Correct way to Jack up car

cruizer101 · 11-02-2012 12:37PM #1

I plan servicing the car over the weekend or on Monday. Normally just change the oil by parking it up on the kerb, its bit awkward but high enough for me to get under. Have also done by just jacking up the front.

Anyway looking to change the gearbox oil also this time. Now to change this the car has to be level to get the correct amount in. One way of doing this seems to be to drain it and let it back on thr ground and fill like that.
The other option I had considered was jacking up the whole car.

I previously had the scissors jack and a pair of Jack stands from aldi but this mornign picked up a trolly jack with a free pair of stands from Halfords so I have 4 stands and 2 Jacks, what is the best way to go about getting the car up on the stands. Or am I really just best to try leave it on the ground while changing the gearbox oil.

Is it one corner at a time starting at front. Some places I've read do the whole front at once by lifting up somewhere central on front axis, this seems bit dodgy to me, also with the back wouldn't be to sure where central at the back would be solid, maybe where towbar is attached.

The car is a 3dr 97 Honda Civic, appreciate any tips.

Avns1s · 11-02-2012 12:45PM

The handiest and one of the safest ways is wheel ramps.

You can even make your own if you have some solid wood like this fella You could go a bit higher than he did, if necessary but to be honest, you don't need massive clearance for changing oil.

Handier and safer than messing with jacks if you drive onto them accurately and have then wide enough when you're making them up..

Also, you should only need to raise the front for changing engine and gearbox oil. No real advantage in raising the back too.

cruizer101 · 11-02-2012 01:01PM

Ramps do seem like a good option alright, might look into it, havn't the wood knocking around though but have the stands.

With reagrd sto jacking the back up, from what I've read the gearbox needs to be level to get the right amount as you just fill it up til it overflows.

Tallon · 11-02-2012 01:38PM

Avns1s wrote: »

The handiest and one of the safest ways is wheel ramps.

You can even make your own if you have some solid wood like this fella You could go a bit higher than he did, if necessary but to be honest, you don't need massive clearance for changing oil.

Handier and safer than messing with jacks if you drive onto them accurately and have then wide enough when you're making them up..

Also, you should only need to raise the front for changing engine and gearbox oil. No real advantage in raising the back too.

But he has all the equipment to do it so that's just extra unnecesary work

Also, he's already explained the car needs to be level

OP, jack it up whatever way you feel comfortable and pop the stands under it one by one if needed. The car won't flip over or anything

Avns1s · 12-02-2012 01:33PM

Tallon wrote: »

But he has all the equipment to do it so that's just extra unnecesary work

Also, he's already explained the car needs to be level

OP, jack it up whatever way you feel comfortable and pop the stands under it one by one if needed. The car won't flip over or anything

You are entitled to your opinion. BUT I wouldn't be very comfortable lying in under a car tugging with a spanner, when it was on 4 axle stands. Two is ok, less chance of something slipping or the car moving and so on.

I would be surprised if the OP can't access the gearbox filler plug in his car from the top. So I figured the easy and safest way to do it was to drive the car up on the ramps, drain the engine and gearbox oil. Let it roll back down having refitted the drain plugs and fill the oils to the correct levels with the car on a level surface.

d o'c · 12-02-2012 05:33PM

put the car on level solid ground,handbrake on, back wheels blocked, jack the front complete from the centre of the crossmember with a trolley jack. Fit axles stands at front, slowly lower jack so the weight is on both stands and the jack. If your car is too low for the jack drive it onto some flat planks to get the clearance first. make sure the ground is even so the wheels of the jack can adjust as you lift the car.
I like to place old wheels and wood just clear of the body below in case something happens
with car supported at three points, do your work, loosening etc, don't drain just yet.
When you have ( shallow) trays in place, start draining, lower the car to get the last amounts of old oil out. jack up again and support to refit the bungs. Use a hose to acess the gearbox filler from above.make sure you can loosen the filler bung before you drain the gearbox

cruizer101 · 13-02-2012 11:27PM

Just to let you know how got on, did it today and just jacked up the front.

Jacked it up, on stands, did this one side then the other not too sure about jacking the whole front up at once, not sure where to do from. Drained it, did make sure to open fill bung first, fed in a bit of tubing which I had hanging from above, dropped it and filled it while level.

I probably will look in to building set of ramps from wood at some, shoudln't have to get under car for another year anyway.

Cheers for all the advice.

Farmer Pudsey · 15-02-2012 01:03AM

You can buy the steel 2 ton ramps in some motor factors for 50 euro I have a set one little problem I had was that the front of car was too low to access however i put two bricks in front of ramps amd was able to drive onto them:D

randy hickey · 16-02-2012 09:33AM

I always hated all the to-ing an fro-ing with trolley jacks and axel stands.
So when I win the lotto I'm gonna buy me one of these;

http://redmount.ie/node/74

dahamsta · 16-02-2012 03:15PM

That's not proper Lotto dreaming. First of all, it's the Euromillions you want to win. Then you want a farm in the country, with a massive barn, insulated on the inside, with several full size lifts, dozens of fully-stocked tool cabinets, and ample storage for cars. And a pool table, obviously.

Correct way to Jack up car

Comments