ok so i went to change my oil today on my I30 and i got the car up with my jack and stands then i went to get under and it wasnt hign enough so i put some slabs of hard wood under the jack to make it higher and that did help but i still really cant get under it to do anything and this is the best this jack can do. so my question is should i get a jack that goes higher or somthing like that or should i get a set of ramps? how high will my car go with some ramps idealy id like to be have a good amount or room under there. any ideas?

 

Ramps will work, your car will be high enough to do work underneath easily. However, I'd just get a better jack as it'd be more versatile.

Ramps are useless when trying to do brake work, suspension work, etc.

 

Just get a 3 ton jack and you should be fine.That way you can turn your wheels to the right and get a better angle at the filter.

 

ohhhhhh if it turn my wheels to the right i can get to the filter from the side of the car?

 

LOL o great the troubles of not having it high enough, well imgine putting a y pipe on and off 6 times lifting with a wal-mart "mini-jack" it only lifts about 1 1/2' max! lol its so so bad ramps are better but the bigger ones my car wont drive up cause the bumper hits them so its all up to getting a decent jack for like $80

 

i dont even jack my car up when i change the oil, all i do is turn my wheel to the right and i can get in there no problem to change the oil. even on my 1.5 inch drop i have no problems.

 

i just went out and turned my wheel but i couldnt see my way to the filter or pan all i saw was suspension parts and parts of the wheel well i couldnt see any parts of the engine.

 

I am with GTO... I don't jack my car for an oil change. Once you start doing them you can tighten the filter correctly and not have to bust a nut trying to get it off. It seems a lot of places that do oil changes really wrench the filters on there. So the first time you change your filter you may need to jack the car up to get enough leverage on it.

 

no jack needed here and I don't even turn the wheel or remove the splash guard

 

is it possible to get to the filter from the top or how are you doing it from the side

 

because right behind your passenger wheelwell is the filter and right next to that is the drain plug, so lay on your back, slide under your passenger side and look up right next to the front of the pass wheel the filter is there along with the drain plug on the back of our small oil pans. make sure your not looking for a big filter and pan cause its the equvilant to a mini-cooper in size. as long as your looking on the pass side youll see them both its right in your face then...

 

I recommend just getting a regular 3-ton floor jack. You can get a decent one for around $50. But if you go with the floor jack, you'll also need a set of jack stands.

 

ive got a 2 ton set of jack and stands. the stands are perfectly fine but the jack cant get the car high enough. will a 3 ton one get it higher?

 

thats because there is a piece of plastic that needs to be removed, its like 3 screws.

 

should i just remove it and leave it off? or put it back on after im done. i do see alot of snow and salt here if that makes a difference

 

what are you doing man? serious it shouldnt take this long to figure out...not to dis you or anything but if you dont have it done by now maybe you should just take it to your local lube shop or wal-mart and tell them to do it. no shame. btw as people said theve done it while not jacked at all, i personally do mine with a wal-mart jack a 2 ton sounds like the one you have i got it for $30 with a pair of jackstands, theve help0ed my change oil, install my full suspension, y pipe and everything else i could think of doing though it would be nice to go higher anything can be done at pretty much any hight you just need to finagle things around to make it work.

 

haha sorry its dark and *****in cold here in rochester so i cant really do it now im just trying to make sure i know what to do when i have some time on a decent day and when i can see.

 

ok no prob do u want some pics? i can take some for you if you want? pm me if u need some

 

well im guessing i will give this a try somtime this week or this weekend and if i cant figure it out i will give you a pm. thanks to all for the help
now i wont have to pay like $30 for a change with dino oil

 

Wheel ramps work well for stuff like this (oil/coolant/tranny fluid changes), but aren't a great option if you're lowered; you end up scraping your grill on the ramps.

I'd recommend a regular 3-ton jack w/jackstands.

 

If lowered and using ramps, put some wood boards in front of the ramps to make a more gradual incline. Works when I use mine on my friends Firebird, which is extremely low. My stock height SE barely clears my ramps without boards. And my daughter backing the car off of them too fast caused the front end to slam down on them. Now there are "scars" right below each foglight.

If you'll be doing semi-regular work under your car, I suggest having both ramps and a good floor jack w/ stands. Ramps are much more convenient for basic stuff not involving wheel removal. A floor jack w/ stands is sometimes an obvious necessity. Neither costs an arm and a leg, so if you have the money and storage space, both would be ideal. Most 2 ton floor jacks I've seen only have about a 15-18" lift or so. Mine is a 15" lift and I can slide under my car. It's tight, but I'm thin. If you get a 3 ton with a higher lift, keep in mind that you may not get it under the car if you're really lowered (and depending on jack).

When changing my oil, I prefer using my ramps and actually getting under the car. This gives me the opportunity to inspect everything every 3000 miles. But what others said about accessing it from the passenger wheel well is absolutely correct. Just turn the wheel, remove the plastic splash shield in there (if you want), and the filter will be staring at you.

Dave

 

Last year they had a sale at sears for a 3 ton jack(21" max lift) and 2 3ton jacks(20" lift) for $50. Man was I happy. Unfortunately the jack is around 5" when fully depressed and my car is too low so I can't put it on the center beam unless I actually lay down and lift the car by the bumper or use my other jack.