I am getting ready to change my CV fluid but decided my single arm hydraulic lift won't cut it for this job. Then I planned to buy a set of the nifty and lightweight RhinoRamps until I read some of the reviews. Mostly good, but enough reports of catastrophic failures to give me pause. I'd also use the lifts on my wife's Prius V, btw. Since I am a worry wart by nature, I thought I'd come to my fav PriusChat forum to find out what the rest of you guys are using for ramps. Thanks.
Yea... There seems to be an epidemic of cheap short-lived plastic everything everywhere these days. For me, I use some old rusty metal ones I got from a free pile and they have served me well for more than 15 years! If I ever get an air compressor powerful enough for my big blasting cabinet I'll probably restore them to like new condition with spray paint that matches the color of my car.
I use Rhino Ramps. No problems in more than 10 years. No evidence of impending implosion or catastrophic failure. Keep them out of the sun.
I made a set out of 2x12’s and 4x4’s that I had laying around from around the house projects. If it can hold up a house, it’ll hold up a Prius . A lot better than jack stands too.
I have the plastic model from Harbor Freight and have used it many times. If you can find one near you, they have both plastic and metal versions. Both with hold 4 Pirus C's stacked on top of each other.
Considering the car should be level for the transaxle fluid fill, to get the level right: I would run the front up on ramps, then raise the rear with floor jack. And to be safe, you should settle the rear on safety stands. Personally, ramps make me nervous. I stopped using them over 30 years back; stick with floor jack, safety stands and wheel chocks. Plus whenever practical/possible, I put a largish section of tree trunk under a main beam first, just in case.
You guys are making me nervous now. I have the rhino stands. Had for about 5 years. I guess I will go back to floor jack, jack stands and something else to prevent an accident.
I wouldn't worry about it. In the OP, there was a vague reference to some problems people have had with these ramps. Inspect your ramps and if they are still in good condition, keep using them. They aren't going to go from good condition to sudden and catastrophic failure with one drive onto them. Note that the ramps are rated for quite a bit more load than a Prius applies. Like any other piece of lifting or supporting equipment, regular inspection is advised. Even jackstands have been known to fail eventually if they have cracks or other damage.
