Any of you have poor conditions to work outside on?

 

The place I'm living at right now, the only place I have to work on my car is either on the street (I'm not a fan of that), or in a gravel driveway.

 

What kind of tips do you guys have for working on gravel? Well, not so much gravel per say as medium rocks. Any time I stick a jack stand on the gravel, it just sinks in once the weight of the car is set on it. Also, I find the fact the ground isn't very level makes it difficult to lift a car evenly.

 

So, what do you guys do?

i would guess blocks or large peices of wood to distribute the weight, as far as laying on the gravel, blankets or tarps work well. I have to work on asphalt driveway, wich isnt bad, but im running out of spots where there arnt any oil slicks, LOL

Get a sheet of 3/4" plywood and cut it into 8 - 2'x2' sections. Sandwitch them so you have 4, 1.5" thick pads. Set your stands on those. They are still small so you can store them easily when done, and 1.5" of plywodd is REALLY freakin strong. No way it's comming down with those.

 

GD

Use cardboard for where you're crawling around under the car. Really helps take the pointyness out of the gravel.

I have the same working conditions, been that way for years. Wouldnt know how to act if I got to work on a solid dry surface, probably fall asleep:lol:

I've done what GD said, but I'm only using one layer of 3/4 ply cut to 12x12".

Its worked great for years. A 4x6 or full sheet fits almost perfectly under the car and between the wheels. I have to do this when I pull engines, I still have to roll onto dirt to get the hoist out of the way tho.

I've had the same piece of 3x3' carpet for a couple of yrs too. I have a creeper that I used at my last job, never gets any use at my place:-\

I recently had to put up a tarp to work under once the weather started to get wetter, its held up pretty well so far.

I think my next house will just be one big garage with a loft:D

I've always used 1/2 to inch thick boards, like for decks and things to jack from. To lay down on, I actually have a sheet of wet suit material, it works wonders, takes all the sharp points of gravel away.

Any of you have poor conditions to work outside on?

 

The place I'm living at right now, the only place I have to work on my car is either on the street (I'm not a fan of that), or in a gravel driveway.

 

What kind of tips do you guys have for working on gravel? Well, not so much gravel per say as medium rocks. Any time I stick a jack stand on the gravel, it just sinks in once the weight of the car is set on it. Also, I find the fact the ground isn't very level makes it difficult to lift a car evenly.

 

So, what do you guys do?

come on that engine went right in:lol:

Gravel sucks! Cardbord, rugs, carpets, plywood, doors, floor mats, etc... anything flat and thick I'm putting under there. 12x12" or 24x24" pieces of plywood make good jack bases.. double stacking them is good if the rocks are that big. I really liked having a full 4'x8' OSB or ply for crawling around under the car. I have a little concrete (enough for 1 car) now.. but I can't wait until I can get the whole Garage thing going on. I want like a 6 car garage!!

I pulled the rear discs off my wagon in the gravel... it sucked, my huge floor jack dug it own grave, but I just jacked it up more.

if you could store one big sheet of plywood to lay on that would probably be most comefortable. or make a plywood driveway, and use a lenght of rope for a belt

Try this. Make your own lift.Some block and tackle with good strong rope and a big Arse oak tree. Find a good strong limb at least 8 inches around and hook your block and tackle on with a chain. Hook chains to tow points on car and winch away. Only kidding that is not safe so DONOT try it. Ask me how I know.

i vote for the plywood idea mike sounds like the perfect solution with what you have planned:headbang:

I don't have a carport or garage, but I do have a flat wide concrete patio. I've been looking at those yard canopies, by veriflex, called quick shades. They come in 12x12 and set up in seconds. You can also get a piece to enclose them with. I figure that I can set it up to stay out of the rain and then put it away, when I'm done. It's big enough to pull the front of the car in. It'll make a nice shade for summer barbecues, too. I think it'll cost me about $120., a lot cheaper than a garage. Now if I can just get a $120. together.

 

~Myles~

 

that's my 2 cents and it ain't worth a plug nickel

I have the same working conditions, been that way for years. Wouldnt know how to act if I got to work on a solid dry surface, probably fall asleep:lol:

I've done what GD said, but I'm only using one layer of 3/4 ply cut to 12x12".

Its worked great for years. A 4x6 or full sheet fits almost perfectly under the car and between the wheels. I have to do this when I pull engines, I still have to roll onto dirt to get the hoist out of the way tho.

I've had the same piece of 3x3' carpet for a couple of yrs too. I have a creeper that I used at my last job, never gets any use at my place:-\

I recently had to put up a tarp to work under once the weather started to get wetter, its held up pretty well so far.

