PiLFy 3 #26 June 11, 2011 I've a pair of heavy duty truck ramps. I use them for my cars. I'm still here... The regular car ramps do look scary, though. I'll give you that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #27 June 12, 2011 Quote Other work... check out Les Schwab... the tire place... they are excellent for tires.. anything suspension related. I have been using them for 35 years. Except their company policy is to change the calipers along with the pads on every brake job. Totally unnecessary and very expensive. It's just a nice way to line their pockets. When I asked them, they threw the "safety" flag. I did the job myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,998 #28 June 12, 2011 >How to safely change the oil in a compact car? Drive it up on a curb, put it in park, put the emergency brake on and crawl under. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyMarko 1 #29 June 12, 2011 QuoteSomebody here has/had a sig line about how the world was doomed when twenty-somethings needed a shop to change the oil in their cars instead of doing it themselves. Or when someone goes to an interweb forum for advice on how to jack a car up Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BobMoore 0 #30 June 12, 2011 QuoteJackstands need to be square at the bottom and need to be able to exceed the weight of the vehicle by 3x. Those are some really heavy jackstands!"For you see, an airplane is an airplane. A landing area is a landing area. But a dropzone... a dropzone is the people." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #31 June 12, 2011 Quote>How to safely change the oil in a compact car? Drive it up on a curb, put it in park, put the emergency brake on and crawl under. Not so fast. That can only be done if you spend $5 for an "up" ramp to get it up the curb, and $6 for a "down" ramp to... well, you know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #32 June 12, 2011 Quote Quote Other work... check out Les Schwab... the tire place... they are excellent for tires.. anything suspension related. I have been using them for 35 years. Except their company policy is to change the calipers along with the pads on every brake job. Totally unnecessary and very expensive. It's just a nice way to line their pockets. When I asked them, they threw the "safety" flag. I did the job myself. My guys up here.... did it on my MercedesTHen again I have been going to the same shop for over 10 years and they know me by name. I guess it helps when they have done the tires on my big ole 4x4 as well as all my cars, hell they even change the tires and wheels over to the studded snow tires for free every October and April. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,523 #33 June 12, 2011 Whatever works to get it up high enough to get your "fat ass" under it comfortably. Ramps, jackstands, curb, concrete blocks, 4x8s (jack it up and put them under the tires). Whatever you do make sure the car is solidly supported!!! I use jackstands and always push on it (hard too) from each side once it's up. If it rocks or wiggles or anything, I reset it. I also chock two wheels that are on the ground. It may be overkill, but I'd rather do a little extra work than end up underkill. When I change oil, I also make sure that the car it tilted towards the drainplug. (If the plug is on the right side, I lift up the left side). I usually only jack up one corner if I can get away with it. 3 tires on the ground is safer than 2 IMHO."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrel 0 #34 June 12, 2011 Quote Quote Other work... check out Les Schwab... the tire place... they are excellent for tires.. anything suspension related. I have been using them for 35 years. Except their company policy is to change the calipers along with the pads on every brake job. Totally unnecessary and very expensive. It's just a nice way to line their pockets. When I asked them, they threw the "safety" flag. I did the job myself. buddy of mine used to manage a Goodyear shop. You would not believe the "bullshit" they were taught to tell the customer to "up sell" them. The oil change and tire rotation was a "hook" to get them into the shop. not only that, i really agree with the fact that american men are dumbing down. hell, you can't figure out how to get under a car...we are so f-ed. ________________________________ Where is Darwin when you need him? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 3 #35 June 12, 2011 i really agree with the fact that american men are dumbing down. hell, you can't figure out how to get under a car...we are so f-ed. To be fair, he knows a couple of ways. He was simply wondering if there was a safer way. It doesn't hurt to ask. It might really hurt not to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RelaxMax 0 #36 June 12, 2011 QuoteYou will drive yourself insane as every time you pull up to them the tires hit them and they just keep sliding forward. LOL..been there done that and had a smashed tool bench to prove it. A good way to stop that though, is to cut a couple pieces of bike inner tube and put them under the front part of the ramps. Worked well for me and would have even been better had I thought of it before the smashed tool bench. