Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 882
Jacking mistake/failure. heart in mouth but no major damage!
Well I’ll never make this mistake again!!
Got all my tools and parts out to start replacing the parking brake shoes and springs etc, lovely weather and plenty of time on my hands. Chocked both front wheels (both in front of and behind the wheels) with some heavy duty lorry grade solid rubber chocks, got out my shiny new 6 tonne axle stands (I like to over-engineer things!), stuck the gearbox in Park raised the suspension to Off-Road and loosened the wheel nuts. I started jacking the rear of the car using my 3.5 tonne hydraulic trolly jack with its high-lift 4x4 extension piece:
Followed the manual and jacked at the central point on the rear crossmember just in front of the spare wheel. So far so good. The car rose nicely and I prepped the axle stands. Needing just another inch of height I used the trolly jack and pumped one more time...
CRUNCH !!!
The car suddenly drops down onto the wheels, the air suspension drops to the bump stops.
Dreading the worst I look underneath and find that the jack is still fully extended and now well and truly wedged into the underside of the car somewhere. Releasing the pressure in the jack the arm drops down (with some heavy encouragement from a hammer) but the six inch extension, the steel topper and the jack pad are still stuck somewhere in the underside of the car. I did not want to start the engine (in order to raise the suspension) so to get a better look I released the spare wheel. Thankfully the remaining parts of the jack fell out with the wheel.
Now I can see the damage.
Lucky lucky lucky. It seems that the jack slipped off the crossmember as I raised it. Thankfully it slipped off the rear and wedged between the chassis and the spare wheel. Had it gone in front of the chassis I fear it would have punched a hole or cracked the rear diff casing.
The damage seems to be limited to:
My pride
The fibreglass exhaust cover
The metal bar between the two chassis fixings
Scratched chassis rail
I’ll try the job again next Sunday. QUESTION: how do I stop a repeat? Am I better jacking each side first and propping each side with an axle stand in turn? I’m worried that the jack needs to rise so high that inevitably the pad will slide off. Am I missing something?2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
2014 BMW 435d convertible. Bought July 2021. 58,000 miles and counting...
2005 Discovery 3 HSE Auto. Bought Feb 2019. 169,000 miles and counting...
2009 Freelander 2 XS Manual. Bought Sep 2013. SOLD Aug 2021 (already regretted!)
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
I've never tried jacking the whole of the rear (or front) up in one lift.
What surface were you jacking on? Sounds like the trolley jack wasn't able to roll, as the arm went up in an arc.Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
24th Mar 2019 7:03 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26701
Each side separately whenever I have done it. It’s just too heavy to risk it in one lift.
24th Mar 2019 7:12 pm
DIY Ace
Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 882
I suspect the same - arcing of the arm. The jack is on a semi-decent but not perfect tarmac drive. The wheels of the jack will not roll on it for sure, so perhaps that is the issue.
Do you think it’d be safer to use the LR jack one side each time?2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
2014 BMW 435d convertible. Bought July 2021. 58,000 miles and counting...
2005 Discovery 3 HSE Auto. Bought Feb 2019. 169,000 miles and counting...
2009 Freelander 2 XS Manual. Bought Sep 2013. SOLD Aug 2021 (already regretted!)
As Mikey has said under the rear diff, but with the size of that jack's foot plate I would do one side at a time. I have the exact same jack for smaller jobs and its great for each corner jacking, but to use the diff you need a larger jack with a larger foot plate so it can cradle the diff.
Flack
24th Mar 2019 7:34 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10365
Don’t use that extension.
Ensure the jack wheels move while jacking.
24th Mar 2019 7:38 pm
DIY Ace
Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 882
Thanks all, for the advice.
If money were no object (within reason, say a few hundred quid) what jack would you go for? I’d like to get a better one for next weekends retry of the same job.
Also would you put down some 18mm ply or something similar under the jack, to allow it to roll better? My driveway is okay but not exactly ice smooth!!2022 BMW i4 M50. Bought Oct 2022. 10,200 miles and counting...
2014 BMW 435d convertible. Bought July 2021. 58,000 miles and counting...
2005 Discovery 3 HSE Auto. Bought Feb 2019. 169,000 miles and counting...
2009 Freelander 2 XS Manual. Bought Sep 2013. SOLD Aug 2021 (already regretted!)
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10365
Yeah I use wood to stop damaging the drive.
Oil the jack wheels in the middle if they don’t more freely
24th Mar 2019 9:27 pm
DiscoJeffster
Member Since: 27 Feb 2016
Location: Perth
Posts: 204
That extension is a recipe for what happened. Scrap it!
As has been said, rear diff to raise the rear is best. Using a jack with a larger rubber pad is also recommended as it kind on the car plus won’t slip.
You can do one side at a time but this isn’t necessary with a better jack.
24th Mar 2019 10:20 pm
discovery3ski
Member Since: 25 Dec 2012
Location: leicester
Posts: 734
Get an air bag jack?Discovery 3 tdv6 HSE 2007
Alfa GTV CUP
Alfa 156 JTS
Alfa Spider TS
Alfa GT Cloverleaf
Volvo XC70
24th Mar 2019 10:37 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13657
May i ask a Silly question please , after putting the landy into off road height I’ve always pulled the F26 fuse as I’ve always been worried incase it decided to self level on me
Of course used axle stands and only ever jacked one side up at a time
Was just wondering if the fuse should be pulled or not before jacking it up
Thks as always
25th Mar 2019 7:01 am
NickJ
Member Since: 11 Oct 2010
Location: there's no f in point
Posts: 2137
After acquiring depressions in the tarmac from the trolley jack front wheels digging in, I always put the jack on thick planks of wood I have especially for the purpose. The jack is more inclined to move as it has a smooth surface for its wheels
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