homemade car ramps. (no laughing) - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mytmousemalibu · #16 03-28-2015, 03:38 AM

I wouldn't fear using those as long as you have a failsafe. I actually made some nice little ramps from flat plywood that are about 3" tall for winching our race cars into the trailer because they are very low and it's easier on things than trying to make it roll over a 3" tall jump to the ramp door.

Glad your not attempting this death trap

vstech · #17 03-28-2015, 05:09 AM

What's wrong with the death trap? The OSB covers the construction, so hard to tell if it's a stack or a box... I see bars connecting the stacks together... It should be stable...

vstech · #18 03-28-2015, 05:21 AM

Mmmmmm!

http://youtu.be/4Sj3CIbMaY0

mytmousemalibu · #19 03-28-2015, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

What's wrong with the death trap? The OSB covers the construction, so hard to tell if it's a stack or a box... I see bars connecting the stacks together... It should be stable...

True, can't see internal construction But his 2 tie-bars look like some pine 1x2's and the ramps look so sturdy.... You couldn't pay me to crawl under that Vette.
My dad was a firefighter for quite a few years and responded to calls of people crushed to death under cars. I have been told too much!

mochasc · #20 03-28-2015, 07:57 AM

I have a set of 4 of these made from 2x12s with 45 deg angled inclines. I had previously used them for a newer 911 to change oil and needed the width to accomodate the tires. They work well and are quite stable when used with redundant support like OP describes. I like the extra width for safety and stability.

Mine are heavy but have come in handy many times. My only problem was having to apply rubberized backing on the bottom. It turns out that a slippery garage floor doesn't want to hold the ramp in one place. Using them for the front led to a bit of sliding.

TheDon · #21 03-28-2015, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Stokes

PLEASE do your loved ones a favor and NEVER work under a car on ramps. I know 2 guys (1 a HS friend) who were killed - crushed to death - doing just that. The issue is that if you apply side force to a bolt (say, the bellhousing bolts) it's quite easy to topple the ramps over sideways and this = instant death.

Buy a decent floor jack (trolly jack in England) and a set of RATCHET jackstands (not the tubing with thru holes and a pin to hold them up). I have Harbor Freight stuff and it's OK. Once everything is in place I've never had an issue with them. Even with the jackstands, shake the car as hard as you can once it's up to be sure everything is stable.

I got rid of my ratcheting jack stands because I did not trust the ratcheting mechanism at all. I bought a beefy pair of stands that use a pretty beefy pin and flat base to support my cars

vstech · #22 03-28-2015, 08:03 AM

I google searched home made car ramps... Some seriously scary ones out there...

Jeremy5848 · #23 03-28-2015, 10:35 AM

I was raised in an era when metal = good and plastic = cheap. I would have a hard time putting my cars on a plastic ramp. (It's a psychological thing; the engineer side of my brain says it's OK). My metal ramps, bought ~40 years ago when I was poor, have served well over the years. I've always been leery of their stamped-sheet-metal construction but have not had a problem—yet.

The problem with all ramps, especially on my slick concrete garage floor, is keeping them still while I drive the car up on them. This has been mentioned here and the OP's solution probably could be adapted to any ramp.

Jeremy

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

These work great, made in USA, and readily available at your friendly neighborhood WallyWorld...

RhinoRamps, Black - Walmart.com

pgringo · #24 03-28-2015, 03:07 PM

I second or third placing an extra wheel under the car.

vstech · #25 03-28-2015, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

I was raised in an era when metal = good and plastic = cheap. I would have a hard time putting my cars on a plastic ramp. (It's a psychological thing; the engineer side of my brain says it's OK). My metal ramps, bought ~40 years ago when I was poor, have served well over the years. I've always been leery of their stamped-sheet-metal construction but have not had a problem—yet.

The problem with all ramps, especially on my slick concrete garage floor, is keeping them still while I drive the car up on them. This has been mentioned here and the OP's solution probably could be adapted to any ramp.

