DIY Car Ramp

[tomsmith]

Hello all,

Wanted to share my DIY car ramps to get your opinions and ideas. I have a set of rhino ramps but they don't get the car high enough to slide under (I have a 2000 BMW 740iL and a 2004 TrailBlazer).

The BMW has terrible, terrible jacking points and there's no place I can put a jackstand and feel safe getting under the car. My long term plan is to install a two post car lift, but I need to make several changes before I do that - the main one being installing a LiftMaster 3800 in place of my Sears Craftsman 3/4 hp belt drive.

I've looked around a couple of forums where people have created car ramps and none of them would have worked for me. Some guys just lay 2x12's on top of each other but that wouldn't give me the height I want so I decided to tackle it differently.

I've used 5 x 2x12x16 to create a very sturdy box that I will park the car on top of.

1 2x12x16 acts as the bottom plate and there are 3 2x12's attached to it standing up so it looks like a W .. except the 3 joists are vertical, not slanted. To ensure there is no side-to-side movement, I have placed 3.25" blocks at regular intervals and then used 12" 3/8 lag bolts for added strength.

The three vertical 2x12's are screwed into the bottom plate using 3" wood screws every 8".

I've built one so far and it's extremely sturdy. Here's pics of one, I didn't have time to take pics of the finished version but it's essentially what you see with another 2x12 screwed into the top of the three verticles to make a box.

I'll be building another one and then also creating a ramp to drive up on.

Hopefully these pictures autosize.....

 

[twostory]

While it looks strong enough for the load of a car, I would worry about it turning over (the base is too narrow for the height)

After you set these "ramps" up in your garage, tie both ramps together with some cross bracing. A set of diagonal beams between the ramps would prevent any racking (or turning over)

 

[cowboy73]

That is pretty cool. Looks like it would be plenty sturdy enough.

 

[D.J.]

I think he needs to make sure his life policy is paid up and the beneficiary info is correct so they will know who to send the proceeds too.
________
KOREAN RECIPES

 

[blaze_125]

I think he needs to make sure his life policy is paid up and the beneficiary info is correct so they will know who to send the proceeds too.

Why?
Once both ramps are tied together like "twostory" suggested, those ramps aren't going anywhere.

 

[demondriven]

I agree plenty strong enough. Just the cross bracing would be the only question. Do you plan on leaving it in the garage full time??

 

[DuluthMN]

How would you cross brace and yet still have enough room to move around under the car?

 

[babzog]

How would you cross brace and yet still have enough room to move around under the car?

You don't. But you could build them a bit wider and that should give you the stability you need. Take 2 2x10 and screw them, flat & side by each, to the bottom of your ramps. Make the base wider than taller. Think of outriggers on a canoe.

 

[cbass139]

So, what makes the one you see at the auto shop sturdy? Could he do what ever it is to his?

 

[Ocho]

I think it needs to be wider than the height. Not necessarily so much for strength, but you have to drive onto it. You need the stability with a moving load.

 

[OneTon]

Not mine...

 

[kevbo5482]

TOMSMITH: Please make a video of the 1st time you use these, I am cutious how this will work out. Thanks.

 

[ADaughen]

I think it needs to be wider than the height. Not necessarily so much for strength, but you have to drive onto it. You need the stability with a moving load.

Yeah, the first time you move the wheel to realign the car that has a good chance of rolling that 12w x 16h beam.

I would also suggest put a furring strip down and a stop block so you know you are getting to, and then at the end of the board, respectively.

While you are at it, you can add some hefty grab handles on the sides.

 

[SharkD]

Is it me, or are vertical boards out of square to the top plate (which, looks warped, BTW)?

Either way, this doesn't look safe.

And, I guarantee you that my E24 has worse jacking points and I have no problem getting it into the air with a low-profile jack and a couple of very carefully placed jackstands. About the only thing I can't do is drop the transmission.

 

[1320stang]

The one under the 300zx is the best I saw, not because of it's paint and lights (those are cool too) but due to how it's constructed. I'd be afraid the OP's design would collapse to one side or the other even if the bottom board was glued, screwed, and tattooed to the floor.

Looks like he has a 2x12 top and bottom, then a series of 2x12s cut to the same length to make the height, the side OSB (I would have used plywood) braces it front to back, the OP's design doesn't brace it left to right sufficiently.

So OP Tom, let me be the first to ask, in the event it doesn't turn out okay..... can I have your tools?

