How Much Room do you Need Under a Car?

[MattB77]

(I apologise if I've put this thread in the wrong location....)

When you're working underneath a car on axle stands how high does it need to be able to see clearly and to feel comfortable working?

I only ask because I'm getting a new car to me and want to be able to work on the bodywork underneath the car. In theory my current setup can get me upto 500mm (19.5"), but having laid on the floor under a ruler at 500mm I think it still could be a little low, especially if you add in a creeper as well. I was thinking 600mm (23.5") could be a comfortable height without a creeper.

What do you guys think?

 

[vettex2]

How thin are you?

 

[MattB77]

I'd call myself average, but slowly growing all the time!

 

[Texican]

I need a lot more now than I did 20yrs ago.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... I ain't very big, 'n I crawl under my '96 F250 all the time to fix stuff, while it's sittin' on it's tires,....
For me, 18" is enough,...

 

[MattB77]

I need a lot more now than I did 20yrs ago.

It's a good point worth bearing in mind, if I'm going to buy some new equipment I still wouldn't mind using it in the years to come.

 

[vettex2]

I hate working on my back but my van won't fit in my garage to get on my lift.
I just use rhino ramps on the van.
On my vettes before I bought my lift I used the 6 ton jackstands all the way up.
I have no idea how high that is but higher is better.

 

[MattB77]

Ayuh,.... I ain't very big, 'n I crawl under my '96 F250 all the time to fix stuff, while it's sittin' on it's tires,....

For me there's no such luck, it's quite a sporty car so is quite low to start with.

 

[MattB77]

I hate working on my back but my van won't fit in my garage to get on my lift.
I just use rhino ramps on the van.
On my vettes before I bought my lift I used the 6 ton jackstands all the way up.
I have no idea how high that is but higher is better.

Yes I think that's what I should do, just buy 2 sets of the next sized axle stands up, any that are 500mm plus. My current ones are 4 ton a pair, so yes 6 ton is probably the next size up. It's not going to be cheap but probably worth it in the long run. Thanks.

 

[Keel]

I'm a big boy , at the moment (working on it) but at 42" waist a set of rino ramps gets the 4x4 exployer high enough..
Even my low to the ground 2 seater, to do an oil change..
To roll from front to back on a creeper, I have the vehicle on 4 stands at the stand is 18" give or take..
Without a lift here so if I'm doing a lot of work under the vehicle, sanding /or pulling a transmission , i'll use these (not my photo, used to show you as I'm to lazy to go to garage to snap a photo')

AS THEY SAY K.I.S.S.(keep it simple stupid)

 

[MattB77]

Thanks, so I'm guessing, but 18" under the wheels plus another say 4" for a low car is like 22" then to the underside of the body? And you find that comfortable and easy to see what you're doing?

 

[metaldad]

i don't like ramps, so either a lift (which i don't have) or a floor jack are my options.
floor jacks are in the 18-19'' range, stumbled across a hf one that is 23 1/2.
with blocking, and planning, you can get her higher
and............... what are you buying?

 

[anndel]

I'm fat so a lot.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

There comes a point where too tall is a pain in the neck for me because of my glasses [short sighted, use bifocals].

 

[rhandwor]

Purchase a lift while your young enough as prices keep going higher.

 

[vettex2]

There comes a point where too tall is a pain in the neck for me because of my glasses [short sighted, use bifocals].

Can they fix your eyes?

 

[Jim Diesel]

How thin are you?

Haha so true. Also how comfortable do you want to be whilst working.

 

[MrGiggles]

18-24" for me.

 

[wasabiboys]

I wish I had a lift every damn time I work on my cars

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Can they fix your eyes?

I haven't looked into it.....

 

[vettex2]

I had mine done and it has been great

 

[crewchief888]

usually a couple inches higher than my jack will lift...

 

[kwschumm]

Six feet and a few inches. Thanks to arthritis, if it wasn't for lifts I wouldn't be working under a car at all.

 

[Inabox85]

I had a set of 3 tone jack stands that I thought gave me plenty of room. Then I got a set of 3 tone SUV stands. Now that is some room. They sit about 3 inch taller before extending them

 

[unslow1]

I've done a couple using an open car trailer to work on the lower parts. That makes it a lot easier.

 

[vettex2]

Once I hung the tail of a car off a loading dock while was on a trip and had to do a repair

 

[JRC3]

On my vettes before I bought my lift I used the 6 ton jackstands all the way up.
I have no idea how high that is but higher is better.

That's what I used to do too. I removed transaxles on 3 different cars that way. And I was even using one of these trans jack adapters. http://www.floorjackadvisor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/wilmar-W41044.jpg

 

[oldldh]

As I'm coming down from 275...

To 225...

A little less, everyday...

But I do like 24" 4 ton Jackstands...

 

[yamaha0343]

I need a lot more now than I did 20yrs ago.

You and me both buddy