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Cinder Bricks

C

crahm

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Fellow K5'ers. I was looking at another user's web site examining photos of the installation of his lift kit. The truck was supported on two jack stands stacked on cinder bricks. Cinder bricks are dangerous! About 2-3 times a year I read about someone's vehicle crushing them because the car was supported by cinder bricks. Please be careful!
 
You are correct!! People have a misconception of their strength because they are used for construction, they don't truly obtain their strength until they are filled with concrete and it hardens!

1984 K-5
4" lift
35x12.5 MTs
buildin a 400 for it, any info greatly appreciated
 
Sometimes I use big bricks from the neighbor's garden....shhh....but they are solid all the way through....whne I did the lift, I got some railroad ties...worked well.

90K5

See my truck at <a target="_blank" href=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Albumindex?u=1329584&a=9886502>http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Albumindex?u=1329584&a=9886502</a>
 
May have already been covered on this site (or was it one of the car ones?) and we got to talking about this. I think there are cinder blocks and there are concrete blocks. I have seen and felt both, and although weight isn't necessarily an indication, the heavier, more costly bricks I feel are more than likely up to snuff. They certainly are more dense than the cheap ones.

With that said, I don't use them. I use cut up railroad ties, with the floor jack in place to "catch" the vehicle if it does decide to shift. Or at least slow it down so I have more time to get out from underneath.

Dorian
My tech/links page: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</a>
No anti-theft measures on your truck? No pity when its stolen
 
ok folks, quit being stupid.

6 ton jack stands are 30 dollars out here. thats right 2 for 30 dollars. and they are very andy on the trail too. so spend a few bucks and get some.

1974 Chevy Blazer Cheyanne. lots of plans for it....
but it is on 33's now, with saggy old springs. i am in so cali if ya got any parts for me.
 
How exactly is a 6 ton jackstand going to do anyone $hit for good on soft dirt or grass, which a lot of us are forced to work on? Carry a board to set the 6 ton jack on? Boy, that really makes the 6 ton jackstand capable of holding 6 tons doesn't it? Can't speak for anyone else, but calling people stupid for stating experiences, expressing ideas, and/or opinions, is just that. Stupid.

Dorian
My tech/links page: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</a>
No anti-theft measures on your truck? No pity when its stolen
 
well, with a welder one can make the legs of the stand solid footed. so basicaly yes, a board but made of plate steel.
people do stupid things. i will be the first to tell you about things i have done that are stupid. no so much with pride, but i will. i will also be one of the first to say that something you or someone else is doing is stupid, BUT I WILL GIVE A REASON AS TO WHY AND OFFER MY HELP TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND. i dont just say hey, that is stupid. and then walk away. i am nto calling anyone stupid, just thier actions.
Grant

1974 Chevy Blazer Cheyanne. lots of plans for it....
but it is on 33's now, with saggy old springs. i am in so cali if ya got any parts for me.
 
I don't think he was calling anyone stupid as in hey man you're stupid... I think he meant don't be stupid in general when it comes to ones safety. If you buy a cinder block to hold up your beast and think it will hold it, then yer being stupid! Cuz it won't hold and you might die. That's all I think was implied... cuz I have seen people try stuff like that... so far they have been lucky.... but stupid...
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C'mon captain break pedal... quit looking for the parade and drive!!
mad.gif

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.chevycagal.homestead.com/steph.html>www.chevycagal.homestead.com/steph.html</a>
&lt;&gt;&lt; MARK 1:17 &gt;&lt;&gt;
 
the ones i have go to 23'' and 3/4''. if you need to go higher then you still should not use any type of cement blocks. yes i have done it, but it was the only way at the time and place. seems a few on here like rail road ties. In my opinion BAD idea. they contain creasote. how ever it is spelled. verry bad stuff. but most of all they can rott from the inside and you can not tell. it is very rare, but it does happen. Very rare.

my buddy was going to make 1/2'' thick plate steel boxes that would bolt to the bottom of my stands. i have a larger base welded on to mine. he was going to make two sizes. one for 6 more inches and one for 8 more inches. but then i decided, no i have never needed more than 2 feet for my jack stands. some day yes. but not now.
Grant

1974 Chevy Blazer Cheyanne. but it is on 33's now, with saggy old springs. i am in Yuma Arizona if ya got any parts for me.
 
