Due to the fact that car repair services at service stations are quite expensive, some motorists begin troubleshooting their car on their own. Fortunately, in the modern world, in the era of the dominance of the Internet, it is easier for people to look for information about the design of a vehicle, about possible problems and ways to solve them. Also, now anyone can find on online resources, forums or social networks a circle of car enthusiasts who can share their own experience of car repair.

But doing your own repairs requires not only knowledge, but also time, the availability of the necessary tools and… a place for repairs. Some types of repair work require free space under the vehicle., so that you can get to a particular part, check its functionality, and, if necessary, unscrew it and put a new one in its place. Low vehicle clearance, as well as inaccessibility of some vehicle components, may require the owner to have a pit. At car repair shops, for example, they most often use electric lifts, which allows the mechanics not to go down anywhere, but to begin repairs when the car is directly above their heads. This is very convenient and practical, because there is plenty of free space around where you can turn around, and you don’t have to constantly get up to get the tool. However, in the absence of an electric lift, the pit will be very useful. However, what to do when you don’t have it, and work needs to be done under the bottom of the car?

There are types of work in which it is absolutely impossible to do without a pit or a lift. But let’s talk about situations in which the person repairing the car does not need a lot of free space and does not need to stand at full height.

Jacks and pads

Sometimes lifting one side of the car with a jack is enough to get to the desired component and carry out inspection or repair. But, alas, this does not always happen. If you need to lift the car completely or one side from the front and rear, then chocks can come to the rescue. By block, in this case, we mean an object like a very ordinary wooden stump with a round cross-section and height – the maximum point for raising the jack. In general, not every type of jack is a safe device, when used you can safely work under the car.

There are jacks that require a good coating, a flat surface, and strong body elements against which it will rest while lifting the car. Without good and reliable jacks, the same pads will come to the rescue. So, to begin with, such stumps (or other similar objects that are not inferior in strength and size) need to be found. The larger their diameter, the better and safer. First, one of the sides of the car is lifted with a jack, a block is placed (necessarily in a place that will withstand the load of the car), then the car is lowered with a jack onto the block, and the action is repeated on the other side. This way you can put the whole car on blocks.

Bricks and boards

There is another option to increase the space under the car. It does not involve the use of a lifting device such as a jack. According to this method, you must drive onto the strips you have built from bricks or very strong boards. The space between the ground and the car will increase, and you will be able to crawl between these stripes along the car. To do this you will need strong whole bricks or durable boards. The width of such a strip should be greater than the width of the wheel, and the length should be sufficient to drive all four wheels. If the lane width is too narrow, there is a risk of the vehicle stalling, which will drastically reduce the space for repairs and put your life at risk. During such repairs, it will not be superfluous to ensure your safety by placing the same block under the power elements of the body. At least one, in the place where you will be under the car. There is no need to lower the body onto it, just in case of any unforeseen situation (dumping the car), it will be able to take the blow and leave space for you to get out from under the car. However, bricks and boards can add only a little free space for your renovation work.

Border

In some cases, you can use the following method: drive the front, rear or side wheels onto the curb and secure the vehicle. There will be a gap under the car where you can climb in and begin inspecting the condition of the components or parts that interest you. However, there will be little space. In addition, starting to inspect the engine from the bottom will be problematic. This option will be convenient when you need to inspect components located in the center of the car with a slight offset to the front or rear of the car. For example, if it is necessary to inspect the middle part of the exhaust system, brake hoses, the condition of the body for corrosion, and individual suspension elements.

Surface roughness

The earth’s surface is not always perfectly flat. You can often see holes, deflections, depressions, both on the ground and on poor-quality asphalt surfaces. By placing the car above such a surface area, you can try to crawl under the car, provided that the deflection is under the central part of the car and the wheels are located on an elevated part of the surrounding space. This method does not require additional means and structures (jacks, blocks, strips of bricks and boards, curbs, etc.). The only important thing is to find such a place. In urban areas this will be much more difficult to do than in areas with private buildings or suburbs.

Overpass and renting a garage

If you live next to a driving school and can negotiate with its administration about temporarily renting an overpass (for example, in the evening), this is also an option. However, this option has a significant drawback – time limitation. You will not be able to extend your rental period if classes begin at the site. Renting a garage with a pit is another matter. Try to find a person who has his own garage and is willing to provide it for temporary use for a fee. You can almost always find the cheapest option. If, for example, a person has an empty garage, why not earn at least a penny by renting it out? And even if you don’t meet the deadline, you will have the opportunity to ask the garage owner to extend your stay to continue repairs. Naturally, for an additional fee.

Afterword

Sometimes, it is easier to gain access to some components of the car located in its lower part by unscrewing and removing one of the wheels, as well as the wheel arch liner (protection above the wheel). This will give you more free space.
When performing your own repairs to a car without a pit, while under its body, do not forget about simple safety rules:

• Always put your car in gear and with the handbrake on;
• place “feet” (objects that will prevent it from rolling) under the wheels;
• use blocks so that if the car falls off (from the jacks or the strip), it is the car that takes the blow, and not your body.

Be careful and take care of yourself.

REMEMBER: You can always contact our car service center, where your car will be happy to receive professional technical assistance. You can also make an appointment with us for a scheduled technical inspection! Please familiarize yourself with our car repair and diagnostic services.