Hi everybody. I recently bought a 2012 chevy Impala .My old ramps do not work with it. Can anybody tell me where to purchase good quality low profile car ramps for my 2012 Chevy Impala? any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. Ocooch.
The real solution is…
If you want a minimal or any height, the cheapest is to make them yourself from layers of 2x12 boards screwed together to the height you want. You can put 2 x4 stops where you want. Angle cut the ends make driving up easier and more secure then any store bought. They will be heavy but will handle any weight. When I made a set, I didn’t lift them so much as slide them from one place to another. Plus, the longer you make them, the more gradual the slope which can handle valances on front.
Personally, I like floor jacks and stands which I use now. Or get a vehicle with real high ground clearance which is the lazy way out. ;=)
Are You Going To Elevate The Car For Oil Changes ?
I made low profile “ramps” with 2"x12" lumber. I made 4, but 2 would work for oil changes.
I cut lengths of the lumber, approximately 3’ and 2’ and angle-cut (beveled) the leading edges of them. I attached (screws) the shorter pieces to the top of the longer pieces, forming stepped “ramps” that elevate the car about 3". Believe it or not that 3" is all the extra elevation needed.
I always change my own oil. I have two Impalas of the same body style as your’s and an older Impala, Bonneville, and a few other cars and found them to work just fine with all of them.
I don’t like to crawl under a raised car, but feel quite safe with the car up on these flat, wide, planks. I bought 2 plastic wheel chocks that I use on a front tire to keep from driving off the front when driving up and just for good measure I place one behind a tire, even though the car remains in “Park”. I use a piece of a discarded plastic tarp (about 5’x5) to allow me to slide under and access the filter and drain plug.
Also, I put together a rolling tool box just for oil changes that holds a set of sockets, filter wrenches and all the stuff (oil, filters, towels, windshield washer juice, zip lock bags, gloves, cleaning supplies, etcetera).
CSA
I have low profile ramps which you can buy about anywhere but I’d be careful of Walmart and Chinese made since you don’t ever know for sure what they are made of.
Mine though still were not low profile enough so I just made some extentions out of scrap angle iron. I welded a couple studs on that go through the holes in the ramps to hold them in place and they can be removed once the car is up on the ramps. If you don’t weld, you can do the same thing with a couple 2 foot 2x10s, angled on the ends. I really need the extentions most of the time.
“…I’d be careful of Walmart and Chinese made”
Aren’t almost all WalMart products made in China?
Easier solution. You need two 2x6 boards (or 2x4), a short one placed one on top of a longer one approaching the ramp. We did this successfully for our Civic many times before we got a jack and jack stands.
Another option is to use a compressor and a “lift bag”. They empty flat and can be purchased to lift tens of thousands of pounds. Emergency crews carry them. Do NOT, however, get under any vehicle that is supported only by lift bags.
I have two sets of ramps, one set of normal metal ramps, and one plastic set of low profile “Chinese Walmart” ramps. The plastic ones from Walmart work just fine. You’re only going to use them for the front end of a passenger car, not hold the full weight of a two ton truck.
Of course, whenever you use ramps of any kind, whether they be fancy expensive ones or cheap plastic ones, I recommend you place jack stands under the car for extra protection.
Shop around at your local auto parts stores and Walmart/K-Mart type stores. I am sure you can find some low profile ramps that will work just fine, and if you don’t already have some, get some jack stands for extra protection.