Wish I Built This Car Ramp Years Ago
Do you ever need to work on your car?
Then a good set of car ramps is a necessity!
A set of metal ramps can work, BUT they keep getting in the way and it's hard to move around them.
Plus they don't work with every car.
So let's see if we can improve upon this design with a set of custom wooden car ramps.
Hooks:
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#carramps #automotive #diy
Matthew 17:20-21
Friend, I've been building my own ramps for 50+ years, and the swing away on this is the most clever alteration I have ever seen. At 72 I still like learning one new thing every day. Thx! Pr: 15:22
hey you know whats easier??????? just jack up the F-ing car ...this is like having a non 4 post lift that you drive the car onto ....just waste of time and money
Love the way you have organized this video - clear, concise, no annoying background "music", you stick to the topic, and you treat the viewer as an adult by fast forwarding repeat operations. So many how to videos pad the show with unnecessary length, using 20 minutes to explain what should take 2 minutes.
So true! Great video here. Other KZhead DIY and construction content creators, are you listening? If you want likes and subscribers, you need to learn to stop wasting viewers' time! 😃
An addition of 1/4" of rubber material underneath the main base would do 2 things; 1) prevent the ramp from sliding. 2) Create enough space to avoid the hinged section from being in a bind with the ground or floor surface. It would likely put you over the $20 limit, but would add some safety!
Good idea. My home-made ramps don't grip exposed aggregate concrete very well and front wheel drive cars like to spit one ramp backwards. My driveway is on an incline so that makes the grip even weaker. I used non-skid rubber foam, the type used under throw rugs, when my driving my front wheel drive car up the ramp.
He should have used wood glue in-between each of the layers of boards, this plus some bolts would have improved strength and safety.
Sliding ramps is the reason I quit using metal ramps. Plus they were always too steep for my 2002 mustang. The bottom of the front bumper hit the ramp before the tire. Been thinking of making some ramps. I would use 2x10s and maybe go a little longer on top.
I always had good luck with the plastic rhino ramps which are rated stronger than the metal ones.@@marks3750
@@stipcrane You could make a bottom layer, detachable, which cancelled out the driveway angle. Wouldn't need much attachment. Pegs or screw bolts.
Built a set of these last weekend after having 2 floor jacks that wouldn't lift my Explorer & Expedition. Went with 2x10 for the wider tires on the Expedition, also added a small grab handle on the latch side to make carrying them around a bit easier. Thanks for the short & concise guide.
Great video, great design! My only concern- I would want to add more height to the 3” block on top. As you stated earlier, it’s easy for tires to climb a 2x4, so I think it would be good to make it harder to climb over the “STOP” block, and at the same time make it more apparent to the driver that they have indeed reached the top and should stop.
Yes! That was my FIRST and ONLY concern! Glad to know I'm not alone... !
You could always add a piece to the back of the ramp. That way it'll still be stackable.
You could add an air horn, or a rubber chicken. Bwwaaaaak!
That was my first thought, too.
If you have a low car, or long overhead from the tire to bumper, you can break something with tall enough stopper when driving the car on or off the ramp. I agree that something more rigid would be good, but you need to figure out a solution that fits your car, general measurements for that block don't apply...
I did this decades ago when I had a very low car. Mine were about 6' long. I also chamfered off the ends of the boards. They kept scooting away instead of climbing them so I attached a 12" flap of tire tread to the end of the ramp. The car would get on that first and it would hold the ramp in place.
The tire flap idea is pure genius, even more effective than non-skid on the bottom.
@@ericwrenfrow8349 Someone commented earlier that a piece of rope will work for this as well.
im a lil confused, like you added a traction pad to the wood part?
@@tubbycustard8866 think of a piece of tire screwed onto the low end of the ramp and extending onto the ground. The tire rolls onto the rubber first before hitting the wood
Brilliant idea! I need to do this
This is probably one of the best described how-to videos in a long while. Clear description, concise in content and easy to follow. Bravo sir.
The thought put into storing them together, and not using the last 4 inches was my favorite part!
Pretty cool. I don't think 6" is enough lift, so I'd make it 9", and 9.25" wide. Rubber padding on the bottom to grip the floor. The first "step" is worth cutting the 45 into, allows you to really wedge it in there at the start. A longer top step with a 3/4" high reverse stop would be nice.
Yes, I'd feel better about a longer top step too.
I was thinking of the rubber for a non slip bottom too. Can't tell you how many times my metal ones slip a little bit when driving up them.
Yes, wider sounds VERY wise. It would be very easy to steer off narrow ramps, and for the extra $$ would save a lot of headache.
Ditto. The top platform needs to be longer and wider. And why NOT cut 45's on the ramp pieces?
Old tires are a good source of rubber. I use that stuff for all kinds of padding and gripping projects.
I built one years ago, for my personal use. My ramps are detachable. During Desert Storm, I used the same basic design to get our KC-135R nose gear up high enough, to use a main landing gear Jack, on the nose gear, to change the nose gear tires. The tanker weighed about 150,000 during tire changes.
That's pretty cool, it's great to be able build your tools to fit your needs, my Dad was a A&P and commercial pilot who was great at making tools to make repairs while in remote locations, cheers to you!
