I need to know how much clearance I need from the ground
01-08-2013, 09:20 AM
#1
I need to know how much clearance I need from the ground Im going to rebuild my tranny and am going to purchase a tranny jack today and also some ramps but I cant find any ramps that look high enough local. How high do the ramps need to be or how much clearance from the ground to the bottom of the truck do I need to roll the tranny out on the jack. I can make some wood ramps if need be. I just dont know how tall they should be for clearance. Its an 06 Escalade with a 4L65E.
01-08-2013, 02:16 PM
#2
Moderator
This give you some idea how high I have to get my car:
6-ton Jack stands on Cinderblocks with 2x12" Treated lumber. The rear axle is also up high on another set of 6-ton Jackstands.
I have the intermediate sized (800 lb) HarborFreight transmission jack which I like very well. (Skip the real cheap one.) It only goes down to 8"; add to that the 15" height of the bell housing and I need 23" clearance under my frame rails. (By moving the bellhousing very close to the tire, I can get away with a bit less.)
I do a bunch of things before raising my car, like removing the two top-most trans bolts from within the engine compartment. Then I raise it up to the max of the Jackstands and remove one header, starter motor and loosen the remaining bolts a bit. Also drain the fluid via my drain plug into a funnel and into two clean gallon jugs for reuse. Then it goes to the max height and I remove the driveshaft, position the trans jack, raise it a bit and remove the crossmember. I keep my floor jack under the oil pan so that the engine does not tip back too far. I drop the trans a bit and remove the oil lines and electrical plug. Last remove the already-loose bolts and slide the trans back and lower it. (Probably missed a step or two here.)
6-ton Jack stands on Cinderblocks with 2x12" Treated lumber. The rear axle is also up high on another set of 6-ton Jackstands.
I have the intermediate sized (800 lb) HarborFreight transmission jack which I like very well. (Skip the real cheap one.) It only goes down to 8"; add to that the 15" height of the bell housing and I need 23" clearance under my frame rails. (By moving the bellhousing very close to the tire, I can get away with a bit less.)
I do a bunch of things before raising my car, like removing the two top-most trans bolts from within the engine compartment. Then I raise it up to the max of the Jackstands and remove one header, starter motor and loosen the remaining bolts a bit. Also drain the fluid via my drain plug into a funnel and into two clean gallon jugs for reuse. Then it goes to the max height and I remove the driveshaft, position the trans jack, raise it a bit and remove the crossmember. I keep my floor jack under the oil pan so that the engine does not tip back too far. I drop the trans a bit and remove the oil lines and electrical plug. Last remove the already-loose bolts and slide the trans back and lower it. (Probably missed a step or two here.)
01-08-2013, 04:23 PM
#3
Thanks for the ideas. I appreciate it a lot. I was considering building a ramp to drive the front of the car up onto but had no idea how tall to make the ramp. Knowing what the clearance is now I think I may be able to get it right the first time.
Thanks for the help on the other thread. I talked to the guy at at Ebay and got the kit to rebuild it and I talked to the gentleman you mentioned and he was indeed as you said a very helpful and informative guy. Thanks again for that lead.
Thanks for the help on the other thread. I talked to the guy at at Ebay and got the kit to rebuild it and I talked to the gentleman you mentioned and he was indeed as you said a very helpful and informative guy. Thanks again for that lead.