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver30960 0 #37 June 12, 2011 I like the 2x 12 ramps. I've seen them used before and had forgotten about them. They may be the trick. And Johnny Marko: you're my hero. Elvisio "Lowes bound" Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theplummeter 15 #38 June 13, 2011 Make sure to think about the placement of the drain plug when using the ramps. More than one car I've owned had the plug near the front of the oil pan, meaning that a large percentage of the oil wouldn't drain out had I pulled the car forward onto ramps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #39 June 13, 2011 Quote A good way to stop that though, is to cut a couple pieces of bike inner tube and put them under the front part of the ramps. Thanks for the idea. I have some heavy solid wood ramps I made from scrap 2 x 12's that I like, but they sometimes slide a touch. I'll add some old inner tube. Quote Worked well for me and would have even been better had I thought of it before the smashed tool bench. I don't have to worry about that. I'll simply ram into my furnace and water heater. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgoose71 0 #40 June 13, 2011 In all fairness, back when I was a kid driving around my '73 Camaro, I did a lot of the work on that thing my self. The cars were simpler. Anyone with an instruction manual and a little mechanical know how can rebuild a carburetor, replace brakes, change oil, or wire a stereo. Most cars now a days, step 1 is: Hook to $10,000 special diagnostic computer for that car. This is a critical first step, because if you don't, you won't know which computer module to change."There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #41 June 13, 2011 Forget all those pussified suggestions on doing something so simple. All you need is a block$tackle, some rope, a shade tree, preferably oak, and some beer. It's the American way.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #42 June 13, 2011 QuoteForget all those pussified suggestions on doing something so simple. All you need is a block$tackle, some rope, a shade tree, preferably oak, and some beer. It's the American way. I would suggest not using pine trees though... they're more flimsy and the pine cones/needles suck to lay on."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiver30960 0 #43 June 13, 2011 QuoteForget all those pussified suggestions on doing something so simple. All you need is a block$tackle, some rope, a shade tree, preferably oak, and some beer. It's the American way. Your quote reminds me that when I started this tread I was looking for a picture that made the Internet rounds a while back of a dude working underneath a car that he had propped up to about a 45 degree angle with a single 4x4 or something similar. Couldn't find it, oh well. Elvisio "sorry, no block and tackle yet" Rodriguez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,998 #44 June 13, 2011 >I did a lot of the work on that thing my self. The cars were simpler. >Anyone with an instruction manual and a little mechanical know how can >rebuild a carburetor, replace brakes, change oil, or wire a stereo. You had to have a timing light and lots of specialized information to adjust timing! But it wasn't hard to learn. >Most cars now a days, step 1 is: >Hook to $10,000 special diagnostic computer for that car. Or get a $19.99 OBDII to USB interface and download some free software from the web. You have to do some homework, of course - but that was true back then as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #45 June 13, 2011 Nano thermite should fix the problem... its the fix for everything.. for so many issues. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #46 June 13, 2011 Quote Nano thermite should fix the problem... its the fix for everything.. for so many issues. There is no problem that cannot be fixed by the proper application of C4."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgoose71 0 #47 June 13, 2011 Quote Or get a $19.99 OBDII to USB interface and download some free software from the web. You see? this right here is what I am talking about. I never needed an OBD-what-ever-the-fuck-it-is before to adjust the fuel-air mixture or idle speed of my car. My tool box only has a couple of screw drivers and open end wrenches....And C4 for when my car starts asking to talk to computers....."There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,998 #48 June 13, 2011 >I never needed an OBD-what-ever-the-fuck-it-is before to adjust >the fuel-air mixture or idle speed of my car. And my grandfather never needed a timing light to adjust his magnetos! (And my great-grandfather didn't even need to adjust the idle on the electric delivery trucks he used to drive.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #49 June 14, 2011 Quote>I never needed an OBD-what-ever-the-fuck-it-is before to adjust >the fuel-air mixture or idle speed of my car. And my grandfather never needed a timing light to adjust his magnetos! (And my great-grandfather didn't even need to adjust the idle on the electric delivery trucks he used to drive.) I adjusted the carburetors on my 1946 MG back in 1968. I can drain and refill the oil and change the oil filter without getting under it. Lucas electrics too, very reliable.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #50 June 14, 2011 Quote Quote I never quite understood this. The local drive-in place will do it for you for practically the same cost in 20 minutes, and vacuum your car out, too. Some even throw in a tire rotation, too. For so little difference, why bother? um, because they fuck up.... alot. they put the wrong weight oil in sister in law's saturn, caused leaks. stripped out the drain plug on mom's car....in both cases, denied the damage. Agreed. I had a change done on my Mercury at one of those shops and they only put the drain plug in finger tight. Fortunately I noticed a puddle of oil forming on my driveway when I got home.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
