Paddock area

Okay slightly outside of Tech Talk forum, but...

What are you guys doing when you paddock in a grassy area to create a "work surface" under your car? I'd like something suitable for jack stands and also for preventing the inevitable dropping a bolt or nut into the grass.

I've been thinking of buying some sheets of 3/4" plywood, but it seems a jack stand could break thru that if tilted etc. At a minimum I've been thinking of getting a big canvass tarp.

The last race at Mid-Ohio with rain both nights really made it hard to even get a jack under the car.

I welded 3/16" plates to the bottom of my jackstands. Not so much for sinkage (it never rains in New Mexico) but to add strength. Do you remember a post a while back "when good jackstand go bad"? I figured plates on the bottom would help keep them from buckling.

Ty

Cheap plastic tarps (usually a couple bucks at K-Mart) under the car.

Throw away at track after packing up.

Cheers.

Jack stands aren't going to punch through 3/4" plywood unless it is rotten or damp.

One extra touch, buy a cheap can of exterior deck paint designed for floors/decks. It keeps the wood from soaking up water from wet grass, it is easier to spot dropped parts if you use a light grey color, and it cleans up easy.

I have a bunch of 18" square pieces of plywood for putting stands on ,or the jack. There smaller to pack away for the trip there and back.

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Doug
ITB Escort
[email protected]

A pc of 1/4" alum plate wider than my jack & a bit longer rides in the bed of my truck. Also good for keeping the jack from leaving tracks in hot asphalt.