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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

mm wrote:

OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I'd say through the 60's in my neck of the woods. I did know a
guy who didn't trust jacks so he used a come-along and a 6" branch on
an oak tree as a lift. He'd jack a Cadillac front end up high
enough to change oil easily. They don't make bumpers like *that*
anymore.

Candy asses might put a chunk of firewood under the bumper as a
safety-- and if they were feeling exceptionally nervous, maybe even
chock the wheels.

Lucky we were all pretty much invincible--- 'cept for the ones that
weren't.

Jim
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On May 21, 3:05*am, mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?

I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. *Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


I had a '66 Chev Impala...I used ramps (and still do). That was before
"spin-on" oil filters. There was a filter "cartridge" inside a heavy
gauge steel cylinder with a big MF'n bolt thru it.
(No, I don't have the Chev anymore...I have an "old man's" Buick)
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

That's before or about the time cars had seat belts, so,
probably was done that way.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"mm" wrote in message
...
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager
keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but
bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much
later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs,
even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it
was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything
under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once
I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack
out, and
then I used both jacks.




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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

Now days you need a computer to fix cars.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Fat-Dumb and Happy" wrote
in message ...
Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of
tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On May 21, 7:04*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
Now a days you need a computer to fix cars.


Yes, and you can hold it in your hand (OBD-II).
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On May 21, 7:04*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
Now days you need a computer to fix cars.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

"Fat-Dumb and Happy" wrote
in ...
*Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of
tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


Actually, the computer is in the car and the OBD reads the codes. Amen!
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

mm wrote:
I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Back when I was a kid I had a Mazda 808. Neat car.

I used the scissor jack to lift up the back end, then proceeded to crawl
under the car for some maintenance. Fortunately the tires were still on the
car when the jack slipped, and I was laying flat on my back.

The car fell and compressed my chest a few inches before the suspension
drove it back up again. I ended up with a few hairline fractures to my
ribs, and a lot of damage to the connective tissue between my ribs and
sternum, which made breathing extremely painful for a few weeks, but I was
otherwise alright.

The thing was that I knew better, and used the jack because "it was just for
a minute".

You can bet that I always use jackstands now, no matter what I'm doing (and
I use a better jack, too).

Jon


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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On May 21, 3:05*am, mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?

I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. *Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


A lot of folks did work under cars supported by those things. A few
aren't here anymore.

They were even dangerous for changing tires, especially on the rear
(with rear wheel drive cars - nearly all of them then). That is when
I learned to:

- jack the car up with lug nuts already loosened, and the spare on the
ground between ground and frame,
- pull the flat off and quickly swap it with the spare,
- install the spare, then pull the flat out from under the car and
lower.

That way if the car fell it wouldn't go all the way to the ground and
you could still get a jack under the bumper. Otherwise you were
pretty well screwed.

I still do that today with the better socket or screw jacks.

RonB


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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:05:03 -0400, mm
wrote:

OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Jack stands and wooden blocks have been around forever.
Good stands were more expensive than now, but there was more wood
around. I didn't trust the first "affordable" sheet metal stands, so
used wood blocks until I bought good stands.

Like what happened to you, just about everybody had a car slip off a
jack.
Probably more then than now, since tires weren't as good and there
were more roads where you had a soft shoulder for the jack base.
It was just as stupid to be under a car on a jack then as it is now.
First thing I did when I pulled a flat tire on the road was slip the
flat under the hub.
That way if the car/truck slips off the jack you have room to
reposition the jack.
Did the same last time I changed a tire on the road.
But that was probably 20 years ago.
Even a good hydraulic floor jack can leak down or suffer a failure.

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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?


OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually take a
drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good old days,
a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and you could fix
a lot of things on the old cars....


Before the scissor jacks, about the only advancement was a slit in the
bumper where the jack inserted, making it only a LITTLE safer. I always
carried a bottle jack and a small floor jack, as many times you needed a
combo of jacks. And now, if you have a flat, and the ground is uneven, you
can't even get one of those scissor jacks under the car. And it takes a
gorilla to turn some of those.