 

[dankicksass]

I like the one with lights. The OP's doesn't look like it's wide enough and those 2x12s are about as useful as butter when they're not laminated together under load. Maybe I've watched too much of Mike Holmes' show...

 

[srmofo]

I dont think you would catch me under any of those. I have seen a vehicle fall and its a scary thing. Probably even more so if you're under it.

Especially with just wood screws holding it together, those have almost 0 shear load. At the very least, some 1/4 lags would be a better choice.

 

[nate379]

Interesting.

What I did with my low cars is took a 2x4 and ripped a grove down the center that fits on the pinch weld. I am able to stick that 2x4 on the side, lift one side, stick jack stands under the 2x4 and then do the same to the other side.

Before that it was ruining the pinch weld not to mention didn't make me feel safe.

 

[oldgoat]

To be honest I think that they are a hazzard unless you tie them together at a minimum. Plus I would worry that after you drive up on them a few times that they would start to loosen up some. Their size and weight would preclude moving them around and at least in my garage would take up valuable space for other uses. My vote is to look for a plan B.

 

[nate379]

Why tie them together?

Cut some large triangles, nail to the front and back of each ramp and it won't tip... not that it would anyhow.

 

[ar2stp48]

Just my 2 cents: There is enough lumber in the original design to hold the weight BUT the design looks dangerous. It is much too narrow for the height. A steering adjust as you are driving onto the deck, or parking a little off center----diaster. And those ramps in post #11, second picture are not safe for anything; that's a single 2" board resting on a 1 1/2" ledge.

 

[evil_twin]

The one with the 300zx on it is best because it still allows you to work on a wider or more narrow car. But as far as construction, it's hard to tell when you can't see anything inside.

 

[tomsmith]

Thanks for the comments. And whoever requested the tools in the event of my untimely demise, no you can't have 'em

In retrospect, I agree that the possibility for tipping is great. Based on Nate379's and others input, I will be cutting 8 triangles out of 2 x12's per side and screwing them into the outside of each ramp. The will stop them from tipping on that side. Each triange will also be cross-braced to each other using some 2x4 pieces. To prevent them from tipping inwards, I'll be securing both ramps together with 4 pieces of 2x12. Two pieces up front and two pieces towards the rear. This way, I have enough room to get at the important parts of the car and there's almost zero chance of them tipping inwards.


SharkD, not sure how the E24 jacks up, but on the E38, the jacking points are actually on the skirt under the doors. You have to insert a specialised jack and lift the car. There are jack pads under the car, but if you use those to jack up, you don't have anywhere to put jackstands. Using suspension areas to jack is a no-no on these cars.

Srmofo, I'm pretty sure the #12 3" wood screws have more than 0 shear strength. But, if you look at some of the pics, you'll see that I have used carriage bolts as well (and I haven't been shy about using enough either ).

The strength of the vertical 2x12s should come mainly from the carriage bolts and the blocks you see between each vertical. Each block is screwed into each vertical by 3 2.5" screws.

Someone asked what I'll be doing with the ramps when they're not in use - I plan on attaching a handle on either end and then stacking them on top of each other on the side of the garage when I don't need them. With the bracing triangles though, I'll have to come up with a way of being able to detach them easily since they will increase the width by around 2 feet. What I might do is attach a couple of carriage bolts from the inside of the ramp so the threaded part is sticking out.

Then, when I build the triangle assembly, I'll attach the triangles to another 2x12 piece and bolt that into the ramp. When I need to put everything away, I'll just unbolt the triangle assembly and stack the ramps on top of each other.

Again, thanks for the comments all, I really appreciate the insight. Keep 'em coming.

 

[graffix000]

Doesn't the E38 have a center jack point under the engine to lift the whole front of the car up? My e39 m5 does and so did my e36 m3? Then you can lift the whole front and place two jack stands under the jack pads below the doors.

Can't say that i would really trust using the wood system you have outlined there. A good low profile floor jack is enough for me to get the whole front of my car up.

 

[SharkD]

SharkD, not sure how the E24 jacks up, but on the E38, the jacking points are actually on the skirt under the doors. You have to insert a specialised jack and lift the car. There are jack pads under the car, but if you use those to jack up, you don't have anywhere to put jackstands. Using suspension areas to jack is a no-no on these cars.

