Wooden car ramps

[JasonP]

I made meself some ramps. After looking around for new ramps, I found them to be too pricey, too small, and too fragile. So I bought some pressure-treated lumber and got to work.



Each ramps starts off with three 4x4s, 4 feet long. (My garage has a 3 /12 inch drop at the entrance, so this is perfect for my situation.)

Then I added successive levels, using a 2x12, to make the ramp.



The stop was just an old 2x4 laying around the shed.





It raises the car 8 1/2 inches. 





Even so, I still have a hard time getting underneath the middle. This car is so damn long, and I am so damn fat.


Each ramp weighs around 75 pounds, and raises the car 8 1/2 inches. Total cost: about $50.

When I got the wood home, I was going to let them dry out a bit and then screw them together for a tight fit. The pressure-treatment chemicals in the wood were still wet to the touch. But when I googled "pressure treated wood", to see what kind of new toxins entered my system this fine day, I read that this wood warps a lot, and fast, as it dries out. Since I did not have the wood screws yet, I just went out and hammered the pieces together with long nails. I did not want to use nails, in case I ever wanted to take them apart again, but I had no chance of buying the length of wood screws I needed for another couple of days. Turns out, once I had the screws, they did not work very well. For one, the drive bit stripped the head on the screws almost immediately when they got tight, and secondly, I was not aware of the clearance hole one should use to make a tight fit between the wooden planks:



So, if I had to do it again, here is what I would do differently:

- have everything ready when you buy the wood, to prevent it from drying and warping before you put it together
- make the ramps a bit longer, as the top level is just barely long enough to hold the tire
- extend the bottom layer past the stop
- use wooden screws designed for driver bits (softer metal gets stripped)
- create clearance holes for your screws for a tight seal between boards

Some tips on using wood:
http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Tools---Tips/DIY-Skills/Carpentry-Skills/how-to--drive-screws-perfectly

[John Hubertz]

I must say that the weight of each ramp would reduce my enjoyment of them.  I'd recommend you fashion a strap or rope handle for each one so you can drag them around.

I've got a pair of poly ramps that don't weigh much so I keep them hanging on a couple of nails on the side of the garage.  Can't remember when or where I got them... which is odd. 

My memory seems to be slipping quite a bit lately.  Today I was frustrated to discover I had moved a bunch of sockets and my 3/8 socket wrench to my portable tool box in January - and then completely forgot not just to put them back in their proper place, but also that I had put them there at all.  I wonder if I should start keeping track of my memory slips in case I have a brain issue?   I'm only 54.

[JasonP]

I must say that the weight of each ramp would reduce my enjoyment of them.  I'd recommend you fashion a strap or rope handle for each one so you can drag them around.

Yeah, they are pretty heavy, but I don't mind. I need all the exercise I can get. I think I will probably put a couple of cabinet door handles on them, to lift them up off the ground so I can pick them up when I move them. To store them, I just lean them against the wall at an angle. They are on a pallet, so no moisture from the floor will reach them.

[oversize]

These wood (!) be perfect under a 6.9, even when using a trolley jack and stands.  It allows you to remove the jack when the suspension collapses.  All you have to do then is start her up, wait a few minutes till she raises up and drive her off

[Casey]

I much prefer natural materials to plastics, so really like these. I plan on completely rebuilding the big drive-up ramp in my garage at some point because it's only 2" thick and the board give a bit when driven on, which always fills me with dreadful visions should a collapse happen.

Why did you decide to use pressure treated wood?

Good into about drilling properly for wood screws...makes sense but never thought about that before.

[adamb]

Nice project and fun to do I am sure but I doubt you saved much money. Over here metal ramps cost about US$80. I've used mine with the 6.9 for years. They fold into each other making storage easier.

[marku]

Gave some serious thought some time ago to building a ramp to get all four wheels off the ground as I couldn't face digging a pit. My metal ramps are now so rusty that I don't really trust them and would any way like the car level. Could of course get a four post lift - in my dreams! 

[JasonP]

Why did you decide to use pressure treated wood?

My garage is really just an open shed, as it has no door, so they will not be protected from the elements as much. I thought it would just save time in them rotting away.

[oversize]

Personally I wouldn't use treated timber as I've heard it contains arsenic and other nasties.  Plus it gives off toxins when burnt.

I've never liked ramps to work under a car and much prefer a trolley jack and axle stands.  Plus it's hard to drain things properly unless the car is level.  High ramps can present a danger as the car is driven onto them.  It's easy to turn one into a random missile and twist your car like the Tacoma Bridge!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw

However many cars today are too low to allow a trolley jack to roll under them, so some low timber ramps are a good idea.