I have stopped to help a few motorists, and when I pull out that floor jack
and zip zip zip, I believe I have sold a few floor jacks for companies. As
on trailers, sometimes they're so low that a little floor jack is all you
can get under there.

Steve


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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

Fat-Dumb and Happy wrote in
:

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


I used jack stands(screw type) in 1968,when I worked on my 64 Triumph
Herald. but I had a scissors jack for that lightweight car.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


The real problem was when you didn't do a full downstroke on the jack
handle and the ratchet didn't catch(or it was worn) and the thing would
ratchet back down with the jack handle flipping back and forth as it went
down. Scary,and hazardous.

Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


of course,that is when cars had real bumpers. Can't use the bumper jacks on
today's cars. I use a hydraulic jack for my cars. it's much easier (and
safer,IMO) than the scissors jack that comes with most imports.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com
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On May 21, 3:05 am, mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.


Dude, where do you live that you get such good TV programming? Or what is
the name of the company. I'd buy.

This stuff they got on today sucks bigtime.

Steve


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On May 21, 7:29*am, Bob Villa wrote:

On May 21, 7:04*am, "Stormin Mormon" wrote:
Now days you need a computer to fix cars.



Actually, the computer is in the car and the OBD reads the codes. Amen!


But sometimes it does take a computer to fix a car. The digital dash
panel in my explorer died, disabling the entire vehicle because that's
where the security circuits reside. The instrument cluster was
replaced and the shop used a laptop to reprogram all default vehicle
values, including the odometer reading based on last oil change.

Red



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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On 5/21/2011 8:44 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:54:38 -0500, Fat-Dumb and Happy
wrote:

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....



I remember many times jacking up the car to replace a muffler bearing
or the AM Radio and I'd only have one jack to jack up all 4 tires. It
was pretty tricky to jack up the first tire, put my school books under
the tire, and move to the second tire. Then put a friends school
books under that tire, and so on until all 4 tires were off the ground
and no one could do their homework because they had no books. If we
didn't have enough books, basketballs would be used under the tires.
If you needed to change the engine, you'd unbolt everything, then find
the fattest chick at school, place her under the engine, and pet her
pussy until her boobs got really big and they would lift that 460ci
Big Block turbo boost V8 engine right out of the car. If she was not
around, we'd just inflate balloons under the engine until it came out
of the car.

And when it came time to change a flat tire, you'd just jack the car
up by the tire that's flat, place the spare tire under the car's
frame, lower the jack (for safety), and remove the flat tire. Then
you'd walk several miles to the nearest pay phone, insert a dime, call
dad, and bitch him out for taking your spare tire out of your trunk,
and not putting it back.

One of the biggest problems with bumper jacks was when the bumper
would come off the car halfway up. Of course that almost always
caused the lower or middle radiator hose to spring a leak. By this
time you not only needed to replace your clutch, but also the middle
radiator hose and the bumper, and had to do it before you took your
date to the malt shop, which gave you 40 minutes to complete the job.



Back on the farm I had a Yale chain hoist and an A frame which I would
use to lift each end of my Dodge Dart and set it on columns made of
concrete block. With a six foot column at each corner of the little car,
I could walk under it and do what ever repairs I needed to do. I was
never killed at any time. ^_^

TDD
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On Sat, 21 May 2011 05:27:44 -0700 (PDT), Bob Villa
wrote:

On May 21, 7:04*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
Now a days you need a computer to fix cars.


Yes, and you can hold it in your hand (OBD-II).


That's true. I knew the sheet metal was thinner than before, but it's
twice as thinner. Just trying to break ice in the crack between the
hood and part of the body that surrounds the grill, I put tiny
indentations in my car with my own hand, and it didn't even hurt. I
only see them when the light is just right, but I couldn't have dented
my '65 or '67 Pontiac without breaking my bones.
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In article ,
mm wrote:

OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.




