Recommendation for car ramps?

For everyone doing oil changes using ramps...
Are you ignoring the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and not rotating tires?

The manual calls for a tire rotation with every oil change.
Do you just never rotate the tires? Do it separate from the oil change?

I don't understand why you wouldn't just spend 60 seconds to put the vehicle on jack stands, so that you can complete 100% of the scheduled maintenance instead of just part of it.
I never rotate my tires. They last about 5 years which is about the maximum age of the rubber that I am comfortable with. Then I buy 4 new tires. I use the 2x10 type of "ramp" to change the oil. Works for me.
 
I never rotate my tires. They last about 5 years which is about the maximum age of the rubber that I am comfortable with. Then I buy 4 new tires. I use the 2x10 type of "ramp" to change the oil. Works for me.
Me too. I will eventually need to rotate front to rear at around 20k.

I would rotate them if I had irregular wear.

I don't use any ramp. I would be a little concerned about draining all of the oil and most cars I've noticed I get a little bit more oil out by sitting on the front and rear bumpers for a few seconds.
 
I think I have some ramps, but I've never used them. I do the oil with the CX5 on my level garage floor. If I need elevation its jack and jack stands, or just jack if it is to swap a tire its only off for a few seconds.
 
So you change the oil and rotate the tires at separate times?

I use the flex oil change interval, which ends up being ~7500 miles, so I change the oil and rotate the tires at the same time.
It seems like a lot of wasted time & hassle to rotate the tires at 7500, then separately change the oil at 7000 or 8000 (or whatever it ends up being).

I said in my earlier post that using jack/jack stands takes and ADDITIONAL 60-90 seconds over using ramps. With ramps, you have to back your car partially out of the garage, align the ramps properly, then pull onto the ramps. I don't have to do any of that with a jack, so the incremental time is minimal.

Besides, this is a moot point, because it is impossible to complete the recommended maintenance using ramps, since you can't rotate the tires.

"So you change the oil and rotate the tires at separate times?"

Yes, unless the mileage/time limit of the two coincide.

"I use the flex oil change interval, which ends up being ~7500 miles, so I change the oil and rotate the tires at the same time.
It seems like a lot of wasted time & hassle to rotate the tires at 7500, then separately change the oil at 7000 or 8000 (or whatever it ends up being)."

Wasted time and hassle? I enjoy doing maintenance on my vehicles (all 5 of them) and I certainly don't consider any of that time wasted or a hassle.

"I said in my earlier post that using jack/jack stands takes and ADDITIONAL 60-90 seconds over using ramps. With ramps, you have to back your car partially out of the garage, align the ramps properly, then pull onto the ramps. I don't have to do any of that with a jack, so the incremental time is minimal."

Perhaps you've missed your calling? If you can jack the car up and then place jack stands properly under all four corners in 60 to 90 seconds then you sir should be working on the pit crew of a Formula 1 team!

Do you not warm up your engine before changing the oil? The car has to be started for this.

If it's time for an oil change I usually wait till I come back from a trip to do it. That way the motor is plenty warm and I park the car outside my garage on the driveway. I drag my homemade ramps out of the garage, leaving the motor running, and then drive onto the ramps. I'm in no hurry as I'm retired and my time is my own.

"Besides, this is a moot point, because it is impossible to complete the recommended maintenance using ramps, since you can't rotate the tires."

The point may be moot for you but not for me, as I explained above.

Another thing that I do while rotating the wheels is washing and waxing them, both inside and out. You?
 
I usually get a little nervous when I use ramps. They can be a little tricky to 'climb'.

I only have one pair but I wonder how it would work to drive up on two pairs, so the car would be elevated but level?
 
I'm in no hurry as I'm retired and my time is my own.
This explains why you are OK with your process.

Many people here have full-time jobs, kids at home, busy lives, ect.
For them, it makes much more sense to do all scheduled maintenance at 1 time (and put the vehicle in the air 1 time).
Versus your method of dragging the service out into 2 separate occasions, and using two different methods of elevating the vehicle.

If you can jack the car up and then place jack stands properly under all four corners in 60 to 90 seconds then you sir should be working on the pit crew of a Formula 1 team!

If it's time for an oil change I usually wait till I come back from a trip to do it. That way the motor is plenty warm and I park the car outside my garage on the driveway. I drag my homemade ramps out of the garage, leaving the motor running, and then drive onto the ramps.
If you are using ramps, then we're only comparing jacking up the front end.

So your steps...
park in the driveway, drag ramps out of garage, drive on ramps...back off ramps, drag ramps to garage, pull car into garage.

By the time you do all of that, I can easily put the vehicle on jack stands in an additional 60-90 seconds. (You keep missing the additional part)
 
I'm happy to use my RHINO ramps that were a gift from Walmart. About 10 years old now and they do just fine. I purchase my tires from places that do free rotations so no problems. Ed
 
It looks like it is for jacking the vehicle at the 4 corner pinch welds.
I'm curious when & why you use these jacking locations?
Versus using the central front and rear jack points, allowing you to raise the entire front/rear at one time.
Good point.

Primarily for the Mazda6......My car jack cannot reach the central front jack point. It barely reaches the rear one as well. The Mazda6 is also too low for my ramps. Its gonna be an issue when I lower it on my H&R's I've picked up. My solution for oil changes/brakes, ect. is to jack up the rear corner pinch weld high and then slide a jack stand on the same side front pinch weld. Repeat on passenger side until both fronts are off the ground.

On the CX-5 the car jack can reach the rear central location fine. The front just barely from the side door but takes forever to get up so I use ramps for CX-5 oil changes. Once my car jack bites the dust I'm gonna buy a long reach low profile one. I just have the regular HF grey 3 tone one.
 
This explains why you are OK with your process.

Many people here have full-time jobs, kids at home, busy lives, ect.
For them, it makes much more sense to do all scheduled maintenance at 1 time (and put the vehicle in the air 1 time).
Versus your method of dragging the service out into 2 separate occasions, and using two different methods of elevating the vehicle.


If you are using ramps, then we're only comparing jacking up the front end.

So your steps...
park in the driveway, drag ramps out of garage, drive on ramps...back off ramps, drag ramps to garage, pull car into garage.

By the time you do all of that, I can easily put the vehicle on jack stands in an additional 60-90 seconds. (You keep missing the additional part)

"By the time you do all of that, I can easily put the vehicle on jack stands in an additional 60-90 seconds. (You keep missing the additional part)"

Nope, I got it the first time I read it.

FYI, although I am retired, I did this bit of maintenance the same way when I had to work for a living. How much time do you think it takes to drag my home made ramps out of the garage?

I've already spent too much of my retired time with you on this. You do it your way and I'll do it mine.

I'll also be taking some extra time to enjoy a couple of beers while I'm doing this work. Just imagine how much extra time that adds to my total? Holy crap the beer is in the house and it takes me at least 30 seconds to walk that far! And then the return trip!

Maybe I need a fridge in the garage, that way I don't have to waste all that time walking from the garage to the house and back again? Oh wait, even better. I'll just text my wife and ask her to bring me out a cold one. I'll have to work on my texting speed.

Cheers! 🍻
 
Maybe I need a fridge in the garage, that way I don't have to waste all that time walking from the garage to the house and back again? Oh wait, even better. I'll just text my wife and ask her to bring me out a cold one. I'll have to work on my texting speed.
:)

 
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