Factory jackpoints would be a dream on the E24s. There's only a tiny notch for the (deadly) trunk kit jack. Hence, why so many E24s and E28s have suffered distended floor pans from improperly positioned lift arms. The ad-hoc jack points are similar to those on the E30 (see below), just harder to get at in a much lower car.



On the E38, there is a factory central lift point just behind the engine block.

Not having a nearby photo of an E38 underside, I would suspect that the rear can be raised, either where the subframe bolts to the body (if visible), or via the differential. (I use hockey pucks as heavy-duty jack saddle pads.)

Hey, it could be worse, you could have to deal with the E32/34/36's outrigger jack point inserts.

 

[CRTDI]

Thanks for the comments. And whoever requested the tools in the event of my untimely demise, no you can't have 'em

In retrospect, I agree that the possibility for tipping is great. Based on Nate379's and others input, I will be cutting 8 triangles out of 2 x12's per side and screwing them into the outside of each ramp. The will stop them from tipping on that side. Each triange will also be cross-braced to each other using some 2x4 pieces. To prevent them from tipping inwards, I'll be securing both ramps together with 4 pieces of 2x12. Two pieces up front and two pieces towards the rear. This way, I have enough room to get at the important parts of the car and there's almost zero chance of them tipping inwards.


SharkD, not sure how the E24 jacks up, but on the E38, the jacking points are actually on the skirt under the doors. You have to insert a specialised jack and lift the car. There are jack pads under the car, but if you use those to jack up, you don't have anywhere to put jackstands. Using suspension areas to jack is a no-no on these cars.

Srmofo, I'm pretty sure the #12 3" wood screws have more than 0 shear strength. But, if you look at some of the pics, you'll see that I have used carriage bolts as well (and I haven't been shy about using enough either ).

The strength of the vertical 2x12s should come mainly from the carriage bolts and the blocks you see between each vertical. Each block is screwed into each vertical by 3 2.5" screws.

Someone asked what I'll be doing with the ramps when they're not in use - I plan on attaching a handle on either end and then stacking them on top of each other on the side of the garage when I don't need them. With the bracing triangles though, I'll have to come up with a way of being able to detach them easily since they will increase the width by around 2 feet. What I might do is attach a couple of carriage bolts from the inside of the ramp so the threaded part is sticking out.

Then, when I build the triangle assembly, I'll attach the triangles to another 2x12 piece and bolt that into the ramp. When I need to put everything away, I'll just unbolt the triangle assembly and stack the ramps on top of each other.

Again, thanks for the comments all, I really appreciate the insight. Keep 'em coming.

You might want to consider a set of these and be done with it.

http://www.raceramps.com/

You will also have peace of mind knowing that you are safe when under the vehicle.

 

[SharkD]

You might want to consider a set of these and be done with it.

http://www.raceramps.com/

You will also have peace of mind knowing that you are safe when under the vehicle.

The port-a-pit is nice, but it's also more expensive than a in-ground scissor lift.

 

[tomsmith]

Hey,

There is a cross member just behind the engine and I've asked the mechanics at the BMW dealership if I could use that. It was a clear 'No' from the mechanic. This guy is actually pretty cool so I know he wasn't just being a jerk.

I know the area you're referring to .. wish I had a picture but it's a point where two tubular bars meet and are covered with a piece of steel.

CRTDI, the Portable Pit Stop Ramps look awesome but are insanely expensive at $2495. For just a little more, you could get a decent two post car lift. It's a great solution however and thanks for sharing the link, but too expensive for my needs.

 

[rsieracki]

i have a set of these, very nice, good value for money

http://www.raceramps.com/wheelcribs.html

hardest part was jacking the car up evenly and high enough to get them under the rear tires as i have the front up up on my rhino ramps

 

[BobPo]

Great Thread-
Would love a few more engineering changes before I build my own.
Take too much storage. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.

 

[rsieracki]

i though about building wood "riser blocks" for under the tires but by the time i priced out lumber, bolts, etc and factored in the weight and having to store them i went with the race ramp wheel blocks i linked above.

another idea is buying/finding a good used timer/ rr tie and cutting blocks. i bought a 12x8x96 rr tie and cut a few blocks to put under the tires as i jacked my car up in stages to get the wheel blocks under the rear tires as my floor jack doesnt have 16" of lift. rr ties are a SOB to cut tho and weight a ton also hard to find one that is in good enough shape to use

 

[blaze_125]

Other than a company logo, and maybe slightly wider ramps than the OP's project, the RaceRamps don't offer much more when it comes to stability. So I don't know what the fuss is all about here.

