I have just put the car on axle stands for a few days, new pads, discs and a bit of a look around.

Any way the floor of my garage is Tarmac, and looking at the feet of the stands(fairly small in area) and with the weather warming up it occurred to me these could sink into tarmac and just maybe cause a problem.

Jacked up car again and sure enough small indents showing in tarmac, so I cut a few sections of ply about 300 x 300 and sat the stands on them to spread the load.

Any one else had this ?

Just a note , rear nearside caliper came off easily, looks rotten, but a quick look under the piston gaiter it was clean as a bell, the disc came off just as easy. 61k on car 9 years old

 

Whoops its in the wrong place, I need a mod to move it!!!

 

Have always placed axles stands on large squares thick plywood, for as you have discovered you end up with a dented tarmac drive, unless you have a concrete reason and can do otherwise.

Also in both the Honda and the daily beater I keep a smaller piece of wood AND a wheel chock for the same reason - have image of needing to change a wheel and the car may be on soft ground let alone tarmac.
The latter habit was influenced by my dad who upon buying his first car just after the war always carried a piece of wood for these very purposes - AND needed them in an era when punctures and breakdowns were more frequent!

 

I hate working under the car, even on stands!

 

Just work harder - earn a bit more money and get someone more skilled and motivated and with better tools to do it for you.


I gave up working on cars about 15 years ago.
Don't regret it at all.

 

I have all the tools and equipment, and a lot of time on my hands i'm just saying I don't like being under the car

PS - can't work any harder

 

er maybe we just like the challenge of a rusted bolt or 2 and poo in the eye, dare I say it better than watching 22 blokes kicking a bag of wind around a field !

It can be enjoyable to some, as is football, every one has their own fixes.

Oh and when under the car I always take additional precautions , like replace the trolley jack, wheels or such like as precautions. As MB says it is a bit scary having a tonne of scrap inches away from ones nose!!!!

 

Thats the problem, ££ motivated and wgaf about your car. So rare is the tech
that really cares you are better off getting under the car yourself.

The Machine Mart low height jack is a good start.


Russ.

 

I really can't work under the car. Lying by the side and nervously sticking one arm in is about the best I can do. Pretty stupid I know.

My garage floor is concrete, but when I've used stands, or even the jack on the tarmac on the drive, it starts to sink in in no time.

 

I usually place a couple of wheel ramps under the sills, just in case.

Useful when I once pulled an X1/9 off a trolley jack on a gravel drive!