Car ramps

[Jaff.]

Ok so I had a near miss last weekend when the car slipped off the axle stand I had it on and trapped my knee under it and give me quite a bad arm so I’m looking to buy something that stops me having to use a jack and axle stands.

I dont have the head clearance or the space realistically for a proper 2 poster ramp so I’m looking at half lift stuff and stuff that’s preferably portable. Any experiences and or recommendations?

I’m not too bothered on price currently as it’s a small price to pay for my life. Last week was too close to being my last

 

[Knuckles]

I can’t believe your knee dented the car!

Are you walking ok?

 

[JB21]

Jesus, lucky escape then. Where were the axel stands placed?

It happened to me on the Clio once where I had the front stands to far back on the chassis beams and when taking the rear wheels off it tipped forward. I just place them right next to the a-frames now, no issues since.

 

[Jaff.]

I can’t believe your knee dented the car!

Are you walking ok?

Yeah knee is just black and blue lol, my arm took the brunt of it though and is still difficult to move. Thankfully my leg wasn’t any further under otherwise I recon I’d have lost it.

@JB21 i was taking the car off the stands when it slipped off the remaining one. I normally put the stands on the rear of the subframe.

I’ve never been happy working on a car on axle stands and this incident has just reinforced that, hence the post here:grimacing:

 

[chris blue]

Sounds frightening Jeff. I use axle stands a lot, but always leave the trolley jack raised around the location where i am working
Shortly getting a lightweight trolley jack, then i will use 2 still raised as a back up to axle stands

Its working on ramps that concerns me for some reason

 

[Jaff.]

It was a wake up call, I’ve never been happy working under axle stands but needs must, and I’ll be doing it this week at some point no doubt but I want something a bit... safer?

 

[chris blue]

There was a chap in Kent last year, hit the headlines, got killed working under a car without axle stands, the jack gave way. He was there couple hours apparently

Not trying to pee you off, i dont liking getting well under either, but if you go under then its axle stands AND trolley jack for me

I wanted a house with a large pit, when we moved 5 year ago, and a double garage- wife didnt like the house.....😂

 

[STEVE.M]

I always slide the wheels under the car as a safety net.

 

[chris blue]

I always slide the wheels under the car as a safety net.

Fair point, but sometimes you can be working under the car without taking any wheels off
Always best if someone else is around too

 

[Mr R.]

I'd love one of these, seem very popular.

 

[STEVE.M]

Fair point, but sometimes you can be working under the car without taking any wheels off
Always best if someone else is around too

A breaker will probably give you 4 old steelies with bald tyres, doesn`t matter what they are.

 

[chris blue]

I'd love one of these, seem very popular.

Not sure I'd feel safe under that- hardly looks Industrial strength

 

[Mr R.]

Not sure I'd feel safe under that- hardly looks Industrial strength

They're hydraulic with a lock system as they go up.

 

[Knuckles]

They're hydraulic with a lock system as they go up.

I think it’s the joint angles and box section thickness he’s on about. Made me uneasy too.

It’s a good idea, I just wouldn’t want to be under anything so flimsy which is also kicked over

 

[Mr R.]

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

After a fireman mate told me a story a few weeks ago, I'll never work properly underneath a car again.
If you don't need to remove the wheels, then the drive up style ramps are probably the safest?

 

[Mr R.]

After a fireman mate told me a story a few weeks ago, I'll never work properly underneath a car again.
If you don't need to remove the wheels, then the drive up style ramps are probably the safest?

I've been working under cars on axel stands for years and years. From Aston Martin's to Mini's and never had any issues I removed the rear diff/suspetion on my car on my drive, again without any problems, it didn't entry and kill me but then I know where to place the stands.

Axel stands are safe, it's the people that place them under the car that are not.

 

[Jaff.]

Yeah I like that ranger hydraulic lift - ticks a lot of the boxes but not entirely sold on them.

If I could keep the wheels on I normally would but a lot of work requires the wheels to be off

 

[Mr R.]

Yeah I like that ranger hydraulic lift - ticks a lot of the boxes but not entirely sold on them.

If I could keep the wheels on I normally would but a lot of work requires the wheels to be off

I think they do a larger type mate, just one big ramp with a low lift height. Car detailers use them.

 

[Louis]

For my final year at uni I sent out a questionnaire about vehicle safety etc and did a lot of research into it all. The amount of people who had vehicles fall off axle stands and ramps was incredible. Granted a lot were using incorrect methods to secure the car (bricks and milk crates come to mind) but the rest were using proper methods.

I did design a product that I'm hoping to take forward (have the design right for it etc.) but it's finding the time now I'm at work all the time!
Virtually eliminates a lot of the risk associated with jacking and securing a car but like I say, it's still in development so doesn't help you now!

 

[imprezaworks]

I’ve allwats liked you ^

% of future profits

 

[Knuckles]

Hmmm.