"During Desert Storm.." - now there's an opening to a sentence you don't hear every day..!
@@lukemallory7832 unless your on KZhead and some clown is lying out of his arse
Great video. Thanks for not doing a lengthy 30 min video just to show something so simple and straightforward. I wish there were more content creators like you. Have a nice one
I see a Nobel Prize headed your way !
I did something like this about 10 years ago but instead of using hinges I used metal clasps which allow me to completely separate the two parts of the ramp. This makes it easier to carry them, as they can be rather heavy. Part of the reason for the weight is that I used 2 X 12's as I found some 10 foot ones at a building surplus store. Plus the extra width damps down my nerves a little when I drive up the ramps! Also made a set for the rear so I can have all 4 wheels on the ramps which allows me complete movement under the car.
Can you explain what you mean by metal clasps? I suggested making the hinge pins removable but I'm thinking your idea might be more practical.
@@Jez2008UK Certainly! I probably should have said "toggle latch clamps" instead of clasps--something like you'd see on a heavy duty toolbox. If you go to that on-line store named for the big river in South American and/or the ancient mythical women warriors and search "Accessbuy Heavy Duty Adjustable Toggle Latch Clamp 4003 Style" you'll see what I'm talking about. I didn't use this brand but found something not quite as heavy duty at my local hardware store. I think this "Accessbuy" might be a wee bit overkill for the application but they certainly would do the job and keep the two halves of the ramp connected as you drive on and off. Hope this helps.
@@Jez2008UK Certainly! The metal clasps would probably be best called a "latch clamp" or "toggle latch clamp". That huge on-line store named for a river in South America and/or for the mythical ancient female warriors has an example of a heavy duty model if you search for " Accessbuy Heavy Duty Adjustable Toggle Latch Clamp 4003 Style". I bought a less heavy duty version at a local hardware store in that I thought these might be somewhat overkill for my application. But these do look like they'd do a good job of keeping the two parts of the ramp connected while driving up and down them--which of course is very important! But if you look around you can find a lot of possibilities. Hope this helps.
this is exactly what my grandfather used to do. as another viewer stated, smooth garage floors might pose a problem, glue and screw on some rubber on bottom for non-slip surface. great video, thank you!
Excellent advice. I throw a piece of carpet or square of anti-fatigue mat under my plastic, slippy slidey Gorilla ramps and "painted" the bottoms of my diy wooden ones with rubberized undercoating. You can just give em a quick spritz with the spray can when you get a significant bare spot.
you are right. With a rear drive car, the ramps may skitter forward while trying to drive up, which is less problematic with a front drive car. Cutting the ramps at 45 degrees does help.
My then wife's grandfather had a set of wood 2x4 car ramps, I burned them. They were too old, dry and brittle.
Nice
Funny my grandfather told me and my dad to never do this. He was a mechanic for Ford and worked on everything from GT, Cars, Semi, Trucks and Planes. It's just not a good idea to trust wood. Thats why they don't make wood ramps for you to buy. When your under the car you shouldnt save money. Those ramps might cost 100 bucks but you need them. They are not going to give up on you. I own them and they are way stronger and wider and waterproof. Just buy them or dont work on your car.
I think you nailed it. My wood ramps (different design and admittedly pressure treated wood) are 40 years old and still in good shape. That extra length on the first board is key to keep the tire from just pushing the ramp forward when you start on the ramp. Someone else mentioned handles. I used a piece of heater hose with a pipe strap threaded through it. Yup, wheel chocks, definitely important. I realized that the time I set the hand brake and later found I could turn the wheel by hand, the hand brake mechanism was frozen from corrosion. On the other hand, under the right conditions, if the rear wheel can't move and you give it too much gas, you can shoot the ramps right out from under the car. The front end of the car drops with a WHUMP, don't ask me how I know.
I think he screwed it.
“Don’t ask me how I know” 😂 operator error😂
He was probably pretty close to finding out himself when forgetting the wheel chock
I wouldn't think the wooden ones would be nearly as prone to being dislodged as metal ones. There's more surface area touching the ground than touching the tire.
lol being 17 I did something similar with my CRX. Backing down ramps, took the chocks out, but had the ebrake on. Enough gas, front wheel shot the ramp out the front. That was fun...
@5:50. You win Tetris forever. Great idea and design, well done and thank you for sharing!
Also, typical steel ramps tend to be too steep for lower vehicles, yours look to provide a more gentle rise allowing them to be used with more vehicles. Great project!
Exactly. Our low slung Merceded E320 will not go up a standard metal ramp because the ground effects plastic hits before the tire start to climb. Custom fit your verhicle before you start cutting!
I love the simplicity! We have so much lumber left over from building projects I may just make a set. But - only thing I'd add is yes on the 45-degree cuts, just for looks, and a slightly longer top board for big tires, 2x10's, and finally a handle on the side. Nice work on the video by the way!
Even without the 45s I'm blown away by how simple and functional this is ways to make it custom are endless nylon webbing for handles holes drilled for weight reduction even longer boards to eliminate the two pieces design are easily accommodated
Sounds heavy but solid.
