Car shit

>>1095520
i use ramps for anything that i know the wheels don't need to come off. usually oil change.

you still need to crawl around a little to make sure they are perfectly straight otherwise your wheel will be hanging off the side.
first ever time i did it it took me 3 or 4 tries to get the wheel not half hanging over the edge. trick is to look down the front and back wheel to line up its more accurate.

the only thing i would say about stability is that one time i did it on a slope and went up too fast, when the wheels hit the back stop one of them skidded a little while the other tipped and stuck at an angle. backed off no problem but fucking scary. i had no idea until i got out to look to see if it was aligned.
the other issue i had was trying to do it on gravel, both of them skidded around like cunts.
so tip is put a brick or cinderblock behind so it doesn't skid around. my neighbour suggested a strip of carpet on top and overlapping the front over the ground then secure it near the top/backstop bit to give the wheels something to grip BEFORE they are trying to cllimb the incline. kind of helped but bit of a hassle to set up.

i ended up getting an old wooden railway sleeper and after getting the car up perfectly, cutting a few slots in it where they needed to be for my car, slots set the distance/angle and heavy sleeper stops them sliding around.

a second person might seem useful but in my experience women just cause more headaches and confusion than help. of course there are women who are handy, i just have never met one.

>>1095522
That's good info. I have an oil leak I want to try and find and there is some exhaust work to do. I have a perfectly flat garage so the flooring should be ideal - I have plenty of shit to put behind the ramps to keep them still... I'm just paranoid as fuck that the car is going to land on me.

>>1095524
i was fucking dubious when i got them looking at those strips on the side i thought no way this is a good idea but i've used them maybe 20/30 times and there isn't so much as a bend anywhere on them, car is very sturdy you can't tell its not on the ground apart from the angle.
just make sure you check the weight limit!
of course have someone within earshot and keep your work area well ventilated even after your engine is off.

>>1095527
Yeah those side strips look really thin. I'm in the UK so our cars are pretty light. These ramps seem to have 2.5 ton and our cars are typically 1~ ton. I might get it on the ramp and poke at it with a broom handle a few times or something to see what moves. I've got some spare tires I can put under the car too, in case something does go wrong, it'll land on the tyres before it lands on me. Seems a good idea.

>>1095528
>I'm in the UK
same here.
same ramps, same color. car is 1500kg kerb.
rock solid

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>>1095535
Oh, nice. I'll give them a shot then.

Thanks. I tip my hat to you.

Jacks and jack stands are more useful, and safer if you use them correctly with wheel chocks.

You cant take tires off on ramps, you cant drive a car that wont start/stop/drive onto ramps, ramps can shoot out when youre driving onto them(saw it once after years of not believing it, scary), can lift a car thats in a tight spot without moving it.

And after you get good with them theyre faster to set up.

>>1095548
A hydraulic jack and 2 jack stands seem to be the same price as the ramps. Which would you say is better?

>>1095554
If going the stands route, don't worry about a hydraulic jack - the jack in your roadside kit is more than adequate (but use the stands, never be under a jacked car)

As for ramps I find em waaaay easier. Set em out, line em up and up you go.

One weird thing about them though (that I never knew) is you can't use four. For some reason,, that I can't figure out, you can't get up four ramps at once.

Very peculiar, and as such I have a pair for sale.

>>1095524
Also the ramps will never move. Set your front tires straight, plonk the ramps in front of em and up you go

>>1095554
I havent used ramps in over a decade. That was when i bought my first jack.

Downside is its more to carry if you do mobile repairs(like roadside), but you can use them for any situation. Make sure you use jack stands though, everytime, jacks do fail. I had it happen once, ot was with a shitty trolly jack, but still, i never go under a car without solid jack stands.

Next point, dont get a trolley jack, one almost took my leg off. I heard a ping, slid my leg out real quick, car dropped 6 inches. One of the pins popped and it came apart.

I think you said youre britbong, harbor freights jacks are really nice if you happen to be amerifat like me.

