What can i use to chock the wheels on my xantia, does anyone here buy something for the task or just use something from the home to do this job?
Thanks for your help.
gav425
1997 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD 114,000
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Housebrick or piece of wood or Citroen would probably sell you the chocks that were supplied with every 2CV.
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I should have added any good caravan dealer stocks plastic chocks.
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My car has a handbrake.
Seriously though, a wedge-shaped block is better than just a brick, because it locks in more securely.
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Best thing in the world is an old brake shoe, the bigger the better. They fit nicely around the tyre, don't slip and can't be accidentally kicked out of the way. Best of all they're free from any garage.
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I was always told never to use bricks to actually support a car, because they tend to shatter, but I guess for just chocking a tyre- a brick is OK.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Err- bricks are very strong in compression, they fail under tension. Look at the outside of a brick house - the bottom row of bricks is supporting the entire weight of all above it. Admittedly a pile of bricks with no mortar could move and cause problems, but a set of axle stands is much safer and doesn't cost that much.
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I think the danger of using bricks instead of axle stands is not so much that they might move but that the high localised pressure at the point of contact with the car, or irregularities in the ground or between the bricks, is often greater than the strength of the brick. Once the brick has cracked at the point of contact the two halves easily spread apart and the stack crumbles. The house analogy does not really work, because the vital difference is the mortar spreading the load.
Bricks would be safe enough as wheel chocks because the rubber tyre spreads the load. (Imagine trying to chock a railway wagon with a brick however, and it would be another matter.)
But all the same, the proper wedge-shaped blocks are probably best.
I had never thought of brake shoes - good idea.
Another ad hoc chocking/wedging method is a pair of old brake drums, one half inside the other. This gives a good adjustable wedge, eg for holding a door open.
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Interestingly the term for chocking railway wagons is scotching and most frequesntly was performed by the use of a piece of stone or ballast (back in steam days when we had wagons without automatic brakes.
SIMON
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simonjl - a bit off motoring, but students of railway accidents will know the dangers of scotching with ballast. A little nudge at the uphill end and the wheels crush the scotch, as happened in the Armagh crash of 1889. 80 killed.
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Halfords sell a pair of plastic wheel chocks for about £4.00. I use my pair all the time.
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Always place the spare wheel under the car(below chassis rail)before you jack up the car-at least it will stop the car hitting the ground if it does slip off the jack-by the way,Argos are offering exhaust powered jacks in their new Argos Extra catalogue.
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You should NEVER EVER work under a car unless it is supported by axle stands or on a set of ramps!
Ive seen cars fall of jacks, They wouldnt listen, I offered to lend them my axle stands but they refused & both times the person was very lucky to get out of the way before the car dropped on them!
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Thanks for all the help today. Great advise, did not get to do the job as by the time i got my things together here in Plymouth was very wet indeed. will try again tomorrow.
Thanks again.
gav425
1997 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD 114,000
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