Bottle jacks vs trolley jacks.Going to attempt fluid and filter changes

Started by gf, 17 October 2012, 01:44 AM

oscar

Me too, kind of.  8)

Here's some pics of where I do trolley and stand placement,

Front jacking point


Left front. 


Closer shot of the left front.  Right side is similar.



Rear jacking point on rear subframe mount.


Rear left on swaybar retaining plate bolts.


Alternate placements for the rear left on the crossbeam


Right rear stand, lots of space depending on model, this a 280S

1973 350SE, my first & fave

Tony66_au

Quote from: Major Tom 6.9 on 18 October 2012, 03:29 AM
when you go shopping at super-shit auto to buy your ramps etc, you can buy suitable chocks there, i saw them there when i got my stands ;)


BTW ramps are a pain in the ass on a smooth floor, they simply turn into high speed projectiles when you try to drive up them. they need to be somehow prevented from moving back. Youll see what im talking about the first time you try use them ;)


Im laughing my arse off at the "High speed projectile" ramps comment, Been there/Done that/Shot one thru a Fibro garage wall..............

So now I have rubber mats underneath each ramp and its been working well for years.


Oscar has pretty much echoed my equipment spec to a Tee and his stands are the best kind to use as they are far more stable especially when you are hauling on a breaker bar trying to undo something big.

As for Ramps?

I find some marine ply with a bit of 2" x 4" underneath tends to lift the car enough so the skirts dont catch on the ramp on the way up or down and having worked on Jags for many years which are notoriously low and have unreasonable overhang at the rear you get used to working around angle of approach.

Casey

...and to think, I don't even like having to use my lift much, which is much easier in comparison.  However, the lift just has flat plank iron with rubber pads on each end, though per Oscar's post it looks like I'm getting them under the right points more or less.  Sometimes I use pieces of a 2x4 between the rubber and the car to distribute the pressure along the channels better.

Also before you envy using a lift, imagine draining oil under a car lifted 6 feet.  The collection bin needs to be raised quite high to avoid splatters, and you're probably too lazy to sit there holding it the whole time it's draining.  So you cleverly pile up some boxes and balance your oil collector on top and tend to some other tasks.  Then suddenly, you hear a dreadful crashing sound and see that the wall, floor, and many of your parts are drenched in black motor oil.  Don't ask me how I know about this possibility...

I have a set of those ratchet-type heavy-duty jack stands, but I don't think I've ever used them.  They were pretty inexpensive though.

oversize

Do you have any pics of that Casey??  LOL!  Unfortunately I've been present when this has occured (even using the correct drain bowl and stand) and the result isn't pretty!

GF I like the position of your stands, but I tend to jack my cars with a trolley jack under the centre of the front subframe and under the diff housing.  The floors are extremely susceptible to crushing, even when using timber to distribute the load.  On a low 6.9 I drive the car onto a set of 2" timbers to allow the jack to roll under without hitting.  It also aids getting the jack out again when the suspension has de-pressurized.

Tony that's a great idea using a rubber mat under ramps!  I wish my dad knew that trick when he was trying to drive the Buick onto them!!!  Even using nails into the seams of the concrete, the car was so heavy it acted like a plow, tossing the ramps aside like leaves!















1979 6.9 #5541 (Red Bull)
1978 6.9 #4248 (Skye)
1979 6.9 #3686 (Moby Dick)
1978 6.9 #1776 (Dora)
1977 450SEL #7010 white -P
1975 450SEL #8414 gold -P

Tony66_au

I think Ramps are a bit "Old School" Mark so people dont really bother with them all that much, the other issue is that most cheaper modern ramps are pieces of Angle so a bit harder to drive up hence the Unguided ballistic projectile effect lol

My Ramps are plated and reinforced with rolled bar and chunks of pallet rack after I flattened them 100 or so years ago driving a very heavy Jagwah onto them, a work of art and weld that have copped far more use than most I suspect in the 30 years I have had them.

BTW I too used the concrete nail trick and had them dynabolted in one garage but only because they were the ramps to a full length ramp set id cobbled together lol

Man how I didnt end up killed when I was younger, Mates used to speculate if it would be jealous boyfriend/Homicidal Husband or something automotive that killed me before I hit 30....................

Bad bad Tony  :-)

gf

Thankyou very much for the photos and detailed descriptions Oscar and oversize! Got the car back from the panelbeaters just then! anyway got to rush to work now. Next day off its off to supershit auto!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much everyone!