I was up in the middle a couple of days ago, and while ripping through
the channels saw a few minutes of that same Patty Duke episode.

Back in the 80's, I was driving through downtown LA, and came across one
of those HUGE 70's vintage Ford station wagons. It was in a red zone,
about 2' out from the curb on a narrow street, and right next to a busy
intersection. The back was up way high on a bumper jack, and undulating
around while some guy was up under there... like possibly reaching up in
area in front of the fuel tank. Oh, and did I mention the two kids
playing in the back?

Scared the hell of me, still sends chills up my spine just thinking
about it.

Erik
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On May 21, 12:01*pm, "Steve B" wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.


I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. *Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


*Yes, *Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. *A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually take a
drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. * Oh the good old days,
a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and you could fix
a lot of things on the old cars....


Before the scissor jacks, about the only advancement was a slit in the
bumper where the jack inserted, making it only a LITTLE safer. *I always
carried a bottle jack and a small floor jack, as many times you needed a
combo of jacks. *And now, if you have a flat, and the ground is uneven, you
can't even get one of those scissor jacks under the car. *And it takes a
gorilla to turn some of those.

I have stopped to help a few motorists, and when I pull out that floor jack
and zip zip zip, I believe I have sold a few floor jacks for companies. *As
on trailers, sometimes they're so low that a little floor jack is all you
can get under there.

Steve


I just saw a car the other day with the slit in the bumper. I didn't
catch the year/make/model as I was too busy asking my son "What do you
think that little slit is for". (He had no clue.)

The summer cars are beginning to hit the roads now that spring is
finally here.
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On May 21, 7:35*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.


I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I'd say through the 60's in my neck of the woods. * * I did *know a
guy who didn't trust jacks so he used a come-along and a 6" branch on
an oak tree as a lift. * * He'd jack a Cadillac front end up high
enough to change oil easily. * * * They don't make bumpers like *that*
anymore.

Candy asses might put a chunk of firewood under the bumper as a
safety-- and if they were feeling exceptionally nervous, maybe even
chock the wheels.

Lucky we were all pretty much invincible--- 'cept for the ones that
weren't.

Jim


"I did know a guy who didn't trust jacks so he used a come-along
and a 6" branch on an oak tree as a lift."

I once slid a '65 Dodge Coronet into a fire hydrant, bending the door
pillar in far enough that it was touching the driver's seat. I was in
the Coast Guard at the time, so I took it over to the docks, borrowed
a come-along and hooked it up to a 50,000 lb buoy sinker.

I started cranking the come-along and the car started leaning over, so
I jammed a big block of wood under the frame. A few more cranks and
the pillar straightened right out, making the doors operable again.

Of course, that didn't do anything for the large hole that the hydrant
punched into the rear door panel. :-(


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On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:40:09 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:



I just saw a car the other day with the slit in the bumper. I didn't
catch the year/make/model as I was too busy asking my son "What do you
think that little slit is for". (He had no clue.)


LOL.

I didnt' know the ones that fit the slit were safer. I thought about
it, but hadn't reached a conclusion.

But I sort of didnt' like them, becusae it meant the jack in my car
would only fit a bumper with a slit, instead any bumper (any bumper at
the time.)

I actually tought the scissors jack wasn't an advance but a sacrifice
to the fact that cars no longer had bumpers that could be lifted,
without cutting their vinyl cover.

That second car I had that fell off the jack was on a scissors jack,
and I don't think I was even on a hill, but I leaned against the rear
bumper iirc and the car fell off the jack. What was good is that the
jack wasn't stuck in place after that.


Anyhow, everyone, when did safety stands become popular, for pros who
weren't using a lift, and then for amateurs???

The summer cars are beginning to hit the roads now that spring is
finally here.


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On Sat, 21 May 2011 11:07:20 -0500, Jim Yanik
wrote:

Fat-Dumb and Happy wrote in
:

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


I used jack stands(screw type) in 1968,when I worked on my 64 Triumph
Herald. but I had a scissors jack for that lightweight car.


