Hi All,

I am new to this forum since I have only owned my truck for about a week. I wanted to share an experience I had so that, hopefully, you wont make the same mistake I did.

After reading a lot of threads in this forum about where to place the brake controller, I started dissassembling the cup holder in the front to mount my controller just behind the shifter. Everything went great, thanks to the info I got here.

I was reinstalling the trim plate under the stearing wheel when I decided to test the levers to make sure they still worked. Hood poped; great. Emergency brake release poped; not so great.

The truck was out of gear. It rolled down my driveway, over my right leg and right arm. The truck continued down the driveway and crashed into a neightbors tree. The only damage was to the topper which will have to be replaced. I wasn't so lucky.

I spent most of the day Friday in the ER. I have numerous abrasions on my back, arms and legs. My ankle is broken and I have a torn ligament in the my knee. Expected recovery is 6 weeks.

I did a very STUPID thing. From now on, I will make sure the wheels are chocked before starting any project. Hopefully, this message will make some other newbie think and a misshap like mine can be averted.

Still love the truck even though I will not be able to drive for about 6 weeks.

 

Welcome to DTR! Sorry to hear you injured yourself in the process!! Now you get to spend alot of time on here.lol. Hope you have a great recovery! Cin

 

Ouch...Glad you're ok and no one else got hurt.

I know a guy who refuses to use jack stands...he's been doing this for a long time. I have a feeling his luck will run out. And when a 3,200# car with no ground clearance falls on him, he won't be lucky enough to posting anything.

At least you learned a lesson.

 

I'll admit I was laughing while reading this post, only cuz I can see this happening to ME!! I always put the E brake on out of habit though.

Sorry about your bad luck. Guess it could have been worse but glad to hear it was not. Trucks, tops, etc. can be replaced. While not as bad as yours but the second time pulling my car trailer I had my tail gate open up on me. ( I didn't get it closed all the way I guess) Put a good dent in my truck with only 2000 miles on it. I was able to pop it back out but you can still see where it happened if you look close.

By the way, welcome to the board.


EDIT: Fixed now!!!

 

Wow. That's my kind of luck. Just remember, you'll laugh about this one day. Not real soon, but one day.

 

Dbunhook, so sorry that happened. I am a mishap waiting to happen, I feel you on, if it can go wrong, it will. Hope you have a speedy recovery. Spend it on the DTR, and the time will fly.
Welcome aboard. The hard way...

 

Gllad you are OK. It could have been worse.....

 

I bet that was painful
I hope you have a speedy recovery, so you can get behind the wheel again.
I get nervous everytime i have my truck on my lift and it starts to rock, a little scary.

 

Similar situation unloading Bronco II off trailer , I had it in park and took binders off and the thing takes off rolling . The thing goes down the ramp and starts heading down the hill backwards with the drivers door open . My son was standing there and makes a move for the door but I grabbed him because it was picking up speed real fast . We just stood there wondering how expensive this will be when it turns and starts towards a maple tree that is about 8 to 10 inches across and levels it and the root ball kicks up and stops it dead . If it would have got past that tree it had a good half a mile run down a fairly steep hill to a creek and it could have been real messy . We found out later the linkage was not going all the way into park and to be more careful the next time . I hope you heal fast and I can see how this could happen very easy .

 

dbunhook, yeah sorry to hear about the bad luck, sounds like mine - if I didn't have any bad luck I'd have no luck at all.

Get better quick, oh - there are alot of "little" projects you will still be able to tackle in your codition -

 

First of all, all of us respect you for coming here and admitting your mishap, that is for sure. Just about everyone here has some tale of how they either destroyed property, broke perfectly operational parts or injured themselves or others in the course of fooling with their truck.

Dumb things sure do happen when you least expect it, I have three temporary crowns in my mouth to prove that. Life lesson that's about all you can chalk it up to. I'm sure you will recover fine, your pride, that might take a while.........

Totally sucks that you can't dive though dude. Safety first that's what I always say (yeah right!)

You got a wife at home breaking your stones over this? That would add to the fun

 

I see your luck is a little worse thasn mine; my father in law just backed into my BRAND NEW 98 yesterday... The 20 day sticker is still on the window! It caved in the box right behind the pass cab just bumping the cab. Whooooops.

 

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. I've had both a big Packard and a John Deere tractor roll off my flatbed trailer unexpectedly on 2 occaisions due to mechanical failure and "operator error". Luckily no one was hurt and no bad damage,
but it sure makes me go thru a safety check list now.

 

I agree with P.J, glad you are going to survive your injuries although I think your pride will take longer to heal than your bones. Had a similar thing happen when a young man let his 280Z down after replacing the rear brakes. No wheel chocks and down the hill it came, hit my 93 as I drove by. Scared the snot out of me!!!

 

ohh my, thank god your kids wern't playing on the pad/street as mine do when ever i wrench ( seems they always wanna be around when the tools come out) so wheew!! lesson for all of us here.