Diy Car ramps

[mulaz]

Or in alley if you want @http://www.levo-artis.com/index.html

[mulaz]

or steel @ http://www.restorationramps.co.uk/phdi/ ... ent&part=2

[alfiembra]

Can see both arguements here and agree with all the safety concerns about their construction.
I have a soft spot for timber though and wouldn't completely discount it. Timber doesn't tend to fail in a sudden manner it splits and cracks and groans and to some extent fails slowly, so if it was overstressed I think you would get plenty of warning. But I'd temper that statement by stressing that the quality of the construction and material and fixings is paramount. Cheap ramps or axle stands with poor workmanship have the potential for sudden and catastrophic failure.

Alan

[jem]

Or in alley if you want @http://www.levo-artis.com/index.html

I would expect the wood ramps are stronger than those.

[JohnnyC]

Just rent this bloke




Here he is when he was growing up

[sloopeh]

this is quite a problem for me. even when i put the car on ramps, stick a spare wheel under the car just in case and whack a few axle stands in for good measure, i still find it hard getting under the car.

i think i have ubdercarphobia or something...

the whole world is ready for a new product to let you get under your car safely and without spending ££££s

can someopne invent something pls :p

[PW@Woodsport]

Proper stuff already exists, this is what i use for my own car, fully mobile... you can move the whole thing around even with a car on it, it cost £800 but priceless in terms of accessibility and safety.

[Lauren]

Or just use axle stands, I'd rather that than use ramps in all honesty.

[mulaz]

for some great and unusual car lifting devices try

http://www.cjautos.site90.net/
i like the look of these but the price puts me off

[ulysess1966]

When I was growing up I saw all sorts of car ramps made out of tree trunks and railway sleepers and so on (we're like that in Ireland) and nobody ever came to much grief. The odd lost arm, but sure...

Five years ago I took up a lot of decking from behind the house I was living in to make a vegetable patch and re-used the wood to make among other things a bunk bed and a set of ramps not unlike the ones on the picture, although probably a bit heavier. They're well treated with creosote and don't lie out in the rain and have supported the weight of a Renault RX4 as well as having my MR2 sitting on them for extended periods.

Much cheaper building your own, but make a good job of it.

[ulysess1966]

These are my decking ramps...

[JMR_AW11]

Most of the home made ramps in this thread look dodgy to me.

The first set are crap for several reasons. For a start I wouldn't let anyone drive my car onto those ramps let alone get under the car. I don't care how strong wood can be those ramps were designed by a fool.

The only way I will get under a car is if it is on proper ramps at a professional garage.

[OlberJ]

Proper stuff already exists, this is what i use for my own car, fully mobile... you can move the whole thing around even with a car on it, it cost £800 but priceless in terms of accessibility and safety.

Image Replaced With URL For Quote http://url.photobucket.com/albums/v624/ ... 009011.jpg

That'll be the one with the sticker on it that says what again?

[jem]

The first set are crap for several reasons.

Care to elaborate on your judgement?

[ulysess1966]

For my money the winner of 'Dodgiest Ramps' goes to those things made out of Bacofoil that the E-type is sitting on (is it an E-type?). That whole thing looks like a light breeze would knock it over. Clearly someone had faith putting a car like that up there, sooner them than me.

As for only going under a car on ramps at a professional garage, it kind of rules out being a home mechanic.

I remember an episode of Casualty where this guy was working on a Hillman Imp up on steel ramps and it went on fire and he got torched. Nothing to do with the ramps, just saying... I'll get my coat.

[Moustachio]

Whats wrong with using just the original Toyota scissor jack

seriously like the look of those cjautos ramp/jack.. but like you say a bit on the pricey side.

[JMR_AW11]

The first set are crap for several reasons.

Care to elaborate on your judgement?

It ought to be obvious to anyone why those ramps are unsafe.

There's no 'guide' runners to prevent the car running off the side of the ramp or the flat sections.

The sloped runup is ridiculously insecure, inadequate and unsafe.

I don't see anything to stop the car rolling backwards off the ramps.

I don't know how much the platforms weigh but I'd imagine an unskilled driver could make the whole mess move forwards or separate at some critical moment (either on the way up or down) resulting in a trashed car.

There's no guarantee as to the integrity of the wood used or the fixings that hold the sorry mess together. As the car drives onto the ramp and moves along it the stresses and strains within the structure will change quite rapidly and if there is a weakness then this is the moment it will show itself.

BTW, I'm not disputing that wood is a strong material if used correctly.

Those ramps should be on the same H&S nightmare video as the skateboard ramps posted on here a few weeks ago

[greglebon]

If you look at the E-Type pic, you can see that its just a rolling chassis, is it not?

Without knowing the circumstances, its difficult to judge if that is really dangerous or not....

Perhaps they were just doing body repairs to the underside of the car?

I'm curious as to how they got it up there, as the stops are on the rear end? I'm thinking they basically rolled it up the ramps, then jacked up the rear end and put the ally supports in.....?

Going back to the original Corvette pic, I would have liked to see them drive that up there....!
Are the ramp planks actually fixed to the boxes...!

Surely when the front tyres were between the black supports under the ramps, and the top of the ramps, the thin planks would have the full weight of the engine on them at that point? (IYSWIM?)


...unless it too is just a rolling shell...?

[dylbie]

The first set are crap for several reasons.

Care to elaborate on your judgement?

It ought to be obvious to anyone why those ramps are unsafe.

There's no 'guide' runners to prevent the car running off the side of the ramp or the flat sections.

The sloped runup is ridiculously insecure, inadequate and unsafe.

I don't see anything to stop the car rolling backwards off the ramps.

I don't know how much the platforms weigh but I'd imagine an unskilled driver could make the whole mess move forwards or separate at some critical moment (either on the way up or down) resulting in a trashed car.

There's no guarantee as to the integrity of the wood used or the fixings that hold the sorry mess together. As the car drives onto the ramp and moves along it the stresses and strains within the structure will change quite rapidly and if there is a weakness then this is the moment it will show itself.

BTW, I'm not disputing that wood is a strong material if used correctly.

Those ramps should be on the same H&S nightmare video as the skateboard ramps posted on here a few weeks ago

I agree completely JMR. Those ramps look very prone to collapse longitudinally if you know what I mean. There doesnt seem to be any bracing between the supports, and only a few nails holding it together.

I think a ramp could easily be made out of wood, but only if it is a good quality hard wood is used, and the design uses proper bracing, a better design structure, and proper wood joints. Or do what ulysess has done and just stack the wood. Not much can fail there really.

As for the original scissor jack Moustachio, have you ever used one?! I had a blowout in the rain last year. After about a million turns of the jack, a hand with skinned knuckles, and about 3 hours later, I finally got the wheel off the ground!!!

[1000 PR]

The expensive ramps are great but it's difficult for the average MR2 owner to justify paying £800+ and at that price you may as well have an account with your local garage!

Axle stands were designed for cars with axles so they don't work brilliantly on an MR2 and when I use them I'm always aware that with too much force the car could wobble off them!

Paul Wood's lift is fine if you have the room for it but what if you need to work on the middle part of the car? and surely this can damage the sills?

I am quite tempted to make some ramps out of some railway sleepers - which are nice and wide at 25cm; and being very solid are not going to collapse!