Exon Valdez Found In Garage!!!!! (2 Viewers)

[Jerome3]

so i was jacking the truck up today in the garage to prepare for the installation of my j springs and brakes and after placing jack stands in place and lowering the axle and removing tire i realized i only had 9 inches from rotor to ground as slee recomends 12 inorder to get the spring out, so my pops and i layed some marble tiles and some plywood on the floor to lift the jack to be able to get it higher, after getting stands higher and in place, while lowering the jack on the axle my inexperience showed as i was loosening the valve to lower the jack and it dropped quickly as the angle changed from begining at full extension. after moving slowly in the begining car dropped onto jack stands (1 or 2 inches) and jack slipped off the axle as the plywood provided little movement for the jack with 4000 or so lbs on it and punctured a hole in the oil pan. in a few seconds i had a model of the exon valdez in my garage :whoops: .

now i am debating continuing the job myself or paying to have it done proffessionally. any words for the wounded soldier

 

[MLX450]

Look at the bright side...at least you're not hurt!

 

[Cookiemonster]

Yikes. Ya go get an ice cream and get your bandaids out, you've got some work to do.

 

[TX_TLC]

You can do it! Just call C-Dan and get an oil pan on its way to you....and a filter as you now get to do an oil change! Or you might be able to have the you oil pan welded up and patched. My advice...buy a new one and then get this one fixed and keep it for another bad luck day.


Do the lift...just be careful. I know someone said you don't quite need a full 12"...

 

[GXO]

I dropped the front swaybar and allowed one side to droop much lower than the other and was able to access springs very easily. Reverse for the other side. I simply put the jack stands back on the frame and had a high lift in the front as a safety precaution.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Sorry to hear that. When I wrote that I never figured someone would actually go and measure the exact clearance to have before attempting to swap the springs.

Is the hole in the first (metal) oil pan, or 2nd (Aluminum) one? If the 1st, not to bad, if the 2nd then it is a lot more work.

I guess I can change the instructions to say enough clearance, but then everyone would ask how much is enough.

 

[landtank]

Sounds to me like you were just not using the proper equipment to get the job done correctly and safely. Looks like a set of car jack stands and their mating car jack. Stacking stuff up to get proper clearance from your jack stands is asking for trouble and having a jack almost straight up to get the height needed is just plane stupid.

This might be coming accross as a little harsh but you could have really gotten hurt working like this. Go to sears and by a good set of stands and a jack. They aren't that expensive.

 

[concretejungle]

I think it's just an honest mistake Christo. No need to go changin' stuff.

That stinks dude. I say go out and have a bite to eat, calm down, regroup and attack at daybreak.

 

[Jerome3]

Look at the bright side...at least you're not hurt!

i looked like a crab skittering backwards to get the hell away things could have been much worse

i dont think you need to change anything christo, things happen when your are working at the limits of the equiptment your working with as i am here to vouch for it, im glad i was not injured and i got a long day ahead of me as im back to where i started and then some. anyway im off to cheack out the damage i did and see what i can do, will keep you all posted thanks again guys

 

[cruiserdan]

Have you assessed the damage to the oil pan yet? If just the lower sheet steel pan is involved AND there is no damage to the pickup screen replacing that is not too bad. If the upper pan or the pick up are involved both pans will have to come off which involves lifting the engine off of the front mounts.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Just a fyi, always put the tires under the frame when you have removed them after jacking the truck up. This way when it falls, you might have a little better chance. We always do this on the trial.

Also, we charge 4 hours to install a suspension. So for those considering doing it at home and save money, use some of that stuff to buy the right jack stands etc. You will use them again and they are pretty much a lifetime investment. This same thing happened to another of our customers recently. $200 worth of good jackstands are not worth your life or limbs.

This is a pretty good make.

http://www.hyjacks.com/stands1.htm

 

[Capt. Jim]

Hope you're back on track. I have jacks/jack stands if you need 'em.

Jim

 

[semlin]

christo, love your instructions but you really should change your instructions for that point. Low level wrenches like me take your instructions literally. Getting the frame on axle stands so the rotors droop 12" off the ground is very hard to do with 6 ton axle stands and a good 3.5 ton jack and it is not at all necessary. 6" will do and probably 4" will also do as I figured out later. I very much appreciate your instructions, but I spent well over an hour just getting the truck up that high using the truck's bottle jack and a 22" lift 3.5 ton jack in tandom, plus a 6x6 block and some 2x10s. In the end I did it but had the axle stands set higher than I liked.

 

[PKP80]

Jerome,
Don't get down on the install and doing it yourself. It could have been worse, so get the parts you need, sack up and go at it again. The satisfaction of a comeback tour to put that new suspension in and fix that oil pan is better and sweeter than the first time. To sound cliche, get back on that horse. Best of luck, take pics, and let us know how it goes.

-SAm-

 

[reffug]

Just remember "a setback is a setup for a comeback"

That being said really glad to hear no one was hurt.

Now as Cristo and others said invest in some good gear it will pay for itself many times over.

 

[Jerome3]

im on my way will have some pictures for you guys when its completed

 

[MLX450]

SEARS sells their 3.5 ton jack w/stands for about 99 bucks. I want one.