands but if it has to happen, better when I am not underneath. Remember you may be pulling, prying and hammering on parts under there.

[Rusty O'Toole]

In a similar situation I made a shop floor out of wood, it was very effective.

First level the gravel with sand, or rake the dirt smooth. Cover with builder's plastic as a vapor barrier. Put down sheets of styrofoam. Cover the styrofoam with sheets of tongue and groove Aspenite flooring. Paint with floor paint.

I made a floor this way in an old chicken house my brother used as an upholstery shop. It lasted for 10 or 15 years then he moved to a new house. If you were not worried about warmth and insulation you could dispense with the styrofoam. As long as the Aspenite does not get wet it will be ok.

We didn't nail anything down or fasten the floor in any way. It just sat there.

[BeBop138]

I put my Kwik-Lift in when I had an incident with a Corvette on four jack stands. There was no engine,tranny or rear suspension in the car at any time. It was on four stands and while working on it for a period of time wrenching and so forth the weight had transferred slightly. Working on it one nite I hit one of the stands with my leg and I heard a bang----I looked and one stand was lying on the ground-----the car was supported by THREE :eek:stands! I didn`t think I could move sideways that fast from under a car. There it stood balanced on three. With the lift the car is firmly planted and the tires are on ramps---on occasion I still use stands, but not all four corners.....whew...............Lee

[Bingster]

Thanks for the input. Those wooden jack stands look pretty sturdy. I'll have to give it some more thought.

[Oldguy48]

I purchased 4 10" x 10" X 20" oak timbers from a local sawmill. Attached 2" x 4"s to either end as wheel stops, and used those for working under my

P15. I have good jackstands, but always felt safer with the oak supports, and I still had access from the side of the car.

[james49ply]

I worked many years at a Yale forklift dealer, the only "jackstands" were 4x4 or 6x6 blocks, and we would lift them to 3 feet from ground to access what we needed. the counterweights alone were upwards of 7,00 pounds. They use them to hold up houses when they get them ready for a move. Just use the correct lumber, NO soft wood.

[kbuhagiar]

I put my Kwik-Lift in when I had an incident with a Corvette on four jack stands. There was no engine,tranny or rear suspension in the car at any time. It was on four stands and while working on it for a period of time wrenching and so forth the weight had transferred slightly. Working on it one nite I hit one of the stands with my leg and I heard a bang----I looked and one stand was lying on the ground-----the car was supported by THREE :eek:stands! I didn`t think I could move sideways that fast from under a car. There it stood balanced on three. With the lift the car is firmly planted and the tires are on ramps---on occasion I still use stands, but not all four corners.....whew...............Lee

+1

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