Diy Car ramps

[mulaz]

Going to make some car ramps before the winter so that i can get good access at the underside.
i was thinking along the lines of large ramps made from angle iron,
but then i came accross these wooden ramps at http://corvettec3.ca/ramps.htm
and thought that i would share this to you all.

[PW@Woodsport]

There is no way on this earth i would ever get under a car supported by wooden boxes, end of story.

I wouldn't even build these out of steel, proper ramps go through safety checks and regulations to meet strict standards, sorry i just think it's something you don't want to mess with.

[Jim-SR]

wood is seriously strong stuff if used in the right way (compression). it supports much heavier items than cars, and we rely on its strength every day in other situations. when you look at how those ramps have been constructed they are perfectly strong and safe. as with anything DIY, if it fails then its on you, i wouldnt want to produce them for other people because of the potential for lawsuits. but if you make a set for yourself and do it properly then theyll be spot on.

id trust my life to some DIY-built wooden ramps more than i would to cheap mass produced Chinese junk ramps, axle stands and jacks. i never get under a car unless it has the jack and at least 3 axle stands supporting it. call me paranoid, but you look at the manufacturing quality on jacks and axle stands nowadays and the quality is appalling. wood isnt used as much as it used to be, but its a lot stronger than cheap cast steel!!

[SuperRedMR2]

Yeah I'm going with Paul. The amount of safety checks they would go through would be horrendous! NDT and radiography all over the welds.

Steel is expensive but when used in the correct way its a damnsite stronger than wood any day of the week!

[jem]

Those could EASILY hold a large 4x4. In fact, I'd wager you could drive a 44 tonne truck over them. Wood is immensely strong.

[JohnnyC]

The wood in the photo doesn't look solid though.
It looks to me like it's flat sheets nailed together like a box.

I have homemade ramps, made from modern floorboard material - probably chipboard
But it's perfectly safe as it's just floorboards stacked on top of each other, each one on top shorter than the on it sits on

[kevin..in]

properly put together they should be easily capable of supporting a car, use the wrong screws and your dead! want to chance it?, I wouldn't

[jem]

The wood in the photo doesn't look solid though.
It looks to me like it's flat sheets nailed together like a box.

Look at this pic, those are two 2x6 inch supports side by side every 12 inches or so. To top it off they are capped either side with 12mm plywood.

They are going to be MASSIVELY strong. Far far stronger than the weight applied with a car on them.

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[PW@Woodsport]

Question for those in favour of using DIY wooden ramps.

Would you be happy using them 10 years down the line when a car has been driven over them 100 times, they have got wet/damp and all of those wood screws/joints have play in them? Wood swells and contracts more than any other material.

Not for me thanks! Some things are just not worth the risk.

[Jim-SR]

The wood in the photo doesn't look solid though.
It looks to me like it's flat sheets nailed together like a box.

I have homemade ramps, made from modern floorboard material - probably chipboard
But it's perfectly safe as it's just floorboards stacked on top of each other, each one on top shorter than the on it sits on

you didnt check the link. as has been posted above, there are 2" thick vertical supports every 12". the exterior box is just to hold it all in place, that setup is mega strong.

id bet its stronger than the average Chinese made car ramps you can buy in Halfords.

[jem]

Question for those in favour of using DIY wooden ramps.

Would you be happy using them 10 years down the line when a car has been driven over them 100 times, they have got wet/damp and all of those wood screws/joints have play in them? Wood swells and contracts more than any other material.

Not for me thanks! Some things are just not worth the risk.

For what they would cost to make, just build a new set every couple of years

I recently chucked a pair of 5 year old axle stands, because they were rusty and one of the welds was cracking.

[SuperRedMR2]

Its best to be safe than sorry.

If it was safety tested to be made out of wood, even Halfords would sell wooden ramps!

[jem]

Watch this! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 9343009305#

A long length of 2x6''. It takes 1000KG (the weight of a AW11) to break it.

And that's just one! Those ramps have two 2x6'' every 12'', and they are mounted to take the load in compression, so will be much much stronger.

Bear in mind the weight applied from each wheel is only around 300kg.

[SuperRedMR2]

I've used a set of ramps recently for the last 5 years which my father bought around 35 years ago. The welds have not gone, it is still in good condition and can hold a two tonne volvo. It does depends what monkey welded your 5 year ramps and how the product was finished would determine the durability of the weld.

[PW@Woodsport]

For what they would cost to make, just build a new set every couple of years

No ta.

I've no doubt these would be strong, i just know how much wood moves about over time and swells/contracts with moisture, remember we aren't talking about the safety of the car here, i'd gladly work on the outside of the car with it supported by wood, if it falls it falls, but lie underneath it maybe years after and the joints have loosened with use etc... no thanks!

I think it's a hugely bad idea, having a car fall on top you is a no 2nd chance situation.

Would you lie under wooden ramps someone off this forum had built without knowing their skills?

[jem]

Would you lie under wooden ramps someone off this forum had built without knowing their skills?

Of course not, but I'd make a set myself.

I trust you're going to call a builder on Monday and have all the wooden joists and roof rafters in your house replaced with steel.

[PW@Woodsport]

I've no plans to put my car on the roof repeatedly and live in the loft though do i

[mulaz]

I still think good quality wood can be better than steel at times for certain jobs ,
i have moved machines eg , large presses , printing machines as my job as a maintenance engineer many weighing many tens of tons.The safe practice to used large wooden blocks as packing to support the weight.
wood does not slide easely and also lasts longer than most peole realise

so i would have no problems using a wooden ramp if constructed with quailty wood

[Tiamat]

All depends on how they are constructed, I have used a set built by my Grandfather that were built out of solid pieces of oak. They are far more sturdy than the metal ones and less likely to corrode and snap. They do weigh an awful lot but felt safer with the car on them than on the usual ramps. Had a much higher tyre stop too.

[BMR2L]

I live in a wooden framed house. I'm sure the weight of me and my family and all our stuff on the first floor puts more pressure on bits of the frame than a car might. It does wobble alarmingly in earthquakes or when a big truck does down the street but I'm told thats all part of the design . Point is it doesn't work loose and fall down -- yet.

So if done right with the right fasteners this will work, but the key point is the 'right' part. Which I think is what Paul is on about. The material may be up to the job but the construction may not be.

At the same time I happily crawl around under my car when its up on the Chinese ramps or axle stands so what do I know about safety..

FYI, weights from my last shaken inspection - FR 245kg, FL 240kg, RR 200kg, RL 200kg. Given that the weight bias is the wrong way round I recon they had it on the scales backwards. Or the tester just made it up.... I also have my headlight output in candelas if anyone cares. Loves measuring do the J's.

-AL