Hey... I was thinking the two same things. My front tires are 235 wide and rears are 255. Did you make the WHOLE stand out of 2x10"s, or just the top piece with a 2x10 and used 2x8s for most of the stacked pieces? OR, somewhere in the middle, where the top pieces along the whole ramp are 10s, and the pieces underneath are 8s?
@@yeders I would suggest using at least same width on bottom as on top to help reduce stablity issues. Consider that 10's all the way up would make it a bit heavier.
An additional thought. If the same width of 2x isn't maintained from bottom to top the hinge won't work without some kind of modification being done for hinge attachment (won't be able to fold otherwise).
I built ramps like this a while back, not the hinging blocks but the ramps in general. I love those things! I had the metal ones many many many years ago. The issue I had with the metal ones was, lots of times they would slide quite a bit on me when I would be trying to pull the vehicle on to them. The wood ones are heavy and have never slid on me. If you live in a town with lots of new home construction, you can find enough boards easily in the dumpsters on these sites.
Stay off of construction sites unless you have permission first.
@@topherh5093 unless it’s like gated or something no one cares if you are at a new home construction site. There are people there all the time looking at the houses for sale, rummaging through the trash, asking us contractors stupid questions, etc.
@@topherh5093 Why do you care? Whenever I need a random building supply, I check the construction dumpsters first.
Just attach the webbing of a ratchet strap to the front of the metal ramps and roll it out back towards the car. The wheels will drive over and wieght the straps keeping the ramps in position whilst you drive on to them.
@@baldyslapnut. no need, I have wicked wooden ones 🤣
Made a set of these last weekend to change the oil in my lowered car. I used hinges with removable pins so I could totally remove the hinged part. Took a little hammering so I could easily pull the pin. They worked like a charm 🎉
Wow Wayne, that’s amazing, you’re the best sunshine.
My next project when I get home. No criticism from me. Great idea thank you
The nice thing is that they are solid wood, so there is no worry about the quality of the welds holding them together, and the swing out feature is a great idea.
Do you have knee pads that go along with that comment?
@ no, you're the best. Have a star 🌟
Love these... then best part is you drive on the first board... and the weight helps hold them in place. My old metal ramps would always slide forward when I try to drive up.
only a problem with rear drive cars.
@@rupe53 No, front wheel drive will do it on a smooth cement garage floor. I put anchor sleeves in my floor so I could pin them in place.
@@robertsmith2956 ... ok, let me rephrase that... MORE of a problem with rear drive. Lots depends on several things, like the angle of the ramps and how aggressive you approach. Obviously, there are always exceptions.
@@poa2.0surface77 a running start will have the front skirt slide them forward before the tires even get there. I just let out a little more clutch, engine is going plenty fast. The ramp extensions I had to get for the saturn make it a nice gradual incline, well worth the money. And they come off after you are up it.
More gas , in other words using momentum to get up the ramps also don’t always work and in the long run could be more dangerous then helpful. Especially with front wheel drive if you’re power to the wheels decides to grab on the ramps more then the traction on the floor you could shoot your ramps right under your car. Then you’ll have lots of fun getting those ramps out from under your vehicle if the vehicle sits close to the ground anyway. Although if your vehicle sits higher off the ground you probably not need the ramps in the first place? I actually watched a person try using the gas as you mentioned it to get up ramps that did shoot a ramp right under his vehicle. Which was the wheel that had power to the wheel! Be safe and don’t get too carried away or it could bite you in the rear end
Nice design thanks for the measurements and your time. The only changes I made were on your updated video concerning a handle and latches. To get a little more height and be within the height of my existing ramps, I also added one more 15" and added a one cut at 36" and shorten your bottom run to 24" so everything falls or aligns the same as yours.
We use larger versions of these to level loaded 18wheeler trailers to compensate slightly for angled ramps towards docs. One trick worth doing in that situation is to get it right one time and then mark the floor where they go, not "as" necessary for home vehicle work where it is easier to judge placement.
This is a great idea. From the simplicity of using one piece of common lumber for construction, the hinge and hook setup, and the fact that they stack into a neat, rectangular shape.
I was already impressed by the construction and the video, and then he stacked them! Legendary
Really good & safe suggestions !
I'm probably too old to start climbing under cars again but what an awesome design. Think I'll share this with my son and he can do the climbing for me 😀
If you're having to *climb* to get under a car, that either means that the car has a *serious* lift kit installed or you are really short... :) More like "crawling" under a car... I used to have a pickup that had so much room that I could sit under it on the concrete and do everything needed to change the oil and filter without even laying on my back... Plenty of room under there... And then there is my wife's current car that has such low clearance that there is no way my steel ramps will work and I have used 2" thick concrete blocks to make a stairstep ramp similar to what he is using just to get it up high enough that I can put a jack underneath it...
Great idea with an excellent presentation, quick and right to the point. All the needed info without all the unnecessary talk that often accompanies it! I've been meaning to build wood ramps for many years, and this solves the problems. Thank you!
