Ramps / Jacking

[OctalStan]

Hey all, Looking to find out if there's a consensus on getting these things off the ground, as I'm currently having to bodge a ramp to get it high enough to get my trolley jack under the bodywork and it's getting tedious.

Looking at the threads with pictures, a lot of you have some very gucci lifts and other hardware that's sadly out of my price range (not to mention that I don't have a proper garage to put one in!). I've been looking into ramps, but it's a struggle to find anything that'll take 265mm tyres even before I get a straight edge out to work out if the angles will work. Is there anybody out there already using something who could point me in the direction of a supplier? Maybe even a low-profile jack anybody could recommend.

In other news, while getting the car up to temperature all of a sudden I was down on power in 3rd & 4th with what I'd call a significant amount of oil-smoke coming out of the exhausts, particularly when revving. I shut it down sharpish but couldn't see anything obvious so had it recovered to Trimar as it was due a service anyway. They (Trimar) have been fantastic, but unable to find anything that'd be the culprit despite running it several times both at idle and on roads. Coupled with the fact that it's starting first time for them, but wouldn't restart for me at the roadside I'm starting to think I might be going mental. To ease my mind, can any of you with a little more experience of the cars think of anything that might cause phantom blue smoke?

Don't get me wrong it'd love for it to be nothing at all, but I've found being pessimistic makes unpleasant surprises less of a problem

[The devil]

I bought a trolley jack from costco for less than £100 and it goes down to about 70mm and easily goes under.

[Gadgeroonie]

you probably sucked some oil back into the engine from the breather system

or the breather was blocked

[Stella Artois]

I just drive onto two house bricks and trolley jack from there.

[elenitro]

I just use a cheapo scissor jack that you get with most modern cars to start lifting the front, then a trolley jack gets under easily.

Leon

[snuffy]

I roll mine on to a couple of bits of wood, maybe an inch or so, then it's just high enough to get a trolley jack under. A few years ago I was under the back of my Esprit all day; I had axle stands under the car as well, but not firmly resting on them, i.e. the jack was taking all the weight. By the end of the day, the car had come down to be fully on the stands. I know that's what I'd put the axle stands there for, but it still frightened me when I realised what had happened.

[OctalStan]

Thanks for the swift replies folks, looks like I should see about getting hold of a Costco card. As much fun as bricks and scaffolding planks are....

Gadge, cheers for the suggestion on the breather it hadn't come up as a possibility. Sounds like a good place to start.

Regards,

Al

[roi354]

Any good?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Might still not be low enough but as stated, never work off a jack. Always use stands/supports to take the weight.

[rort1]

Any good?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Might still not be low enough but as stated, never work off a jack. Always use stands/supports to take the weight.



Ive got one of these - can confirm they fit underneath - decent quality too

[mgbond]

Halfords do a jack that fits. I think you need a jack that goes lower that 115mm.

Bondy

[rjo64]

I can second that I can also get a plank of one inch ply on top of it. Very light and easy to use.

rort1 said:

Any good?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

Might still not be low enough but as stated, never work off a jack. Always use stands/supports to take the weight.



Ive got one of these - can confirm they fit underneath - decent quality too