RE: Fumoto Drain valve install and first oil change.

[MirageRally]

Yeah when l overshot the ramps l went down hard and knew l bent something...my heart dropped as l thought l bent the axels or drivetrain...could have been much worse though.

My heavy plastic ramps have big platic studs at the end to stop my tires...but guess what?...they didn't account for throttle...lol

[Eggman]

Soooo l forgot to mention l overshot the ramps the first time...result?...dinged my side skirt and bent the metal in the front

I was in your neighborhood yesterday morning to fuel up and I could have brought my floor jack and jackstands over for ya.

Maybe next time.

So, how'd you get it back up on the ramps? I suppose you just backed up?

[MirageRally]

I was in your neighborhood yesterday morning to fuel up and I could have brought my floor jack and jackstands over for ya.

Maybe next time.

So, how'd you get it back up on the ramps? I suppose you just backed up?

l went forward again up on them and was able to feel that l was in place...the first time scared the crap outa me!
But next time l need to place a mirror in front so l can see exactly where l am on the stands...both front fenders are a little bent up in the front but it doesn't look bad...can barely notice it...actually, the plastic side skirt saved them from getting cracked or worse so 1 point to the side skirts...

[Mark]

l went forward again up on them and was able to feel that l was in place...the first time scared the crap outa me!
But next time l need to place a mirror in front so l can see exactly where l am on the stands...both front fenders are a little bent up in the front but it doesn't look bad...can barely notice it...actually, the plastic side skirt saved them from getting cracked or worse so 1 point to the side skirts...

Like you already said, it could have been much worst.

I am not a big fan of car ramps myself. I prefer lifting the car with a jack.

If wheel work is being done, the car can be set back down on jack stands.

If wheel work is not being done (oil change for example), the wheels can be set back down on something sturdy (cement patio block, large blocks of wood, or even a small car ramp).

Advantage of a small ramp: Lifting the car on each side with a jack & letting it back down on jack stands takes more time. Plus, you have to lift both side again to remove the stands. Using a small ramp is quicker.

I am just expanding on Eggman's post. Using a mirror with your ramps is not a bad suggestion. Ramps are still a bit tricky to use in my mind.

Here's someone who had a Rhino ramp break on him -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GziyxVPI2N8


Some metal ramps look like they could collapse without warning (like these) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLTo5mihQq8


Someone being careless with ramps -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EURqq-H1tGc

[MirageRally]

Like you already said, it could have been much worst.

I am not a big fan of car ramps myself. I prefer lifting the car with a jack.

If wheel work is being done, the car can be set back down on jack stands.

If wheel work is not being done (oil change for example), the wheels can be set back down on something sturdy (cement patio block, large blocks of wood, or even a small car ramp).

Advantage of a small ramp: Lifting the car on each side with a jack & letting it back down on jack stands takes more time. Plus, you have to lift both side again to remove the stands. Using a small ramp is quicker.

I am just expanding on Eggman's post. Using a mirror with your ramps is not a bad suggestion. Ramps are still a bit tricky to use in my mind.

Here's someone who had a Rhino ramp break on him -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GziyxVPI2N8

Some metal ramps look like they could collapse without warning (like these) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLTo5mihQq8

Someone being careless with ramps -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EURqq-H1tGc

l see where my rhino ramps can break, they're held on the bottom by a big chunk of plastic and l can see that if that breaks, you're going to be damaging the car...the jackstands l have didn't fit the Mirage and were too tall...but l had blocks under the back tires to prevent rolling...ln the meantime, l'm going to look for pure steel car ramps...

[MirageRally]

Hey Mark, the video of the honda missing the ramps was what happened to me...gave it too much thottle and the ramps slid back, which caused my tires to shoot forward and bring all that force down on my front fenders...

[MirageRally]

What about these Mark?
https://www.harborfreight.com/solid-...SABEgICefD_BwE

[MirageRally]

What about these Mark?
https://www.harborfreight.com/solid-...SABEgICefD_BwE

interesting that you use jacks to lift the car and l use ramps...l'd rather use the tires and throttle to lift the vehicle as in the past l'd had trouble with jackstands...once with my saturn where l jacked it on the pinch weld and as l was under the vehicle l heard a creaking noise and immediately got out from under the vehicle as the jack punctured the pinch weld and when my Saturn came down on the support jacks, it tore a hole in the Subframe...scary stuff...we made sure everything was secure, but you know what caused it? Rust rotted the Subframe and pinch welds so bad that it rotted it through.

[Eggman]

l see where my rhino ramps can break, they're held on the bottom by a big chunk of plastic and l can see that if that breaks, you're going to be damaging the car...the jackstands l have didn't fit the Mirage and were too tall...but l had blocks under the back tires to prevent rolling...ln the meantime, l'm going to look for pure steel car ramps...

What about these Mark?
https://www.harborfreight.com/solid-...SABEgICefD_BwE

Be careful with Harbor Freight stuff. They are priced low for a reason. That being said, my floor jack & jackstands are from HF! Reviewers raved about 'em, so I felt more comfortable about buying them.

I have an old pair of steel ramps you might be interested in. Since I got a pair of plastic ramps and the floor jack & jackstands, I don't use the steel ramps anymore. We can catch up about it if you're interested.

[Top_Fuel]

I still use a standard oil drain plug and I don't lift my Mirage during an oil change. Occasionally when I need some additional access, I will just drive up onto a small piece of 2x10 under each front wheel.

If you need more clearance than that, here are some other options to consider. Warning: These aren't the least expensive ramps you can buy...but they're probably the best.

Race Ramps are the most popular automotive ramps among enthusiasts. They're durable, light-weight, easy do drive up on because they don't have steep approach angles, and they don't slide. They are available in several configurations. I personally like the 2-piece models (here is one example). Once your car is up on the ramp, you can remove part of the ramp and access the car from under the side...



One other product they offer is something called a roll up. It's a short ramp that's easy to drive up on...and it gives you a quick 4" of lift. This should make it easier to do an oil change from below on a Mirage.