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OK. I know this is likely covered, but I cannot find an exact answer to my concerns. I need to work under my C8 rear. Unfortunately money is tight and I need to do oil change and transmission filter myself. I need to lift the rear in a way that I would feel comfortable working under the car, so something like 2 jacks or even jackstands won't work. Before money got tight I wanted QuickJack, but cannot afford that now. I looked at the 72" raceramps and a $600 purchase isnt going to work either. I had settled on jacking the rear and placing wheel cribs, but I had a concern with that. If I place the rear in 8/10/12" wheel cribs, won't the front end be pressed into the ground? Don't I have to lift the front also?
I looked at cheaper alternatives to the 72, like RhinoRamps Max, which is almost wide enough for the rear tires, but not quite. Concerned with pulling the drive wheels up a steep ramp. A bit too much gas and the ramp is now a projectile. Pretty sure launching a ramp under the C8 would mess it up a bit. And even with a ramp. If I pull the rear up a ramp, won't the front be on the ground?
OK. I know this is likely covered, but I cannot find an exact answer to my concerns. I need to work under my C8 rear. Unfortunately money is tight and I need to do oil change and transmission filter myself. I need to lift the rear in a way that I would feel comfortable working under the car, so something like 2 jacks or even jackstands won't work. Before money got tight I wanted QuickJack, but cannot afford that now. I looked at the 72" raceramps and a $600 purchase isnt going to work either. I had settled on jacking the rear and placing wheel cribs, but I had a concern with that. If I place the rear in 8/10/12" wheel cribs, won't the front end be pressed into the ground? Don't I have to lift the front also?
I looked at cheaper alternatives to the 72, like RhinoRamps Max, which is almost wide enough for the rear tires, but not quite. Concerned with pulling the drive wheels up a steep ramp. A bit too much gas and the ramp is now a projectile. Pretty sure launching a ramp under the C8 would mess it up a bit. And even with a ramp. If I pull the rear up a ramp, won't the front be on the ground?
Really stumped here. What's the cheap solution?
You can make wheel cribs out of 2x4s like this (not my car, just an example)
Right, but I must have 4 cribs, correct? I cannot just crib the rear only?
You can crib the rear or the front. Race Ramps doesn't recommend cribbing one side of the car. I use Race Ramps 8" wheel cribs to crib the rear on my C8 for draining the oil.
OK, but that still leaves me confused. I suppose I'm thinking about geometry wrong, but if I left the rear say 10", wouldn't that press the front splitter into the ground? The front lip doesn't have 10" of clearance to be tipped down. Hence the reason it scrapes on steep driveways.
OK, but that still leaves me confused. I suppose I'm thinking about geometry wrong, but if I left the rear say 10", wouldn't that press the front splitter into the ground?
You're definitely thinking about the geometry wrong. The front splitter is much closer to the front wheels than the rear wheels, so the rear wheels would have to be raised much higher than 10" for the splitter to touch the ground.
Be careful lifting the rear of the car too high, your parking brake is on the rear wheels so there is nothing to stop the car from potentially rolling forward
Place them BEHIND the rear of the car and back up onto them. Place a wheel chock of some sort in front of the front wheels (which will be on the ground) to prevent the car from rolling forwards off of the ramp.
I use Race Ramps when the wheels don't have to come off. They raise the wheel 11" so plenty of room. Super safe. You might opt for just two to put under rear wheels, then jackstands up front. One recommendation is, get the two piece race ramps that stack on top of each other. It makes it easier to lift one side 6" at a time to stagger the lift. I normally do the 6" up front, then 11" in one lift at the rear, then add the additional 6" in the front.
Be careful lifting the rear of the car too high, your parking brake is on the rear wheels so there is nothing to stop the car from potentially rolling forward
Chocking the front wheels prior to raising the rear, to prevent any rolling, has worked for me.
I made my own wheel stanchions in 2014 for my C7, have used on my C8 for installing side skirts, splitter etc. But if changing oil I would make 8 inches high. Should be enough. Could use a 12 foot 2X10 IF you think needed but only need to lift the rear as drain plug is in front of engine, you'll get MORE old oil out.
BTW have commercial 12 inch high wheel stanchions I used in 2000 when I built my Street Rod. Was under the car with a creeper for over a month. Lots to do. Worth the two step jacking needed. Much too high for an oil change etc. PIA to jack that high. I won't use ramps; tried and always needed someone to watch as one would more forward, was I up far enough, too far etc. Gave them away! Can buy plastic ones but my wood ones are stronger and a 2X8 by 12 foot long is ~$15!
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Jacking, Wheel Cribs, etc