I made a set of wood ramps 40 years ago and still use them. I used a 3/4" sheet of plywood and ripped it to end up with two ramps of stacked boards. To make them adjustable, some layers are removable and held in place with a steel peg made from a huge nail. Today, that sheet of plywood is expensive. I used plywood so I would know the boards would never split. They are heavy though.
I'm catching your channel for the first time. I love how basic you've made this, cheap, approachable, and possible with tons of different tools. Thank you for making great content
One possible addition, to make wood slip-proof: buy a dollar-store piece of rubber front door-matting, and staple it to the underside of the ramps. Then it will not slip even on very smooth concrete, or even wet surfaces. GripSafe! You could also make the ramp portion completely removable by using hinges without captive pins. The higher end-stop piece is also a good idea, but would necessitate a change to the over-all sizes of ramp-parts.
I made some of these for my boss about 15 years ago because i was watching him use those metal death traps you showed in the beginning. They werent collapsible like yours, but we used them for box trucks, amd they never cost less than $40. Now they are pretty much standard equipment at his shop because they can hold a huge amount of weight, very stable because they are so wide, dont sink into the ground and honestly just better than the metal ones in every way.
Why are the metal ones death traps? I've been using them for 40 years and am still alive.
@@jamese9283 My neighbor would disagree but he's six feet under. He was pinned between the metal bumper of his car and the concrete wall of his house when his 14yo(or so) son accidentally went too far while trying to get the car up on the ramps. The dad didn't make it because the femur(s) were fractured and severed the arterie(s). He did survive for a quite awhile. The bumper kept the arteries pinched long enough for the medics to get there. They were able to use tourniquets to get him to the hospital. Unfortunately the ER doctors argued until it was too late. Eventually the family was given a settlement but, as you know money can't fix everything. While the ramp's design was not the only factor, there have been several articles written about how dangerous those old metal ramps are. It has to do with getting over that first bump, the steep incline, and their lack of traction. I personally think it also has a lot to do with the average person's lack of skills and coordination. My dad had a pair of those ramps that he used for close to 40 years without having an accident. He only changed them because he's old and wanted the new ones that are much lighter. They are also much easier to drive up on as well and thus require fewer basic skills. Now they just have to worry about technical issues like putting the right amount of the correct oil in the correct place. 😄
@@Jonathan.D your neighbor sounds like a moron
@@BH-gh6qm You are right about that and it's hard to say otherwise. He set himself up for disaster. He didn't give himself an out. He let an inexperienced kid operate a vehicle. Plus he used the metal ramps that even some adults have a difficult time using. Back in the day he would have been trampled by stampeding bears or mauled by a hungry brown cow. 😄 I shouldn't make jokes but the guy could have won a Darwin award.
@@Jonathan.D The way you described the accident, I don't see how you can blame the ramps. Any design can be made safer, but at some point it takes a little brain power not to hurt yourself.
Excellent video! Straight forward, no unnecessary conversation.
I kinda like that square end to the board(vs 45). Gives the tire something to grip as you drive up them. Thanks for this!
My dad built wooden ramps back in the 70s and they lasted all the through the 90s. Cheap safe and durable, can't ask for more.
Made my own metal ones in HS shop over 40 years ago, our shop teacher Mr. Goo (American Chinese from Hawaii) was a certified welder. He taught use how to weld and tested our welds, before he let us build anything. So your wood ones would work too if you dont have a welder, good job. RIP Mr. Wilton Goo.
I remember a Mr Magoo from childhood, I wonder if any relation 🤔
Used to have wooden ramps in the 1970's...after splinters and oil soakings, went to plastic rhino type ramps for $15 used since i saw the metal ones break. Lighter to tote around and store inside each other, too.
I have regular ramps already, but as a hybrid of this Idea, I roll up on a board as a pre-ramp to gain the added clearance needed for low slung vehicles.
That’s a great simple design with such clear directions! Thanks! I think I’ll have to make it 2x10’s for our RV!
Not bad. Honestly, I was doubting the effectiveness of these ramps and their quality. The moment the blocked wheel stopped you from backing up and the ramps held up, I was sold! I’m gonna make me some of these.
30+ years ago I built something similar for working on big trucks. Used 2x12 lumber and added garage door handles on the side so you can carry with one hand. Also cut the ends at 45 degrees. Inside the garage I added some traffic paint to the floor for easy location of the ramps, for both width and fore / aft placement. That way they are in a good location to close the door in winter. The three mechanics that were there since I left thought it was a great idea and still use them. Now the bonus... we live in snow country so ramping the inside tire of the rear duals allows installing tire chains without using a floor jack. Just drive on up, and back off when done.
Just gave me the idea of taking one board and cutting slots for the chains. Put it on the ground set it up and drive on top. Make wide slots so you can wiggle the chains a bit.
@@jeffarcher400 ... that won't work because you will be parked on a crosslink. If you must install chains with the tires on the ground, then you'd best have roller chains so you can remove a crosslink, drive forward to the blank spot, then put it back in after pulling forward again. That's how we did it on the road. Driving up on ramps (centered to the inside wheel) leaves the entire outside tire free.
@@rupe53The slots are for the cross links??? I was thinking it wouldn't work for x type cables but for H type it should. They sell a plastic chain block. Weird chain patterns can be custom cut into the wood for particular applications. Agree that there's nothing better than having it up in the air.
