Can you jack up one side of a car at a time?

hi so you know how cars have 6 jack points. 2 behind front wheels. 2 in front of rear wheels. 1 between front wheels. 1 between rear wheels.

i need to jack up front of car for oil change. but the jack point between the front wheels is hard to get to. so i was thinking:

- jack up one side of car using rear jack point near rear wheel. then put jack stand under jack point near front wheel
- lower car jack
- go over the other side and repeat.

but at one point car will be only resting on one jack stand. and car will be on a tilt. i fear in this position car will slip off jack stand.

has anyone done it this way before? i can't use ramps because car is too low. and i don't have tools to cut wood to modify ramps.

i could also just jack car up and put car ramps under each front wheel. but ramps are more expensive than jack stands. so i was wondering if i could get by with my above method first.

thanks!!!

ps: car in question is a bimmer and each jack point near the wheels are very small and rectangular shaped, made of plastic so i will be using an insert which widens the area a bit and makes it flat.

Put a 2x4 right in front of the ramp. Gives the wheel some elevation before it rides the ramp

Put a 2x4 right in front of the ramp. Gives the wheel some elevation before it rides the ramp

If your car is too low for the 2x4 (like the 240sx drift car i built years ago), buy 1x4(s) and stack them progressively as needed in front of the ramps (one stack per tire so they make mini ramps).

Ive never used jack points on a bmw, but why would you jack the rear if you only want the front up? i would just jack up one front side at a time and slide in the stand. that way the rear wheels are on the ground to stabilize the car/truck.

I'm envisioning the picture of a guy working on the underside of a pickup truck while it's propped up at 45 degrees by a couple of 2X4s.

Seriously, it sounds like the OP has an equipment funding problem and is grasping at straws to resolve the problem.

While there is merit to most of the suggestions I am concerned that a person who hasn't been shown how to do it properly will not be able to do the job safely. Not everyone has the same level of perception when it comes to balance, load reaction etc. Is the cost of an oil change worth your life?

If you're uncomfortable don't bother just take it to a shop give them filter and pay it if it's easier/safer.

in your situation I would jack up one side a bit, put in jack stand and then jack up the other side and repeat as you go higher. This will lower the difference of angle between sides.

if you have a hydraulic jack with wheels on it then the jack will move forward towards the car as its lifting.

I always use ramps for my oil changes. Much easier than a jack

That's what I use as well. Much easier than a jack.

I don't understand the difficulty.

Jack up one side. Insert jack stand under something solid. Lower jack and repeat on the other side.
Give the vehicle I really good shaking to ensure its solid and proceed with what you need to do.

I don't understand the difficulty.

Jack up one side. Insert jack stand under something solid. Lower jack and repeat on the other side.
Give the vehicle I really good shaking to ensure its solid and proceed with what you need to do.

The problem is,,,,,if he uses the jack points to lift car, it will not lift the entire side of the side, only that particular corner, and then he has no where to place his jack stand, on a BMW there is no solid surface to hold the car up, other than the jack point, it's not like the old cars that had a frame rail running along the whole length of the car and you could more or less jack at any point, or stick a jack stand anywhere.

OP get ramps, or get the extractor, or go to dealer/garage of your choice.....

This might help you out OP

http://www.impee.co.uk/bmw_on_jackstands.htm

.

Depending on the vehicle, you should have multiple places to put jack stands and lift from. When I do any work on my GTI I lift the entire side from the front jacking point which lifts both wheels off the ground, place a jack stand at rear jack point and under the control arm mount...rinse and repeat for the other side. I do this on all my vehicle and never had an issue. Some you may be able to lift the front or rear at once (my older jetta I lift from front K frame and rear suspension beam). Ramps are by far the easiest option and as mentioned just use wood to be able to get onto the ramps (have to do that with the lowered GTI). Only problem with ramps for an oil change is that measuring the level is not accurate with the angle of the vehicle...overfilled once and never again.

Use the front jack point to lift the front, place jack stand under the control arm, not the jack point. Repeat for other side.

Only problem with ramps for an oil change is that measuring the level is not accurate with the angle of the vehicle...overfilled once and never again.

Know the amount of oil required by your vehicle, then add th amount of liters required. I know in my car, 1L will bring me from min mark to max mark. Don't measure oil while on ramp

Use the front jack point to lift the front, place jack stand under the control arm, not the jack point. Repeat for other side.

You beat me to it. On my 328 I used the control arms. Get rubber or wood & jack anywhere that seems like a support beam

Know the amount of oil required by your vehicle, then add th amount of liters required. I know in my car, 1L will bring me from min mark to max mark. Don't measure oil while on ramp

Yup, made that mistake once...not fun trying to drain a small amount of fresh oil out :banghead:

You beat me to it. On my 328 I used the control arms. Get rubber or wood & jack anywhere that seems like a support beam

Have to be careful though, most cars there is only the front and rear reinforced pinch welds. Jacking from anywhere else like the middle pinch weld will crush..maybe not right away.

FYI I tried jacking mine up like that (driver front then passenger front) and it almost fell. I wouldn't attempt that again.

Arguably if you want the entire front up, there should be a forward jack point near the front bumper. Also ramps might be a good idea as well (I have a set of rhino ramps that work great...I think I got them from Napa or Partsource or similar).

FYI I tried jacking mine up like that (driver front then passenger front) and it almost fell. I wouldn't attempt that again.

Arguably if you want the entire front up, there should be a forward jack point near the front bumper. Also ramps might be a good idea as well (I have a set of rhino ramps that work great...I think I got them from Napa or Partsource or similar).

Were you using only jacks? I hope not because they should only be used to raise a vehicle and place it on jack stands.

I have a set of those ramps also and use them for almost everything provided I don't need access to the wheels, suspension, or brakes.

Only problem with ramps for an oil change is that measuring the level is not accurate with the angle of the vehicle...overfilled once and never again.

Problem? What problem?

My truck takes about 5.5L of oil.

Perform oil change on ramps, replace filter and add 5L of oil. Back off of ramps, then check oil with truck on level ground. Add accordingly.

The problem you describe is hardly even worth mentioning.

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I've been jacking up one side of my car to change the oil since I've owned it (10yrs). There's more than one spot that's solid to place a jack stand under and it doesn't matter what car it is. I pick a spot near the control arm to place the jack stand and leave the jack extended (lowered slightly to put weight on the stand), the stand will save me if the jack fails. Make sure to chock the wheels.