YACT: ramps or jack stands?

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: GeneValgene

Originally posted by: forcesho
do you guys have stuff like this at home ? http://www.hyjacks.com/scissor.htm

dayum...those look cool...but i dont' know if i can afford one

A dentist I know has a built in lift for his late model trans am. He stores his Lotus Elise under it

an ex football player friend has a 4 car garage. he had 2 navigators, his wife's sc430, and his LS400 (I dunno why but he loves that old car) when he bought a ferrari 575 something or the other he had nowhere to put it. so... he had lifts put in all 4 garages.. then he bought an aston martin, a vintage rolls, and the 4th is empty

 

[cjgallen]

My cars sit high enough that I don't need to jack them up

I used jack stands if I need to.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: cjgallen
My cars sit high enough that I don't need to jack them up

I used jack stands if I need to.

It's quite a skill to replace a wheel bearing without lifting the tire off of the ground.

 

[radioouman]

I use both. I prefer ramps for transmission fluid changes, drive shaft maintenance, transfer case fluid changes, etc. Jack stands sink into my driveway, but they are necessary for brakes, axles, etc.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I've never been able to get a car on ramps. They always slide and/or have the tires fold over the sides. Often the front valance hits well before the tire.

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: GeneValgene

Originally posted by: rmrf
I have rhino ramps, and jackstands. I don't use either for changing my oil, just other stuff like brakes, exhaust, etc.

so you have enough clearance to drain your fluids without elevating it at all?

yep, but I had real engineers working on the design of my engine, so that is mostly the reason

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: rmrf

Originally posted by: GeneValgene

Originally posted by: rmrf
I have rhino ramps, and jackstands. I don't use either for changing my oil, just other stuff like brakes, exhaust, etc.

so you have enough clearance to drain your fluids without elevating it at all?

yep, but I had real engineers working on the design of my engine, so that is mostly the reason

What do you drive?

OP - don't get a cheap jack.

 

[Ornery]

1. This one rocks! :thumbsup:

 

[deftron]

Follow this rule and you'll be ok.

If you are going under the car, use ramps.
If you are working on wheels, use stands (Stay out from underneath as mush as you can)

 

[0roo0roo]

i use ramps because all i do is change the oil/coolant. i'm paranoid so i use the wheel chocks and a jack stand here and there under the front

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: GeneValgene

Originally posted by: forcesho
do you guys have stuff like this at home ? http://www.hyjacks.com/scissor.htm

dayum...those look cool...but i dont' know if i can afford one

hah that would pay for a whole lotta oil changes though

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: rmrf

Originally posted by: GeneValgene

Originally posted by: rmrf
I have rhino ramps, and jackstands. I don't use either for changing my oil, just other stuff like brakes, exhaust, etc.

so you have enough clearance to drain your fluids without elevating it at all?

yep, but I had real engineers working on the design of my engine, so that is mostly the reason

What do you drive?

OP - don't get a cheap jack.

2002 Subaru Impreza WRX

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: Ornery

1. This one rocks! :thumbsup:

I have this one. I got it for christmas last year.

 

[skyking]

jackstands on concrete floors, use in pairs. make sure they are not side loaded as you let down the jack(s).
Safety tip: place the removed wheel on it's side, under the jackpad area of the typical unibody car. If the worst thing happens, the car cannot go to the floor completely.

 

[AntMan530]

how are you going to rotate your wheels using ramps?

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: AntMan530
how are you going to rotate your wheels using ramps?

easy, drive up and over the ramps so that you hang your car up on the ramp, and your front wheels are dangling in front of the ramps.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: AntMan530
how are you going to rotate your wheels using ramps?

i can rotate my wheels using only what came with the car

(jack it up, wheel off, spare on, jack down, jack up the other side, wheel off, other wheel on, jack down, etc etc)

 

[mchammer]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: AntMan530
how are you going to rotate your wheels using ramps?

i can rotate my wheels using only what came with the car

(jack it up, wheel off, spare on, jack down, jack up the other side, wheel off, other wheel on, jack down, etc etc)

sounds like a PITA

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: mchammer

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: AntMan530
how are you going to rotate your wheels using ramps?

i can rotate my wheels using only what came with the car

(jack it up, wheel off, spare on, jack down, jack up the other side, wheel off, other wheel on, jack down, etc etc)

sounds like a PITA

damn right

 

[amdskip]

Do people actually attempt to drive up ramps? Thats like a little dangerous. We always jack the car up and put the ramps under in opposite directions of each other.

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: amdskip
Do people actually attempt to drive up ramps? Thats like a little dangerous. We always jack the car up and put the ramps under in opposite directions of each other.

they're called ramps for a reason. I drive up mine all the time when I need to do anything other than changing the oil. the rhino ramps have rubber feet on the tip, so that when your tire starts driving up, the ramps don't slip away from the vehicle. as long as you make sure the tires are lined up with the ramps, go ahead and drive up, you would be suprised at how sturdy they really are.

 

[bootymac]

GTI is too low for ramps, so I have to use jackstands. Crappy thing is that one side of my garage is too narrow for my jack so I have to use an oldschool bottlejack :Q

PS: I've heard stories about people who had jackstands give out on them. It's a good idea to check the jackstand's teeth before you use it

 

[rmrf]

Originally posted by: bootymac
GTI is too low for ramps, so I have to use jackstands. Crappy thing is that one side of my garage is too narrow for my jack so I have to use an oldschool bottlejack :Q

PS: I've heard stories about people who had jackstands give out on them. It's a good idea to check the jackstand's teeth before you use it

skyking's idea for stopping a car from killing you sounds good, just put the tire that you take off underneath the rail of the car, so if the car falls for whatever reason, it will still be ~6 inches off the ground.