SAFETY TIPS

[mkbruin]

I see more and more posts lately that begin with "this is my first..."

 

So, I think there should be a post detailing the must-do safety tips.

 

 

Here's a few to start out with:

 

1) Jack points.

-Do not use a jack under the center of the rear differential. First, this puts stress on the housing. Second, it creates an inherrently instable situation where the jeep can teter to one side or the other. Third, the jack can slide off the differential in any direction, to either side or front to back.

-Do not use the LCA mounts as a jack point. The LCA's will move as the suspension cycles, and the jacks can slide off as a result. Additionally, the welded LCA mounts are not that strong, and are prone to fatigue/crack and can break or rip off of the axle housing.

-Always always always use a good quality jack stand any time you are under your vehicle, no matter how quick the repair is. It takes 30 seconds to drop a stand under the frame rail and lower to rest on the stand. Your life is worth the 30 seconds. Harbor freight sells el-cheapo 3-ton stands that may look good, but have extremely shoddy welds and some even came with rust around the welds when purchased new. Make sure you get a good quality set.

 

2) Recovery

Others can chime in more, but here's a brief mention:

-do not pull from control arms, axles, track bar, steering components, or factory bumpers. Use only hard-mounted recovery points such as properly plated/backed/mounted hooks or D-rings.

-do not use straps with hooks. When they break, AND THEY WILL, the hook becomes a metal projectile traveling at or above highway speeds.

-when using a strap, or watching someone else use a strap...do NOT stand anywhere near the line. All it takes is for a mounting point to fail, and you are standing next to a high-tension whip.

 

http://jalopnik.com/5629380/extra-has-s ... mers-3-set

"Witnesses say Cedillo was sitting in her car as a truck towed another vehicle at high speed in the other direction for filming. The cable on the truck snapped and hit the windshield of the woman's Scion and then "sliced through her skull." She was helicoptered to Loyola hospital where she underwent brain surgery."

 

 

Well, that's just a few beginning tips for those not yet fully familliar with the XJ/MJ or 4x4 scene. What other tips do people have for those not yet fully immersed?