[Coupes33]

Originally Posted by Socket

Planned to finally get around to painting my rusty, rank calipers only to find that the bloody jack wont fit under the car because of the H&R sports !!!
Went down to the local car parts store who wanted nearly $500 for the only low profile jack they had in stock
Guess I could splash out on ramps but the ones I've seen in store all look too narrow for our fat ass rubber.... Has anyone worked out how the hell to jack up a lowered car without installing a full blown professional car hoist???

I am not sure whether the Costco Arcan jack would fit under your car Socket. The front on my car is about 25mm higher than yours and there is only roughly 25mm gap between the jack fully collapsed and the lifting point.

[Scotty89]

Oh shit I hope you haven't bought it yet Socket...

It won't fit. I have the Arcan jack and I have to wedge it in to reach the jacking point.

My car is a good inch or two higher than yours, and I literally have to force it under the plastic belly tray to reach it in there.

If you've got the USB cable, come down the Peninsula for a drive and we can test fit to see if the jack fits when we put the USB cable in. I am betting that it won't though.

[froop]

No jack that I know if will fit under the front, especially if lowered. It's just too far in and the bumper too low.

If I need to get the car level I will drive the front up on ramps, jack up the rear using the diff and then put jack stands underneath the rear jack points. Then if you want, you can jack up the front from the middle and jack point and put jack stands under the front jack points.

[7smurfs]

As froop mentioned - no jack will fit. You will need to jack up the sides/rear first or drive onto wood and then jack it up.

The costco arcan jack is quality stuff. If you don't have a membership you can go through gumtree and try to negotiate it down to $150
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mooro...-8t/1068326409

[Socket]

Originally Posted by Scotty89

Oh shit I hope you haven't bought it yet Socket...

It won't fit. I have the Arcan jack and I have to wedge it in to reach the jacking point.

My car is a good inch or two higher than yours, and I literally have to force it under the plastic belly tray to reach it in there.

If you've got the USB cable, come down the Peninsula for a drive and we can test fit to see if the jack fits when we put the USB cable in. I am betting that it won't though.

Thanks Scotty, cable arrived so Ill tee up a time to come visit
Sounds like using tire ramps to get some clearance and then using a jack is the answer.... cant have it all I guess LOL

[Socket]

Originally Posted by Coupes33

I am not sure whether the Costco Arcan jack would fit under your car Socket. The front on my car is about 25mm higher than yours and there is only roughly 25mm gap between the jack fully collapsed and the lifting point.

Thanks Coupesy dude.... appreciate the pics. Clearly there is no hope the Arcan fitting under the lift point

[Socket]

Originally Posted by 7smurfs

As froop mentioned - no jack will fit. You will need to jack up the sides/rear first or drive onto wood and then jack it up.

The costco arcan jack is quality stuff. If you don't have a membership you can go through gumtree and try to negotiate it down to $150
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mooro...-8t/1068326409

Ta muchly Smurfs I think Ill still go ahead and pick one up, they sound like a quality jack

[Socket]

Originally Posted by froop

No jack that I know if will fit under the front, especially if lowered. It's just too far in and the bumper too low.

If I need to get the car level I will drive the front up on ramps, jack up the rear using the diff and then put jack stands underneath the rear jack points. Then if you want, you can jack up the front from the middle and jack point and put jack stands under the front jack points.

Cheers Froops.... so if I got this right, at some point you've got the car balancing on four axle stands.... balls of steel mate

[DR-JEKL]

That jack was the best $150 or so I've spent it makes oil changes so much easier!!

It's no biggy driving up on some planks of pine then jacking the car up.

Why do you guys jack your car from the sides? You do know there is a front and rear jacking point in the middle of the car right?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461718

[froop]

Originally Posted by Socket

Cheers Froops.... so if I got this right, at some point you've got the car balancing on four axle stands.... balls of steel mate

Haha I actually have the fronts on the ramps and the rears are on jack stands but it's actually safer to have all 4 on jack stands if you're doing a big job. The fronts are free wheeling so can roll off the ramps if you're not careful.

