Fun times in the garage

[Badgerstate]

So, long story short, I moved from Wisconsin to Ohio about 8 years ago. When I lived in Wisconsin, I had a wonderful 1.5 car garage with every tool that you could imagine. I did all of my own vehicle maintenance.
Then, I loved to Ohio because my girlfriend got a great job and didnt have a garage for the last 8 years and simply took my car to the dealership for all maintenance.
Well, last year we bought a house that has a lovely little 1.5 car garage, so I decided to start doing my own maintenance again.
Part of me was a bit afraid of what I might find messed up on my car but I gave it a whirl anyways.
So, first off, I bought these plastic ramps to drive my Accord up on. I go to drive up them, get halfway up and realize that Im not going to make it, so I give it a little gas and next thing I know it chucks that ramps out from under my front tires and under my car. Ok, no biggie, I jack up the front of the car and put it on jack stands instead.
Lessons learned, in the trash the ramps went and we're using jack stands from now on.
Next, I go to take the drain plug off and I literally have to beat on the ratchet to get the plug out. Then I noticed the crush washer isnt on the plug, so I go to find it and find it to be stuck on the oil pan. Ok, no biggie, I simply had to pry it off the oil pan with a screwdriver. Fortunately, the threads on the plug werent tore up.
Then, I go to remove the oil filter and it was on so tight that I literally crushed it with my oil filter pliers. Again, no biggie but OK.
Then, I go to replace my engine air filter and find that my air box isnt connected to the fender air intake. That would probably explain why my car revs for a second when I start it sometimes and why it feels like it lacks power sometimes.
So, I get it all done: 4.4 quarts of Valvoline synthetic, Napa Platinum filter, new engine air filter, new cabin air filter and new wipers. The only thing that I didnt do was rotate tires because it was raining and my garage isnt big enough to rotate tires inside. I'll do that next weekend or sometime soon.
So yeah, fun day and it reminded my just why I used to do my own vehicle maintenance.

 

[oggb]

I've been using the plastic Rhino Ramps for about a decade. They're good ramps, but you have to make sure the rubber grippy thing on the bottom will actually grip on your garage floor if you're trying to drive a FWD vehicle up them.

If the floor is too dusty or oily they like to slide. Also if the floor is a smooth/glossy sealed concrete that's also less than ideal. I actually rented a concrete polisher and "roughed up" the finish on my garage floors so I wouldn't need to worry about ramps and stuff sliding around so much.

 

[Malo83]

X2 on the Rhino ramps.

 

[Badgerstate]

I've been using the plastic Rhino Ramps for about a decade. They're good ramps, but you have to make sure the rubber grippy thing on the bottom will actually grip on your garage floor if you're trying to drive a FWD vehicle up them.

If the floor is too dusty or oily they like to slide. Also if the floor is a smooth/glossy sealed concrete that's also less than ideal. I actually rented a concrete polisher and "roughed up" the finish on my garage floors so I wouldn't need to worry about ramps and stuff sliding around so much.

Yeah, my garage floor has a lot of dust on it from wood working and has this seal coat on it that the previous owner of the garage had done. Mine is probably not ideal for the Rhino ramps.
I actually dont think the Rhino ramps are bad themselves, I just prefer jack stand. Driving up the ramp with no one to spot where I am makes me anxious. Id rather just jack it up, put it on stands and call it a day. Ive got a 3-ton Craftsman jack and 4 3-ton Craftsman jack stands, which is plenty strong enough for my little Accord.
I will tell you, it really make me miss the days when I had my F-150 and all I had to do was crawl underneath it and I had plenty of room for work.

 

[JeffKeryk]

You are living the American dream. Keep pullin' those wrenches.

 

[gathermewool]

Same thing happened to me on one sad day at the base auto hobby shop. ALL of their lifts were broken down and they just had two bays with jacks and jack stands. I opted for the ramps that the guy had stationed nearby, never having used them before, and my Civic comically chucked them right out the back. I was more concerned with the suspension bouncing the way it did than the partially crushed ramps. Lesson learned for me, too

 

[Kira]

Rhino ramps are usable but too low. I do not recommend them to people for that reason.

 

[blufeb95]

Rhino ramps are usable but too low. I do not recommend them to people for that reason.

They're about the only ramps that work on most newer cars, older style ramps are too steep to get newer cars on since new cars are so much closer to the ground because it's more aerodynamic.

 

[Malo83]

Rhino ramps are usable but too low. I do not recommend them to people for that reason.