Ah, an answer to my question. Anyone notice them before then?

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


The real problem was when you didn't do a full downstroke on the jack
handle and the ratchet didn't catch(or it was worn) and the thing would
ratchet back down with the jack handle flipping back and forth as it went
down. Scary,and hazardous.


Yes, if it did that without my encouragement, it woudl be scary.

I only had that happen when I wanted it to. I felt cool and very
skilled that with one stroke, I could get the car to go all the way
down. I kept my hand near the handle, though, just out of caution. I
think I could have stopped it.

Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


of course,that is when cars had real bumpers. Can't use the bumper jacks on
today's cars. I use a hydraulic jack for my cars. it's much easier (and
safer,IMO) than the scissors jack that comes with most imports.


The advantage of the scissors jack is the hole that mades with the
"bump" under the frame. Do bottle jacks have anything like that?

Or is it even an advantage? Soetimes it's a pain trying to get the
two parts to match up, and I'm not really sure what good that does.
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Default OT Did people only use bumper jacks?

On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:50:57 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On May 21, 7:35*am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.


I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I'd say through the 60's in my neck of the woods. * * I did *know a
guy who didn't trust jacks so he used a come-along and a 6" branch on
an oak tree as a lift. * * He'd jack a Cadillac front end up high
enough to change oil easily. * * * They don't make bumpers like *that*
anymore.

Candy asses might put a chunk of firewood under the bumper as a
safety-- and if they were feeling exceptionally nervous, maybe even
chock the wheels.


Yesh, that's what I sort of thought.

Lucky we were all pretty much invincible


Yeah. In those days I didn't work under the car much and when I did,
I parked one or two wheels on the curb. At least the curb doesn't
fall over.

--- 'cept for the ones that
weren't.

Jim


"I did know a guy who didn't trust jacks so he used a come-along
and a 6" branch on an oak tree as a lift."

I once slid a '65 Dodge Coronet into a fire hydrant, bending the door
pillar in far enough that it was touching the driver's seat. I was in
the Coast Guard at the time, so I took it over to the docks, borrowed
a come-along and hooked it up to a 50,000 lb buoy sinker.

I started cranking the come-along and the car started leaning over, so
I jammed a big block of wood under the frame. A few more cranks and
the pillar straightened right out, making the doors operable again.

Of course, that didn't do anything for the large hole that the hydrant
punched into the rear door panel. :-(


I can't beat that story, but when I worked road construction part of
the summer, I had a '50 Olds with both an X-frame and a box frame (an
[] frame) and it seemed invincible. People parked in the man-made
valley where the Interstate was being built. To go to lunch, I could
either back up and turn around in a small space or plunce over an 8
foot pile of dirt, like a quarterback jumping over the linebackers
from both sides, to make a touchdown.

Of course being the manly man I am, I chose the second. I got a
running start and drove up the hill, and in a second or two the car
stopped moving. I got out and all four wheels were off the ground,
off the dirt pile. I had to go to the guy who drove the cherrypicker
and ask him for help.

He did, after lunch. It took him a couple minutes, and because of the
great frame, there was no damage to the car.

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The Daring Dufas wrote the following:
On 5/21/2011 8:44 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 04:54:38 -0500, Fat-Dumb and Happy
wrote:

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.

Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and
probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....



I remember many times jacking up the car to replace a muffler bearing
or the AM Radio and I'd only have one jack to jack up all 4 tires. It
was pretty tricky to jack up the first tire, put my school books under
the tire, and move to the second tire. Then put a friends school
books under that tire, and so on until all 4 tires were off the ground
and no one could do their homework because they had no books. If we
didn't have enough books, basketballs would be used under the tires.
If you needed to change the engine, you'd unbolt everything, then find
the fattest chick at school, place her under the engine, and pet her
pussy until her boobs got really big and they would lift that 460ci
Big Block turbo boost V8 engine right out of the car. If she was not
around, we'd just inflate balloons under the engine until it came out
of the car.

