This is one of those good ideas turn bad. A car lift in your home garage is a dream come true for most owners but the cost can prove to be a nightmare. And this does not only pertain to the very price of the lift but for the extra cost that goes with additional concrete works that needs to be done to accommodate the lift not to mention the creation of a proper and environmentally-sound drainage.

Lucky for those who have $1,400 there is the Eastwood Tilt-A-Car which is a much affordable option but of course as expected from inexpensive gadgets there are some features that are sacrificed. Since it lacks much of the convenience of a lift you would have to drain all the fluids off your car before you can start lifting your car on its side.

And according to Eastwood their Tilt-A-Car can lift a car or truck weighing up to 6,800 pounds all the way up to 90 degrees. "There are two rocker assembles attached to the wheel lugs on one side of the vehicle while a threaded lift screw connects to the lugs of a wheel on the opposite side. A 3/8" corded or cordless drill then lifts the car up by pulling the ends of the threaded rod inward."

By the way the price of $1,400 doesn't yet include the freight shipping which means that it would still cost your more.

But of course for those of us that doesn't have the extra $1,400 to waste on a car lift contraption then I guess we'll just have to settle for the good old reliable jacks that we have although a lift can provide us with better access to the underbody for rust repairs and repainting than the jacks.

Anyway even with car jacks we still have to make sure that we are doing things correctly.  Usually, we use jacks when replacing tires since underbody rust repairs and repainting are done at car repair shops, obviously since they are meant for the pro.

And speaking of jacking your car the right way, ehow.com has the instructions to help you do it correctly:

1.    Secure your car by parking it on a level ground. Don't forget to pull up the parking brake. Leave the manual transmission in first gear or reverse and then put automatics in park.
2.    Don't forget to place a chock or a brick behind or in front of the wheel diagonally opposite one being jacked up depending on the road's incline.
3.    Place the jack under the car's frame nearest the wheel to be jacked up. Look for the thin lip that runs along the side of your car since this is where you should place the jack. Consult your owner's manual to be guided on where the safest place to position the jack.  And remember that bumper jacks are attached to slots in the front or rear bumper on much older models.
4.    Once the jack is properly positioned, insert the handle according to the directions on the jack, and then turn the ratchet the handle to make the jack rise. In instances where it doesn't badge or cannot be turn, try to rotate the handle the other way, or flip the switch marked R and L which stands for raise and lower.
5.    Try to raise the hack high enough to replace your tire or simply to place the car on a jack stand. If you are to change a flat tire don't forget to leave an extra room since new tires are full of air and therefore more bloated as compared to the tire you removed.
6.    After you are through, lower the jack but be sure to do this carefully and cautiously. If you used a jack stand remember that before lowering the jack you will have to raise the car slightly to pull the stand from its place.

Hope the above instructions prove to be of help to you.