okokok... New Jack or Ramps????

[Earlsfat]

Need to pull trans for rebuild, yada, yada, yada...

Should I get ramps or go apeshit and buy a fancy jack? They both seem to only raise a car about 17 - 21 inches, and I have a little piss-ant jack to use for taking off the wheels for brakes etc. I am terrified that the friggin love of my life (my maro not my wife you jackasses) will smoosh my ass when I get to pushing and pulling to get the trans out.... don't really trust jackstands.

And by the way... am I just being paranoid, or are jackstands kinda fool-proof as long as they're on a part of the frame??? (Keep in mind I can be a real dumbass from time to time.) I just have this fear that all the grease and road slime on the frame will let the car slip off the jackstands while I'm under it.

[ct91rs]

I'd splurge on a decent 3 or so ton floor jack. You'll thank yourself later. I usually put jack stands under the lower control arms in front, and as long as they're not at an angle or off center, you should have nothing to worry about. That tranny's a fun beast man!

[camaroguy26]

jackstands are your best bet, they won't slip off at all if positioned correctly. I use them all the time and never had a problem. But if you're so paranoid about using jackstands then I would go with ramps. Just make sure you block the rear wheels so the car doesn't roll off. I would never EVER trust any kind of jack with me under the car. If anything back in the day I used to jack the car up with the factory jack and install cement blocks under it with a few pieces of wood between the block and the car. It's not as safe as jack stands but there's no way it's going to fall completely, the block will catch it. Just don't use cinder blocks they have a tendency to crumble with too much weight. Make sure you have cement blocks.

[ct91rs]

Oh ya, if you go with the ramps, they will have to be fairly long. Some are two short and steep for you front end to clear.

[Earlsfat]

When trying to pull a trans how high should I be looking to get my maro up??? I saw one jack that had a saddle height of 5" or so that went up to 21". Sounds good to me, but will that be enough????

IE (I think I know the answer to this one) Shouldn't be looking to put a block of wood on the saddle and try to get a few more inches out of the jack, should I??? Seems a tad dangerous.

[drvngstorm05]

no i wouldn't recommend doing that... the curve of the saddle will leave the middle of the piece of wood w/ no support, and it will likely break in the middle...

wait, are you talking about jackstands? or a floor jack? if you are talking floor jack then yes it is ok, in fact i do it all the damn time...

[skibum1111]

Ideally you would put the back of the car on ramps and the front on jackstands as you need all the room you can get under your car. Luos can answer the question of how to do it as I believe thats how his car is sitting right now. The problem I can see is when you ramp the back of the car how do you get the jack under the front?

[Rally Sport]

Yeah i'd go with jackstands since they are like fool proof unless that is you're trying to go like Kasey did and make the stand go down while you're under the car

[Earlsfat]

Thanks D'storm, I was talking about the jack.

Now for the jack stands....

One on each side of the rear, and one at the bottom of each control arm on the front???

This is the same for a 2 gen as a 3 gen & 4 gen, right?

Control arm is the thing the wheel is mounted to and has the coil spring in it, right???

Normally when I jack it up, I use a crossmember by the engine or a big-ass rectangular tube thingy (subframe connector???) that I have no idea what it is, but it's thick, heavy, and not part of the body. (Can you guys tell I have very little functional knowledge of cars yet). The center part of the jack stands don't actually touch anything, the cars seems to rest on the arms(?) of the saddle of the stands.

okokok.. am I gonna ruin my damn car now? I'm getting confused... I have no idea what's going on.

[1986Z28]

jackstands and a good 3 ton jack are good, just dont be cheap on the jack

[88camaroproject]

def buy a jack. i cant get my car on ramps from front or back. i have to jack rear end up and slide ramps under rear tires then use the jack stands in the front.. works good. give the car a shake before you go under it. cause if it falls id rather it fall without me under it.

[Earlsfat]

Like this???



and this???

[ct91rs]

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

One on each side of the rear, and one at the bottom of each control arm on the front???

Put a jack stand on either side of the rear end, under the rear axle tube, or the rear control arms (Attach at either end of the rear with a single bolt and run about two feet towards the front of the car).

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

This is the same for a 2 gen as a 3 gen & 4 gen, right?

Yes, in general they have very similar structure.

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

Control arm is the thing the wheel is mounted to and has the coil spring in it, right???

Yes

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

Normally when I jack it up, I use a crossmember by the engine or a big-ass rectangular tube thingy (subframe connector???) that I have no idea what it is, but it's thick, heavy, and not part of the body.

That would work fine.

Originally Posted by Earlsfat

okokok.. am I gonna ruin my damn car now? I'm getting confused... I have no idea what's going on.

Na, your car will be fine, you may have little functional knowledge, but you can be damn funny.)

[ct91rs]

that should work just fine

[Earlsfat]

Sanks