Jeremy

I've seen full size box trucks sitting on the stamped metal ramps... While I'm SURE it's outside the rated capacity of the ramps, they held up to a 12 ton box truck... NO FREAKING WAY ID TRUST ANY PART OF MY BODY UNDER IT... The fact stands they held up the truck... Steel stands were there to back up the ramps, and a jack was there holding up the engine... Still... Amazing to me. I'll find the picture I took... Freaked me out.

funola · #26 03-29-2015, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Stokes

PLEASE do your loved ones a favor and NEVER work under a car on ramps. I know 2 guys (1 a HS friend) who were killed - crushed to death - doing just that. The issue is that if you apply side force to a bolt (say, the bellhousing bolts) it's quite easy to topple the ramps over sideways and this = instant death.

Buy a decent floor jack (trolly jack in England) and a set of RATCHET jackstands (not the tubing with thru holes and a pin to hold them up). I have Harbor Freight stuff and it's OK. Once everything is in place I've never had an issue with them. Even with the jackstands, shake the car as hard as you can once it's up to be sure everything is stable. I even do that every time I set up a car on my hoist - no reason taking chances.

I admire your design talents but I really don't want to hear of your untimely demise. BTW - the set of ramps that killed my HS friend were welded angle iron made by his Dad who was an engineer at the GM Proving Grounds - they were stout and well designed. So this isn't about some crappy off-shore equipment failure. His family had used them for years but he evidently had to pull hard on a sideways bolt and Jim's gone now.

It's tempting to use these because they are SO quick to get a car off the ground. You just put them in place and drive up. They SEEM like such a great idea and they would be if not for physics. The taller they are the more tippy and they need to be fairly tall to be useful.

Like I said - PLEASE don't use these.

Dan

Why do you think ramps are more prone to topple over than jack stands? Height of the vehicle raised (has to do with leverage or moment arm) and foot print of the jack stand or ramps determines how prone the car will topple over. car ramps easily have 10 times the footprint than jack stands so ramps are much less likely to topple over.

There was a post a few years ago on this forum by a father about his son who died when the ratchet mechanism of the jack stand failed. I'll see if I can find that post later.

funola · #27 03-29-2015, 10:20 AM

Found it OT: but always on topic... secure raised vehicles!

The father's account of the incident was copied into post #13 by a forum member.

I did some tests on my own ratcheting jack stands and solemnly discovered that when the ratchet mechanism releases (while being loaded), it drops all the way to the bottom. I bet very few people know that. I still have my ratcheting jack stands but I use them at the lowest position when possible or I back them up if I need them higher.

vstech · #28 03-29-2015, 10:25 AM

I still say ratcheting jack stands CANNOT drop with the weight of a vehicle on them.
No POSSIBLE way to disengage the ratchet. Shear pin will give before vehicle weight is lifted to release the ratchet.

BillGrissom · #29 03-29-2015, 11:43 AM

Anyone who has been to a developing country can relate the risky things you see there every day. In SE Asia, a family on a 150 cc motorcycle, the wife sitting sideways in a slippery silk dress with only one foot on a foot-peg, holding groceries and two kids, while daddy thinks he is a race driver. Accidents are common, but always "bad luck". We were the same way in the U.S., until people learned. The death rate per passenger mile was much higher in the 1950's w/ all the 2-lane highways. I recall working on cars w/ just a bumper jack long ago. I never crawled under one that way, but did have one turn over in sand during a brake job and stopped using them altogether after seeing the ratchet slip in some. That was all most people had back then. I recall car ramps and frame supports becoming common in stores by the 1980's.

rob300SD · #30 03-29-2015, 12:28 PM

My jackstand maybe only has a 6 inch base. So how can these squat 2x8 ramps be any more tippy. They look pretty wide.
I only usually use one jack stand. So 3 wheels are on the ground. I use wheel chocks as well and set the e-brake. Good to make sure things are stable.