@@jeffarcher400 .... cables? We're obviously not talking about the same class of truck. The stuff I was working on is 30,000 pounds and up. (fuel delivery, fire apparatus, etc)
@@rupe53 Aren't truck chains the old H ladder design? I know trucks would destroy the cable design. I just meant you could change the slot pattern to custom design it for whatever you have. Lots of respect for the truckers. Out there day and night in all weather. Often risking their lives without fanfare. Cars only seeing an obstacle and not thinking about how things get on the store shelves. It's tough enough towing my boat. I wouldn't want to drive a big rig in town.
Really good idea. I built mine the same way, except I used 2x10s. Made the ramp top taller with more steps. Tried the screws at first but after several uses, the boards started separating. I eventually recessed holes and used 3/8" all thread with washers and nuts. I tried various stops on top but what really worked for me was a cheappy large mirror I had and positioned it so I could see when the wheels were on the top step. I could never feel the tire when it was against the stop. Mine are two pieces also. I offset the boards so when you joined them, they overlapped each other. Than it was easy to remove the ramp piece if you wanted to. Lots of good ideas out there .
That is an excellent idea design and execution. 10 inches is 252 mm so that works for almost all tires. $20 and will not ever get crushed. Love it. Thank you.
My grandpa made the unhinged version of these back in the early '80s. The hinge is a fabulous addition, also another commenter mentioned a 12" long piece of tire carcass tread area as a lead to the end of the ramp to prevent them from sliding away. All in all, a perfect little tutorial for garage mechanics on a budget.
Better than my metal ones in my opinion. When I forgot to remove the tire chock when changing oil last, the metal ones shot forward since there is very little surface area for them to hold onto the concrete with. This resulted in the ramp hitting the oil pan I had collected in and sending it all over the shop. I think the wood ones shown here may have resisted that better because they have far more surface area contact with the ground...
Tie a piece of rope to the ramps and extend it toward the car such that the cars tires drive onto the rope which will keep the ramps immobile.
@@roseymalino9855 Thanks for the tip!
I've done that as well, and I suspect we're not the only ones. Front wheel drive, metal ramps, forgot to remove the chocks, went to back down, and the ramps shot forward and hit my adult son in the shin. Fortunately, no serious damage, other than a bit of swearing. Lesson learned, and could've been much worse.
They don't shoot forward if they sink down in the asphalt. LoL. SMH The metal ones are okay in a pinch, but I've straddled a ditch with a vehicle before so I wouldn't have to use them.
@@ianshand6094 yep that happened to me once as well, quite embarrising i must add. but you live and learn
I love it. The storage convenience is the best part .
Great idea and definitely a Great tip for those on a tight budget ! The only thing I might suggest is a thin peace of non skid rubber to place on bottom of ramps with adhesive glue to help keep ramp from sliding on slick concrete like in some home garages ! Thanks for sharing this video !
I like the "step" idea as with regular sloped ramps you have to use the brakes to keep the tires from rolling back down. Also I would spray them with some florescent orange paint and then seal them with some urethane as you'll likely get them exposed to oil, water, etc. A thin coat of RTV on the bottom would also help keep the ramps from sliding on concrete.
@Lurch Boys the point here was 20 dollar ramps to save a few $ on DIY car maintenance. Also, if you can't have grain running horizontal then explain bottom or top plates, upon which just about every single house on this continent rests?
@Lurch let me know what you're smoking because I want some of that! Sure they might not last a few years but you make it sound like these things are gunna explode at the smell of a cars tires. The boards are fine in that direction because the compressive forces are spread amongst the boards and into the floor. The only risk really is splitting at the edge of the boards but if you were serious about building these things you'd be better off just PL'ing the entire thing and sealing the edges with the glue so it functions as a single block. Stuff is nigh indestructible.
@Lurch ??? This entire comment seems very confused. We orient wood to take loads in the direction of the grain because that's how it's strongest, yes, but if you did that here, you'd be very likely to split the wood along that grain on the thinner parts. Yes, joists are oriented with the longer axis vertical, but that isn't because it's inherently weaker in the other axis. Joists are bent under the load they carry, and the taller the beam the greater the load it can carry... but these ramps aren't being bent, but mainly compressed, and the load they can carry isn't increased by making them taller. Plywood would probably be a better material, mind, but...
@@ConReese what is PL'ing? Asking for myself
@Dan Hoepelman it's a type of construction adhesive called litteraly PL made by a company called Lepage, the glue is so strong its stronger than the hardest hardwood bond there is so structurally the weak points become the wood itself and not the joint once it's glued
This is fantastic, and well-done. You did a great job explaining the logic. (Especially liked the reminder to consider having each entry portion swing outboard.) Thanks for the free information!!!
you're very good at explaining things in a way that's idiotproof without being patronising. Thanks for the informative video!
Yep, doing this today. Great weekend project!
I'd probably add some friction material to the bottom to help prevent slippage. Also, adding a proper stain/coating will help prevent warping and cracks if exposed to water
Maybe also add some grip material on top of the wood surfaces if you need to use them if it is raining or your driveway is wet so the wood doesn't get slippery.
