hey guys, im new to the site, just wanted to start off and say hi,
i also have kinda a dumb question....so i just got my car the other day...2003 protege lx, and i wanted to clean and polish the inside of the alloys so i jacked up the car (with the provided jack) and continued to take off one of the wheels...well all of a sudden the whole car shifted and it slammed onto the front disc (my heart sank) but i didnt think i did anything wrong; it was on a flat surface, i had the e-brake on, put a shovel under the other tire so it wouldnt roll, and put the jack where it was supposed to go...now im parinoid in taking the other ones off to clean the inside...im just really lucky there was no visible damage! but yeah so what should i do to ensure this doesnt happen again?? thanks

 

Regular jacks scare the crap outta me sometimes. You need to get a good set of jackstands if you are going to work on your car---4000lbs minimum rating.
Welcome to the forum.

 

ok so assuming i dont feel like (and dont have the $ for) buying jack stands is there a better way to make sure ul keep your car from rolling using the provided jack. I dont "work" on my car per se, its more like cleaning the backside of the alloys...thanks

 

scissor jacks are for emergency purposes only. if you are EVER taking off more than 1 wheel, please use jackstands. (safety first) a set of four 2-ton jackstands are only like 20 bucks at walmart.

 

Thanks il def get them, i thought for some reason theyd be alot more expensive...although i only took one wheel off at a time. Do you think by the disc hitting the pavement, it caused any damage? There was no visible damage to the rotor, and i drove around and didnt hear any noises...i would just like the heads up, what it could have affected like the axle or something...thanks

 

I was gonna say ! If you can't afford $20 for jack stands, you've got more problems than dirty wheels....

If there was no visible damage, you're fine....the suspension took the brunt of the drop...the worst thing that wouldve happened would have been damage to the rotor

 

haha well i do have more problems but wont get into that...i can only imagine if it were the back wheels and the bumper hit the ground! yeesh

 

i dunno'.

You may have induced a crack in the rotor. If the crack grows and the rotor decides to break apart it will do so with tremdous energy - shooting chunks of metal THROUGH the car (along the axis of the rotor) - this is badbadbadbadbad.

It may be worth the peace of mind to have a brake shop carefully inspect the rotor. If they can do a 'NonDestructive Inspection' (NDI) using dye-penetrant that would be 'best'.

 

^ sounds like a good reason to save up and get aftermarket rotors

jack stands R great - makes UR car 4x4

 

Yeah, jack stands are the way to go, but I don't recomend using them in grass. You need a stable surface, preferably concrete.

 

thanks for the comments and suggestions...the crack you mention...could that be anything i could see upon close inspection? how much does that type of inspection cost? thanks

 

yes, concrete would be best... none of that around my house

/end thread jack

 

The crack 'might' be seen - use a magnifying glass. Re-inspect whenever the wheel is off.

(Just a suggestion - i am not an expert! i.e. don't sue me! ;0)

 

haha will do, i thought you were saying it as if "i've seen this type of thing before" but yeah i looked at it real close for a good 10 min when it first happened and didnt look like anything happened (even the part that hit the pavement) the rotor's must be made outta some tough stuff!