Oil change - floor jack good enough?

No I just think your ignorant...plain and simple. And to correct you again, I'm not a jerk...I am an outright -ssh-le when it comes to safety.


“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

― George Carlin

Bye Bye.

 

(Embarrassed)
I couldn't move chest but could belly breathe enough to stay conscious. DW came out after 1/2 hour or so to see what was taking so long. I told her to try pumping up the Jack again and she did, which gave just enough play I could scrape my way out before it collapsed again.
Lesson learned and it scared her enough that she is glad to be the Safety Spotter now. Cheaper than new husband!

Back on thread topic, I would like to say to OP that some ramps have a fairly steep entry angle that is hard to manage with the long, low nose of the my 2012 hatchback Prius. I use about 3 feet of 2x12 and cross pieces to to make a shallower approach angle to get the Prius on the ramps, but would never go underneath until it is firmly in the wheel pockets on the ramps and the rear wheels are chocked, etc. Having the DW spotter really helps this whole process.

 

Just curious, when using wheel chocks on the rear wheels: parking brake on, or off? I'm leaning towards off now. My chocks are very solid, and I kinda hammer them in, make sure they really wedge in. And with parking brake on, as you raise the front you hear a lot of "complaining". Then when you lower it, one chock tends to be loose, and the other completely pinched, hard to extract.

 

A little bit of introspection would do you good. I've yet to see any reasoning from you besides, "Trust me, I'm a mechanic." Not going to happen.

I know a lot of stupid mechanics (who think they're smart), and I know a lot of smart ones. I have no idea which one you are in general, but on this particular topic, you're the former. I also know material properties, and I know a 3,000lb car isn't busting through 8" of wood.

You can't get by with just calling me ignorant or idiot and calling others lazy without showing a single shred of evidence for your position. I'm waiting...

 

Out of an abundance of caution (for obvious reasons), I use both the parking brake and clocks both in front of, and in back of, both rear wheels. I have also built wooden chocks onto the front lip of my wheel ramps so that I cannot drive the Prius over the top of the ramps when getting it up there. I thought that was necessary because of the unpredictable way the ICE cuts in and gives an unanticipated surge in torque to the front wheels-->if that happens at precisely the wrong moment you could drive over the front, which would cause considerable damage although not be life threatening.
Look, I know this "Worst Case Scenario " reasoning sounds paranoid, but please consider what type of pilot you would rather fly with, Mr. Happy Go Lucky or Mr. Worst Case Scenario?

 

Good advice, especially the chocks on the ramps. I never use ramps any more, but I know the few times I have, I've been terrified of flying off the front. If I were going to use ramps for any particular reason these days, I'd probably just build my own out of staggered 2x10s and include true chocks on the front and back at the top of the ramp. I can't stand those ramps you'd find at your typical hardware store.

 

I guess with DIY ramps you want smaller "speed bump" chocks at the peak of the ramp, then real big ones at the front.

Still: ramps as a method just scare me, too much dynamic pandemonium. Plus, more than half the time I'm needing to do wheel removal, so I'd rather just stick with floor jack and safety stands, get that one right. I've used them, several decades back, but dropped it. Especially with garage stored, just rolling a floor jack over to the car is more convenient.

 

I just love typos. Clocks work only if they're the huge analog wall clocks most factories and schools used to (and may still) have.

 

Jambs are the same as chocks, I think? As in "kick out the jambs!"? Love that one.

 

A little OT, but many decades ago, I worked for a daily newspaper. One Sunday, our ad department put together a massive display ad for a local car dealer, touting one of the newest automotive features at the time:

NOW WITH DIGITAL COCKS

 

You get the best of both brake-on and and brake-off methods if you apply the brake after lifting (but before crawling underneath). Same with the chocks. Reverse sequence to lower.

Whoda thunk such a siimple question could mushroom into such a heated argument with so many divergent opinions? As a general principle, to be safe, just use a back-up for anything that can break, slip, or topple.

I'll be glad to confirm that solid wood is never going to crush under the pressure of a car tire. It would make more sense to worry about a sinkhole suddenly swallowing one corner of the car.

 

I'll stay outa wood vs steel. My 2 cents: wood is nowhere near as stable as steel, can dry out, crack. Just not a known quantity. And bulky, not as easy to use.

 

Gosh, a lot of this sounds like my grandfather and his friends....they fight just to fight....not that that is a bad thing, it is actually entertaining as it is here.

Anyway, I continue to use a tiny bit of board and all is well.

 

I agree, this is fun.

I'll start a new argument.........ahem.

" TASTES GREAT !!!! "

 

This is exactly what my Bentley manual says to do for the Gen II Prius.

 

What's holding up the roof over your head?

That portable tree stump does indeed look a tad bulky.

 

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If you're wealthy enough to own a 2015 Prius, why on Earth would you want to use home made stands?

To each his own.

 

You can never have enough jackstands, that's my motto.

 

Eight store bought jack stands in my garage. Won't be buying any additional ones that's for sure.
Daughter (and future son-in-law) will inherit.