And when it came time to change a flat tire, you'd just jack the car
up by the tire that's flat, place the spare tire under the car's
frame, lower the jack (for safety), and remove the flat tire. Then
you'd walk several miles to the nearest pay phone, insert a dime, call
dad, and bitch him out for taking your spare tire out of your trunk,
and not putting it back.

One of the biggest problems with bumper jacks was when the bumper
would come off the car halfway up. Of course that almost always
caused the lower or middle radiator hose to spring a leak. By this
time you not only needed to replace your clutch, but also the middle
radiator hose and the bumper, and had to do it before you took your
date to the malt shop, which gave you 40 minutes to complete the job.



Back on the farm I had a Yale chain hoist and an A frame which I would
use to lift each end of my Dodge Dart and set it on columns made of
concrete block. With a six foot column at each corner of the little car,
I could walk under it and do what ever repairs I needed to do. I was
never killed at any time. ^_^

TDD

You probably was killed, but won't admit it.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
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Steve B wrote the following:
On May 21, 3:05 am, mm wrote:

OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.


Dude, where do you live that you get such good TV programming? Or what is
the name of the company. I'd buy.

This stuff they got on today sucks bigtime.

Steve



He's got a 1960s B&W TV and it only gets the 60s shows.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @


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My 1974 Dodge Dart was the first year of electronic
ignition. Won't run when wet, or when ballast resistor blows
for no reason.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"The Daring Dufas" wrote in
message ...

Back on the farm I had a Yale chain hoist and an A frame
which I would
use to lift each end of my Dodge Dart and set it on columns
made of
concrete block. With a six foot column at each corner of the
little car,
I could walk under it and do what ever repairs I needed to
do. I was
never killed at any time. ^_^

TDD


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Beer in radiator, braze a tap to the bottom of heater cores.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


wrote in message
news
As long as you were able to change the tubes and the air in
the AM
radio, grease the muffler, and change the oil in the tires,
you
succeeded with minimal expense and trouble. Knowing all I
do about
farming, when you did this work, would you ride on a cow or
ride on a
bull when you went under the car? I know you had to ride
something
under the car to reach the tire valve stems?

By the way, even today, people tend to neglect changing the
air in
their car radios. You've probably heard the expression "On
The Air",
well, this is the air you got to change. If you leave that
old air in
the radio, the radio stations all start sounding alike,
because you're
listening to all the old air, and if that air pressure
builds up, your
radio will blow up. Exploding car radios is the number one
cause of
auto crashes, because when one of them blows, it will shear
the
driveshaft.

Last but not least, and this has nothing to do with this
topic, but
when you go under the car, be sure to always inspect the
wingnut that
attaches the steering wheel to the driver. Some wingnuts
are for
Democrats, and others are for Republicans. Make sure you
have the
correct one for your chosen party. Personally, I chose the
beer
party, so I had to soak my wingnut in beer before
reinstalling it, and
while I was at it, I removed the crack from my engine
crackcase, and
filled it with beer. I also filled the windshield washer
bottle with
beer in case I needed a quick drink on my way to the bar.
The hard
part was always getting my mouth against the windshield
while
depressing the washer button, and doing 85mph on the
freeway, without
getting hit in the face with the windshield wiper.


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On 5/21/2011 8:53 AM, Jon Danniken wrote:
mm wrote:
I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


Back when I was a kid I had a Mazda 808. Neat car.

I used the scissor jack to lift up the back end, then proceeded to crawl
under the car for some maintenance. Fortunately the tires were still on the
car when the jack slipped, and I was laying flat on my back.

The car fell and compressed my chest a few inches before the suspension
drove it back up again. I ended up with a few hairline fractures to my
ribs, and a lot of damage to the connective tissue between my ribs and
sternum, which made breathing extremely painful for a few weeks, but I was
otherwise alright.

The thing was that I knew better, and used the jack because "it was just for
a minute".

You can bet that I always use jackstands now, no matter what I'm doing (and
I use a better jack, too).

