I want to get under my car because i need to replace or tighten up the oil pan/gasket and i need to redo my transmission fluid/filter. What is a good point on the car to lift up the front end? I would be using a floor hydrolic jack. I am assuming the metal bar across the front of the car under the radiator. thanks

NO! There is good probability that the jack could slip and the car will come down on the pan!

The proper location is the subframe just after the firewall. And use jackstands please.

I prefer to use Rhino ramps. The are plastic, yet strong. I can store them on end to minimize the floor space they take up. But sometime you have to jack up the car.


Let me try to link to a picture of the jacking points

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/effenfish/97buickjackingpoints.jpg

You can usually get a good solid grip under the A arms. I don't subscribe to car ramps anymore. I had metal ones and crushed one with a 82 lesabre. Another time, I was backing down off a set and one shot out like a rocket, the length of the driveway (luckily no one was in it's path).
I totally gave up on them once I found that the air dam on the front wheel drive won't clear ramps anymore.
As far as the factory lift points, shy away from them! :nono: I was jacking one up in the bone yard and just about to poke my head under it when the lift point gave out and the jack went right through the car (rusted out).

Rhino ramps fit under cars with low clearances. They also have rubber "feet" to prevent them from becoming rockets. There are two "weights" so you can select the set that fits your hehicle. I bought the higher capacity ones because I have a variety of vehicles.

And if you plan to stick your head under a car that is supported only by a jack, you better take out some extra insurance.

I use a combination of the hard plastic ramps (I don't drive up them, I jack the car up in the center using the metal piece near the radiator and then manually place each ramp under each front wheel), and jackstands (on the metal framing just to the sides of the engine). I also make sure to block the back wheel or wheels to prevent the car from rolling and also use the emergency brake if it works (it doesn't work on one of my 92s).

Another good idea is to fully test the support by giving the car several vigorous shakes to see how secure the car is being supported. I am still alive and therefore have done something right up until now.

I use a Sears 3-ton jack with the long, fat handle that I bought about 15-20 years ago. I would not use the car's jack unless I was desperate.

At a bare minimum, you need a jack and a jack stand. The OEM scissor-style jack isn't really built well (IOW, I've seen them break apart when jacking up a car). After said jack and jack stand, all other forms of support are just extra precautions.

Or a curb... I have been known to drive one side of my car up onto the edge of a curb to get enough ground clearance, but this doesn't work for every application as well as a jack but it is really easy to do and you don't have to worry about the car slipping unless you parked on the very very edge of the curb.