On TCCA I like the idea of using some old rubber fuel hose on the bottom of the metal ramps, so they don't slide on hard pavement when we drive up. I use an old piece of carpet under mine & it works ok, but I like the rubber hose idea better.


I center the ramps on the wheel, then open the door & lean out to make sure I stay on the ramp centered & use one foot on the gas, the other on the brake, to slowly power up the ramp at light throttle. You can see & feel the flat & wheel stop atop the ramp, so you know when your in place. Of course on a straight drive, it's a little more of a challange to feather the throttle while slipping the clutch to ease up the ramp.


DON'T use ramps, stands, or jacks on soft or unlevel ground, as the weight of the vehicle can cause them to sink in & tip over!!!!


At the top of the ramp, put the auto tranny vehicle in Park, the manual tranny in 1'st gear, set the emergency brake & Use wheel chocks under both rear wheels.


If you don't have a hard level surface to use the ramps or stands on, pick the most level, hardest surface available, put at least a 1/2 inch thick piece of plywood under the ramps, stands, or jack, so it won't sink into the soft surface. Soft surface would also include asphalt!!!!! Yup in summer asphalt gets soft enough that stands, jacks & the like will sink into the asphalt, so be mindful of that if it's hot where you live, if the vehicle will be raised for an extended period of time, use plywood under the support you choose.


If the wheels are removed for the work being done, consider using the removed wheels under the frame rail as back up support, in case your lift support, like stands or jack, fails.


We should be mindful that Anytime we're under a raised vehicle, our life is in the hands of gravity & the lift support we choose!!!!! DON'T rely on a jack alone.

If I'm using stands, I also leave the jack in place, just in case something happens to a stand!!!!


If your going to be working alone under a vehicle, consider having a cell phone on you within easy reach, in case something happens & you need help!!!!!


Take the time to work safe, don't trust your life & limb to any ONE thing!!!!

Some lift thoughts for consideration, lets hear yours.

 

I never liked ramps. I've been scared too many times when people almost drove over the end.

 

ramps work well, but I use them with a jack to put thewheels on them, particularly the rears. Jack stands in front. But as stated dont just set them on the ground. need something solid under them.

 

Ever seen someone drive off the end of ramps?

You'll never use em' again.

 

If you know what you're doing, it's not really that big of an issue - I've used ramps for years and never had any problem.

The ramps I have now are plastic and are stronger than any metal ramp I've ever used - the entire cavity area under the ramped surface is honeycombed and they are damn tough - I've used them on an Econoline van, a Gran Fury, and my F-150. Also, the lip on the forward edge of the ramp is molded in such a way that it's very easy to tell when you need to stop.

 

also, when you are working on hard gravel and you have the front on stands, when you start to jack up the back, the floor jack will not roll forward as it would on concrete so the front stands will move backwards and will lean back and need to be watched.i place a piece of 3/4 plywood under the jack when i do this and it takes care of this problem. just a little tip on being safe.

 

HATE RAMPS. Jack stands are cheap, and take up less space when not in use and you can adjust the height you want. Of course floor jacks take up space too.

 

Love my ramps, been using them for years.

Made them myself several years ago, very simple design yet very strong.