Jon


Chuckle. That is how you transition from Young and Immortal, to Wise Old
Fart- one scary or expensive lesson at a time. Glad you had no permanent
damage. I remember changing an engine mount once, and only felt stupid
afterward when my brother pointed out to me that if the jack I was
juggling the engine on (Back when oil pans were strong, and a piece of
plywood underneath was plenty to lift the engine) had leaked down, I
could easily have lost a hand. He was right, of course- I should have
stared at the setup long enough to figure out how to wedge the engine
with the timbers and planks that were sitting right there.

I'm too fat to fit under modern cars, and (for now) have enough cashflow
so I don't have to, so it really isn't an issue for me any more. But if
I ever do get crazy like that again, I'll buy decent jackstands, along
with the floor jack to replace the one from long ago that seems to have
grown legs somehow. No idea when or how that happened....

--
aem sends....


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"Steve B" wrote in message
...
On May 21, 3:05 am, mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.


Dude, where do you live that you get such good TV programming? Or what is
the name of the company. I'd buy.

This stuff they got on today sucks bigtime.

Steve


In the Maryland area, ION TV has Patty Duke, the Original Outer Limits,
Highway Patrol, Sea Hunt and loads of old stuff. It's free, off-the-air HD
TV. They also show all sorts of old movies from the 60's and 70's that
aren't available from Netflix (never made it to DVD). Better looking HD
than Comcast's hyper-compressed cable service.

--
Bobby G.



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In article ,
"Stormin Mormon" wrote:

My 1974 Dodge Dart was the first year of electronic
ignition. Won't run when wet, or when ballast resistor blows
for no reason.


I used to carry 2 or 3 of those ballast resistors around in the car, and
didn't even own a Chrysler product. Made a lot of brownie points with
them.

Erik


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On Sat, 21 May 2011 11:07:20 -0500, Jim Yanik
wrote:

Fat-Dumb and Happy wrote in
:

mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. There scenes like that.

I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


I used jack stands(screw type) in 1968,when I worked on my 64 Triumph
Herald. but I had a scissors jack for that lightweight car.

Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


The real problem was when you didn't do a full downstroke on the jack
handle and the ratchet didn't catch(or it was worn) and the thing would
ratchet back down with the jack handle flipping back and forth as it went
down. Scary,and hazardous.

Yes, Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground.
Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


of course,that is when cars had real bumpers. Can't use the bumper jacks on
today's cars. I use a hydraulic jack for my cars. it's much easier (and
safer,IMO) than the scissors jack that comes with most imports.

Including the ones from Detroit, Kansas City, etc.
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On Sat, 21 May 2011 17:45:15 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:40:09 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:



I just saw a car the other day with the slit in the bumper. I didn't
catch the year/make/model as I was too busy asking my son "What do you
think that little slit is for". (He had no clue.)


LOL.

I didnt' know the ones that fit the slit were safer. I thought about
it, but hadn't reached a conclusion.

But I sort of didnt' like them, becusae it meant the jack in my car
would only fit a bumper with a slit, instead any bumper (any bumper at
the time.)

I actually tought the scissors jack wasn't an advance but a sacrifice
to the fact that cars no longer had bumpers that could be lifted,
without cutting their vinyl cover.

That second car I had that fell off the jack was on a scissors jack,
and I don't think I was even on a hill, but I leaned against the rear
bumper iirc and the car fell off the jack. What was good is that the
jack wasn't stuck in place after that.


Anyhow, everyone, when did safety stands become popular, for pros who
weren't using a lift, and then for amateurs???

The summer cars are beginning to hit the roads now that spring is
finally here.

Well, I started as an apprentice mechanic in 1968 and I wouldn't have
deampt of crawling under a car without jack stands (or a reasonable
facsimle there-of). I'd never trust a bumper jack, with the possible
exception of a "tripod" - or the garage type bumper jack or "end lift"
that had safety stops and a tip-proof frame.