Main thing, just consider what youre doing. If you do(or plan to do) brakes, steering, suspension or even just change tires youll need a jack. If you change fluids, and do under the car work that doesnt affect the wheels(even dropping a rwd transmission) you can use either.

Look up proper safety, inluding jack and hoist points. Improper use can lead to damage, death, or dismemberment. Same thing with ramps, but those are self-explanatory, jacks require just a little knowledge to use.

Super helpful guys. I'll take a look at what best fits in the garage. I have loads of regular jacks - I suppose it's a toss up between ramps and stands then, providing the environment allows them.

>>1095524
I've had it happen m8. F550. Even heavier than it sounds...

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>>1095528
Some smaller Suva and cars use strips as lifting points for a jack. Just make sure a small arrow pointing down is stamped on it.

>>1095554
Almost diy dead.

Always have 8 shitty jack stands and a couple Jack's handy.

Over kill is keep you from diyDEAD

>>1095522
Are you using a manual? In an auto you just keep your foot on the throttle and brake, then use the brake to slowly edge yourself up so you wont roll back down or overshoot the top end.

>>1095583
>Over kill is keep you from diyDEAD
this. never skimp on safety.

I'm not sure about UK availability, but RaceRamps are awesome. We used a long set of them daily at the shop I used to work at (we used them with our alignment rack, because the stock ramps were too steep for lowered cars) and they held up great. They're also super light, even the 6' long segments of ours could easily be carried with one hand, so moving them out of the way for storage is much easier than with steel ramps.

>>1095563
>Next point, dont get a trolley jack
you mean don't buy a shit trolley jack.

Fuck ramps. I gave mine away and have used floor jacks and rims, and wood blocking where necessary for many years including beaucoup engine changes at a used car lot shop.

Rims do not tip. You can nest them for more height. Jackstands can tip so fuck that except for very large professional truck shop stands OP probably doesn't need. Rims work on earth and on sand if needed. Thousands of cars in u-pull-it salvage yards are stored safely atop rims. Aluminum are best since they don't rust and are lightweight.

I collect 4x4 and larger wood for chocking and blocking. It often gets a soak in waste oil for outdoor use, which pressure treated wood promptly soaks up.

Ramps take up space and of course are useless for front end work. The obviously won't self-load non-running vehicles.

No matter what jack you own, inspect it with emphasis on loose fasteners. Red Loctite is your friend.

Collect mechanical truck jacks, both screw and pantograph styles. They are great for supporting parts, lifting engines for motor mount swaps etc, and positioning assemblies for welding. I also use them for motorcycle tire changes when my lift is full.

>>1095520
ah, the memories of working on cars outside laying on a piece of cardboard.

for the longest time i just used old rail road ties cut into 2 3 foot sections with a piece 2x4 screwed 6 inches from the end to act as a stop. 2 2x6's and a couple pieces of 4x4 for ramps.

things lasted well over 20 years before the ties started to fall apart. only thing that sucked was they were heavy, and i always had someone else there to guide me as i drove up on them. doesn;t really give enough room to get some vehicles exhaust finagled into place though. the best thing is they will not buckle and collapse with someone under it.

>>1095554
Look no offence guy but if you can buy a trolley jack and stands for the same cost as ramps then that jack is going to be a complete piece of shit.
If you buy a jack out of Halfords or Argos or some shit your going to be packing it with all bits of 2x4 and pushing it right to the end of it's travel to squeeze under it.
I used to hate jacking up cars then I bought myself a big fuck off garage jack from a company called SGS engineering in the UK check them out of you need jacks I guess because its brilliant, got at least a foot of travel on it and a huge handle so you can do it standing up.
I'm pretty sure every axel stand ever made is the exact same Chinese import painted a different colour.
I know a few people who refuse to use the ratchet style stands but I use then exclusively, I just like that the whole thing is painted/protected from rust. I haven't tried the ratchet stands with the safety pin jam things.

Also if you are putting it on stands remember you can use a rubber hockey puck to protect any protective undercoat.

I can't think of anything I would want to do less than use the fucking spare jack to jack up my car one side at a time to get it up on stands. Fuck that for a laff.

