Weekly Safety Tip

[ttmedical]

Reading this makes my blood boil. **** that guy and the skewed justice system. I'm so sorry for your GF; as a doc, I know that things often aren't fully healed and the journey isn't over after 2 weeks in the hospital. I hope everything worked out for her!

Originally Posted by husker boxster

Monday was the 29th anniversary of a collision with a drunk driver. I happened to be drinking Coke that night and had I not, my girl friend at the time and I would probably not be here. I was able to avoid a head-on collision but his pickup still wiped out the passenger side of my car. He hit me with so much force it pushed the entire front end of his pickup to the cab. He blew a .17 but the judge let him off with probation. My GF ended up in the hospital for 2 wks with a collapsed lung and broken rib. She suffered more than he did. It didn't seem fair.

I consider Oct 10 my '2nd birthday'. I was never one to enjoy the fall color changes, but this made me stop and look around a bit. I've enjoyed the fall colors ever since.

[itsnotanova]

90% of the wrecked boxsters I buy were wrecked by the driver. Don't get too confident in how well these cars can handle or brake

[rexcramer]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

90% of the wrecked boxsters I buy were wrecked by the driver. Don't get too confident in how well these cars can handle or brake

That is a sobering statistic.

[78F350]

Many of us do a lot of our own repairs. One of the most significant hazards to working on cars is improper use of jacks and jack stands.


When things are going badly in a repair job, I'm running into hours beyond what I had planned and just want to get it done, I have made a few mistakes and am lucky that I haven't been badly hurt or damaged my car.
-Thought that I had the car off the jack stands, but still had one under the right rear. Drove it off.
-Working outside on a slight slope, had a rolling jack roll with the car and fall over because I didn't chock a wheel.
-Lifting an engine from the rear of an MR2 using the winch and boom on the back of my old truck. The engine stuck and pulled the car off the jack stands. I was standing between the car and truck and got pinned. Luckily it was a light car and my concern was extracting myself before my wife found out rather than my injury.
:dance:

Here are a couple good videos:

From Neil_B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La6i3TwMB8k

From a Rennlist user
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFAqJ_3fwYg

Both mention a technique that works safely and is convenient. Using the rear jack point to raise the vehicle and place the front jack stand.

Here's the PelicanParts Tech Article:

Jacking Up and Lifting the Porsche Boxster on Jack Stands | 986 / 987 (1997-08) | Pelican Parts Technical Article

Much of the work on a Boxster is done from underneath. As an additional precaution, I like to place a large block of wood or wheel under a car to assure a safe space if all else fails. ...and then check to be certain that Everything is removed from underneath the car before I lower it.

Some good posts here: http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/60650-safe-place-jack-up-rear-boxster.html

Good reading if you are considering a lift:
a car lift in your shop | Grumpys Performance Garage

Anyone have a tip or story to share?

[thstone]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

90% of the wrecked boxsters I buy were wrecked by the driver. Don't get too confident in how well these cars can handle or brake

Oh, the cars handle and brake extremely well and have capability well beyond the average driver.

The problem is that everyone considers themselves to be above average. Until they aren't. And even then, it will be all about the tires or the conditions or the...

Driving skills are usually the weak link. Take a training course, do a few track days, get out there and learn some performance driving skills. Learn how to drive at the tires' limit whether they are new or old; learn how to adjust for weather; learn how to skid and slide and recover like a pro; and still go fast as hell. Its not just about having big balls.

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

90% of the wrecked boxsters I buy were wrecked by the driver. Don't get too confident in how well these cars can handle or brake

I resemble that comment. I was stupid. I was accelerating on a freeway entrance ramp that i take almost daily but this day it was drizzling and my rear tires were worn. As i get up to about 70 mph i hydroplane and in the blink of an eye, 360 spin into the median barrier.

What really calms me is going to the track. When i see how good these cars are and how quickly they can get away from you on the track i realise pushing the limits is not for the street.

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by ttmedical

Reading this makes my blood boil. **** that guy and the skewed justice system. I'm so sorry for your GF; as a doc, I know that things often aren't fully healed and the journey isn't over after 2 weeks in the hospital. I hope everything worked out for her!

I appreciate your concern. She healed up nicely but there were many tough nights of no sleep due to the broken rib.

Then she broke up with me 3 mo later b/c I didn't give her a ring for Christmas.

[Porsche9]

Just read a story about someone locally that died when his car he was working on fell on him. Don't take chances as it could be you!

[MARTHA]

.
Once upon a time I purchased a brand new full time all wheel drive Bronco. I don’t think there were a whole lot of them around because I’ve seen supposedly knowledgable people online swearing none existed until they are proven wrong. The first time I got it out on the highway I realized the cruise control didn’t work. So I took it back to the dealer to have it repaired. I was in the waiting room but watching out a window into the shop. The mechanic put a floor jack under the differential and raised the rear of the truck real high in the air. I realized what he was about to do so I ran out into the shop screaming at the top of my lungs. I ask him are you getting ready to check the cruise control with the rear wheels off the ground and not the front. And he said yes. I said this is a full time all wheel vehicle, when you put it into gear it is going to drive off the jack. He said Ma’am I am a professionally trained Ford mechanic and I know what I’m doing, I do this all the time. So he crawled up into the truck and promptly ran it across the floor pinning another employee into his tool box. I don’t know if he shot the gas to it intentionally just to prove me wrong or if he panicked when he realized what was happening. It just pulled floor jack and all about 20 feet. Thankfully I had stepped to the side because it was clear to me what was about to happen. I only received a little scratch on my Bronco. They took the employee to the hospital, I never did hear how that came out. I think he may have had a broken leg. And possibly ribs. And the idiot professional mechanic ruined his Snap-On tool box, squashed it like a pancake.

[fanguy]

Martha, you lucky and the other tech weren't at this shop

[78F350]

Street Racing

For this weeks safety tip, I'll just link rexcramer's thread:
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/64027-another-reminder-save-racing-track.html

It comes up a few times a year in the forum and almost always gets ugly.

[MARTHA]

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I’m sure my post will be unpopular but me I’m a racer, if you challenge me I’m going to race, thats the way its been for 57 years and its not going to change at this point of my life. Simply put its a risk I’m willing to take. The way I see things is if you try to hang with me down a twisty country lane and you lose control then your life is on your hands, I don’t think I should be held accountable for murder because of a decision you made. Now if I were to kill a child playing in the street or in their front yard then put me in prison for murder I deserve it.