Miata Mailing List: September 1994, Message #421
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   From: mott@poly1.nist.gov (Peter Mott)
Subject: jack stands
   Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 10:34:53 -0400


Re: getting under a car supported with jackstands

I owned a '69 MGB convertable once that spent most of the time in the
garage on jackstands.  I did a lot of work on that car :( and hardly
ever drove it.  I have seriously shaken a car on stands with no ill
effects; I have jumped on breaker bars extended 2' beyond the side
trying to remove rusted-in nuts, but the car stayed on the stands.  On
two other larger cars, I worked underneath pulling the trannies while
they were on jack stands.  This job also really jostles the car, but
in both cases I was never worried that the car would fall onto me.
Just make sure the car is level; I would put the stands under a body 
frame member, not under any spring-supported suspension part--this 
makes the car behave like a one-ton billet on blocks.

This is not true with either a bumper jack or a scissor jack.  I have 
seen cars fall off of both of these things one while changing a tire.  
This is very scary.  Never get under a car supported by the flimsy jack
that comes with the car.

Of course if the big one hits, say 9.34 on the Richter scale, all bets
are off.

Peter Mott
'92 B mariner blue