So I've always wondered what would happen if one wheel got off a little or I drove too far when using ramps.  Yesterday I found out.  Until yesterday, I had always used my wife as a spotter but she was gone when I wanted to do my oil change.  I checked multiple times for proper alignment, but the driver's side must have got off kilter - I think it skidded on the concrete a bit.  I think it's a bit more challenging to get up on the ramps with a manual trans.  Well I ended up with the ramp on it's side underneath the lower control arm.  When it happened it looked like at least some of the weight was bearing on the tie rod, but an inspection did not show any damage or bending and it drove fine - didn't seem to affect the alignment at all.  Oh, and I ended up completing the oil change, but I decided to go with jack stands in the end.  

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That's just down right scary. I have never been a big fan of ramps for that reason. I can never find a spotter and they do skid if you don't have something under them like a rubber pad.

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Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

+1 on the jack stands, I owned a set of ramps for about a year and they ended up in one of our rummage sales. Took up too much room in the garage and they never seemed to work out that well. Also make sure you're using some decent quality jack stands that are HD enough for your car. I see too many people using the $19.95 specials from the local auto parts store. Mine are HD and my wife still gets nervous when I'm under there with all four corners off the ground. Glad too hear you didnt get hurt or wreck anything !!

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John Sigmund

I remember as a kid my dad driving up on those steel ramps. They would skitter along as he tried to run the car up them. Then I remember a friend of mine drove his car up steel ramps and one collapsed. So I myself have never been a fan of ramps. 

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

I have all three. 
Jack stands
I built a ramp that takes the complete car 18 inches of the ground (makes it easier to wax and work under. 
I also have a set of metal ramps. 

The secret for the metal ramps is to keep the from sliding.  The way I do this is I took a 1/2 plywood cut it 2 inches wider than my ramps and 12 inches longer than the base.  I screw a 1*1 across one end of each board.  I put  the ramps on the boards.  Your tires will go up on the board before they hit the ramps.  Your car holds the ramps in place. 

I even made a couple of guides that keep the spacing of the ramps correct so I do not have to worry about them being to far or not far enough apart.  So all I have to do is drive it up on them.

Same thing works for the big full car ramps I built.

By the way I had a friend of mind spin a ramp up under his car so that the frame was on the ramp and the tires hanging.  Not a good thing to do.


|UPDATED|4/26/2015 8:39:39 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Yeah, I'm probably done with the ramps for awhile.  I might get rid of them, but they don't take up much space in the shop since they're behind it.  If I decide to use them again, I will do something along the lines of what you did, Gilbert, but now that I have a big long handle floor jack, there is not much more time involved to just put it up on stands.  And I have two sets of decent quality 3-ton craftsman stands (still made in China, though ) so I think that's going to be my MO for now.  Thanks, all.  

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TTIWWP




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 Well, I have a set of ramps, steel. I ONLY use them to hold the car up. NEVER drive up on them. I also have a three ton floor garage jack. I use it to raise the car, then use the ramps or jack stands to hold car up. I have four sets of jack stands, so the ramps are the last act to use.

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The problem with most ramps is the angle of attack is too steep, regardless of what they are made of. The race ramps Sarge mentioned are great...they are much longer, and have a lower initial angle on them. The only problem with those is being able to roll around under the car while on them. Since they are longer, they take up some of the real estate you need to crawl around on.
The trick to using a regular, steel ramp is to use a length of wood, or rubber fastened on the front edge....something that the tire can roll  up on BEFORE it gets to the ramp itself. Once the weight of the car is on that, it will hold the ramp(s) in place while you ease up on them. A piece of plywood, or tire tread/rubber belting works well, in most cases. If your garage floor is smooth(ie; slick), you might still have a problem, no matter what. The bestest solution is.....a floor jack and stands. Yeah, it's more trouble and time to do it that way, but....how much is your life worth?

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


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