Disaster! Smashed underside.

[ChrisEdu]

Commiserations Chris. At least you weren't under the car at the time!
Ideally, chocks behind the rear wheels, a trolley jack to lift the front and axle stands carefully slid under the front suspension should safely raise the car ready to work on. Lifting it one side at a time is far safer than balancing the whole front end on a single jack as you have found out.
Hope the fix isn't too hard on the wallet

I didn't do sides due to proximity to garage wall.

 

[zipdip]

Well Chris at least you were not under it,the indy will soon find out what it is,once that sort of thing happens you do not feel like removing whats left of the under tray and seeing just what has been damaged,I take it you were doing this on your own,you are a lucky fella who is still in one piece able to reach for his wallet.

 

[ChrisEdu]

Car now departed to the indy. Going to get them to do the oil/ filter change, fuel filter, and brake fluid whilst they have the car.
Gone back to bed to hide!

 

[MCFastybloke]

Love my ramps, my drive slopes and these are made to bring it to level. Caution Non MB Content

 

[Petrol Pete]

Chris, good to hear you were not hurt. Can yo give us a bit more detail on what you were using to lift the car. The reason I ask is is my car is very low at the front and even with a low profile trolley jack i struggle to get on the lift pad 'just right' . I drive the car on to a few short lengths of 2 x 4 just to raise it slightly to help me get the jack in place.

The other thing is the surface my drive is not quite even and the wheels of the trolley jack sometimes catch as I lift the car as the jack tries to roll forward, I use a thin sheet of steel under the wheels to stop this happening.

And finally , I am sure MB have a good reason for making the lift puck rectangular when almost all trolley jacks come equipped with circular lift area . My way to make the lift safer was to machine a slot in a rubber jack puck I bought on line, It fits the rectangular block on the car just right, holding the jack in place. They might even be available on line already slotted out for MB cars ? I hope the repair is not too costly.

 

[glojo]

I dread to think of the weight of your well-made ramps but I guess they might have been extremely cheap to make.. Well done and yup, it made me smile.

It took me back to when I was making a part for a model.. Cork and plasitic buttons were just as good as the more expensive metal part

 

[Petrol Pete]

^^^ I thought that , but could come in useful for the woodburner when times get hard. I doubt they were cheap unless Mc has a cheap supply of planed timber, If the average Joe went into B&Q etc that timber would be quite pricey, add the cost of fixings...

I must admit I have been thinking about making a set, my ramps are ancient , and as a result rather narrow for my AMG...better suited to the Yaris. I could beef them up by welding bits on to them, but I am not keen to go down that route. I like the look of these ^^

 

[MCFastybloke]

Timber was left over from a number of project but £80 should cover it from a merchants, i own the nail gun and the nails were in stock.

 

[Rpp999]

Love my ramps, my drive slopes and these are made to bring it to level. Caution Non MB Content

Jenga for engineers

 

[Petrol Pete]

Timber was left over from a number of project but £80 should cover it from a merchants, i own the nail gun and the nails were in stock.

I have a fair bit of timber left over from various projects, but its a bunch of mis matched stuff of all shapes and sizes , everything from thick English Oak floorboards to MDF skirting, none of it suitable for nice ramps like yours unfortunately.

 

[MCFastybloke]

I have a fair bit of timber left over from various projects, but its a bunch of mis matched stuff of all shapes and sizes , everything from thick English Oak floorboards to MDF skirting, none of it suitable for nice ramps like yours unfortunately.

Busy contracting business helps, and with the log burner too

 

[ChrisEdu]

Chris, good to hear you were not hurt. Can yo give us a bit more detail on what you were using to lift the car. The reason I ask is is my car is very low at the front and even with a low profile trolley jack i struggle to get on the lift pad 'just right' . I drive the car on to a few short lengths of 2 x 4 just to raise it slightly to help me get the jack in place.

The other thing is the surface my drive is not quite even and the wheels of the trolley jack sometimes catch as I lift the car as the jack tries to roll forward, I use a thin sheet of steel under the wheels to stop this happening.

