I want to start doing routine maintenance myself, but I'm not sure how best to lift the car so I can get underneath. I've seen some ramps at Chief and Pep Boys, but I'm not sure the low from fascia will clear them. What do those of you who perform your own maintenance use to get underneath the car?

 

Jackstands. About $30 at any walmart or the likes.

 

There's only about 5" clearance in the front... so drive up ramps will not work. Most hydraulic floor jacks are too high to slide under the front end as well. You need to either:

1. drive up onto boards to slide a hydraulic floor jack under, or
2. buy a VERY low floor jack that will slide under the front, or
3. use the sissors jack that came with the car by itself, or
4. use a combo of the sissors jack to raise it far enough to slip a floor jack under it.

Once up, you can use the jack stands mentioned but be damn sure they are good ones and positioned properly so you can shake the car and it will not come off.

 

Whatever you do use a redundant system. Leave the jack in place even if you put in floor stands. If your jack has a slow hydraulic leak and your occupied this car can squash you like a bug! Even a few 2X4's can save a life.....be smart!

Utah

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by netwiz
[B]I want to start doing routine maintenance myself, but I'm not sure how best to lift the car so I can get underneath.

 

I got a jack from Costco where the pad just fits under the car for the side jack points. Works great for oil changes. For the center jack point: (3x each tire) 2x6s about the just wider than the width of the front wheels. Stack two on top of each other, then one on the floor, closer to the tire. Drive up. Set the e-brake. Jack (at least mine) will slide under the front. Take the single 2x6 and put it under the rear tire. Jack away. Reverse to come down.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by boiler
[B]

Get the Rhino ramps from Pep Boys. They work like a champ with my S2000.

 

I was kinda surprised too. I only paid $25 for them at Menard's. He mentioned that he saw ramps at Pep Boys and they carry the Rhino ramps. I really didn't expect them to work, but they do. The biggest problem is trying to keep them from sliding around on the slick garage floor. I have an old set of floor mats that I put under the ramps and that seems to work fine.

Two other things: don't burn your clutch driving up the ramps and don't go too fast. There isn't a lot of margin for error and I wouldn't want to drive off the end of the ramp. I have my wife help and that saves my nerves.

The good thing is that you have plenty of room once you are up on the ramps.

Enjoy,
Bob

 

Those are good cautions with ramps and the reason I use mine for working on the lawn tractor, etc. and not the car. I have a friend who didn't use your cautions and dropped off one of the ramps. It was costly.

 

Is there a way to jack up the whole side of the car...or the whole front and back end so when doing a full wheel exchange you only have to jack the car up twice?