stuck Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi all, Was changing the suspension on my 110 today, Lying under the truck looking at the big trolley jack and three bricks supporting the chassis under the tow bar I was expecting a visit from the Darwin award committie... So come on chaps, how do you do similar jobs safely? I have some HGV axle stands but they aren't tall enough and are as dodgy as the above method when balanced upon a pile of bricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam001 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Good question, I still haven't really found a great way of getting around it. When I do suspension work.... Jack up the axle Remove the wheels Support the chassis rails with normal axle stands near the trailing arm mounts (around 3T ones, nothing massive) with a further 2 near the fuel tank rails for safetys sake Then drop the axle down so it's lower than it normally would be, I do this in stages to make sure the load on the stands is even Then from there I do whatever work on the springs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Bigger axle stands? Make your own? Well engineered stands - with a wide base - would be better. The thing about bricks is that they can fail catastrophically. Which means they crack, and the crack "flows" down all the bricks, and you can guess the rest. Even Wooden blocks are safer! Careful out there - there are more fun ways to die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iandouglas Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi i had similar worry one day laying under disco so placed axle stand under there as well. STILL not happy so made up a threaded bar 1" thick adjustable via a nut. Angle iron welded to the end which fits up under the bar that holds the cup on hydraulic jack. Other end has a tube that 1" threaded bar slides into. I welded angle iron to one end this fits over the front axle of jack. So in use I jack disco as normal to height need then slip this into position and adjust nut on thread bar until it snugs down. To test ive droped jack down and left support in place without any problem. sorry no pictures as yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Bigger axle stands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Thanks for the replies chaps. Fozsug where are they from? (Can't make out the lable). Are they tall enough to fit challenge suspension? Cheers, Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyninety Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 for 27 plus vat (or atleast something close to that) you can buy a pair of 6ton axle stands from..... PADDOCKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty43 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 You should be alright with wooden blocks under the stands. I'm sure that will be frowned on by other members but wood always gives fair warning, hence all the mines down here being held up with pitch pine stays, bricks on the other hand... eeep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 When I have needed to extend the reach of an axle stand in the past (to change a rear axle) I used large wooden blocks underneath them, large enough that the stand was fully supported so no stability was lost in that respect. I have a larger set of stands now, much better all-round and I feel safer with those in place. Still don't like being under vehicles that are on stands though, will always have the wheels on if possible. And a wheel under the axle/chassis if not, to catch it if it falls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 for 27 plus vat (or atleast something close to that) you can buy a pair of 6ton axle stands from..... PADDOCKS! As stated in the first post I have a pair of HGV axle stands way over 6 Te, height is the issue not weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Thanks Gents, Will either make some steel trestles or stop burning all the wood I come across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 You should be alright with wooden blocks under the stands. I'm sure that will be frowned on by other members but wood always gives fair warning, hence all the mines down here being held up with pitch pine stays, bricks on the other hand... eeep! I find wood to work very well, and when stacking blocks they stick together unlike bricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Just found a local place selling railway sleepers. Will buy a few and get the chainsaw out. Note to self, do not put sections of railway sleeper on the fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozsug Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks for the replies chaps. Fozsug where are they from? (Can't make out the lable). Are they tall enough to fit challenge suspension? Cheers, Mick. Hi Mick , got them from my local commercial vehicle factors, they are 10 tonne, 700mm lowest 1300mm highest, so plenty big enough. Not sure of the make cost 60 quid. Cheers Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I only needed a small extension (oooeerrr!) to my stands to get enough reach. I used a Haynes manual for the task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yella 90 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I usually just attatch the winch to an rsj and lift the required end into the air However if its not my comp truck Then i jack up, sit chassis on big axle stands Remove wheels and lower down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I made a stand for my 6t stands... two pieces of 5" square timber, about 4 foot long, and then a square of plywood at each end to hold them the right distance apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I usually just attatch the winch to an rsj and lift the required end into the air I wouldn't trust working under that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr341 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 lift mine up with a 3 ton trolly jack under axel then place large 6 ton axel stands under either axel or chassis depending what im doing , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 lift mine up with a 3 ton trolly jack under axel then place large 6 ton axel stands under either axel or chassis depending what im doing , I wish I had that much space. You would have a lot more if you had a tidy up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete300tdi90 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 im waiting to be crushed as i can never be bothered to find 2 axle stands. bottle jack one side under chassis, axle stand other. trolly jack under diff so i can raise/lower axle as i need... however i do wobble to it buggery before crawling under it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr341 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 im waiting to be crushed as i can never be bothered to find 2 axle stands. bottle jack one side under chassis, axle stand other. trolly jack under diff so i can raise/lower axle as i need... however i do wobble to it buggery before crawling under it lol if the wheels are still on you will be fine will clear you , unlsee you are a large chap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsr341 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I wish I had that much space. You would have a lot more if you had a tidy up! ha ha , its really not that bad now , that pic was a while back , bought a rook load of racking last summer and put things away , defently lucky with the room , thats just one bay of a 3 bay cattle shed , but now we dont farm any more have plenty of space for carp (um i mean usefull things ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Why cut up the sleepers?? In fact, why use sleepers - they are heavy and awkward. In the past I have used 2 lengths of 4"x4" on top of each other on top of the axle stands. Jack up the truck, slide the wood under the chassis from side to side, then put the axle stands under that... It means the stands are still based on the floor and the 'jaw' digs into the wood at the top... To be honest, if you are working on springs, you are better off jacking up one corner at a time, taking the wheel off and then dropping the axle as low as it will go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I was thinking this afternoon whilst under the truck. How about some kind of adjustable stand that fits into the front and rear jack holes on a defender? I would make one but I dont have a welder (or the practise!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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