Now take a look at these "wheel cribs":

Wheel Cribs are a safe, lightweight alternative to jack stands.

If those a safe enough, the OP's ramps should be plenty safe enough.

And then this:

I'd crawl under the OP's car before I crawl under the car in the above picture. But that's just me.

 

[T1320T]

I've seen guys crawl under cars supported by things less structurally sound than the OP's design. But, I'd like to see some triangulation icorporated in to the design... not just triangles on the sides and ends to keep them from tipping/racking over, but, triangles to keep the 3 2x12s in a stout vertical position... if 1 starts to roll/lay over, the other 2 will quickly follow.

 

[SharkD]

Other than a company logo, and maybe slightly wider ramps than the OP's project, the RaceRamps don't offer much more when it comes to stability. So I don't know what the fuss is all about here.

They're also $2,800, as shown, before shipping (240lbs) from Michigan to you.

That's more than enough to buy a mid-rise scissor lift, rent a concrete saw and install the lift flush with the slab surface in your garage.

I would say, being solid, however, that they are safer than the vertical 2-by construction of the OPs platforms, even with the cross-members.

 

[rsieracki]

the wheel cribs i have are very light weight yet solid, my 3800 benz is up on them standing tall and no visiable deflection

 

[SharkD]

Okay, so I found the origin of the photos that OneTon posted (please note, this is not an endorsement -- I think the concept is nuts; they seem to think a single 2x10 can serve as a ramp for a 4,000lb car, so long as it has a single support in the middle of the span): http://corvettec3.ca/ramps.htm

BTW, the 300zx guy is even crazier than I thought -- notice that the ramps aren't even on level ground, so he's put various pieces of scrap underneath to level them out, concentrating the load and increasing the likelihood of structural failure.


And he's using indoor residential romex, fixtures and switches for this contraption, which sits in his exposed car port, in B.C., which isn't exactly known for its arid climate.



This system is kind of novel and I feel better about using steel (although the lack of triangulation is a little worrisome. (And is in in the UK, though they may have a U.S. partner/distributor/copycat.)

http://www.restorationramps.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/ramps?opendocument&part=2

 

[tomsmith]

The vertical 2x12's were a big concern for me as well but having the blocking pieces of wood and the multiple carriage bolts should ensure they remain vertical even under heavy load.
Bear in mind that they are screwed into a bottom plate, are blocked and screwed into each other, have 7 carriage bolts through all three verticals along the length and are then screwed into a top plate with 3" screws.
I'm extremely confident that the three verticals are not going anywere but I do share the concern that the entire thing might tip over if the car was not loaded properly - hence the triangulation 'trusses' I plan to add.

Originally, I thought about laminating and bolting the 2x12's to each other vertically and I actually tried this on my first attempt. However, the weight of each ramp was enormous .. In it's current form I have to lift each end individually to stack them up but the solid lengths of 2x12s made the ramp impossible to move at all. Granted, it would be been solid enough to handle a JCB (probably ) but it was impractical.

The racer ramps solutions really are great though, pity they are too expensive. The wheel cribs look good but they don't address my specific problem of getting the car off the ground in the first place. I suppose you could jack up each corner until the entire thing is off the ground but that would take me too long.

 

[alberto]

You should check these out. Not cheap, however.

http://www.kwiklift.com/

 

[Skin]

you couldnt put enough bracing on that for me to feel safe. If the internal or external board decides to give that will be the end. Even if you brace it all up any load to one side or the other will be directly on some wood screws....would you bet your life on some wood screws? I wouldnt.

 

[ChristopherLutz]

Wow. Wild thread. The idea obviously works...or has worked up until now; however, I personally don't get the risk / reward or cost / benefit.

To make something like this out of wood (and be reasonably safe) I'd want 2 2x12's sistered together with construction adhesive and decking screws - for each side. Then, I'd want verticle inset 2x12's every 6-8 inches along the entire run, with 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood (glued) together and fastened to the top.

I'd run two sistered 2x12's across the front to tie each side together. I'm no structural engineer - but, I'm certain that would hold.

By then; however, you have a monolithic behemouth in your garage that you can't move and is still of questionable safety.

My two cents (since you asked) - pick up a few extra shifts at work and get a proper lift or ramps designed expressely for this sort of thing.

Your life (I hope) is worth more than $2-3k, it's not worth the risk.