Getting my car a bit higher

[JHZR2]

Hello,

I want to do some MT fluid changes. This means being underneath the car, absolutely in the center of the vehicle.

Ill obviously need to get the car up a bit... I don't trust jacks or jack stands at all. I want the car to be up higher, but on all four wheels. What I really need is a pit, but since I don't have a pit, what I need to do is drive the car up on ramps front and rear.

I have a set of rhino ramps, OK for the front (even too high for some cars), but they would never fit on the rear.

What I am thinking of doing is obtaining some 2x10 wood, perhaps a 4' long piece, a 3' long piece, and a 2' long piece, and nailing them all together, consecutively shorter as we go up. These could slide under each wheel, I suppose would be easy to get up on level to level, and would raise my car by about 4.5 inches, hopefully enough to make it doable.

Do you think this would work? Otherwise, any other suggestions? I am really against the idea of jacking up the car on all four corners and putting it on jack stands... I cant imagine that is the best way to support non-framed (i.e. unibody) vehicles.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

JMH

 

[Mr Nice]

It will work and still be safe.

 

[tom slick]

you need to get over your fears, it will make life easier.

 

[alreadygone]

"I am really against the idea of jacking up the car on all four corners and putting it on jack stands... I cant imagine that is the best way to support non-framed (i.e. unibody) vehicles."

Totally harmless. These cars are far stiffer and subject to less twist,warp, than any conventional frame vehicle. Purely accidentally, but I've managed to jack one side up for tire change and get 3 wheels clear! You could "teeter-totter"up and down from front or rear corner! doors and trunk will still open without bind. Naturally allways slide another jack under there for support before actually removing any lug nuts.

I'm sure your excellent at what ever earns your daily bread, but if you don't have the intestinal fortitude to crawl under there, perhaps you should hire a professional.

 

[Shannow]

I need to drive my E30 up onto 3x12 treated pine "sleepers" to get the oil drain pan under the front. Ramp hits the spoiler a long time before the wheels.

I use a 4' one and a 2'6".

May even bolt them together one day.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: alreadygone


Totally harmless. These cars are far stiffer and subject to less twist,warp, than any conventional frame vehicle. Purely accidentally, but I've managed to jack one side up for tire change and get 3 wheels clear! You could "teeter-totter"up and down from front or rear corner! doors and trunk will still open without bind. Naturally allways slide another jack under there for support before actually removing any lug nuts.

I'm sure your excellent at what ever earns your daily bread, but if you don't have the intestinal fortitude to crawl under there, perhaps you should hire a professional.


Interesting... Ive heard bad stories regarding jack stands (cheap ones, of course), but the biggest problem is that on newer cars, which are cladded in plastic even to underneath, with limited options for supporting the car, I hate to put the weight on something that isnt really designed to take the brunt of it.

Lifts at the shop hve a much bigger contacting pad. Ive seen too many situations where the pinch welded (I think thats what it is called) line between the body and the floorboards, usually where the OEM jack contacts the car, has been crushed or ruined because a hydraulic jack was used and impaled or damaged it. Ditto for jack stands, the contacting patch is so small that misplacement can really do harm.

For someone who keeps vehicles to well over 200k and to be 20+ years old, I dont need the body, welds, seams, paint, undercoating, etc. compromised because of an insufficient contact area, poor jack/stand design, and lack of good placement.

Regardless of how "safe" a car up on jackstands may be, it is always safer to be on all four wheels and sturdy, supported by itself.

Thanks,

JMH

 

[benjamming]

Would better jack stands help ease your fear?

These may be better than the typical auto parts store stuff. These are made in USA they claim.
Projacks.com

 

[Bamaro]

It will be fine. I have already done the same thing. I made my end cuts at 60% although I only made mine two boards high.

 

[Drew99GT]

Just put the stands at each corner of the vehicle where the factory jack goes - behind the front wheels and in front of the back wheels - where there is a little lip in the body/subframe. Use the middle of the front and rear subframes/crossmembers to get the vehicle in the air with your floor jack (with a piece of wood of course) I'd personally feel even safer with that setup - no chance of rolling.