>>1095524
> oil leak
Be aware that filling fluids such as oil the level will be way off because your car is at an angle.
First ever oil change I did i used ramps, car was leaking before so I thought I would be clever and neck the oil to the max line. Ran sweet as a nut until I reversed it off the ramps and suddenly a huge black fog appeared out the back. Overfilled by about 1L.
After a quick panic I decided the easiest way was to siphon through the dipstick hole. Took 20-30 minutes because of the viscosity.

So be aware that having your vehicle at an angle will alter the levels.
I guess that's a benefit of jacks, your could lower it level before refilling.

Remember that with ramps and stands, the weight limit for your car is divided by 4. If the weight limit is one ton per ramp, you can put a truck that weighs up to 4000 gvwr on the front end

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>>1096095
STOP
This is NOT always true. That is how its supposed to be, and how it was done years ago.

Nowadays, things like cheap jack stands will be rated 3ton >for the pair.
It makes it look better on the box, two 3 ton jack stands for $15! (im looking at you craftsman)
Just read the fine print.

>>1095522
I have cut two pieces of ply (this waterproof shit, maybe called marine ply, with the brown layer?) that has two small pieces of wood screwed in it. these wood blocks keep the ramps locked on the plywood so that
I can drive up on it on gravel without trouble.

>>1095520
Mine are made out of plastic and they are rated 2 ton per ramp. I like them more than metl ones... And those in the picture look flimsy, I hope the Chinese guy who welded them happened to have a good day!

>>1095548
>>1095554
I have both ramps and jacks. Remember though with your rusty old shitty van the lifting points MIGHT be rotten. I bought a van (-99 ducato so not exactly a new car) and changed the fluids and filters on it with my ramps. When I was changing to winter tyres I jacked up the car and popped both sides lifting points! They got crushed and pushed in the car. I changed the drive shaft on it earlier but the car was thankfully standing on a log so it wouldn't have killed me if it would have fallen down at that point...

>>1095972
This is a good idea. Do you have just the rims or with tires attached for cushioning?

>>1095582
If you have a situation like this (I have on my corolla and doblo) you can fabricate a wooden block or hockey puck with a suitable slot in the middle. Keeps your car in shape.

>>1095548
>ramps can shoot out when youre driving onto them
can confirm. cracked my rocker panel once
>>1095561
>Also the ramps will never move
it depends entirely what they are placed on. they go flying underneath your car if you absentmindedly place their frictive points on the paint lines that delineate parking spots. i imagine a smooth concrete surface would be little different.

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one of the worst tings about ramps is getting the car up onto them in the first place without the buggers sliding away or the wheels spinning and pulling them under

SOLUTION

cut two strips of carpet about 1 yard/meter long and as wide as the width of the first rung of the ramp.take one piece of carpet, feed it over and under the first rung so it doubles back on itself and either staple or nut n bolt it together, so now you have a ramp with a carpety tongue.
do the same to the other ramp.

now when you place the ramps you should have the carpet laid out in front of the ramp, your wheels go onto this first locking the ramp in place, you'll use less throttle and less chance of wheel spining the ramps under the car

AND ALWAYS CHOCK THE OTHER WHEELS,BOTH SIDES

>>1095520
Those are solid, we made them as one of the assembly projects in the welding course I took

>>1096344
Oh shit I never even thought of them slipping. Thanks for the heads up diy/bro. I've heard those lines can be slippy for bikers, just never had an experience.

My only experience is on tarmac, so never a slippage.

Hey guys, why can't I drive up on 4 ramps?

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>not just making stackable woodblock cribbing

two ramps?

Try four!

Now that is a bitch to get up on in a 4x4 with road tyres on all four.

>>1096099
what car are you lifting that weighs more then 3 fucking tons phamalam? even a ton in a half is 3000lbs. and assuming we got 4 jackstands and they divide the weight of the car by fourths. if your truck weighs 5,500lbs divided by four that's only 1,375 pounds on each stand. still NO where near 3000lbs.

cheap jack stands are not my worry, they still will perform better then cheap sketchy ass jacks themselves.