Work great with all my vehicles.

 

[john_pifer]

I spun my Rhino Ramps out from under the tires when I recently changed the oil on the Edge I sold for my mom. It was the first time I’d used them with a FWD.

 

[Kira]

Yo, Malo83: They work great for me too but they're too low.

 

[Badgerstate]

Same thing happened to me on one sad day at the base auto hobby shop. ALL of their lifts were broken down and they just had two bays with jacks and jack stands. I opted for the ramps that the guy had stationed nearby, never having used them before, and my Civic comically chucked them right out the back. I was more concerned with the suspension bouncing the way it did than the partially crushed ramps. Lesson learned for me, too

Amen. My Accord has 160K on it and Ive never replaced anything on the suspension and the first thing I thought was, "that cant be good for the tie rods and ball joints". LOL Lucky, the Rhino ramps arent that tall, so it probably wasnt as big a deal as I thought at first. I definetly had a, "uh oh, what did I just do???" moment though.

 

[Badgerstate]

I spun my Rhino Ramps out from under the tires when I recently changed the oil on the Edge I sold for my mom. It was the first time I’d used them with a FWD.

Im glad to hear that Im not the only one. I will definetly be going with jack stands from now on.

 

[john_pifer]

Im glad to hear that Im not the only one. I will definetly be going with jack stands from now on.

I like the Rhino Ramps. I just wasn’t careful enough when driving up. I bought them for my WRX, and I’ve used them on a Civic, as well as my Tacoma and 4Runner. Caution just needs to be exercised, obviously, with a powerful FWD.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I've been using the plastic Rhino Ramps for about a decade. They're good ramps, but you have to make sure the rubber grippy thing on the bottom will actually grip on your garage floor if you're trying to drive a FWD vehicle up them.

If the floor is too dusty or oily they like to slide. Also if the floor is a smooth/glossy sealed concrete that's also less than ideal. I actually rented a concrete polisher and "roughed up" the finish on my garage floors so I wouldn't need to worry about ramps and stuff sliding around so much.

I'm on my second set of Rhino ramps in about 30 years. I use a piece of foam rubber carpet padding underneath each ramp so they don't skid on the concrete. That rubber foot on the ramps is worthless.

 

[Eddie]

I love my RHINO ramps. Just need a more finesse toe on the accelerator friend. Ed

 

[Snowflake White]

Just more proof that sloppy, incompetent, and careless "service" tends to be the rule with shops.

Congrats on your home, and keep on turning those wrenches!

 

[AutoMechanic]

It’s a shame you found all that stuff like that. I use ramps to change the oil usually. I have a set of plastic ramps. I can’t remember the name but they aren’t Rhino ramps they are whatever that Advance Auto sold back in the early 2000s when we had our Alfa because it sat too low to go on the two sets of metal ones we have. It starts with an E or something I think for the brand. They are the only ones that will work for either of our Camry too because the Camry’s set low. I always have someone there to guide me onto them that way that doesn’t happen. The only problem I have now is every vehicle except my trucks and the beetle the tires are too wide for all the ramps we have so they bulge but we also have to do all our work either in our gravel driveway or in my mechanic neighbors pavement driveway because we don’t have a garage our house is one of the two houses in the neighborhood without one. It’s been my dream to have one so hopefully one day I will have one but at least I have the entire basement too keep all my tools and toys that will fit in lol. I do have a carport but it’s kinda a catch all I was going to turn it into a garage but I don’t think the county will approve it even though the original layout of the house has that as a garage but it never got finished because they done a rush job because the lady needed to move in when it was built.

 

[Badgerstate]

I love my RHINO ramps. Just need a more finesse toe on the accelerator friend. Ed

Yeah, it didnt help that I usually drive in tennis shoes but always wear work boots when Im working out in the yard or garage. Theres definetly not as much feel with the Red Wings. LOL

 

[Badgerstate]

I like the Rhino Ramps. I just wasn’t careful enough when driving up. I bought them for my WRX, and I’ve used them on a Civic, as well as my Tacoma and 4Runner. Caution just needs to be exercised, obviously, with a powerful FWD.

Well, my Accord isnt a poweful FWD either, I was just an idiot. LOL I find it interesting that you use ramps with your Tacoma and 4Runner. Ive owned a couple 4Runners in my day (an '85 and a '91) and I always just crawled underneath them, either with a creeper or just lying on a piece of cardboard. Hey, whatever works though.