Irritant, that's what it is. Grrrr

So,

Have decided to stuff reverse back in this old truck. It's been metal to metal for quite a while now and it's gotta be fixed before the snow gets door-handle deep.

'Course, now don't ya know, I don't have access to a hoist. Bummer! :>(

Anyhoo, is there anything more aggrivating in this world than a creeper that still has the cheap steel wheels?

Guess I better go buy some soft rubber creeper "tires" while I'm still halfway sane. :>)

Allan

Carboard works best for me. It also adds some insulation and compliance that the creeper doesn't. The new plastic creepers with the vynil tires looks interesting. Even on a smooth floor the wheels always seem to find the odd piece of stone or other crud that stops them dead in their tracks. Have fun.

It's all coming back to me now.............

Why I hated cranking on wrenches for a living. :>)

Gonna dance thru this one in a hurry. Clutches, seals and bushings........

Allan

I go around to garage sales and other sources and buy or scrounge pieces of carpet to slide under a vehicle to lie on while working on the vehicle.

Naturally, they pick up some dirt and drippings, so when they get too disgusting I just pitch them and grab another.

Someday I'll write a book on 101 reasons why I hate creepers.

Given that I work on equipment for a living and spend alot of time under equipment various machines/vehicles, I've got to agree with Vern. I never had much luck with regular creepers, but will tell you tha hands down you can't beat a West Virginia creeper (ie cardboard). I say this for the reasons Vern has already mentioned and also because when laying on something with wheels it's hard to hold still to get leverage for breaking loose stubborn fasteners, you can get in positions that you can' get into while laying on a regular creeper, when you don't have a lift your not losing 4 or more inches of much needed work space that a regular creeper takes up, and lastly if you should happen to spill some oil, etc the cardboard will usually soak up the majority of it and you can simply replace it with a fresh piece. That's much better than the alternative of trying to roll a creeper around either in a puddle or worse still over a pile of oil dry. But...regardless of your choice of creepers, good luck with the transmission job, they can often be a royal PITA regardless.........

(quoted from post at 07:26:14 11/16/11) So,

Have decided to stuff reverse back in this old truck. It's been metal to metal for quite a while now and it's gotta be fixed before the snow gets door-handle deep.

'Course, now don't ya know, I don't have access to a hoist. Bummer! :>(

Anyhoo, is there anything more aggrivating in this world than a creeper that still has the cheap steel wheels?

Guess I better go buy some soft rubber creeper "tires" while I'm still halfway sane. :&gt

Allan

Click to expand...

Hind sight is 20-20. When I built my shop, I had visions of putting in a lift. The shop is now full and there is no place to put that lift.

Have ya ever tried one with rubber wheels?

They glide like butter.

Allan

Two 30 inch long railroad ties,cut to a 25 degree angle on a band saw make a great 10 inch hoist. Handier than a shirt pocket.

Wayne totaly off Allan,s thread but I know you have been here. 6.9 cummings (not in a dodge) industrial power unit. Starting pulling the injectors but now need to pull the exaust manifold. My question looking at this the exaust manifold boldts are long and go thru an outside part then in the open for about 2 inches then the back of the manifold. My question thees boldts look like they are made to twis off or at leas mine have rusted smaller in that opening. Are they going to twist or is there a secret to removing this exaust manifold. Already twisted off the turbo mount studs. E-mail open jm.

Allan have you ever thought about digging a pit to drive over? I don't see any where I live, but seams like they should be fairly east to make. you are lucky you can still work under a vehicle, or maybe not. When I get under a vehicle for any length of time now days, and try to work on my back I get a sick feeling. Don't know what causes it. I still change my own oil though. When I do go underneath.I put a piece of cardboard on the ground. We have a cement garage area, but my brother seams to always have it cluttered up with something broke down. 69 Corvette around 20 years, 85 ford f 350 around 6 years. Stan

(quoted from post at 07:54:05 11/16/11) Have ya ever tried one with rubber wheels?

They glide like butter.

Allan

Click to expand...

