i am hitting my 1200 mi and thought to change oil myself... just curious how people lifted the car up and get under it??? floor jack or ramp? i am thinking of using the ramp but was concern if it would tilt the car too much and catch the back end.... or just another excuse not to do oil change myself...

 

ramps should do the trick, but you could hit them with the front bumper, one person posted a picture of what they did, but their ramps were like on a peice of concrete that was a little lower... kind of against the lip.

if you use jacks youd need stands and a lift.

the back wont hit.

one thing tho... its much easier for you to get it done to be honest... oil itself isnt much cheaper than what they charge, and you dont have to dispose of the oil, or have a pan, ect.

 

Yup, the front bumper hit the ramp.... no luck there... gave in to the dealer... i think.... is there really a diff between Nissan oil filter and aftermkt?

 

My neighbor has a set of ramps that work with the 350z. No rubbing of the front end. They're black & made out of a heavyweight plastic/rubber substance. He said he got them at Autozone. I'll see if I can get a brand name off of them..

-Mike

 

saw some threads on low profile ramps at k-mart... i read something like it can raise the car about 8 inches.... not sure there is enough clearence to move around and take that cover off....

 

you can bring your own oil and filter to any oil change place and theyll do it for you. tho their oil and filters are just as good and cheaper since they buy in bulk and make money on labor rather than parts.

I mean, your just getting your filter from autozone right? not a performance filter or anything. but nissan wont put synthetic oil in, if thats what you were wanting, but any oil change place will.

 

THANKS! I am convinced... stay clean

 

I just changed mine without lifting the car at all. I just drove it up on 2 2x4s on each side, laid perpendicular to the tires. It would have worked even better if I'd put it up on 4x4s after the 2x4s.

If you have longish arms, you can reach all the screws to remove the shield.

Pretty easy, but the shield is annoying just for the extra time it takes.

It is still less hassle than going in to the dealer for me, plus, I know it was done right.

 

Rhino Ramps (black plastic) at Walmart are low enough to clear the front bumper and raise the car enough to slide under so you can look around. You can do it yourself with quality synthetic and a Nissan filter for less than the quick lube joints will put in dino oil and a no name filter. Get one of those drain pans that doubles as a storage container so it is clean and easy to take the waste oil to a recycler (any oil change or auto parts store).

The only hassle, and it's minor, is the 15 fasteners Nissan used to hold the belly pan on. Surely they could have made something that slotted in on 3 sides and only had 2 or 3 screws to hold it in position!

 

thanks, i was wondering how many suckers were there... was 2 2x4 high enough? that only add about 3 inches of clearence?

 

actually it would be 4 inches. you wont be running around under there, but yeah, you'll fit. depending how large a frame you have. put another 2x4 if you need more hight, theyll work like a ramp.

 

I have the Rhino Ramps, and they hit the bumper when i drive up (on a level surface) I have tried a couple different ways of getting up on them, but haven't figured out the best way yet. Also, you can reach through the hole and get the filter off (not the factory installed one, it is on way too tight).

 

REALLY!! I've read the Rhino should work... even went out look for them... had no luck yet.... probably build ramps using 2x6's ... this outta be fun!

 

I got mine at pep boys. There are a few members here who have them and have gotten up on them, but it just doesn't work for me. I am trying stuff to get them to work, we'll see what happens.

 

The black rhinos from WalMart work for me! I 15 bucks maybe??? Don't really remember...

I doubt you will get more than 3" from 2 2x4's. They will only measure 3.5 and I bet you lose at least .5" due to the tire compressing around the narrow boards. Either way, it's not a lot of space, but it is enough to get the job done I suppose.

 

The actual dimensions of a 2x4 is not actually 2"x4". After they are finished and hit the lumber yard, they are more like 1.5" x 3.5". So you are looking at less than 3" of additional clearance.

 

I know - that's what I'm saying. 2 stacked 2x4s are less than 4 inches. I believe the actual dimensions are 1.75 x 3.5. I apologize if my first post was unclear. ares said it would give 4" of clearance and I was saying it would be more like 3".

 

How much clearence does the black rhino give you??? 8 inches??

I am debating should i build ramp using 2x6 or find one of these rhino.....

If stack of 3 2x6(probably around 5 inches) would work... i may build it... i suspect i need stack of 4 to move around down there...

 

Sorry, I didn't explain that well. I put it up the height of 1 2x4 and was able to do it (1.5 inch increase). The 2 2x4s were side by side on the ground, to make sure the tire was stable. As I said, it was tight, but doable. I didn't have that much scrap in my garage, so I tried what I had first. I might go up slightly more next time, to make it easier to get the drain plug off over my largish oil pan, as I said before.

And yes, 2x4s are not 2x4 inches. They are 1.5 by 3.5 or so.

 

i am a bit surprised one can get under the car using only one layer of 2xX....
i ck the clearence under the car.. is about 5.5 to 6 inches.. depends on the side or front... adding one 2x4 get it up to around 6.5 to 7 inches of clearence... i guess u can get your arm under it... that's about it?!?

i must be too big