Even with the bumper end lift I USUALLY used stands if I was going
underneath..

Did a lot of work under axle end-lifts too - but ONLY with the safety
catches engaged.
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On 5/21/2011 4:45 PM, mm wrote:
....

Anyhow, everyone, when did safety stands become popular, for pros who
weren't using a lift,...


In about the year after the invention...a "pro" wouldn't be one for long
else't...

--
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On Sat, 21 May 2011 19:00:43 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

My 1974 Dodge Dart was the first year of electronic
ignition. Won't run when wet, or when ballast resistor blows
for no reason.

Mine always ran when wet - I'd hose it down with the carwash to show
people that a slant six mopar COULD run when wet.

Always had a spare resistor in the glove-box untill I "got smart" and
mounted a spare on the fire-wall.
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On May 21, 5:50*pm, mm wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 11:07:20 -0500, Jim Yanik
wrote:

Fat-Dumb and Happy wrote in
:


mm wrote:
OT Watching a Patty Duke epiode from 1966, another teenager keeps
working under his car with nothing holding it up afaict but bumper
jack. *There scenes like that.


I know I didn't have safety stands until 1970 or maybe much later, but
I also didn't lie under the car when it was jacked up.


I used jack stands(screw type) in 1968,when I worked on my 64 Triumph
Herald. but I had a scissors jack for that lightweight car.


Ah, an answer to my question. *Anyone notice them before then?



Was this sort of standard in 1956, for teenagers, amateurs, even pros?


I've had my car fall off the bumper jack twice, once when it was on a
hill, I was only changing a tire and I didn't put anything under the
car, only my arms in the wheel well for a few seconds. *Once I had to
borrow a jack from another guy on the street, to get my jack out, and
then I used both jacks.


The real problem was when you didn't do a full downstroke on the jack
handle and the ratchet didn't catch(or it was worn) and the thing would
ratchet back down with the jack handle flipping back and forth as it went
down. Scary,and hazardous.


Yes, if it did that without my encouragement, it woudl be scary.

I only had that happen when I wanted it to. *I felt cool and very
skilled that with one stroke, I could get the car to go all the way
down. *I kept my hand near the handle, though, just out of caution. *I
think I could have stopped it.

* Yes, *Bumper jacks were the most common way to lift a car and probably
the only way for most shade tree mechanics. *A lot of brake shoes were
changed using nothing but bumper jacks to get the wheel off the ground..
* Most people were a lot skinnier back in those days, I could usually
take a drive shaft out with having to raise the vehicle. * Oh the good
old days, a piece of cardboard to lay on and a hand full of tools and
you could fix a lot of things on the old cars....


of course,that is when cars had real bumpers. Can't use the bumper jacks on
today's cars. I use a hydraulic jack for my cars. it's much easier (and
safer,IMO) than the scissors jack that comes with most imports.


The advantage of the scissors jack is the hole that mades with the
"bump" under the frame. *Do bottle jacks have anything like that?

Or is it even an advantage? *Soetimes it's a pain trying to get the
two parts to match up, and I'm not really sure what good that does.


I'd jack the car up and put a couple of concrete blocks under for
safety, jacking the car down to rest firmly on the blocks before
scooting under. I prefer the bumper jacks to the current system but I
guess bumpers aren't strong enough to take the weight anymore. These
days I use ramps or a hydraulic jack.


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On May 21, 8:53*pm, wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 19:00:43 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"

wrote:
My 1974 Dodge Dart was the first year of electronic
ignition. Won't run when wet, or when ballast resistor blows
for no reason.


*Mine always ran when wet - I'd hose it down with the carwash to show
people that a slant six mopar COULD run when wet.

Always had a spare resistor in the glove-box untill I "got smart" and
mounted a spare on the fire-wall.


Don't even let me get started about the finicky nature of AMC models
and their cobbeled together parts from any and all manufacturers. The
things they would do when it rained/got hot/got cold/dried out/you
name it!

........

"I need a starter for a 66 Ambassador."

"What month was it built?"

