Lifting car on slope

[texadelphia]

I know this isn't B7 specific but I've been gearing up to change my transmission fluid and have been concerned with getting my car level. So I went and took some measurements of the concrete pad where I plan to do the work and found that it's got a pretty significant slope. The rear side of the pad is sloped about 3 degrees right to left and the front of the pad slopes about 4 degrees right to left. Here's a picture looking from the front of the pad towards the back with the camera held level.



I did some rough calcs and it looks like when it's parked the front left tire would be about 5.5" lower than the rear right tire. I was thinking about building some crib blocks like these to get the car up and level, using a different number of spacers at each wheel. But now I'm wondering if there's really any safe way to get the car up in the air on this pad. Any thoughts.

[hammond]

why not rent a lift for few hours if you are that concerned?

[texadelphia]

why not rent a lift for few hours if you are that concerned?

The closest one I can find is about an hour away. So I'd have to drive there, park the car long enough for it to cool down before I start wrenching, and then hope that I don't mess anything up and need to make a parts run or worst case leave it there over night and figure out how to get home. Then if I do get it done, I need to do the adaptation drive and there aren't any open roads around that garage where I could do that.

I mean is all that better than the car falling on me? Hell yeah. Haha. But it would just be nice to do this at home where I have access to all my tools and it can sit if I get hung up on something. I know a fluid change is simple enough but when I did the timing chain tensioner I thought I'd get it done in a day and it ended up not getting finished for like 4 or 5 days. I always seem to run into unforeseen circumstances.

[hammond]

something like this will get you close

https://www.homedepot.com/p/PowerSmi...360T/302649879

[Jayz691]

The closest one I can find is about an hour away. So I'd have to drive there, park the car long enough for it to cool down before I start wrenching, and then hope that I don't mess anything up and need to make a parts run or worst case leave it there over night and figure out how to get home. Then if I do get it done, I need to do the adaptation drive and there aren't any open roads around that garage where I could do that.

I mean is all that better than the car falling on me? Hell yeah. Haha. But it would just be nice to do this at home where I have access to all my tools and it can sit if I get hung up on something. I know a fluid change is simple enough but when I did the timing chain tensioner I thought I'd get it done in a day and it ended up not getting finished for like 4 or 5 days. I always seem to run into unforeseen circumstances.

Just fyi, don't need to do the adaptation immediately. I just recently learned about it, and did my service a few months ago. And I'm stage 2 hpfp tuned, no issues. Gonna get around to doing it soon. Your block idea sounds plenty good. Long as ya get it very close.

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[texadelphia]

Just fyi, don't need to do the adaptation immediately. I just recently learned about it, and did my service a few months ago. And I'm stage 2 hpfp tuned, no issues. Gonna get around to doing it soon. Your block idea sounds plenty good. Long as ya get it very close.

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That's good to know. I assumed it would drive pretty badly after a fluid change.

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[Jayz691]

That's good to know. I assumed it would drive pretty badly after a fluid change.

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Nope, fine. But prob could be better, we'll see.

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[abbottcostello]

Something like those crib blocks would work just fine in my opinion, if you can make them so the top is level - all the better. And don't skimp on wheel chocks & secondary safety net, I'd go with jack stands & I've used scraps of plywood to level those up, seems a lot of guys use their tires as a fail-safe as well.

[texadelphia]

Something like those crib blocks would work just fine in my opinion, if you can make them so the top is level - all the better. And don't skimp on wheel chocks & secondary safety net, I'd go with jack stands & I've used scraps of plywood to level those up, seems a lot of guys use their tires as a fail-safe as well.

Been ruminating on this all week. Considering doing my best to make sure my ducks are all in a row and going to that DIY garage where I can rent a lift.
That makes sense about making sure the cribs are level. I was trying to figure out how to cut the bottom of the cribs at an angle but I'm not sure how to do it with the tools I have.
I'll let you know what I end up doing.

[hammond]

for the cribs to work, car has to be lifted too high because suspension allows too much play on wheels when you are lifting them. Use a leveling machine(there are bunch of them in Home Depot) when you are lifting and the teeth of the Jack stand should get you close.

[texadelphia]

for the cribs to work, car has to be lifted too high because suspension allows too much play on wheels when you are lifting them. Use a leveling machine(there are bunch of them in Home Depot) when you are lifting and the teeth of the Jack stand should get you close.

I get what you're saying. I'm not concerned with trying to find level because I can just put a bubble level on the bottom of the transmission pan once I have it in the air. I just want to make sure the car is stable whether it's on a lift, jack stands, or crib blocks. Jack stands make me nervous on sloped ground for 2 reasons. The footprint is small so easier to tip. I'm also afraid of the induced lateral/bending load on a cast jack stand arm. I've read that they can fail when not loaded solely in compression which makes sense. Cast material loaded in bending is no bueno.

[abbottcostello]

Not sure what play on wheels is, unless you're talking about suspension travel?
If I was there doing that lift, I would definitely be considering long planks, like 2"x12"x 8', a shovel full of dirt at the beginning to get onto the plank - drive right up.
Lot of guys use tires as a failsafe instead of jack stands, I'm not really a fan of that method. I have steel jack stands & use different scraps of plywood & plate steel shims to level the stands up. If possible I'll also get my floor jack or a bottle jack under some other structural member
All in all, in a garage on a lift is pretty much the ideal, though.