I think my next house will just be one big garage with a loft:D

+1^4!!!

My "work area" at best is 2" crushed rock (all sharp corners), and at worst is dirt/mud. I haven't had much trouble with stands sinking in, but my shop jack does some "interesting" things.

 

Like Turbone, I just want a big garage for a house.

yep, rocks, gravel, dirt, once in a while grass (!!! man that's nice )

 

my best advice has already been said a couple of times...

 

get yourself some corrugated cardboard, and a piece of carpet.. it really absorbs the points of the rocks and things

The worst thing i found about the gravel (i have a concrete garage now!) was moving my trolley jack around..... especially once its got a gearbox on it...

 

I think another essential peice of equipment for gravel work would have to be a trolley jack with a body lift and pneumatic tires!!

Piece of carpet to lay on and definitely put a board under the jack so gravel does not get jammed into the mechanical stuff.

I've always had a dirt driveway to work on. I use a padded plastic mat to lie on. Not only is it comfy, but its a great thermal barrier. Another trick is to lay down a tarp. if you drop anything you can find it on a blue tarp alot easier then a driveway that loves to eat small parts.

 

 

nipper

another vote for the plywood stand supports. even just one thickness of 3/4" is better than nothing. also, get a piece large enough for a roling jack to fit on, with extra length for movement when jacking up/down.

 

if you can find them, the rubber mats used under large rolls of paper during transport are AWESOME for throwing down on bare ground before crawling under the car. check with larger printing companies, or the truck drivers that deliver paper to them. most of the time they get tossed...

+ 1 for carpet and plywood

 

Did my trans on that. Gravel With carpet and plywood. I have a 24x30 garage now. Awesome.

 

"I highly recomend it!"

I don't have a carport or garage, but I do have a flat wide concrete patio. I've been looking at those yard canopies, by veriflex, called quick shades. They come in 12x12 and set up in seconds. You can also get a piece to enclose them with. I figure that I can set it up to stay out of the rain and then put it away, when I'm done. It's big enough to pull the front of the car in. It'll make a nice shade for summer barbecues, too. I think it'll cost me about $120., a lot cheaper than a garage. Now if I can just get a $120. together.

 

~Myles~

 

that's my 2 cents and it ain't worth a plug nickel

 

At my local Family Dollar stores, they sell (during summertime) a 20 dollar version of that type of canopy.. its pretty flimsy, but if you can tie ropes on it and stake it down proper, like a tent, it is TOTALLY worth it... We have one in our backyard that gets replaced every couple years.. and we reinforced it with some 3/4" electrical conduit sunk in cement in the ground at 3 of the 4 corners... its solid as a rock. Buy a new one as needed to replace the canvas, and you are set :- ) The ones WITHOUT screen enclosure are 20 bucks (sometimes less!) and they have one with a screen enclosure thats like $30-40 i think.. UBER cheap, and disposable, in the worst case scenario.

 

oh and....

+1^4!!!

 

heh, thats one.... :-p

 

and, back on topic, yah.. wood blocks under jackstands, and a piece of carpeting/plywood/carpeted plywood. World O' good.

Any time I stick a jack stand on the gravel, it just sinks in once the weight of the car is set on it. Also, I find the fact the ground isn't very level makes it difficult to lift a car evenly.

 

So, what do you guys do?

Install a lift kit. 6" kit with 30" tyres makes for plenty of space underneath, no jacks/stands needed.

 

But yeah, the plywood trick for the stands would work fine. Myself, I have 4 of those super small 500#/ea stands, and found that a cinder block laid on its side to be a stable perch for my other cars that I still have to jack up to get under.

 

Least your gravel driveway is dry, I get the joy of working in a never-drying mud puddle. Stupid ground feels dry, till you drop to your knees and the water soaks up through your pants. I end up using one of those cheapie blue tarps from wally world, to which the water still soaks up, but takes much longer to do.

heh, thats one.... :-p

 

Heh - I wasn't the only one bothered by that I see

 

Damn math classes anyway.....

 

GD

...

heh, thats one.... :-p ...

To both you and GD: Yeah, I know. I just wanted it to look impressive without actually being so and making me seem self-important or something.

+ 1 for carpet and plywood

+1 for that too. plywood works for setting your jacks, jack stands, engine lift, etc. carpet works great to work on and to drop transmissions/engines on and pull them around easily or out from under cars. stop by a carpet store and see if they have any carpet scraps. they go through scrap carpet daily, as long as they don't leave it remotely they should have tons on hand and basically give it to you.