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I am looking for ideas on how to get my car 3 ft in the air with it staying in the garage. My driveway slopes up so ramps are pretty much unusable. I need to pull trans, do headers and exhaust and a few other things. So this has to be pretty sturdy. I'm at a loss on this. I've searched the google and found nothing really helpful.
Does anyone have any ways to do this? Or is there a DIY plan for something?
For a 1 shot time,not like you're going to do it every week just jack it up and use good floor jacks. You really don't need 3 feet.I've done hookers and 4 speeds on a lot less in my garage.
I did my transmission swap on a pair of ramps and jackstands. It'd help to have it higher so you can use a transmission jack, though. I got it onto the transmission jack, but had to do said process under the car as I couldn't clear the framerail with the transmission on the jack from the outside.
I am looking for ideas on how to get my car 3 ft in the air with it staying in the garage. My driveway slopes up so ramps are pretty much unusable. I need to pull trans, do headers and exhaust and a few other things. So this has to be pretty sturdy. I'm at a loss on this. I've searched the google and found nothing really helpful.
Does anyone have any ways to do this? Or is there a DIY plan for something?
Thanks
This is what I am using. I have done 3 transmission swaps plus many of services. The only issue with a transmission swap is my transmission jack is not a low profile. So I need to slide the transmission under the car before placing on the transmission jack. To remove is the reverse. Lower with the transmission jack, then remove off the jack under the car, and then slide out. The ramps provide 10" lift and I get about 18" clear on the side. I drive up on the front ramps and then lift the car in the rear for the other ramps.
This is what I am using. I have done 3 transmission swaps plus many of services. The only issue with a transmission swap is my transmission jack is not a low profile. So I need to slide the transmission under the car before placing on the transmission jack. To remove is the reverse. Lower with the transmission jack, then remove off the jack under the car, and then slide out. The ramps provide 10" lift and I get about 18" clear on the side. I drive up on the front ramps and then lift the car in the rear for the other ramps.
You use the 10" in both front and back? Or 12" on the rear?
How do you get it high enough off the ground for those to fit under the wheels?
Ahhh- The "blocks" are in two pieces- and I use the long carriage bolts through them to interlock them.
Jack up the car front- put one set of blocks- then do the rear- put the floor jack on it own block ( used some 4 x 4) w/ 2 x 4 blocks to keep it from any possibility of moving around on the platform- jack front- slide on the second blocks-put a carriage bolt through them ( threaded rod would work as well) to interlock them. The jack up the rear and repeat.
They are very secure.
When I put in the engine/trans- I had the rear up on both blocks- and the front on one- the rake of the car made it a breeze to put in the relatively long drive-train. Carrol Shelby gave me the idea...
If you jack the car in two stages, keep in mind that the car(or jack) will "walk" as it lifts. That's why floor jacks have wheels. So, if you have the car on blocks and you place the jack on it's own blocks to further increase the lift height, either the car will move or the jack will move. Hopefully not off the blocks! The danger is not while the car is on the blocks, it's when you are jacking it. If you must lift it higher than what the floor jack allows while the jack is on the floor, lift the car only a few inches at a time at opposite ends. The problem is that the suspension travel will force you to raise the car about 6 inches even before the wheels clear the blocks. BE CAREFUL!
My local Home Depot has a "trash bin" of twisted lumber. For about $35 I made these.
I built these blocks from 4x4's and 3/4" plywood. Locked them all together with PL construction adhesive and 12" timer lock screws. They can be built higher if necessary but there is plenty of room to work on trans, exhaust, rear end, etc. under there. It took some doing to get the car high enough and onto them. I had to use 4 jack stands and some bottle jacks. When the jack stands were at max height I put the bottle jacks on wooden cribbing and lifted it up higher then temporarily put the jack stands on wood and had to inch it up a little at a time alternating between the front and rear of the car until it was high enough to slide the wooden stands under the tires.
I installed my hooker header sidepipes with just jack stands. I also removed the tranny and re-installed it with jack stands. I had to slide it off the jack to get it out from under the car. Then slide it back under the car and onto the jack. All is well no extra cost.
Last edited by scrappy76; 05-15-2015 at 11:51 AM.
Reason: add
I just did transmission on the old steel car ramps - turbo 350 out and Muncie in. Only needed like 20 inches. The left side Hooker side pipe header is a PITA. I just lifted the left side with jacks enough to get them slid under, but no where near 3 feet. Are you doing side pipe headers?? Also have to remove the oil dipstick from the block to get the side pipe header on.
No side pipes. Just Flowtech longtubes. The instructions say you must get it 3ft off the ground.
I have flowtech headers and you do not need 3 ft, I know it says it in the directions, I thought the same thing but them I took a look under my car and thought screw it I'll try it with it lower and it's not really that bad I think with everything already removed like the exhaust and starter, I had them in within 15 minutes
05-13-2015, 06:12 PM
Need to lift car 3 feet... How?
DSCN4814 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
DSCN4811 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
DSCN4061 by Richard Hayes, on Flickr
