Member III
Got this idea from another forum.. Whats the dumbest thing you've done while working on your vehicle?
Dumbest thing you've done while working on your vehicle...
- Thread starter boehml
- Start date
Pathfinder I
Adjusted the brakes on my 1965 beetle got done with the last tire. Hand tightened the lug nuts dropped it down off the jack forgot to tighten said lug nuts popped the hubcap on...... well. Needless to say down the street I had 3 tires. That was a bear to put that tire back on by myself. Lol.
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Hood struts on my ram 2500.
Opened the hood, pulled a strut off on one side, hood slammed down on both of my arms and latched shut...i was on the passenger side of the truck. Screamed for my wife for about 10 minutes lol turns out she was bathing our son.
Oh same truck, backed into a 40° driveway, e brake set and nothing else, pulled the rear driveshaft off, truck ran me the fuck over. If it wasnt lifted i would be a blood streak on the driveway....needless to say i sold that truck the next week since appprently it wanted me dead lol
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Opened the hood, pulled a strut off on one side, hood slammed down on both of my arms and latched shut...i was on the passenger side of the truck. Screamed for my wife for about 10 minutes lol turns out she was bathing our son.
Oh same truck, backed into a 40° driveway, e brake set and nothing else, pulled the rear driveshaft off, truck ran me the fuck over. If it wasnt lifted i would be a blood streak on the driveway....needless to say i sold that truck the next week since appprently it wanted me dead lol
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Tried to dry off my cloth seats with a heat gun. Had to buy new seats after... No fire at least, just a large hole.
On my 78 Cherokee Chief, I was stick welding a rack for gear. Stuck the rod, got mad grabbed the welding rod to jank it off the part, totally forgetting 2000 ^ rod and put a stripe across my hand through my glove. Stop to look to see who was watching me and getting ready for the jokes and ribbing.....
Member III
I was 17 or 18 and was replacing my steering stabilizer on my Toyota. I had a gravel driveway and was having a hell of a time getting up on the ramps to lift the front end up for clearance.. I kept drive up and not being able to get the wheels to set properly - so I got mad and hit the gas an drove right up and over the ramps. It sucked.
Reassembled and installed my fully built 22re only to realize I never tightened the timing chain tensioner
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Sent from my SM-G900V using OB Talk mobile app
I spent a year plus building a family cage into the FJ40. Tons of grinding & welding without issue. Move onto a power steering conversion, 15 minutes of welding, and forget to disconnect the battery! Fried the entire harness & nearly burned down the house. Guess it was good that it shorted in the garage rather than the trail but boy was a pissed!
Travis Hurley- Founder/CEO
Outer Limit Supply | 720-987-4202
Est. 2014 | Littleton, Colorado
www.outerlimitsupply.com
Travis Hurley- Founder/CEO
Outer Limit Supply | 720-987-4202
Est. 2014 | Littleton, Colorado
www.outerlimitsupply.com
I heard an arcing coming from under the hood, it was an old forest service stepside. I left the engine running and was wiggling battery cables to see what was going on. One of the cable arced and i yanked my hand back, right into the un-shrouded fan blade, still have the scar today.
For Want Of A Bushing
Decided to get Alcan springs for the back, so I order them and prepare to install one weekend. How hard could it be?
When I tried to install them I couldn't figure out why they were not going on to the OEM shackles. Tried for two days to press/pound them on because I've never done this before. I find out that the Alcan bushings don't fit over the OEM shackles (thanks for telling me that, guys).
I order some adjustable PRG shackles and wait for them to arrive. I get those installed, the springs in and the rear axle on but the lowest setting on the shackles is still taller than the OEM length the springs were built for. Now the rear lift is higher than I wanted, and the Bilstein shocks don't reach the axle.
So I order some long stroke shocks and wait for them to arrive. I get the shocks in and reroute the parking brake lines, ABS wires and... crap, brake lines don't reach.
So I order some steel braided extended brake lines and wait for those to arrive so I can install them.
Job ETA: 4-5 hours
Actual completion time: 6 weeks.
On the upside, the springs are awesome.
Decided to get Alcan springs for the back, so I order them and prepare to install one weekend. How hard could it be?
When I tried to install them I couldn't figure out why they were not going on to the OEM shackles. Tried for two days to press/pound them on because I've never done this before. I find out that the Alcan bushings don't fit over the OEM shackles (thanks for telling me that, guys).
I order some adjustable PRG shackles and wait for them to arrive. I get those installed, the springs in and the rear axle on but the lowest setting on the shackles is still taller than the OEM length the springs were built for. Now the rear lift is higher than I wanted, and the Bilstein shocks don't reach the axle.
So I order some long stroke shocks and wait for them to arrive. I get the shocks in and reroute the parking brake lines, ABS wires and... crap, brake lines don't reach.
So I order some steel braided extended brake lines and wait for those to arrive so I can install them.
Job ETA: 4-5 hours
Actual completion time: 6 weeks.
On the upside, the springs are awesome.
Influencer II
Pathfinder II
Completed a 2 year restoration of my '73 Super Beetle which I began when I was 16 with zero experience and zero mentors...