I do it all the time this way. The chassis is designed exactly for the weight of the vehicle to rest at these four points - that's where the lift pads on an automotive lift rest. That seem/lip is pretty distorted on both side of my car from auto lifts, but jack stands fit right onto it perfectly.

http://www.techguys.ca/howto/floor_jack.html

 

[JHZR2]

see, on my BMW it is obvious that the lip has been ruined from jacks/jackstands.

Ive never jacked it with anything other than the OE jack (hassle), but in the past, it is clear that other things have been used. There are spot pinches where a hydraulic jack has sat.

Then, on my saab, for example, the OE jack is a square that goes into a little plastic square area under the car (which is covered all around with plastic cladding on the undersids, which is not removable). Makes it tough.

Thanks for the info and link!

JMH

 

[Ray Garlington]

You can drive the front up on your ramps, then use a floor jack on the differential to get the rear end up on jack stands. That is pretty fast.

 

[Drew99GT]

I did find this hilarious from a Porsche 914 forum (they are uber light vehicles): Just lean it up on one side with your arm then prop it up with a couple 4X4s

 

[DmanWho]

I picked up an inexpensive set of ramps from Wally World for servicing our SX4. Wal-Mart had 2 sets of these "plastic" ramps to choose from, and I bought the cheaper of the 2. The ramps have a "low profile" design, and I use them for the front and the rear. A set of 4 should work fine. These ramps aren't nearly as steep, as the older steel type.

 

[PandaBear]

Sliding under your car when it is on a ramp is more dangerous than having it on jack stand correctly (that is the part, correctly).

Imagine if someone goes in a release the hand brake or remove the wedge of the wheels that hold it in place. The car can slide off the ramp, but you will need to lift the car off the jack stands to have it fall on you.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear

Imagine if someone goes in a release the hand brake or remove the wedge of the wheels that hold it in place. The car can slide off the ramp, but you will need to lift the car off the jack stands to have it fall on you.



Maybe if "they" have a hit out on me, and catch me in such a situation, to release the handbrake on me. I certainly hope that nobody is tinkering in my car to take it out of gear and off the brake when Im under it.

Point well taken though.

Im a bit more scared of jackstands because besides of my fear of damaging the undercarriage or structure of my cars, they also seem tippier to me than ramps.

And if a car is up on 4 ramps, its essentially on "flat" ground...

Thanks for the insight though, your points make perfect sense.

JMH

 

[mechtech2]

Use a jack and then decent jackstands. Lifting only the front or rear should be enough.

 

[DmanWho]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
...And if a car is up on 4 ramps, its essentially on "flat" ground...

Plus there's a indentation at the end of the ramps, to cradle the tires. I still have plenty of "fear" trusting my life to this Made in China plastic product. I too, worry about damaging the car by using jack stands. The downside is, not being able to do tire rotations, brake work, etc.,...

 

[andyd]

I jack my 528es on the rear sub frame mounts. Up front, I use either the front cross member under the engine, The upper control mounts, or the frame rails inboard of the factory jack points. On my newest 88 528e,I patched and enlarged the the jack points. They are now a foot long. When I change the oil , I run the cars up onto 2x6s to gain enough height to slide the drain pain under. Unless you pad the jack stands with 3/4" plywood or 2xs, dont use them on a gravel or tar surface.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Use a jack and then decent jackstands. Lifting only the front or rear should be enough.


See, I was first thinking of doing that... and it would require only my ramps. But for a trans filler which will be oriented differently when the front of the car is raised, it becomes a fluid metering issue. And, when pumping from under the car, in the cold, on my back, its tough to make sure I dont overfill. After all, the tail end of the transmission case will hold more when the fill hole is tilted up...

JMH

 

[Eddie]

I see and have no safety issues with driving on front ramps, then jacking up rear and set the rear on good jack stands. I leave the jack under the rear but slightly unloaded for an additional safety net. If your uncomfortable with this then go to an independent shop and pay to use their lift. Let them put the car up, do your thing and pay the man $50.