Among all of the automotive maintenance tasks performed in the driveways and garages around the US, no job is more common than an owner changing their own oil and today’s Tech Thread Spotlight is all about tips and tricks to make changing the oil in a 3rd generation Dodge Durango a little easier. On paper, removing the oil pan plug, letting the oil drain, removing the oil filter, putting the new filter on, putting the plug back in and draining the oil seems pretty simple but it can get to be quite the mess on some vehicles – and the 3rd gen Durango with the 5.7L Hemi happens to be one of those vehicles.
Fortunately, our 3rd gen Durango section has a lengthy discussion with owners chiming in with tips and tricks that they have found can make changing the oil in their SUV a bit tidier – if not easier. Realistically, some of the ideas offered up apply to far more than just the Durango, such as FSTGANGO3’s suggesting of putting a plastic bag over your hand to catch the oil that runs out as you loosen the filter. That is a trick that will make changing the oil in my Ram, my Stratus and my 72 Demon a much cleaner project so whether or not you have a 3rd gen Durango, this thread might be worth a quick read when you have a few minutes to kill. Also, some owners believe that jacking the vehicle up a bit will give you easier access to the underside of the vehicle – which also applies to more than one Dodge vehicle.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