I've seen people weld heavy angle iron onto the corners of the 6 ton stands to extend the height, and tie them together at the bottom. Seems like a good sol'n for those who need the extra height.

Pete

'83 K5, 350 TBI (ex 6.2), 700R4, NP208, Dana 60/14 bolt, 4.56s, Detroits, 3" lift, 15-39.5x15 TSLs
'97 Dodge 2500 4x4 CC LB Sport, Cummins 5 spd
 
I only use railroad ties when I can spread the load over a wide area. Such as putting them under a tire that is still mounted to the axle. I also only use short cut sections. If they were to rot out, it would (not always of course) more than likely be visible at the ends. In any case, I would bet 99 times out of 100, when a vehicle falls, it is because whatever it was supported on, was able to shift. Which is why jackstands, or ANYTHING without a large footprint, is just as likely to allow a vehicle to fall as a cinder block. You stack cinder blocks (whether they are weak or not) if the vehicle shifts slightly, the stack is going to tip over. No one here has ever seen a jack stand do the same thing? I have, and on asphalt nonetheless. Jackstands started sinking into it, and the vehicle shifted.

Standard test before I crawl under ANY supported vehicle is to push on it firmly from all 4 corners. I would much rather have it fall when I'm not under it.

Dorian
My tech/links page: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</a>
No anti-theft measures on your truck? No pity when its stolen
 
Dang, I don't want mine to fall at all! My dad has a wood shop, and usually has a lot of scrap. I usually grab several 10x10x1 pieces from his place and stack them up to add whatever hieght I need.
I don't know that I'm into welding to my jackstands, though. Part of thier strength is the design for wieght distribution, and I wouldn't trust myself to be able to duplicate that evenly in a weld. Maybe if a more reputable welder did it, but that still makes the whole thing bigger, and more of a PITA to store/transport...
Another thing that might work well (and I've done this for years with faith), using an old (but not rotted) rim under each stand, and stacking old mounted tires under the frame rail near where I'm working, so if it does fall, the tire stack holds it up enough to keep me from catching the vehicle. I don't really use this with the K5 unless I'm under the axles, cause the pumpkin-to-body/frame distance leaves plenty of room for my body if it lands on the pumpkin.
I have a set of 6 ton stands that are around 2 1/2 feet fully extended. I'd usually rather put something under the base than raise that skinny neck to full hieght, though.

Hmm. Cinder blocks...

Ratch
<a target="_blank" href=http://k5.8m.com>k5.8m.com</a>
**I need a house. Friggin realtor went and sold mine.**
 
I've seen the end result of a cinder block catastrophically failing - Thankfully it was the neighborhood "Joe Dirt" that was the victim (this guy has been shot, stabbed, had a Camaro fall on him, and Lord knows what else, and never gets killed) with his car on top of him - we had to use a high pressure airbag to lift up the car enough to get a jack under it. I use short pieces of 10X10 guardrail post to add a little extra height - It's more than strong enough to hold up my rig, and as a side note, it was free.

Friggin Silt!
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<a target="_blank" href=http://pugsley.alloffroad.com>pugsley.alloffroad.com</a>
 
Acutally I use 1 " plywood under my jackstands. It acutally is friendlier on the ground (1 ton on 4 little points of steel do leave an indentation on tarmac). While it does compress the plywood a bit, its acutally very little compression.. Just get a bigger jackstand. worthwhile investment.
 
This was brought up before - if indeed we are refering to the same person, the blocks are filled with concrete. I think I'd still feel a little safer with jack stands though.

<font color=blue>Rob
85 K5</font color=blue>
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24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day - Coincidence?
 
Well if you are refering to my site... yes there are blocks under it while a buddy used my large jackstands, but one I wasn't working under it... It was just there supporting the weight while I waited for my driveshaft and shackle bolts. Secondly these blocks have rebar throught then and are filled w/ concrete. To boot it alsh has very heavy wires into the concrete and those are wrapped around the jackstand so they don't move.... But all in all... You're 100% right... cinder blocks=bad.

-Mikey
1987 Chevy K5 Blazer- 350 TBI
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.geocities.com/milnerlives_2000/blazer.htm>http://www.geocities.com/milnerlives_2000/blazer.htm</a>
 
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