>>1095522
>>>16301283
i hope to god you're keeping the car level while you're changing the oil.

>>1097091

>not chocking the wheels

>>1097164
>keeping the car level
why? Most sump plugs are offset to a side and rear, allowing for front jack use. Difference between draining on a (correctly-placed) jack and pol-table level could prob. be measured in a syringe.

>>1095563
>Next point, dont get a trolley jack, one almost took my leg off. I heard a ping, slid my leg out real quick, car dropped 6 inches. One of the pins popped and it came apart.

Your leg should not have been under the car. Common jacks are for lifting and lower, not use as work supports.

>>1096330
>This is a good idea. Do you have just the rims or with tires attached for cushioning?

Bare rims are MUCH easier to handle than rims with tires which are far too bulky for convenience. A tire shop may give you unusable rims. It's worth asking.

If I'm dealing with a severely rusted vehicle it will be scrapped after I strip off what I want, but I lift those by jacking under appropriate suspension components.

Your idea of a wood (or preferably plastic like a puck) "pinch weld protector" is a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Pinch-Weld-Universal-Jack-Pads/dp/B00JQTYGBU

For fun, spend an hour or two studying commercial body shop equipment. That includes many different lifting and jacking solutions.

>>1095560
>4 ramps
>at once
>sides.bmp

>>1097164
no its at an angle.
>>1096084
after the first time i filled it max when it was level then put it on the ramps, level was just above minimum so thats where i fill it to, then double check on the ground.

>>1097095
>what car are you lifting that weighs more then 3 fucking tons phamalam?

What does that have to do with anything?
I simply was pointing out that jack stands are intentionally misleading in their labeling

>>1097094
Yeah but why? I got my old santa fe up monster slopes but can't get up four ramps at once. Is it something to do with angle of attack?

>>1097095

The problem with this thinking is that even minute variations in floor level will put more load on one stand and unload another.

If you suspend the whole vehicle on 4 stands you can end up with half the cars weight on one stand.

Remember this is steel on concrete, so there is little flex and 1mm difference is a big difference.

I have done some stupid shit as I am a third world "get by with what ever you have" kind of guy but after seeing rated jack stands split at the base I aint fucking with any suspended vehicle unless I KNOW I am using overrated equipment.

>>1098213
>so there is little flex and 1mm difference is a big difference.

I imagine the suspension of the vehicle would allow a little more than that 1mm play. Stop talking out your arse faggot.

>>1098218

>Stop talking out your arse

It is obvious that you don't work on vehicles much.

How can you rest your vehicle on the suspension if you have to do any suspension or axle work? Then she'd sit on the frame. Hell even working on steering components it will start getting in the way.

Normally even if you aren't working on the suspension you should still suspend it on the frame as if you have to hammer/leverage anything there will be no flex, wobble or rocking.

If all you are is a tire monkey then you just jack her up on the diff/cross member because margins are important and all you are doing is tires but if you are crawling under that bitch then you need to make sure it doesn't drop on you.

>>1097069
>Hey guys, why can't I drive up on 4 ramps?

Gearing isn't sufficiently low. Climbing a slope is different than simultaneously lifting all four wheels over a short distance. I can't be arsed to to do the calculations because I despise ramps.

>>1098213
>Remember this is steel on concrete, so there is little flex and 1mm difference is a big difference.

Not to a vehicle, which is not a hardened glass block. All materials flex, and most vehicles are quite flexible.

>>1097406
But why? Why don't it work?

>>1098243
Yeah, my bad, I though that conversation string was about ramps, not jacks.

mechanic in family, at cottage just cut log into these shapes. id reccomend u know about types of wood but its dirt cheap and easy to do

>>1097164
the sump is designed to drain nearly complete while on ramps or jacked by the front point

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a mere $1200 for the all of the convenience of a 2 post without needing a 20 foot tall garage and some dude to anchor it into the ground.

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Best 2 grand I ever spent paid for itself after one car fix.