Battle scars from working on your truck?

My wife makes fun of me for wearing safety glasses, ear plugs and steel toed boots to mow the lawn.

 

Now that’s a battle scar. I’m guessing that no one is gonna screw with ya at the supermarket with that shiner and a mask on.

 

Other than some scrapes, cuts and busted knuckles, I’ve been pretty lucky with some of the stupid shit I do.

 

99% sure I gave my self a concussion (didn't go to the doctor/hospital so can't be certain) when I was helping a friend drop the fuel tank on a pick up. He rushed into it and was taking the straps off the tank, but hadn't drained it. He yelled that he needed help fast because he couldn't hold the tank, so I dove under. It had a flat bed so there was no body panel to remind me to keep my head down. Hit my head on the circled bolt full force. Tunnel vision, almost threw up, knocked the wind out of me when I hit the ground, but I did get under quick enough to brace the tank.

I was lucky enough to be wearing a hat, so that kept me from gashing my forehead open, but it was still not the most pleasant way to get under the truck.

 

Just the typical busted knuckles, cuts, and a sore back from thinking I am stronger and younger than I am.

I did have a close call as a young kid though.

When I was 17, I was living with my mom and had to fix something on my car to save money, I think it was a seized front brake caliper. I used a scissor jack to lift the front left wheel up off the ground. We didn't have much money and the jack was in the trunk, so that jack it was. Took off the wheel, then had to get something from the inside of the car. After I got what I needed from the inside, I got out and closed the door. At that point the bump from closing the door tipped the jack. The car fell to the ground onto the rotor. My legs were under there a minute prior. Closing the door didn't make that much of a bump. I didn't get hurt, but it was an eye opener. Lesson learned. I make it a point to teach my kids safety in/around the garage now that I am a father.

Hahaha I also wear a baseball hat, ear protection, eye protection, and boots (not steel toe though) while doing yard work.

 

This thread does remind me of a story concerning finishing our basement. Was using one of those Hammershots (the tool that literally 'fires' the nail into concrete) to put up some stud walls in preparation to finish our basement; and it just so happened the 3 guys helping me were my dad, our church's pastor, and a good friend of his.

At one point, I swung the hammer (a big sucker) and completely missed the Hammershot, and hit my left thumb DEAD freakin' on. All I could think was that I didn't want to hear about it later if I DID swear. LOL So I clamped my mouth shut, cradling my thumb, and look at my pastor and his buddy....both of whom had HUGE smiles on their faces as if to say "$10 says he curses a blue streak."

Once I could speak I said "Darn" and pastor busted out and said "That's not what you were thinking! Get out of here with that mess!" and fell over laughing. He agreed that 'Darn' just would not have cut it for what I did and that he's not sure HE would have been able to restrain himself. LOL

 

Always check the lug nuts...
I was in a parking lot a couple years back , and saw an elder statesman struggling with a flat tire on his little commuter car.
Naturally , i walk over and offer to help the old fellow. He was happy to oblige .
I busted loose the 5 lug nuts on the front wheel and got his OEM jack from the trunk, got the front end up off the ground , pulled off the wheel and offending flat tire. Got the donut on there , hand tightened the nuts and started dropping the car down when the back wheel fell the F*ck off the car , thus dropping the front end suddenly.
I looked at the old coot and said " Did you take off those back nuts ?"
"yeah , i got two flats on this side" was his reply.
I handed him the tire iron and told him to call a tow truck.

 

This one wasn’t on my truck, but it’s my worst to date. Things have happened in 18 years of fixing trucks. I’m not talking light-duty little pickups, but there are dangers there for sure.

 

I... I don't think I can like that one. If you are willing to share: What happened?

 

Been there haha

 

Got ‘em crushed between the stake and stake extension on the bunk of a logging truck when the stake extension fell. The effect of a sledge hammer against an anvil at full swing.

A dumb mistake - thanks to fatigue and pressure.

 

OUCH! Yeah, that's part of why I moved away from a CDL job. It takes a lot of care to not get yourself or others hurt, but higher ups don't give a damn and want it all done yesterday. A veteran friend of mine said something that has stuck with me and they CDL industry would do well to learn it: "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast."

 

So true...

 

This is like the cringiest photo to date. Only because ive done it, nail fell off. Barf..
Diesel mechanic in the military, everythings huge and heavy. So many smooshed fingers (and broken nose). Pistons on the V18 ALCOs on the ship were something like 800lbs. Youd be amazed how stupid people are with that stuff swinging overhead during rebuilds, like a bunch of wet cats in heat running around under it.

 

Exhaust burns because I'm a dumb ass.....

 

Please consult help desk next time. Lol. Only if the forum had a chat help desk function....--->>>>https://www.tundras.com/threads/fee...e-social-distancing-troubleshooting-bs.63337/

 

No black eyes working on cars but a few at work from overhead drilling. Rotohammer or holehawg binds up and punches you right in the face.

I can't think of any major injuries working on cars besides instant dirt in my eyes and bloody knuckles. I try to think about what I'm doing and how I can F it up and get hurt lol.

Some people just go in like a bull in a china shop and they are always bleeding. An old dude I know ripped an eye out with a bungie cord while doing a brake job. He looks like a pirate now.

 

hopefully this doesn't offend but ladies with battle wounds is just sexy and cool. be careful tho

 

Nice Crystal, I used to make Robert punch himself in the face when we were kids, I see you were watching.

 

So, as some other folks have said, the list is too long for most conversations, but a most memorable event, and fairly humorous occurred in my youth.
I was working at a gas station in the evening’s, doing tune-ups and oil changes between pumping gas. (Some will remember the days of the black wire, went “ding ding” when someone drove up to the pump. Tune-ups involved adjusting timing points and carburetors had needle valves)
Anyhow I’m working at the bench at the back of the shop when the bell rings and I spin around and start hauling ass out to the pumps and run smack into the bumper of the car I had up on the lift. 40 stitches across my cheek bone and a serious black eye.

 

Busted knuckles, cuts, fingernails smashed, all the regular stuff but the worst was when I was trying to burp the air bubble out of the heater on my boat and pulled the feed hose instead of the return. I have plates and screws in my arms and countless stitches throughout my life but a burn hurts like a mofo.

Day 1


Day 5

 

Well wasn't a visible injury but about a year ago I was swapping a fuel filter on my buddy's ford....go figure.....and got a squirt of gasoline in the ear. Holly cow did that hurt. Probably the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Lasted for about 4 hours. I do not recommend.

 

Bloody hell dude, owwwww!!

 

I can handle blood,cuts and smashed digits but that is just wrong. My stomach turned and I got all queasy looking at those photos. Burns are definitely the worst. I can't imagine what that felt like.

 

I can say it hurt like hell. I have a pretty high threshold for pain and that was the max.

 

I can’t count how many times I’ve been Injured working on my cars



let alone all the ones I do at work. You know... since I work on them for a living

 

Too many to count. But if I had a dollar for every cuss word from working on my trucks, I'd be on a Ferrari forum right now instead of this one.

Changing the fuel filter on my old Tacoma, I forgot the line still has some pressure in it. Disconnected the filter and got gas sprayed in my face, fortunately I wear glasses and very little gas got in my eyes. 0/10 would not recommend.