Using Cement Blocks as Blocking?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Does anyone on here use Cement or Cinder Blocks for jacking up a Bus or even a Car for that matter?

Image for reference only as I saw this on Facebook today.

[dtcerrato]

Not a good idea especially the way that block in the photo is orientated. If you have to use a block turn it so the holes are top & bottom sandwiched between 2 pieces of plywood. Cement blocks can crack & crumble easily when used for blocking.

[luvrbus]

Gary I haven't seen cinder blocks in 50 years,your so called concrete blocks have very little cement they are made with Haydite and flyash,they won't hold weight unless the 2 holes are filled with concrete,LOL that is why I wouldn't go to Walmart for storm protection.The codes in Tx,OK and Ar only reqiured the blocks poured where the roof trusses sit on for Walmart stores

[dtcerrato]

After reading Cliff's post our two story log home sits on a full finished basement constructed of 8" block like in Gary's photo but the blocks are poured totally solid with concrete with #5 rebar every 4' tied into the oversized footer.
I'm not certain I'd trust a cement block under the weight of a bus even if it was poured solid. If it failed there probably wouldn't be any warning like you may get with crushing wood. Either way it's an eerie thought.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Gary I haven't seen cinder blocks in 50 years,your so called concrete blocks have very little cement they are made with Haydite and flyash,they won't hold weight unless the 2 holes are filled with concrete,LOL that is why I wouldn't go to Walmart for storm protection.The codes in Tx,OK and Ar only reqiured the blocks poured where the roof trusses sit on for Walmart stores

I haven't seen Cinder Blocks for years Cliff.  We had them in a chimney in the 3-car garage back home.  They crumble really easily as you well know.  But I hear the term mistakenly very frequently in the news, so somehow the news media thinks these are still popular, but I assumed they no longer even make them.

I cringe whenever I see these used to block up cars or buses, as I worked with them a lot growing up and I also used heaving wooden blocking as we had a lot of 4x4 and 8x8 blocks on the farm and not once did we ever use cement blocks or worse yet, cinder blocks to jack ANYTHING up, and we jacked up almost every building on the farm over time.  I often wonder how many people are getting killed or maimed using cement blocks to jack up vehicles nowadays. 

[oldmansax]

NO!   .... Just no...

TOM

[luvrbus]

The 8x16 blocks are good for what they were designed for,I have seen the blocks open in some areas used for HVAC duct on a few McDonalds and Walgreens and worked out well

[Jim Blackwood]

Now just hold on a minute guys, that cinder (cement) block is not being used to hold up the truck. He's attempting to remove the brake rotor by using the floor jack and using the cinder block to hold the jack in position. Only load on the block is the jack. Now admittedly that method of rotor removal is pretty questionable at best but between the jack and a judicial application of a BFH he might get it off. You can see where he smeared grease all around the studs and hub.

By now I'd hope we all know that those blocks are a poor choice for holding up anything that is able to move about even a little. But who hasn't ever done such a thing? I can remember stacks of blocks holding up the four corners of a Travelall body so I could roll the frame out and a different one back in when I swapped to 4WD. I was able to come up with the blocks fairly easily but at the tine there was no other viable alternative as I didn't have the money to go buy the proper equipment. That body probably weighed 3-4 thousand pounds which meant a thousand pounds or more on each stack. But they are fairly stable in straight compression which is why they are used for buildings. Naturally I avoided getting under it, and would not chance that but for the job it was OK. Had it collapsed I made certain I could get out of the way at all times.

Jim

[chessie4905]

I use only timbers and solid blocks when necessary, as I have a pit.
Many saw mills nearby and plentiful timbers and blocking.

[luvrbus]

I use only timbers and solid blocks when necessary, as I have a pit.
Many saw mills nearby and plentiful timbers and blocking.

I just use good pinned jack stands not the H/F $#!%

[dtcerrato]

Jack stands are scary for me because they seem to slide easy on both ends (upper & lower) when on concrete (bottom) & steel to steel (top).
Maybe it's bias because I'm a carpenter but we prefer good old PT solid wood blocking.
We have a pit also but after 3 days when the air suspension leaks down it sits over the pit for long extended periods of time on the blocking. Then the axles can be jacked with a 1 ton jack. 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Now just hold on a minute guys, that cinder (cement) block is not being used to hold up the truck.

As it says in my original post in the fine print

"Image for reference only as I saw this on Facebook today."

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Jack stands are scary for me because they seem to slide easy on both ends (upper & lower) when on concrete (bottom) & steel to steel (top).
Maybe it's bias because I'm a carpenter but we prefer good old PT solid wood blocking.
We have a pit also but after 3 days when the air suspension leaks down it sits over the pit for long extended periods of time on the blocking. Then the axles can be jacked with a 1 ton jack. 

I agree 100%.  I don't trust Jack Stands either.  I like wood as whatever I am jacking up or jacking with, sinks down in a bit indenting the wood and preventing anything from slipping out.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I just use good pinned jack stands not the H/F $#!%

I agree on the Harbor Freight Jack Stands.

[luvrbus]

I agree 100%.  I don't trust Jack Stands either.  I like wood as whatever I am jacking up or jacking with, sinks down in a bit indenting the wood and preventing anything from slipping out.

Jack stands don't sink on 6 or 8 inch thick slabs .mine have a 12x12 x1/2 plate on the bottom ,I am not getting under a bus with a  H/F rachet type stand I may use one to hold up a part I am installing