Hey, quick question. I just changed my oil again the other day, and it got my wondering...am I the only person here who takes off the front right tire to get at the oil filter, or do some of the rest of you do it too?

Just curious.

Nope, just have the front jacked up on two stands. And reach my long a$$ arm under there. Not much room to get my gripper on there, and I always manage to dent the hell out of the one that I am taking out. I did a tire rotation the other day and saw how easy it is to get to the filter when the tire is off. But I'd rather just do without taking it off. But it would seem easier to get to the filter that way.

nope. I take mine to the Auto Crafts Shop, put it on the lift, then remove. I torque my filter to hand tight and rarely need the tool. the oil does tend to make a mess of the control arm, though.

I was also thinking the same thing when i did my first oil change a couple weeks ago. but i just ended up jacking the front up and got underneath the car. no problem, but it might be easier takin off the front wheel.

you dont need to remove the tire..... when its jacked up just turn the wheel all the way to the right......makes a ton of room to get it off and theres no hasses of takeing the wheel off:)

yes i take off the wheel ... its easyer that way lol

I do it like 2fast4u does it. I have a good 2 ton floor jack, I run it up on that, stick in a jack stand, turn the wheel all way over, and don't have much trouble getting the filter off.

Speaking of which, I once bought an old Caprice that I actually had to impale with a big azz #3 phillips, pounded in with a hammer, to use as leverage to get the filter off. That was no fun. And that was with the 400 small block OUT of the car.

Same here, I use a 3 ton floor jack, jack stand, and turn the wheel.

spillway, someone must've used a torque wrench on that oil filter...

Now that I hadn't thought of...I'll have to remember that in 3000 miles. lol

It was the first time I had actually changed my oil; the second time it has been changed since I got it. My friend showed me how last time, and this time, despite the fact that he's changed oil plenty of times in plenty of cars, I did it without making a mess, and without getting my hands dirty (excluding the crap on the bottom of the car). He took the filter off while I was putting the nut back in, and got oil on the ground. *shakes head* Just goes to show you, experience doesn't always beat intelligence.

i had a f250 that i changed the oil on ... and wow ... i tryed a filter wrench ... channel locks ... screwdriver ... everything i tore the whole filter apart then took the threads off ... what a nightmare lol

ya i just take the wheel off and do it

i have always taken the wheel off, never thought of turning it before

You don't NEED to take the tire off, but I have my jack right there in the garage so I usually do, just to make it easier, and to make cleanup possible.

A few times I've been in a hurry I've just reached around... its tight!
Then theres the time I was changing my oil at a beach house in myrtle beach, with a constant strong ocean wind and the oil being fully hot.... just blew ALL over the place. (don't ask what I did with the drained oil)

Doesn't anyone else use those awesome black plastic ramps? They are $30 at any parts store. The front wheel drive crawls up them nicely without pushing them away like RWD cars do. They are rated for 6000 pounds, so they are very safe. You just need to be careful when you back down so you don't catch your front facia. My driveway is sloped some, so I back my car into my garage slightly and then drive back downhill onto the ramps. That way the car is more level.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41MN99KEYYL._SS500_.jpg

That gets you off the ground just fine (although the only people I know who have ramps are taller ones I can't get my car up on), but I feel that taking the tire off gives you a better angel to get at the filter, and therefore more leverage, than attacking it from underneath.