Err, "interesting" experience
 

Note: this didn't happen in an SVX, was in my dads audi..

So, I was in Upper michigan this weekend, hanging out and all. Yesterday, I went hiking along the pictured rocks with my dad. To get back to town we had to run about 20 miles on a rather rough dirt road. Just as we got to the pavement, the front left tire went, sidewall was just totally trashed. No big problem right? Toss on the spacesaver and we're set to go. So, we pull off the road, and start jacking the car. And the jack sinks into the sandy soil. Ok, well, no problem there, move the car onto the road and jack it up. And the jack sinks right *through* the asphalt, a good 3 inches down. I'm not sure if it was just because it was hot (~88 degrees), or just the content of the asphalt, but it was pretty amazing to see. In the end, somebody with a truck and a bigger jack stopped and we were able to get running on the spare (Good luck finding 205/55/16's on the shore of lake superior though..).

Anyways, it was just amazing to see the jack sink right into the road. Anybody had anything similar happen?

Re: Err, "interesting" experience
 

Don't know if you'd consider this similar, but I've seen a jack break just as a tech was rolling out from under a car, he was nearly crushed to death and when the handle for the thing came flying up it put about a 6 inch dent in the drivers door. (It was a floor jack by the way). I have personally had cars slide off jacks and nearly cut me off at the knee caps. My dad got crushed when a jack failed on him, fortunately for me there was some sort of tool or tire that stopped the car from killing him, I was just a wee bit of glimmer in his eyes way back then.

Here's another thing you don't see to often. The in ground hydraulic lift you're using has sprung a leak. Air pressure works the hydraulics, so instead of a nice steady flow of hydraulic fluid you get an air pocket at the top of the travel. Have you ever seen a car fall about 7 feet off a rack? Bounce...bang...hoots of laughter from all the techs...didn't happen to me, but I've come close a couple of times. How about when the cleaning crew kicks the controls into the up position during the evening when you aren't there and the first order of business of the day is to turn on the compressor, even before you unlock the door to the shop, and you walk in to see a pickup going slowly up on one side just darn near ready to tip into the rich guys t-bird we said we'd keep inside so it wouldn't get damaged?

And then there's the time a lube guy put his foot right under the lift. Hospital visit, major pain, screaming "get it off", workers comp. Ahhhh...the life of a car fixer upper, just one big hoot!:D

brings to mind . . .
 

Several years ago, while working at a service-only place near here, the regulars went to lunch and asked me to put the XKE in the wings on the elevator rack and do the oil while they were out. No problem, right? Well, I pulled it on up and when I got out, the right side had about 1 inch of tire on the raised lip on the inside of the track. Needless to say, I didn't try to back it off. When they got back, I was still trying to find a jack tall enough to pick the car up off the thing. Heh, they didn't leave me alone much after that.:rolleyes:

Steve

It might just be Michigan. A while ago, I went biking in Michigan and when I stopped, the wheels of the bike sank in about 1/4 inch into the ground thought the asphalt....

or is it me?

Lwin