I guess this is why mechanics better have insurance!

Intel486 · 05-07-05, 10:53

hmm... wonder what the story is w/ that truck

TW85 HHI · 05-07-05, 11:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Intel486
hmm... wonder what the story is w/ that truck

Me too. Doesn't speak well for the frame...

My uncle is the service & parts manager at a Dodge dealership in Arizona. The owner of the dealership owns quite a few other dealers and they had a car fall off a lift one night. Needless to say, the owner now requires all vehicles be lowered onto the garage floor at the end of the day.

Mad iX · 05-07-05, 11:27

The 2nd truck looks like a transformer halfway into it's transformation.
Mechanics make all kinds of blunders all the time, imo, most people just dont find out about it.

teamvegas · 05-08-05, 12:09

My buddy is a tech at Mercedes here in Vegas and they had a Maybach in for a center console problem. They took it out, opened the sunroof, and continued to push the console out of the sunroof and onto the roof of the car. Scratching the paint obviously. But the kicker was, it slipped off of the roof, and right to the floor. Making a 1 piece console into 4 custom pieces!!!! It was a $7,000 mistake. OOPS!!!!

pigeonbus · 05-08-05, 07:22

Those kind of lifts (lift touches vehicle only in the middle) have always worried me. I'm sure most of the time they're safe, it just doesn't seem very reassuring...

Mosca · 05-08-05, 08:02

We've had a lift failure (improper lift installation), and we had a car fall off a lift once (mechanic's error). Believe me, when it happens you aren't thinking about the car, the first thing you fear is that someone was underneath it. After that you're right Scott; it's an insurance issue.

I worked at a Nissan dealer in the mid-80s. A truck pulled in with the new 300ZXs on it. The driver did his thing with the chains and tiedowns, then went to the side of the truck and moved the wrong lever... and a 300ZX slowly rolled off the top ramp and t-boned the ground, right in front of about 30 people watching.

Tom

medic · 05-09-05, 10:05

looks like they didn't balance the truck. all the contact points seem to be in the front half of the truck, so there doesn't seem like there was any support in the rear. the frame should have held, but the mechanic should have balance the car better.

I took a starter auto course at the local community college and that was the first thing they tought us was to balance the car properly and do a good shake test with the car 1ft off the groung to help maake sure you don't drop it.

G35stilez · 05-09-05, 11:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Mosca
I worked at a Nissan dealer in the mid-80s. A truck pulled in with the new 300ZXs on it. The driver did his thing with the chains and tiedowns, then went to the side of the truck and moved the wrong lever... and a 300ZX slowly rolled off the top ramp and t-boned the ground, right in front of about 30 people watching.

Holy Crap!

Scott, that's pretty nutso. My buddy works at an Acura dealership and he said something went wrong with the hydralics...I think the pump went, and all of the cars simultanesouly dropped to the ground (on the lift). Luckily the mechanics were quick on their feet.

DaGonz · 05-11-05, 05:46

My group had a fire in an auto repair facility one hazy, hot and humid summer afternoon. Heavy black smoke was rolling out the garage doors. I was on the first due Engine company and we made an aggressive interior attack and knocked the fire down at the floor level but still had a lot of fire above our heads. The Chief ordere3d a defensive attack and the hose lines were pulled out of the building. When the building was ventilated we saw that we were right under the lift, and the car on it was the fire above our heads!

The mechanic was removing a leaking fuel tank. After the tank was drained, he used a cutting torch to cut the straps that held the fuel tabnk on, igniting the vapors and setting the car and building ablaze.

I have a healthy respect for lifts.