A better solution than hooks is loose pin hinges. Use two more 4 inch hinges on the opposite sides. Pop the pins out of them with and do one of two things: 1) Replace with a large nail or, 2) grind or file down the pins all around by a small amount until they drop in and out easily. You can also attach some wire rope to the pins and secure the opposite end to one of the hinge mounting screws. You could also do the same to all of the hinges and make the units fully collapsible and stackible.
you took the words right out of my mouth!!!
Agreed; I'd be very hesitant to rely on those hooks, since they could be pulled out with only a little force, like a bit of extra throttle on the way up the ramp.
I was thinking of using toggle-latches…replacing both the hook and the hinge. That would let you completely remove the low part, making it use-side agnostic.
@@keithklassen5320 Up the ramp there is no pulling force on the hook. Down the ramp the force is divided by both sides and little chance the half ramp would turn outward.
Even a set of those cheap slide locks for doors would work.
That's an awesome idea! One thing I would change is instead of the hook and eye latch, a set of tool box latches. Under $4 for a set at Home Depot
I made some like this once to get a loaded wheelbarrow in and out of my garage's back door with a raised door, solid wooden ramps are heavy AF, but that was also the advantage we didn't want them to move about when we were using them.
I love the simplicity and functionality of the design. For years I've been contemplating taking up more of my limited garage space with some ramps, but I generally just stick with a jack and jack stands. I know there are times where the ramps may be more convenient, but I just keep on not adding them to my arsenal. Maybe one day, I will, and I think I'll use a version of this design.
When you stacked them together I immediately liked the video and subbed to your channel. Top notch stuff man, you really thought of everything. Nice and affordable too. I like the way you think.
Short, sweet, descriptive and to the point. Excellent video
Absolutely, you have built the most cost-effective car ramps - I will make one like yours right way. Thank you!
I made a set similar to this a few years ago... but I used 2x12's because of the width of the tires on my truck. I also made it 5 pieces high, as that was the height needed to bring the height of the lowered tailgate even with a loading dock (made loading motorcycle into the back a much easier task). Mine are much smaller (28" overall), so I added two pieces of 550 cord about two inches each side of CoG to make it easy to carry around.
Build 3 sets of these. Drive forward onto the 1st set as described in this video. Add 2nd set on top upside down as per the "storage" solution and at the same time put the 3rd set under the rear wheels and back the vehicle onto them. Now the vehicle is level and off of the ground. This method is not needed often but it does come in handy now and then.
I'm curious how you would _"Add 2nd set on top upside down as per the "storage" solution"_ when you have tires sitting on them. Didn't exactly think that through, didja?
@@mikerew9132 what he said makes sense, but not explained very well. Only need to extend the level the tires are on, not at the level of the stop.
@@mikerew9132 easy, build the 2nd set without the hinges and the taller side it attaches to
@@Pantifo I dont think the geometry works with an exact duplicate set, you'd need to remove the endstop from the inverted one in order for it to stack correctly and keep the vehicle correctly level.
Or buy a jack and 4 jackstands. Safer, too, as you won't drive off the ends, and also, wood can split and fail.
We built some of those years ago at our shop for working on big vehicles such as RV's. I built a set at home for doing oil changes. I angled my level edges at 45 degrees. Added handles on the outside for carrying to and from the shed.
Idea Add the extra wood as double or triple layers on the smallest top piece to make it higher to prevent driving over the end of the ramp ?
I’d seen this type of ramp built before…until the ability to stack/store it together in one chunk! Brilliant! Nice work. Will be doing this myself come springtime. 👍🏼🇨🇦
I do like the hinge and hook lock addition. I used 2x12x8's when I made mine a couple of years ago now. Made a set of 4 so I could get our SUV up high enough to work under the whole thing I used the measurements off a set of ramps my mom had. And I probably use them more than my jack and jack stands. Thank you for the idea.
I'd probably get a couple of flip up/down door latch bolt thingies, and use them on either side, so instead of hinging out, you can just unbolt the rear parts and remove them completely.
Great video! I often jack my car up and set the frame on an 8" x 8" x 16" construction (concrete) block with wood blocking above and below. This allows one to remove the wheel if needed.
I have an idea: Maybe angle the hinges slightly so as the split part of the ramp swings out, it also rises above the ground so it doesn't scrape on the ground or catch on an obstruction on less than very smooth surfaces?
Forget the hinges make it so the ramp connects with a slotted cleat, so you can just lift it off or slide it out, so you can completely remove it. Make the top landing long enough, so you can have a 1.5" wide 1.5" deep slotted cleat behind the tire, so you can slide a short piece of 2x4 in to chock it, so the car doesn't roll back. If you dont trust 2x4 as a chock use a small piece of square bar stock. Now you have ramps, stands, and chocks all in one.
@@klubstompers Why not both swing out or lift out? Just pop out the hinge pins and replace them with slightly under-sized pins or bolts. then you can swing it out or the pull out the pins. in fact, you could just use hinges on both side with this idea, then it wouldn't even matter which one was on which side.
