Car jacking question
 

I plan on changing my gear oil soon and had a question about jacking the car up so it's level for this. I have two jacks and a set of Rhino Ramps. Is it safe to back the car on the ramps and then jack the front of the car up until its level?

I would never get under a car with just jacks holding it up.

Don't know what others will say about ramps, I do know career mechanics are not fan club members. If it were me, for the job you want to do. I'd jack it on the factory spot first. Then locate the central jack point which is just ahead of the braided steel cable center of the car, (shown in Bentley book). Jack it up there second, then place stands out of your way for safety.

Don't forget the triple square, huge anti tamper you need to drain it.

Safety is often in the eye of the beholder.

With that being said, its is commonly recommended NOT to get under a vehicle supported only by a jack (or pair of jacks). For the best safety, you would want to use a pair of jack stands instead of two jacks.

Thanks for the help! I bought the tools needed for the job. I've never changed the gear oil but I figured I would do it myself after the local shop wanted $250. I have jack stands that I will use. I also have 5 2x12's that I nailed together to place under the car with me as a backup safety measure.

$25 or less. Makes your garage more manly looking than a bunch of nailed together 2x12s :)

3 Ton Jack Stands

It's a good cheap investment that you will use more than you think. Best of luck with your project.

i use the ramps all the time when changing the engine oil. (sloped driveway so it's fairly level once on the ramps). once in my garage i needed the car up. used the ramps for the rear and jack stands for the front. i did not like that setup as the car seemed to want to roll and the stands wouldn't have helped at that point. took it down and went to a shop instead.

Haha... I wasn't sure how the jack stands would hold up without the adapter to put on them. Is it hard to get to the drain plug for the gear oil? I have a friend with a lift about two hours away. It may be worth the drive if it's difficult.

Thanks for the link to the jack stands. I think I'll order a set. I've made lots of changes to my Boxster and this gear oil change will finally complete it.:cheers:

No need for adapters. I use used hockey pucks I had laying around. They work perfectly on those stands I posted earlier.

I'll pick up some hockey pucks too. Great info! I appreciate it.

No need to order. There may be a Harbor Freight store near you. The jack stands I posted are currently on sale for $14.99/set (there's an add in the current Motor Trend magazine).

I found a store in Champaign,IL. which is pretty close to me. I had never even heard of them before. I will probably pick up a new jack while I'm there since I've been working with a cheap 2 ton Walmart jack. It'll be something to keep me busy this weekend and get me away from the gfs crying kids for a few hours:)

Hockey pucks? Can you describe (or post a photo) of how you use them? Do you just put them between the weird shaped jack stand tops and the differently weirdly shaped Boxster jacking point?

exactly.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._jacking/6.jpg

re: car jacking question
 

Don't car jack; just buy your own.

Made a set of wood circles with mouse pad upside down for grip and scratch resistance, cost is a fraction of a few pucks.

Not trying to start a debate or act like a know it all, but I would never use the ratcheting style of jack stands. I have heard of the rachet mechanism slipping or failing to catch properly. Not saying that these would, but life is too precious to take any more chances than neccessary. I bought a set of heavy duty pin style ones when I was a kid, and have never regretted it. These are not the tinny cheap ones that most auto parts stores sell, that can bend if you don't put the weight on them right. They are HEAVY duty ones that commercial garages use.
Just my 2¢.

My INDY Porsche shop charged me.....$ 43.90 for oil and $ 60.00 labor. The best $ 103.90 I have spent on the car. Got to watch and he earned every penny on that job !!! Safe, clean and professional procedure.

Changed gear oil in my 2000 S about four months ago.

Three challenges I found were: 1) Removing the braces and pans that stabilize suspension and protect trans-axle. I had not carefully read the article in 101 Projects before I got under the car describing their removal. So that surprised me a bit. 2) Getting the drain plug and filler plug loosened. I had use a ratcheting tie down strap attached to my truck at one end and the socket ratchet at the other to produce enough force to loosen the drain plug. Would suggest a breaker bar as best tool to use but mine was too short to assist me and my efforts. 3) The viscosity of gear oil and a hand pump while laying on one's back under a car on jack stands will work muscles one normally does not work. ;-)

Also, 2000 S only requires one size hex for both plugs. Other models and I think years require two different sizes and/or styles. Be certain you have correct tools before you begin.

I heartily agree with Spinnaker. I always use the pin and post type jack stands. Considering all the other costs involved in Boxster maintenance they are a very worthwhile investment. Call me paranoid, but when tires come off I use 4 jack stands and place a wheel under the car as as last ditch insurance in case of catastrophic failure.

I have both styles, when properly set I see no problem with using ratcheting stands. As others have suggested redundancy is your friend. I never minded just raising one end or the other, it's trying to raise a Boxster on four corners high enough to say drop the transmission, that I always found a bit nerve wracking.

Thanks! Perfect photo.

My daughter's boyfriend (usually referred to simply as "the lout") was changing the drop links on his dad's Caravan earlier this week.

It was classic:
-van lifted using factory jack and no supplementary support like ramps or jack stands. Didn't even slide the wheel underneath the vehicle as a "just in case"
-wheels not chocked because the emergency brake was set. Unfortunately nobody told him the ebrake didn't work.
-he was sitting in the wheel well doing the work

When the van rolled off the jack the brake rotor came down on his foot. He was lucky that he was working on gravel and not concrete. He was lucky that his dad was there and strong enough to lift the corner of the van enough for him to pull his foot out from under the rotor. He was lucky he just fractured a couple of bones.

Jeez, I shudder reading stories like this. I still get nervous getting underneath the car even when there's jack(s) + jack stand(s) + one or two 'just-in-case' wheels slid under there.

My kid's gf at one point had a Mercury Marquis, a great tank of a car, that had its fuel pump go. Replacement entailed tank removal. I unenthusiastically volunteered to help and, unfortunately, the kid took me up on my offer. At that point I had had little experience working under cars and hadn't even really developed a real trust in stands. I kept sliding wheels and stacks of 2x12's etc under various places to be safe. At one point the kid complained with all the stuff under there we barely had room to work! :rolleyes:

Another story:
A guy I worked with had his brother pinned under his car when the cheap jack stands he was using failed. The pin sheared off and the stand collapsed down. This was back in the 60's when we all drove Detroit iron that weighed over 2 tons. The force of the impact spread the legs out on the jack stand. He didn't get hurt because the stand only collapsed to its lowest level and only pinned him.
Don't ever buy those cheap tin can gauge jack stands. You only have one life, isn't it worth a few bucks more to keep it.

Wow. Those stories are spine tingling. I was under my Miata all weekend replacing the shocks and sways and had it on four jackstands along with my jack as a backup and all of the wheels under the car just in case.

I guess as I get older I know how much its going to hurt if something bad happens. :D

A Miata?? Hell, you should be able to bench press one of them!! :D

**Edit: Seems the post I was responding to has been deleted

THAT is a very good point to bring up.. when i did my gear oil and engine oil i buy NEW filler plugs from the local main stealer.

New gear oil cost - about 90 Pounds

New Engine Oil cost - about 80 pounds

new filler plugs from the main stealer - about 6 pounds !!.

for what we spend on oil, new filler plugs are VERY cheap insurance from ending up with rounded off plugs, needing to be removed. i'd arther pay less than a big mac and fries not to have a screwed up lug to deal with (besides the new one from the main stealer are anodised blue so you can see at a glance their condition)