Hey yo! I need to lift up my car in few weeks time

"YSI-what can brown do for you" (ysi-what-can-brown-do-for-you)
11/28/2013 at 13:15 • Filed to: None

Quite a bit too, you know to change parts out. Any cheap alternatives to getting the car up high, like renting out a lift?

DISCUSSION (29)

Skif6996 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:16

Ramps?

davedave1111 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:18

Do you have any self-serve garages round your way? The kind where you rent a bay with lift, tools, etc by the hour/day?

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:19

Just call Tim over and see if he and the boys'll lift her right up

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:21

Hire this girl.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Skif6996
11/28/2013 at 13:22

We have ramps, but my car doesn't have the clearance.

YSI-what can brown do for you > davedave1111
11/28/2013 at 13:22

I don't think so. I can check because that would make it super simple. Do you think some place like Pep boys does something like that?

YSI-what can brown do for you > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
11/28/2013 at 13:23

I have a friend with a lift, but I feel weird asking him to use it.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:24

What's the worst he could say? No? Just try. That'd be the easiest way

YSI-what can brown do for you > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif
11/28/2013 at 13:25

I shall not act like that was cute, as to keep my man card.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:25

Is there anything like first gear garage around your area? It's a flat rate for the lift and all the tools you could want for free.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
11/28/2013 at 13:27

I shall give it a shot!

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:27

Good call, safety first.

davedave1111 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:27

I haven't the foggiest, I'm afraid. We don't even have Pep Boys in this country :)

For what it's worth, you may be surprised how cheaply you can buy your own lower-end lift. If you have somewhere to install and use it, it's not prohibitively expensive - although obviously it's not going to be pro-quality, and it's still not actually cheap. But although the pro lifts cost maybe $20-30k, you can pick up cheaper versions for maybe $1k.

YSI-what can brown do for you > davedave1111
11/28/2013 at 13:33

1k isn't too bad, but I am on a budget here. If my dad wants to buy one than hurray! But I don't think he does, which sucks cause this lift would be so useful.

desertdog5051 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:47

I didn't know you could rent a life. :)

YSI-what can brown do for you > desertdog5051
11/28/2013 at 13:51

Somedays, I just wish I was someone else :(

davedave1111 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 13:57

Heh, I know that feeling...

His Stigness > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 15:29

No Pep Boys doesn't.

His Stigness > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 15:30

You're trying to do the headers right?

YSI-what can brown do for you > His Stigness
11/28/2013 at 18:03

Yes sir. I don't have jack stands at my house, so I don't want to buy some, plus it is a pain to lift my car up with a jack.

Ferrero1911 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 18:27

You have to make ramps to get up your ramps...that's what I do anyways.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Ferrero1911
11/28/2013 at 18:29

That scares the crap out of me.

Ferrero1911 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 18:35

Kinja'd!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

YSI-what can brown do for you > Ferrero1911
11/28/2013 at 18:37

Thats awesome! I just wish I had that many friends :(

Ferrero1911 > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 18:44

Not like this:

Like this:

Kinja'd!!!

Not the best picture, but you get the idea.

His Stigness > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 18:49

Well unless you know someone with a lift that's kind of your only option. I don't know of any shop that would be willing to rent out a lift because of all the risk involved, plus most shops don't have lifts to spare.

I know jacking up a low car is a painin the ass, but if that's your only option you have to. But there are tricks to make it easier: the biggest being able to find a place in the front and in the rear to jack it up.

In the front you want to jack it up in the middle of the sub-frame, if possible, and it usually is. I can jack up my Mercedes and Golf using the subframe, and I haven't really found a car yet that you can't. You just have to be smart about it and look where you might be able to support the front of the cars weight on. After you find this spot jack up the car to the limit the jack can go, place your jack stands up front, then move to the back.

The back on your car is easy because it's RWD so you can use the differential. This is the easiest thing you will ever do. So once you jack it up you again place your jack stands and lower the jack.

Doing this should give you enough clearance to do the headers, although it won't be fun, but it's the price you must pay to save money by doing it yourself.

I know you don't want to buy any jack stands or a jack (if you don't already have one) but you will eventually, especially if you want to become self sufficient. Jack stands are super cheap at harbor freight and you'll never have to replace them, and they'll come in handy, trust me. As for a jack, harbor freight has an aluminum racing jack for around $150, and it works great, just don't bet your life on it, always use jack stands. These are investments you want to make early and will more than pay for themselves in the many years to come.

Let me know if you have any questions.

YSI-what can brown do for you > His Stigness
11/28/2013 at 19:03

I will ask my friend. His dad is a mechanic and has one at his house. Otherwise, I will have to get the jack stands. Luckily my car has a lot of jacking points and is super easy to see them.

His Stigness > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 20:41

Well if you can find them I always like to Jack up one end at a time, instead of each corner which is a pain in the ass and I don't like doing it when I'm limiting the whole car, I just feel wrong doing that, like I'm bending the unibody or something.

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > YSI-what can brown do for you
11/28/2013 at 22:47

If the plan with your buddy falls through, I agree with His Stigness. I'm a college kid as well (I thought I read before you were in school, I could be wrong, if so, sorry) and a jack and stands was one of the best investments I've made.