And finally , I am sure MB have a good reason for making the lift puck rectangular when almost all trolley jacks come equipped with circular lift area . My way to make the lift safer was to machine a slot in a rubber jack puck I bought on line, It fits the rectangular block on the car just right, holding the jack in place. They might even be available on line already slotted out for MB cars ? I hope the repair is not too costly.

I was using a 3T low profile trolley jack (Clarke, I think).

Having thought about it, I think what might have happened is the wheels of the jack got stuck, so as the car went up, the jack head pulled forward until 'bam!' it came off the jackpoint on the car.

I'm definitely more tempted to get some ramps, but a bit worried about getting the car up on to them without going over the top!

Update from today: car recovered to indy. Mechanic has had it running and reversed off the lorry. No warning lights showing. He thinks the fluid might have just been rainwater collected on the top of the tray, as coolant level is fine (he checked). So, hopefully the only thing needed replacement might just be the tray, but should know more tomorrow when he gets it up on the lift.

 

[MissyD]

I was using a 3T low profile trolley jack (Clarke, I think).

Having thought about it, I think what might have happened is the wheels of the jack got stuck, so as the car went up, the jack head pulled forward until 'bam!' it came off the jackpoint on the car.

I'm definitely more tempted to get some ramps, but a bit worried about getting the car up on to them without going over the top!

Update from today: car recovered to indy. Mechanic has had it running and reversed off the lorry. No warning lights showing. He thinks the fluid might have just been rainwater collected on the top of the tray, as coolant level is fine (he checked). So, hopefully the only thing needed replacement might just be the tray, but should know more tomorrow when he gets it up on the lift.

Fingers crossed for you

 

[Trickythemerc]

Nasty business when cars come of jacks. I have scars on my right arm from a Ford Anglia dropping on me about 40 years back. Very lucky to be not badly hurt, fortunately I was working with some pals who lifted the rusty old thing off me.

 

[markjay]

We've all done that...

The Alfasud is a front wheel drive car, and has a parking brake that works on the front wheels.

So it's not a good idea to lift the front of the car without choking the rear wheels - in both directions - even if the car is in gear and the parking brake is applied.

Ask me how I know... ahhm.

In my defence, I was an inexperienced young lad at the time

 

[ChrisEdu]

Thinking about saving for the Sealey MR1 or something similar to make life easier and safer!

 

[ChrisEdu]

Heard from garage. Sounds like a lucky escape! Cracked fan cowling, but still functioning so fine to use; bent a pipe fixing, but not currently leaking so again fine to use; smashed front undertray, which I knew!

Had the oil and filter changed, new fuel filter, and brake fluid done. Just need to fit an undertray when I get one.

Phew!!! Xmas miracle!

 

[ChrisHGTV]

We've all done that...

The Alfasud is a front wheel drive car, and has a parking brake that works on the front wheels.

So it's not a good idea to lift the front of the car without choking the rear wheels - in both directions - even if the car is in gear and the parking brake is applied.

Ask me how I know... ahhm.

In my defence, I was an inexperienced young lad at the time

And inboard front brakes! I still miss my Sprint, most fun car i have ever had, and running on twin webbers and open velocity stacks the nicest sound this side of a Busso V6. I found the old Sprint badge the other day - i kept it when it got written off. weep...

 

[markjay]

And inboard front brakes! I still miss my Sprint, most fun car i have ever had, and running on twin webbers and open velocity stacks the nicest sound this side of a Busso V6. I found the old Sprint badge the other day - i kept it when it got written off. weep...

This is why I needed to have the front wheels in the air - to adjusting the parking brake - which was a bit of a black art.... there was contraption on the caliper to adjust the gap using a ring spanner on the outside for adjustment and hex key on the inside to lock it down... at the same time

The Alfetta that I replaced it with, also had inboard rear brakes....

 

[ChrisEdu]

Car back with me! So nice to be reunited and have a bit of wet road fun!