MrSandman

I have something like this.. this one is cheaper..

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...6&blockType=G6

baddog671

They make up stuff when they don't feel like doing someone's car, I think. When that happends, I invite the customer to come watch me before I've even touched the car so they can see me take off the drainplug like normal.

They put those damn Fram filters on tighter than hell though. I've heard Walmart makes them use a certain torque, I think they are nuts.

JIM5.0

Those plastic ramps, just how safe are they?
I am afraid enough to use the STEEL jack stands from Harbour Freight, I would be even more afraid to use plastic ramps from Walmart.

Of course, I would prefer quality stands or ramps from a reputable maker.

I just have bad dreams of being crushed under my own car when I change the oil.

JIM5.0

What do you expect from a retail store that damn cheaps out on everything?

The cheap-out on their employees by denying them any benefits or giving them the S***iest benefits ever, and they cheap out on them by paying them barely min wage.
To save themselves even more money, they give them the sorriest tools and still force them to try to do the level of work that is professional grade.

Then they have the nerve to dare claim their auto work is professional grade.

Nuke

I've had more issues with steel ramps bending than I've had with the Rhino ramps. Whatever that material is, it's pretty darned sturdy. It's made of the same stuff some of my kids toys were made of and the stuff is nearly indestructable. And as solid as it is, I have no concerns. A friend of mine borrowed them and used them on his full sized Chevy truck without concern or issue.

VistaGT

The race ramps you mentioned - AWESOME. I've had them for like 3 years and they're sick. Never slipped, super easy and gradual incline, and wide enough for 295s(at least).

They even worked no problem for a buddy's lowered SRT4 - and this thing's slammed! I actually used them to put the blower on the mustang, it was great bc bending down the whole time would have killed my back(6' 4")!

Norm Peterson

There's good steel ramps and there's crap steel ones. The good ones have tie-bars between the toe of the ramp and the endplate at the tall end, one on each side. The crap ones have been known to buckle/collapse and I'd never buy them or ever recommend them. I've had a set of the good ones for 40 years and they're still in excellent structural condition, though I've had to use "starter" ramps with them for the last four cars.

The steel ramps aren't really wide enough for tires wider than about 225/60, except for very short duration. It can't be a good thing to be bending the tread belts the wrong way.

I made up a 3.5" tall set of ramps from 2 x 12's spiked together (toe ends sliced to actually make ramp inclines) that's kinder to the tires but not tall enough for most work. Time to develop that idea a little further, with those 255/45's . . .


Norm

ShaneM

well got out there and changed the oil with the ramps and my paving stones today, worked like a champ. Put the pavers down, drove on top of them, put the ramps in front and drove right up. not slip, no drama it just worked. lol i did forget to move the drain pan when i took off the filter though, what a mess. I'd like to find the engineer who invented that aero tray on the 10 you have to remove to get to the oil drain and filter and kick him in the twins. That thing is a huge PITA.

pdonket

Amen man...It really was a giant pain when I was doing my oil change on the 11. I think they probably did it to improve the aerodynamics of the car but damn is it a pain the way it doesn't even come completely off. At first when I got under there I was thinking "where the hell is the oil filter even at" until I saw the remove for oil servicing on the tray.

I managed to use the bag trick on the oil filter and it worked fairly well, except i did manage to have a big stream of oil run down my arm which was lovely

Fifthwind

I used to change the oil myself, and built my own ramps out of stacked and bolted 2x12's. That way you can make the incline as gradual as you want so your chin spoiler won't scrap regardless of how low your car is. I still use those ramps when I need to get up under.

However, I don't do oil changes myself anymore. I only save about $20 doing it, and once you take your time and effort and old-oil disposal* time into account... I'm okay paying the extra $20

*or maybe you just throw it into your neighbor's back yard. LOL