DIY Work Ramps

[onehotpny]

Whats wild is with the Air Lift suspension,I'll be able to raise the car higher to work on it. But even better is I actually don't need the ramps to get my floor jack under the car anymore.

 

[onehotpny]

Those are nice, but where do you find space to store them when not in use?

Here are my Epic car ramps.

These suckers are big and heavy, and aren't any fun to move at all, and they don' shrink down for storage, but I cannot think of anything safer other than a lift with safety bars.

My neighbor borrows them too...

Anyway, this is what I mean (This is the early version; I since made them taller):

Current version - note they are now "7 boards tall" and have a 2x4 safety stop.

Recipe:

All boards are 2 x 12's , except for the top "Stop block", which is a 2x4

You need:

(2) 95" long 2x12's - These are your bottom boards.
(2) 82" long boards
(2) 69" long boards
(2) 56" long boards
(2) 43" long boards
(2) 30" long boards
(2) 17" long boards
(2) 2x4's cut to the width of the ramp as a "top stop".

Each subsequent board is cut 13" shorter then the bottom board. This keeps your chin spoiler from hitting the ramps while you drive up.
So...you screw the stack together, in order, the following boards on top of the above 95" long board:


Put another way, your stack looks like this. Repeat for your second ramp.

2x4
xxxxxxx17"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx30"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx43"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx56"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx69"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx82"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx95"

I have also added casters to mine to aid in moving them around. Maybe I'll whip up a video later on this weekend.

I use a piece of 4x4 as a tire block to keep the car from rolling backward, and I also chock the rear wheels unless the rear is raised, then I support the rear axles with jack-stands.

Update: I also have cut half of them off "Staggered" and I use four lag bolts if I want to join them.

After the car is up high, I can pull off the rear half and then easily get jacks under the rear sides for high-work activity such as tranny swaps.

 

[Wes06]

Whats wild is with the Air Lift suspension,I'll be able to raise the car higher to work on it. But even better is I actually don't need the ramps to get my floor jack under the car anymore.

It is nice. But even with 100psi on front bags fully lifted the jack barely can be pumped when reaching the k member.

 

[onehotpny]

Thanks for the info Wes06.

It is nice. But even with 100psi on front bags fully lifted the jack barely can be pumped when reaching the k member.

 

[Black3vGT]

Anyone using these to get fully under the car without jack stands? How tall would they need to be to get comfortably under it.

 

[B2B]

Anyone using these to get fully under the car without jack stands? How tall would they need to be to get comfortably under it.

It all depends on how big you are and what you are trying to do under the car.

2x8's will give you 1.5" lift per board. My wooden ramps are 4 layers tall and the 6" is about enough for oil change. Any more layers and you are going to have to worry about how to move them around...

Thats why I still have a set of 10" race ramps that I take to the track or when I needs more room under the car.

 

[Wes06]

i made mine like 6 layers tall, and made them so the main body the car rests on can seperate from the ramp portion

 

[Black3vGT]

It all depends on how big you are and what you are trying to do under the car.

2x8's will give you 1.5" lift per board. My wooden ramps are 4 layers tall and the 6" is about enough for oil change. Any more layers and you are going to have to worry about how to move them around...

Thats why I still have a set of 10" race ramps that I take to the track or when I needs more room under the car.

I'm working on headers. I'm kind of a vag when it comes to being under the car on jacks so if i can throw some of my scrap wood together(i'm a carpenter) and make some ramps that'd be great.

 

[Wes06]

I simply copied Darin's ramps with 2"x10"x16', stacked 5 tall with the seperated ramp from the main body, only i put a stack of 1" wide wood down the middle of the slot, just for paranoia's sake.

 

[Boaisy]

I still have to get around the making Darin's ramps. When I put the Roush side splitters on, that is when my jack started having a little issue getting to jack points, and now that I have recently lowered the car, it is time for some ramps.