Oil change help

JasonWatts · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:24 am

I would like to try and change my oil before the next sanford event. I would do this on my own, but fear my jack sinking in my dirt driveway/yard.

Does anyone in the area (close to chapel hill) have
1) a set of stands that I can use, (all for corners is prefered)

2) a screwdriver without interchangeable heads (incase I need to punch a whole though the side of the oil filter like the last time).

3) time on friday night after 6pm

4) and the most important part, a nice clean place they would love to have oil spilt all over.

Please let me know... if you want a 6-pack or something for your time/space, I can easily throw it at you, litterally if prefered :lol:

.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:43 am

Buy a set of "Rhino Ramps". Much better for changing oil than using jackstands.

JasonWatts · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:49 am

thanks for the advice... but dont you want to keep the car level when changing? that way you can drain all the oil out instead of having some sitting in the back of the oil pan?

also, ramp's scare me. im always worried about driving off the other side.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:08 am

JasonWatts wrote:

thanks for the advice... but dont you want to keep the car level when changing? that way you can drain all the oil out instead of having some sitting in the back of the oil pan?

No, you want the oil to drain towards the plug and they generally put the plug on the rear of the pan.

JasonWatts wrote:

also, ramp's scare me. im always worried about driving off the other side.

There is a "stop" to keep that from happening on these ramps. These are not the those old flimsy metal ones you may have seen in the past. The Rhino Ramps are actually plastic and I actually trust them more than a jackstand.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:16 am

Any hints on how to keep ramps (including Rhino Ramps) from sliding on asphalt or smooth concrete when driving the vehicle up the ramps? I finally literally ran ropes from the ramps to under the rear wheels of our van to hold the ramps on asphalt.

Dick (still learning after all these years)

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:20 am

DickRasmussen wrote:

Any hints on how to keep ramps (including Rhino Ramps) from sliding on asphalt or smooth concrete when driving the vehicle up the ramps? I finally literally ran ropes from the ramps to under the rear wheels of our van to hold the ramps on asphalt.

Dick (still learning after all these years)

On these they actually have a rubber "foot" that keeps them in place when you drive up on them. Works well!

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:29 am

Good call on the Rhino's. If possible, get the wider ones b/c it's only like $10 more but way easier to drive up on.

Also, if your car has a low front lip, just grab a 2x6 and stick a 2-3" bolt through it, lock it into the bottom of the ramp, and you're set.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:36 am

Vincent Keene wrote:

On these they actually have a rubber "foot" that keeps them in place when you drive up on them. Works well!

Works well for you.

Not for me

Cars don't work on smooth concrete and our 7500# camper van doesn't work on asphalt. :cry:

Fortunately I can use a floor jack and jackstands for the cars on concrete. Isn't going to happen with the van on asphalt.

FYI until they "rotted" from being kept outside, a much more gentle approach to ramps using a series of 2 by 10's where the van did one 2 by 10 at a time literally in steps did work. If the rope approach gets too old, I'll build another set of wooden step ramps.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:54 am

Matt McGrain wrote:

Good call on the Rhino's. If possible, get the wider ones b/c it's only like $10 more but way easier to drive up on.

Also, if your car has a low front lip, just grab a 2x6 and stick a 2-3" bolt through it, lock it into the bottom of the ramp, and you're set.

Thanks Matt -- just what I was looking for since the M5 sits too low to work with ramps.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:28 am

JasonWatts wrote:

I would like to try and change my oil before the next sanford event. I would do this on my own, but fear my jack sinking in my dirt driveway/yard.

Does anyone in the area (close to chapel hill) have
1) a set of stands that I can use, (all for corners is prefered)

2) a screwdriver without interchangeable heads (incase I need to punch a whole though the side of the oil filter like the last time).

3) time on friday night after 6pm

4) and the most important part, a nice clean place they would love to have oil spilt all over.

Please let me know... if you want a 6-pack or something for your time/space, I can easily throw it at you, litterally if prefered :lol:

.

Invest in a set of Jackstands. You can get them at Northern Tool or Harbor Freight cheap. The car should be tilted slightly toward the oil plug so you get as much drained out. The Rhino ramps work well, but you could also use a board (plywood) under the Jackstand. If you get an asphalt driveway don't leave the vehicle on the jackstand without wood under it. (Ask me what happens :roll:

)

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:07 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Cars don't work on smooth concrete

Actually that is what I meant the rubber foot was for...smooth concrete. I use them on my smooth concrete garage floor and the Rhino Ramps do not slide.

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:11 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Any hints on how to keep ramps (including Rhino Ramps) from sliding on asphalt or smooth concrete when driving the vehicle up the ramps? I finally literally ran ropes from the ramps to under the rear wheels of our van to hold the ramps on asphalt.

Dick (still learning after all these years)

toolbox liner.

I have the larger "suv-sized" Rhino's, and even with the rubber foot that is _supposed_ to help keep them from sliding out, my rear wheel drive vehicles will still push them forward (no issues with FWD or AWD, as the front "crawls up" the ramp itself). I've learned to set the entire ramp base on some of that rubber toolbox liner stuff (I use the solid sheet, not the perforated stuff, not sure if that would make a difference), and the problem is mostly mitigated. It's good enough that I no longer need to use 2x4's braced against my workbench to hold them in place.

Jason, you might consider what many of us do at the track - get yourself some jacking boards big enough to put both the jack and jack stand on. I have a few pieces of 18"x4' 3/4 plywood strips that work well for this and are big enough to use a floor jack on. CMP and VIR pit areas are sandy/gravel and this solution works well.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:19 pm

Dustin Fredrickson wrote:

I have the larger "suv-sized" Rhino's, and even with the rubber foot that is _supposed_ to help keep them from sliding out, my rear wheel drive vehicles will still push them forward (no issues with FWD or AWD, as the front "crawls up" the ramp itself).

I hafve two FWD cars and one RWD one. Never had a problem with them sliding, but my RWD (Miata) is pretty light compared to your truck or SUV.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:59 pm

Dustin Fredrickson wrote:

Jason, you might consider what many of us do at the track - get yourself some jacking boards big enough to put both the jack and jack stand on. I have a few pieces of 18"x4' 3/4 plywood strips that work well for this and are big enough to use a floor jack on. CMP and VIR pit areas are sandy/gravel and this solution works well.

Or you can just work fast enough to change the oil before the jackstands sink low enough into the gravel to land the car on your head :-)

Kevin Butler · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:12 pm

I have SUV Rhino Ramps and they just scootch on the concrete in front of my Miatas. I have a couple of boards 5-6 ft long (matching lengths). I put them between the back wall of my garage and the Rhino Ramps to prevent the scootching.

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