@@kevbu4 Yea, that would work. Just scrap the hinge pins and use a cotter pin.
Just use lift off hinges and fit hinges at a slight angle which will lift the loose part as you swing it or use rising butt hinges
I love how someone makes a suggestion and then a load of other suggestions come in to offer alternatives and improvements. Seriously, get a group of blokes together, and the possibilities are limitless. 👍
Thank you for not making this video 30 minutes.and thank you for making instructions clear and to the point
Great idea! Very well explained and demonstrated. One possible improvement I can think of is using "safety eye hooks" that have a spring-loaded catch that prevents the hook from coming out of the eye accidentally. Thanks for sharing.
I made something similar a few years ago. It attached like an extension to the metal ramps that I already had, reducing the incline to clear the body of my lowered car. Once the vehicle was on top of the ramps, I could remove the extensions giving me more room to work underneath.
I did similar but I used plywood for the first layer. The car easily gets over the thin plywood and they never slide anymore. Also I added short steps on the back side so if i do go too far the tires wont go off a cliff. But this did add cost and weight. I do like the hinge idea looks like I may have to modify my ramps.
Awesome! This is the best straight forward tutorial for probably the most useful item ever!!!!
Thank you for recording and posting this educational video.
I made essentially the same thing for my motorhome but 3 layers high and I beveled the leading edges. I also didn't hinge the back part of the ramp because I didn't need to, but for your car I can see it being handy.
Love it. I'm going to make a set next weekend. For easy transport I will be adding a mechanism to bind the two units together and a couple little wheels at the end of one, and handle on the other, like a hand truck or dolly, when tipped up. Thanks for sharing
I would use two hooks one on each side instead of a hook an a hinge. This way the ramp section could be removed completely and potentially used as the rear wheel chalk.
Awesome! I'm making some. I just tried to get my 2011 Caddy DTS up on some old high ramps I had for many years. I was surprised to find that there was nowhere near enough room to get them under the car. They were way too high, and would surely damage the car if I tried to use them. Thanks for posting this. I normally use jacks and jack stands, but this will be a lot easier, and will leave a lot more room to work under that without all that stuff in the way!
I'm glad I saw this one, I think this design is the best of the ones I've seen on KZhead
Wow, thanks!
Fantastic compact design! An alternative to hammering the hinges flat is shimming them from behind. This will preserve the finish :) Although sacrificing 2" of height, safety can be improved by recessing the final resting spot on the top board to create a better stop block effect and give the wheels no opportunity to roll back off the ramps.
So glad I ran across your video! I thought there would be more videos like this one so I checked out your home page, and you had already made a "New and Improved Version" of this car ramp! How cool is that? When I get more time, I'll check out more of your other videos, they look pretty interesting. You earned a subscription for now... Keep up the good work! Thanks!
We used to have a set of ramps like this for an Isuzu NPR box truck. It was too short to fit at loading docks that didn’t have a dock plate so a guy at work made a set that was three layers high. He put a 45 degree angle on the edges of the steps to make it smoother.
I like your design. Thanks for the video. I have been using a similar wood design: 1) chiseled the steps for easy drive up. 2) Using two piece design where first piece is the ramp and the second piece is a solid block of wood for tire to rest on. It just gives me a peace of mind.
I built ramps very similar to these 40 years ago. Mine were just a tad wider due to very wide tires on my Mustang. 2x10 bonds were my choice. Excellent project.
Aside from the extra weight, 2x10s would definitely be better. Why make it so tight with the size of the tires?
@@liquidmagma just a wider footprint for the tires to sit on. In my mind a bit safer.
@@ConemantheBarbarian I guess it wasn't clear that I was agreeing with you.
Great design! Thanks. I think mine will have to be 3/4" plywood and a less aggressive slope due to two of my cars having very low front aprons that would hit the ramps before wheels raise car enough for clearance. Sweet idea and design. Thank you again!
Great Idea and video, I have a few 2x8s and screws, going to try during spring break
I would drill some large holes in the hidden boards to lighten the ramp yet keep it strong.
That’s a good idea. Definitely don’t need them to be solid.
Good suggestion, thank you
But wouldn’t that weaken the wood?
@@GodsMan500 No, for the same reasons that an I-beam is very strong even though there isn't much material in the middle of the beam. Wood is ridiculously strong in compression. I bet you could leave one-inch strips in the middle and the edges of the middle pieces and still have enough strength to hold up the car.
The only problem with that that I can see is, wood changes with the seasons, and if it’s all screwed, glued and whatnot, the surrounding wood around the holes could possibly start to check aka split, that’s why I was thinking maybe splitting them in half, then running the upper boards perpendicular to the bottom then once again switching perpendicular to the next. For starters the wood would be more secured together and it’d help stop any cupping that might want to happen. Personally I’d add at minimum 1/4 inch plywood strips between the wood like how we do headers in the CARpentry world, that would definitely stiffen and hold them flat for years to come and lessen the chances of the planks splitting. Wood fluxes and splits like butter when being pressured in this flat grain application, while when it’s on end, it’s strong as steel. That’s just my input as a wood guy for the last 20 something years. Totally love this idea, being I loaned my metal ramps out yrs ago and forget to whom🤪
Built a set similar to yours a couple of years ago for oil changes. When used during the winter, had problems with the ramps sliding on ice. Bolted a section of rubber mud flap to the leading edge as a solution.