I was rushing to complete it for my first VW show and while putting the front spindle nuts on the drums I simply torqued the ever living crap out of the nut, then locked it down. 5 miles down the road in what was our maiden voyage, in rush hour traffic, my left front wheel screeched as it locked up and I swerved into oncoming traffic. After an arm wrestling match with the steering wheel and several more swerves into traffic I managed to wrestle the beetle to the shoulder. When I stepped out of the car, legs like jello, my left front wheel was snapped off and sitting at a 45 degree angle under the fender. The only thing that kept it under there was the speedometer cable which was now twisted 3000 times.
The excessive pressure on the bearing caused the race overheat, then fail and seize on the spindle, snapping it clean in two. I still have that bearing in my toolbox as a reminder to never get in a hurry and that proper torque is important.
I was rushing to complete it for my first VW show and while putting the front spindle nuts on the drums I simply torqued the ever living crap out of the nut, then locked it down. 5 miles down the road in what was our maiden voyage, in rush hour traffic, my left front wheel screeched as it locked up and I swerved into oncoming traffic. After an arm wrestling match with the steering wheel and several more swerves into traffic I managed to wrestle the beetle to the shoulder. When I stepped out of the car, legs like jello, my left front wheel was snapped off and sitting at a 45 degree angle under the fender. The only thing that kept it under there was the speedometer cable which was now twisted 3000 times.
The excessive pressure on the bearing caused the race overheat, then fail and seize on the spindle, snapping it clean in two. I still have that bearing in my toolbox as a reminder to never get in a hurry and that proper torque is important.
Influencer II
Not my vehicle, but a work vehicle (minivan).... loss of all power and appears to have stalled. I limp it over to the curb and pop the hood. Lots of traffic noise around..... I've never touched a vehicle that had the engine sideways. I lean over the engine to see what the problem is and place my hands down... right on the still running engine's fan belt.
Ripped off 2 fingernails (2 middle fingers) and slightly broke the index finger.
I slowly close the hood and walk back and sit in the minivan. I ask my coworker for a napkin, he sees my hand and freaks out and runs to the nearby donut shop and comes back with a hundred napkins, lol.
A little brace for my index finger and some bandages for the other fingers and I got some great fishing in that summer! Lol.
Ripped off 2 fingernails (2 middle fingers) and slightly broke the index finger.
I slowly close the hood and walk back and sit in the minivan. I ask my coworker for a napkin, he sees my hand and freaks out and runs to the nearby donut shop and comes back with a hundred napkins, lol.
A little brace for my index finger and some bandages for the other fingers and I got some great fishing in that summer! Lol.
All of this happened very quickly so, use your imagination
Me: 1 24 year old Specialist stationed in Augsburg, Germany
Vehicle: a 1987 Buick Regal (Not a T-Type)
I had blown a rod on a the Autobahn so, I decided to do an engine swap. The base (Kascern) actually had an excellent DIY garage and I was able to score another Buick 3.8 from a junkyard.
Here is where it gets fun.
I am on my back with the Buick on jack stands on all four corners. I have a large socket and wrench trying to break the exhaust collector from the headers when the socket wrench snapped, driving my knuckles into an exposed bolt.
I raised my hand to look at it and, while doing that, brushed the frame which dropped a bunch of crap in my eyes. "OUCH"! I sat up quickly and bashed my head into the frame. At that point, my 24 year old Army brain took over and I attempted to throw my car (My BUICK). from what was now a bench press position.
I felt a searing pain in my chest and I thought "Oh crap, I am having a heart attack". Someone else also thought so and rushed me to the ER.
Turns out, I had torn both pecs.
Me: 1 24 year old Specialist stationed in Augsburg, Germany
Vehicle: a 1987 Buick Regal (Not a T-Type)
I had blown a rod on a the Autobahn so, I decided to do an engine swap. The base (Kascern) actually had an excellent DIY garage and I was able to score another Buick 3.8 from a junkyard.
Here is where it gets fun.
I am on my back with the Buick on jack stands on all four corners. I have a large socket and wrench trying to break the exhaust collector from the headers when the socket wrench snapped, driving my knuckles into an exposed bolt.
I raised my hand to look at it and, while doing that, brushed the frame which dropped a bunch of crap in my eyes. "OUCH"! I sat up quickly and bashed my head into the frame. At that point, my 24 year old Army brain took over and I attempted to throw my car (My BUICK). from what was now a bench press position.
I felt a searing pain in my chest and I thought "Oh crap, I am having a heart attack". Someone else also thought so and rushed me to the ER.
Turns out, I had torn both pecs.
That one reminded me of one time I had crawled up between the rear bogies in to the base of the boom turret of one of Edison's 100' washer trucks and as I was crawling back out the Foreman yelled for me and I whipped my head to see and smashed it on the rear diff and smashed the back of my head on it, quick whipped my head forward and smacked it on the front rear diff and back to the rear rear diff again, knocking myself silly for a few mins. The Foreman said all he heard was knocking sound and me laying on the ground with my eyes crossed......
While I was changing a rear rotor, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the caliper off. I was prying at the brake pads, then smacking it with a dead blow hammer. Wouldn't budge. Finally realized that I had the parking brake on. DOH!