I put a creeper on my Christmas list several years ago. Santa went straight to Lisle's and got the best they had. Supposedly you can drive right over the top of it without damaging it. I've never done that, and don't intend to, but if a guy has need of a creeper, that is the one I would recommend. It rolls easily enough that I sometimes wish it had a parking brake on it.

I have hooded sweat shirts I wear in the shop in the cold weather. Those hoods fall down and get wrapped all up in the wheels !! I was darned near pinned down by one once.

There is actually, creeper with steel wheels and a sloped concrete floor LOL ! Well, I've dealt with it here as needed, not all that bad, just the fact that you are on your back, and if it was easy in your 20's, to move around, get leverage, able to put some effort on what it is you are working on, not so much now, working off a creeper or on ones back is an undignified slap in the face as you get older ! I prefer a thick piece of cardboard, over a sheet of plywood when necessary, or plywood and creeper, when outside.

The sad thing is I own a 6000 lb Mohawk lift, and have yet to finish a place for it to reside, thing looks at me while I crawl under a vehicle, one of these days darn it .......

There is something to those semi soft type casters. I used to work for a curtain wall company, we installed the metal and glass panels you see on these giant high rise buildings. The company I worked with is doing the world trade center, there was a special on history channel about there portion of that job and how the do it. There is relevance here, stay tuned .....

To get those panels to the job and staged on the floors, they are crated up, hoisted to the floors and placed on............ furniture dollies with a specific type of caster, somewhat soft, but not too much. The crates are easily moved to the work area, panels rigged to be installed, we bought stacks of these dollies, those particular casters are the only type that work on a job site with concrete floors that my be rough or have things scattered about, those dollies roll over things because they give, a hard or steel caster, forget it. I had a large curtainwall job assigned to me, I went to CA., (new MGM H.Q. building going up in Century City) to review what they were doing and plan my job accordingly, the first thing I learned was about those dollies.

Didn"t realize how much difference the "hardness" of a wheel/tire made until we got our oldest his first bike when he was about 5. Hard plastic tires, I didn"t think much about it. It worked fine on concrete, but absolutely could not be ridden on gravel. Had to get him a rubber tired one, of course- gave the other to a kid in our church who lived in town.

A few years ago I got one of those 'bone' creepers, the one with the big wheels. It rolls so well on concrete that sometimes I wish it had brakes. Sometimes getting it rolling isn't as much of a problem as getting it stopped, and if I'm cranking pretty hard on a bigger wrench the creeper rolls around so I don't have any leverage. It's a little on the big order if I'm in a tight spot but all in all I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I'm just on the beginning stages of setting up a truck shop in the cattle shed and when it comes time to do the floor I'm putting in a grease pit but that's down the road a year or so. Jim

There, ya worthless little yeeahooo! :>)

Allan

Well there ya go!!

Indoors I use an old creeper with steel wheels. It isn't too bad itself, but the floor drain is the problem. And of course if I'm working near the front the drain is near the front or if I'm working near the middle the drain moves to the middle.

I quit using creepers years ago. Just use a piece of old carpet. Throw it out when it gets dirty.

I've got a Bone rough terrain creeper, still have trouble making it roll when I want it to, and stand still when needed. I have a big truck mudflap that gets used at least as much as the creeper, if not more.

What kind of tires are those?

Just little swivel wheels out of a hardware store.

Difference is like night and day.

Allan

Sorry, I meant on the truck!

Oh duh! Sorry.

Ryder? Never heard of 'em before.

I wanted something tough and this is what they sold me @ $1K for four. Hope they aren't some more China junk.

Allan

I think Ryder makes / made the big semi tires for Bridgestone.

I 'guessed' wrong.

They're marked Radar. 265x16 10 ply.

These shale graveled roads here will eat a normal tire in a year.

Allan

I always hated creepers..
reason being the tool you need is either under it or won't move just that little bit ya need to retrieve it because extension light cord wrapped around wheel, air hose too many things to contend with.

I use cardboard to lay on .

I would like to get some more of the big plastic sign I had it was like cardboard said Pepsi , but I used it a lot it was easy to clean and reuse.

Yep, China junk!