"What *month*? I don't know..."

"Go take the starter off and we'll see if we can match the bolt
pattern. They used 3 different starters that year."

........

"The wipers on my 68 Javelin stop working."

"Check the fuel pump."

"The car runs fine...I said the wipers don't work."

"Check the fuel pump. There's a vacuum booster pump bolted to the top
of the fuel pump that powers the wipers. They can leak."

......

BTDT

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On 5/21/2011 9:29 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
(snip)
.......

"The wipers on my 68 Javelin stop working."

"Check the fuel pump."

"The car runs fine...I said the wipers don't work."

"Check the fuel pump. There's a vacuum booster pump bolted to the top
of the fuel pump that powers the wipers. They can leak."


Okay, so Javelins were really 1959 Ramblers under the skin. But you
gotta admit, that first year Javelin sure was pretty. I did a real
double take going through a 73? or so Hornet hatch at a dealership- the
load floor cover over the spare tire was painted plywood- the company
was so broke by then they couldn't even afford tooling for a simple
almost-flat ridged metal panel.

--
aem sends....
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On Sat, 21 May 2011 18:24:47 -0700 (PDT), Pavel314
wrote:


Message-ID:

Concrete blocks are "dicey" and cinder blocks a no-no. If using
concrete blocks, put a board on top so no edge of the frame or
suspension nicks the blosk.
A cinder block can disintegrate with little provocation and no
warning.
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On Sat, 21 May 2011 18:29:48 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On May 21, 8:53Â*pm, wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 19:00:43 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"

wrote:
My 1974 Dodge Dart was the first year of electronic
ignition. Won't run when wet, or when ballast resistor blows
for no reason.


Â*Mine always ran when wet - I'd hose it down with the carwash to show
people that a slant six mopar COULD run when wet.

Always had a spare resistor in the glove-box untill I "got smart" and
mounted a spare on the fire-wall.


Don't even let me get started about the finicky nature of AMC models
and their cobbeled together parts from any and all manufacturers. The
things they would do when it rained/got hot/got cold/dried out/you
name it!

.......

"I need a starter for a 66 Ambassador."

"What month was it built?"

"What *month*? I don't know..."

"Go take the starter off and we'll see if we can match the bolt
pattern. They used 3 different starters that year."


Hey, it was NOT that bad. They either used prestolite or delco - and
they were extremely reliable.
.......

"The wipers on my 68 Javelin stop working."

"Check the fuel pump."

"The car runs fine...I said the wipers don't work."

"Check the fuel pump. There's a vacuum booster pump bolted to the top
of the fuel pump that powers the wipers. They can leak."

.

..... And that was a heck of a lot better than general motors' use of
manifold vacuum only up untill 1957. If it was raining and you were
pulling a long uphill grade --- Good Luck!!!!

BTDT


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On Sat, 21 May 2011 22:42:31 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

On 5/21/2011 9:29 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
(snip)
.......

"The wipers on my 68 Javelin stop working."

"Check the fuel pump."

"The car runs fine...I said the wipers don't work."

"Check the fuel pump. There's a vacuum booster pump bolted to the top
of the fuel pump that powers the wipers. They can leak."


Okay, so Javelins were really 1959 Ramblers under the skin. But you
gotta admit, that first year Javelin sure was pretty. I did a real
double take going through a 73? or so Hornet hatch at a dealership- the
load floor cover over the spare tire was painted plywood- the company
was so broke by then they couldn't even afford tooling for a simple
almost-flat ridged metal panel.



And that plywood deck did NOT rattle, and was very stout - you never
saw one dented or damaged. Why use steel???? It was protected from the
elements and was not required to be air-tight like floor-boards, or to
stand up to exhaust heat etc.

And the Javelin was MUCH different than a '57 Rambler. It was a '68,
more or less. The 232 and 258 sixes were pretty good little engines -
and the 290, 304,360 engines were better than the 287, 290, and 327
Nash engines of previous generations -- and they were not BAD engines.
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