Tag Archives: oil change

Race Ramps Product Review

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67″ RaceRamps two-piece model

I finally bit the bullet and ordered a set of Race Ramps made by BruteTechnologies and I thought it might be helpful to write this product review…

I’ve owned RedRock for 6 months – traveling some 4200 miles – and this weekend I decided to do an oil change even though the “Oil Life” indicator showed 45% remaining.

When I purchased RedRock last December, the dealer had done an oil change.  However I had no idea what quality oil they used.  Ditto for the oil filter.  So I headed to the parts store and purchased 8 quarts of 5-30 Mobil1 oil with a matching K&N oil filter for the 2014 Camaro.

I quickly found out my trusty, home-made, wooden ramps were just not long enough and the slope was all wrong.  I did some research and found Race Ramps.  Race Ramps come in various sizes and slopes to fit just about any application; they also have all kinds of accessories.  After further reading, I selected the two-piece, 67″ long version (RR-XT-2).  The slope is very gentle and this allows proper clearance for the front overhang on my 2014 Camaro.  They will also work perfectly on my S2000 and with bowtie6.  A win-win on all counts!

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RaceRamps – the ramp is detachable…

The ramps arrived in a very large box, as shown (bought via Amazon Prime).  You can also see they are made like a jigsaw puzzle: the “ramp” part is detachable from the part the car rests on.  These ramps are also available in one-piece, but I selected the two-piece to make it easier to store.  I am glad I did!

The ramps are made from very dense plastic material.  The plastic material is lightweight and very easy to handle.  The ramps are rated to handle 1500lbs and are also “grippy” – they did not slide at all when I drove RedRock on them.  Working under the car while on the ramps was a good experience with enough room to place an oil pan.  I was able to reach the oil drain plug easily as well as the filter.  Finally, the ramps are wide enough to handle all but the widest of racing tires – in fact, I had no issues with the tires on RedRock.

The downside to all this awesomeness is the price:  the Race Ramps are quite expensive.  Unfortunately, these seem to be the only ones available that fit my needs and thus I suppose one must “pay the price”.  The alternative would be to build a set of home-made ramps, but quite frankly I just decided to deal with it and get them.  I’m glad I did and I must say, Race Ramps are made in the USA so I feel I am also helping the local economy.

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Gotta love the supplied sticker – LOL!

Finally, I during my research I found the folks at Brute Technologies have a special offer (expires soon) that requires printing a form and filling it out.  Then, attach the sales receipt and for this they will send a pair of wheel chocks made of the same material as the ramps.  The condition is that this applies only to certain ramp models – mine being one of them.  Hopefully soon, I’ll have a review of the chocks when the good folks at Brute Technologies receive my form…

Changing Oil

Last Sunday (03/04/12) was “oil change” day.  I wanted to get the “factory fill” oil from the engine out.  Remember, this engine had only 8 miles!

Changing oil on an Ecotec is a breeze.  These engines have a cartridge type filter, inside a housing in the block with a screw-on cap.  The “nut” on the cap is right large but you can get a special socket to fit the nut.  Since the oil drains back into the block, when you take the cap off there is no oil spill.  This is great.

Honest, it takes longer to jack the car up and let it rest on jackstands than it takes to change oil.  I have been buying GM filters but they are kinda crappy – I rather buy a premium filter.  They are a little more expensive, but IMHO they are worth it.  As I do with all my other cars, the only oil used is Mobil1 synthetic.  The stuff is not cheap, but this has worked flawlessly for me through the years.  This is the way to go.