Drive on car ramps, any experience, making them, using them?

GoceKU

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i'm in the middle of repairing an old small 4x4, i'm doing lot of the work on jack stands but i've come to a point where i need a wheel to roll on and off so i can check articulation and clarence, i've looked around to buy plastic ramps but only one store has them and they are only 10 centimeters high, i've searched google and found only this drawing, looks easy enough to fabricate but i'm concerned about stability side to side, i also want to use the same ramps on my cars for oil changes so i can't make them very high, i'm thinking 20 - 25 centimeters high and 25 centimeters wide, any advice or shared experience is much appreciated.
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Side-to-side strength could be improved by adding a diagonal brace at the large end. Remember, you'll be using two of them, one on each side of the car, so there should not be very much side force.

I would suggest that you add a level area extending beyond the high end of the ramp, so you don't have to worry about the car rolling off. Or about driving forward too far and going off the end :)

Just my two kopek's worth ...
 
I agree with hman: You definitely need a flat platform at the top for both stability and knowing when you've reached the limit. Building a pair could be an interesting exercise, but it seems like a lot of effort for something that's readily available on the market. I bought a pair of steel ramps about twenty years ago, and they're still in great shape. Will undoubtedly last my lifetime, barring any unforeseen tragedies. Here's a link to a pair on e-bay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Solid-Stee...h=item35fa2a8abe:g:b8sAAOSwzhVWrJcz:rk:6:pf:0

If you can't get the link to load, just do an e-bay search on car ramps. You'll find them.

Regards,
Terry
 
If you can find a mobile home front A arms that are disposed of after setting up, they make good ramps for a trailer or car ramps
 
I have full length ramps that are made from 3 X 10 Timbers. They are in two parts. The first part which is the ramp, lifts the wheels by about 12” at the top. Attaching the car length portions lifts the whole car by the 12” and more at the far end. I can try to get photos of the build tomorrow if interested.
 
Harbor Freight do them for 43$ Unless you already have the angle iron welding rods a chop saw and a welder I would buy rather than build.
 
Yeah, flat platform at the end of the ramp, with a stop at the end of it so you don't go off the end of it with no warning.

And depending on the surface the ramp is placed on, you may need to put rubber or something on the bottom of it so you don't just push the ramp forward instead of going up on it.

I bought a set of plastic ramps, which came with some kind of rubber pads that don't work too well. For my truck, I have to use 4wd to get the fronts up on it, in 2wd I'll just push the ramps.
 
Not to denigrate your efforts at being helpful, guys, but please recall that GroceKU is in Macedona. So HF (and other well known US sources) might well be a very long schlep for him ;)
 
Not to denigrate your efforts at being helpful, guys, but please recall that GroceKU is in Macedona. So HF (and other well known US sources) might well be a very long schlep for him ;)

Hman is right, i've said this couple of times, here in Macedonia we do not have: Harbor Freight, Lows, Walmart, none of the "cheap tool stores", in fact almost no made in usa tools at all, ordering online is also expensive, because of the shipping and the high import duties, i've had couple instances where the import duties are double the price of the item, also with monthly income of 200 - 300$ even the cheap stuff is expensive for here.
The wooden ramps do see more sturdy and less prone to slipping but i'm not much of a wood worker and they look heavy.
 
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