You have definitely reassured me! I had to make one of these, so my car could get up high enough to get a jack underneath it If they slide, it’s a good idea to put a piece of rebar or something in the ends just don’t drive off them… Stick them to the ground somehow so they don’t slide if that’s an issue
My only concern is as you said that a tire has a pretty easy time going over the width of one 2x8. The top end piece is the same. It’d be pretty easy to go over the top especially when your used to feeling it step up
i mean you're not going full speed up the ramp, just driving 1 mile per hour. not a big concern. source: i have car ramps
@@akjohnny5997 yes but you have one stop block at the top and a smooth transition while going up the ramps. These ramps you have multiple stop height steps. Source EVERY OTHER RAMP
Good point. You could use the two leftovers to double the height of the stopper. This improves safety, but is paid by the reduced ability to store the ramps.
100%. The design is garbage. He went too cheap and too simple. It's a simple mistake to forget the chock. It's also a simple mistake to select D instead of R.
@@michaelt779 it was simply for storage. You can easily bypass that and put a bigger stop on it and lose the stackable storage option.
Nice job. I like the way the two mate together for storage. 1. I would use hinges with removable pins so you have the option of completely removing the rotating part. 2. I would substitute a latch (not sure what it's called but found on some toolboxes) for the hooks. 3. I would like to see something a little higher for the wheel stop. 4. I think you can buy flat hinges but if not, you could router a groove or miter saw a small 45 to allow hinge to sit flat. 5. I would use some straps or latches to hold the 2 ramps together for storage. 6. I would add an additional piece of 1x1 or 2x2" to the top piece at the rear to keep vehicle from rolling backwards. In order to not mess up the way the ramps mate together, I would make these so they could be installed after the vehicle is ramped by using removable pins.
Agree. Taller (Hollow design so its less heavy). Hinges replaced with pin/hole where it can be pulled apart tool-less or design the wood to hook together the way the Eastwood plastic ramps do. Might as well copy the Eastwood dip where the wheel should sit, dip tells you when to stop pulling the car forward and it does the other things you said "to the top piece at the rear to keep vehicle from rolling backwards". The Eastwood ramps look nice enough to be worth the price but they seem overly wide and could be taller so that's why I am looking at DIY.
The pin idea would also work well for the taller front block to maintain the storage feature.
Great idea.....but was thinking also to add hardware to attach them together and maybe a leather handle to carry ......and obviously a French cleat on the side for easy storage!
Good thinking
Excellent video! I LOVE simple, practical ideas like this one, and you presented it in a clear, concise way. I just subscribed, and looking forward to future presentations! Thank you! 🤙
This is a brilliant project! Thanks for the inspiration.
Been using something like this for a few years now but i didnt hinge them. Going to cut straight through mine and add the hinges. Brilliant idea thanks
Wonderful video. Just made these after seeing your video with some 2 x 10's I had hanging around. Used full pieces and stand them up in the garage for storage. Did my first oil change using them and felt very secure under the car. I did buy two rubber wheel chocks just for piece of mind.
Hi watch your video yesterday...so went out bought some wood got it cut and put the ensemble together and bloody awesome thanks for the content
What a great idea! I have some old 2x8 laying around and was headed to harbor freight for ramps this week, not now! Appreciate it!
same here - now the garage wants $80 for an oil change. I ordered a filter wrench for these new fangled oil filters and will go back to doing it myself - but I didn't want to revert to the 70's and use those steel ramps which always made me nervous.
Great idea. For those with vehicles with bigger tires a 2 × 10. And the type of tree/wood can make a difference also with fir being the most durable compared to Spruce pine or cedar with cedar being the softest .
thanks for sharing this great product for all to use. really great design
Wow. Yup wow! Why didn't I think of this years ago. Mate you are a genius, when I was a lad I had a MK1 ford escort and it was a 1970 plate so I was driving it up ramps a lot and your tweek on the design would have made my life so much easier. I had a set of steel ramps I got from Halfords and they collapsed under the weight of the car, I had changed the engine from a 1.1 to a 3ltr V6 and ye down it came, but your ramps are strong and being able to pivot the front of the ramp out the way is genius well done pal.
Nice job. Maybe screw on handles for easy carry?
That’s a slick setup there! I made some a couple weeks ago out of some 2x4 cut-offs that my wife pulled from a construction site dumpster. Mine were extra simple and only took about 10 minutes to make, they are my dedicated oil change ramps. At only 3” tall, they’re useless for anything else, but suit their specific purpose very well. I may make a set like yours, I love how they fit together for storage too!
I'm impressed, at, your wife. She sounds like a keeper.
Lol, yeah, she is. I almost have enough pilfered 2x6’s to make the forms for a concrete pad I’m about to pour!
Just curious, shouldn't you have your car on level ground when changing the oil?
@chillyballs555, in a perfect world, that would be ideal. Conveniently for me though, the drain plug on my wife’s Toyota is at the back of the oil pan so it works out well.