Sealey's welding standards

Not *for a moment* disputing your observations, but they *might* have been proof load tested, which is a perfectly acceptable strategy for lifting equipment.

Personally, I'd never rely on axle stands alone. I'll typically slip a spare wheel under a wheel, wishbone, or chassis rail, or leave a trolley jack or two in place.

yep, anything big enough that gives you a second line of defence against crushing.

Learned that one 40 years ago when I escaped with a nasty pinch that could easily have taken off a couple of fingers. Jacked up on the road outside the house which had a slight slope, removed wheel and released handbrake without realising the arrangement was no longer stable with the brake off.

Hmm, I recall a jack in its sill 'hole' and a loud bang as a plate came away from the floor!

I do use axle stands, but I feel happiest when using concrete blocks with a piece of wood on to spread the load.

I wouldn't want to crawl under a car without something solid holding it up!

Indeed. My preference is wooden railway sleepers which my local timber yard cut into 6 equal lengths for me. Good, solid, lumber as a back-up against an axle stand failure.

I've seen someone using a fairly substantial wooden block under a jacking point but with the grain running top to bottom.

Given the jacking point offered a fairly narrow 'vertical edge', I wouldn't like to trust that it wouldn't cleave the wood down the middle? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Rather depends on the wood. I doubt if sleepers would "cleave" used like that, but I would generally use timber "cross grain".

In fact given sufficient suitable timber I would support the vehicle on that rather than on axle stands (unless you can't get the height to leave the hub or wheel clear of the ground).

Interesting. I have no qualms about relying on decent axle stands provided they are on level and firm ground, etc, and correctly positioned on the car. Unlike a jack of any type. Which can often get in the way. All the axles stand I've seen have been *very* over-engineered for a normal car.

Agreed if you are *definitely* happy about the ground, and not sticking any major part of your anatomy in the drop zone. If I am going underneath, I *always* have a backup.

It's pretty rare I'd ever use one axle stand anyway. As I'll generally want one end or the other of the car raised. So use two axles stands just to keep it level.

Yes, you need to align the wood cross-ways under the vehicle to minimise that danger.

I think you're going back BC there, Dave (Before China). Jacks and stands made in ENGLAND back in the day were almost invariably over-engineered. I suspect nowadays you'd be lucky to get the claimed weight supported at all. Those weight ratings assume professionally executed welds by coded welders, not the shitty f****ng crap Sealey are pushing out.

problem with that is that if one stand slips to the side it can unbalance the other one and that goes too.

If a concern then place the wood across the grain. In practice any weld lip is 10mm or so, the maximum it would sink into the wood.

Anyhow, I don't use sills for support but use the 'chassis rails' which are generally inboard as short distance. Of course each car construction is slightly different YYMV.

My confidence over Chinese stuff isn't good.

Sealey are using their name to peddle mediocre stuff.

Sealey never had a name anyway. Budget quality at best - and pretty well all just badge engineered.

And it can slip off that extra jack too. Even pro 4 post etc lifts can break.

Which is why a wheel or a big lump of wood is a good safety measure, it doesn't have to reach the car, just be there to give your head and chest a big enough space not to be crushed.

vehicle lifts have secondary security devices on the posts,usually (always?) there is a huge chunk of steel that falls into a hole every two inches or so as it goes up, pulled back by solenoid to release.

Not so, IMHO, Dave. I remember the stuff they made in the 80s was really well worth having even in pro shops (and was probably still made in England back then).