I may be sold.

https://www.quickjacklift.co.uk/

 

[chris blue]

The diameter of the struts on the New Ranger lift hardly look substantial to me. Sure they are fit for purpose but lifting the whole car by the looks, not so sure I'd feel comfortable. Pistons can give.

Least with a trolley jack placed in the area that you are working for insurance, with axle stands that are usually pretty meaty, is not far off best what a DIYer can achieve IMO

Or- the best option- a Pit. No jacking of the car, no balancing, no creaking etc etc

 

[Jaff.]

A pit is no use and it gets in the way.

When hydraulics give they go gently, not suddenly like an axle stand, plus that ranger has a safety pole I the hydraulics do give

 

[Crybert]

For my final year at uni I sent out a questionnaire about vehicle safety etc and did a lot of research into it all. The amount of people who had vehicles fall off axle stands and ramps was incredible. Granted a lot were using incorrect methods to secure the car (bricks and milk crates come to mind) but the rest were using proper methods.

I did design a product that I'm hoping to take forward (have the design right for it etc.) but it's finding the time now I'm at work all the time!
Virtually eliminates a lot of the risk associated with jacking and securing a car but like I say, it's still in development so doesn't help you now!

Something that attaches to the hub and lifts the car that way?

 

[Louis]

Something that attaches to the hub and lifts the car that way?

Attaching to a hub compresses the suspension when lifting, which means you may as well just drive onto ramps. Only good if wanting to work on the exhaust and stuff really!

 

[JB21]

Seen a guy using a trolley jack lifting his Clio on grass at CSF. Sure it made the recent web site for CSF17 as well.

 

[DrR]

My biggest issue with cars is, the place you jack it up is where you wanna put the axle stands.

When I jack mine I have the jack, axle stands and bricks holding it.

 

[JamesBryan]

Seen a guy using a trolley jack lifting his Clio on grass at CSF. Sure it made the recent web site for CSF17 as well.

Yeah that was a bit dodgey.

As said earlier though, stands are plenty safe enough if used in the right way.

 

[P-Co]

Just to add to this, i've been looking for something small and easy for lifting in the garage and the ranger lift i thought was a bit flimsy too until i watched this video of them

 

[Jaff.]

Just to add to this, i've been looking for something small and easy for lifting in the garage and the ranger lift i thought was a bit flimsy too until i watched this video of them

That’s pretty impressive - I’d still like to see one under failure though

 

[Djw John]

9.3 tons is pretty impressive tbf! Wouldn't get under it at that but certainly raises confidence levels at our end of the game.

I'd love something like that for the garage but I'd have to sell the car and end up without anything to lift!

 

[Jaff.]

The thing for me is it could fail with 10 tons on it or 1 ton on it either way I’m toast if it’s safety feature (that little bar) is useless. Hence I’d like to see one fail under lid to see how that handles it. That’s when it becomes worth the money imo

 

[JamesBryan]

The reason this whole thing came about though was because the axle stand slipped, so really it didn't fail at all.

Whether it was down to incorrect placement or the sill giving way, either way the stand didn't fail.

The same could happen with those ramps, probably a lot less likely but it could still happen.

 

[Mr R.]

The reason this whole thing came about though was because the axle stand slipped, so really it didn't fail at all.

Whether it was down to incorrect placement or the sill giving way, either way the stand didn't fail.

The same could happen with those ramps, probably a lot less likely but it could still happen.

Read post 17. [emoji106]

 

[JamesBryan]

Read post 17. [emoji106]

This is CS, people don't read posts 😂

 

[browno]

If you are thinking of investing in a lift, I would say go and do it - I had a garage built a couple of years ago and made sure I had enough left in budget to buy a scissor lift - which I sourced from BH Repairs, who I chose as they aren't far from me, and are also a lift repair/servicing company, not just a importer/reseller of Chinese kit (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mobile-c...972805?hash=item3624d1f245:g:QcQAAOSw7NNUHI9R) and it has been great - I have used it for a range of jobs on my MX5, clio and also building my exocet kit - next job is looking like the cambelt on my brother's newly acquired cup.
I have found it a great balance of convenience and useability for my (normal height!) garage - it lifts to 1.25m (4ft) which is great for doing most jobs - leaving you a nice working height and plenty of space to get under and around the car... not the cheapest, but certainly a good addition to the garage - and on the safety question it has a substantial mechanical ratchet-type locking system which will hold it in place should the hydraulics fail.

D1CBEE24-F81A-4415-B3EB-B54536EDA45E_zpsajbzgeyi on Flickr

 

[RuskiWeldFab]

I made this to be on the safe side

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JamesBryan]

If you were to accidentally kick one of those out though, what would happen?

 

[RuskiWeldFab]

If you were to accidentally kick one of those out though, what would happen?

You can’t do it by accident. The pin is long. And underweight secures it. Needs to be lifted to take it out. We kinda tested it with a rubber mallet. Under weight it barely moves. Maybe 3-4mm at a time. So to slide 150mm of the pin there is a lot of “accidental” knocking needed. Unfortunately might not be the best solution for a daily lol

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