[froop]

Originally Posted by DR-JEKL

That jack was the best $150 or so I've spent it makes oil changes so much easier!!

It's no biggy driving up on some planks of pine then jacking the car up.

Why do you guys jack your car from the sides? You do know there is a front and rear jacking point in the middle of the car right?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461718

I usually have to use the side jack points because once you have either the front or the rear jacked up, you can no longer get the jack under the car to reach the other centre jack point unless the car has been driven up on blocks or something.

For a stock car with a stock ride height/diff it might be ok but my car's been lowered, has a front lip and also has an M3 LSD with the diff fins haha. I can't access the front anymore and I only clear the rear by less than a cm. I can't even drive my car front end up on the ramps anymore due to the front lip and I have low profile ramps. Sad...

[donR]

Yeah, wood works great. Check out these beauties

Piece of hardwood panelling and some blocks of wood underneath and a bunch of glue and screws from Bunnings.

Have been using them for years. Just high enough to get my SCA trolley jack under.

[Imbue]

Buy a jack. Use it. Return it. Thats what i do.

[Socket]

Originally Posted by liteonled

Yeah, wood works great. Check out these beauties

Piece of hardwood panelling and some blocks of wood underneath and a bunch of glue and screws from Bunnings.

Have been using them for years. Just high enough to get my SCA trolley jack under.

Pics please

[Socket]

Originally Posted by Imbue

Buy a jack. Use it. Return it. Thats what i do.

Nice plan but they might catch on about the third time I return the jack... only one costco in town u see LOL

[donR]

Originally Posted by Socket

Pics please

What sort of pics? I might do a few things this weekend & can take some pics if you need a demo

They are also have a really shallow pitch and smooth so easy to drive up. I should probably screw a bump stop on the end but never bothered, just get out and have a look

Happy to donate some screws & some blocks of wood for the underneath and lend my rattle driver and saw if anyone is keen for the DIY. Though you'll have to get some hardwood planks as I wouldn't trust mdf, melamine or particle board. Some 18mm laminated ply sheeting or marine ply could work well though.

[Socket]

Originally Posted by liteonled

What sort of pics? I might do a few things this weekend & can take some pics if you need a demo

They are also have a really shallow pitch and smooth so easy to drive up. I should probably screw a bump stop on the end but never bothered, just get out and have a look

Happy to donate some screws & some blocks of wood for the underneath and lend my rattle driver and saw if anyone is keen for the DIY. Though you'll have to get some hardwood planks as I wouldn't trust mdf, melamine or particle board. Some 18mm laminated ply sheeting or marine ply could work well though.

Pic of dem ramps

[Socket]

Update:

Put together everyone's suggestion and came up with this:

Home made ramp
$35 El Cheapo jack
$1 lump of wood

(and the crowd goes wild)

[donR]

They look good but is that ply underneath the same thickness as the pieces on top. If so I would like to see some solid blocks underneath. If you get any side to side movement they could collapse like a pack of cards. Whereas if you put some solid blocks from side to side as stiffeners and to take weight it would be a lot safer. You can stack the blocks underneath so the weight is on the blocks rather than just the vertical side pieces. My ramps just use perpendicular blocks going across the width at various stages up the ramp to take the weight. You can just see them in the photo.

You also need to get yourself some burger (or similar) jack point blocks for the sides. You can also get them on ebay.

[Socket]

Originally Posted by liteonled

They look good but is that ply underneath the same thickness as the pieces on top. If so I would like to see some solid blocks underneath. If you get any side to side movement they could collapse like a pack of cards. Whereas if you put some solid blocks from side to side as stiffeners and to take weight it would be a lot safer. You can stack the blocks underneath so the weight is on the blocks rather than just the vertical side pieces. My ramps just use perpendicular blocks going across the width at various stages up the ramp to take the weight. You can just see them in the photo.

You also need to get yourself some burger (or similar) jack point blocks for the sides. You can also get them on ebay.

Good points, what I didn't photo graph was inside of the ramp
It has timber shoring up the inside walls and bracing tying it all together
Its practically solid wood
Sounds like you did the same thing with your ramp...
Great minds think alike