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Lifting car on a slope
Staple balls - 5/4/09 at 07:27 PM

Right, I've been relegated to the driveway and need to lift the mk.

Problem is the drive has a 6-ish degree slope to it, so I'm not super keen on jack stands.

Are jack stands alright like that, or would I be better off with some car ramps?

Cheers.

cloudy - 5/4/09 at 07:34 PM

If you do use stands, make sure one point of the triangle points downhill, that'll give maximal stability

James

owelly - 5/4/09 at 07:40 PM

Ramps would be better but not if you need to take the wheels off. Unless you used the ramps as axle stands.

dmac - 5/4/09 at 08:05 PM

Six degrees is not much of a slope so if the slope really is that gentle you should be ok, make sure that a vertical line from the saddle of the axle stand is inside the area covered by the feet (check before you put the stand under the car and make sure you check at the height you are going to use the stand not just at the lowest hight) and if possible only lift one end at a time and chock the wheels at the other end to make sure it does not move.
If you do lift both ends at once then make sure the work you are doing does not apply any force down the slope eg. when tightening/loosening bolts always pull up the slope.

mistergrumpy - 5/4/09 at 08:40 PM

Mines steeper than 6 and I have no other choice sometimes but to raise it. Just take it easy and the biggest thing is to keep switched on because I tend to jump and run all over mine when its on the ground, can't do it whilst its up as it's a bit too risky.

Danozeman - 5/4/09 at 08:46 PM

aslong as some wheels are on the ground and chocked it shouldnt be a problem.

James - 5/4/09 at 11:37 PM

What about building some metal/painted MDF 'wedges'?

Make them 12" wide and you can site the axle stand on them and it'll be flat.


HTH,
James

MikeRJ - 6/4/09 at 12:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
Mines steeper than 6 and I have no other choice sometimes but to raise it. Just take it easy and the biggest thing is to keep switched on because I tend to jump and run all over mine when its on the ground, can't do it whilst its up as it's a bit too risky.


Mine also is pretty steep, and also very narrow once it gets past the house (just wide enough for a car...but you wouldn't be able to get out of it if you parked it there!).

My long term plan is to make some super large ramps with pegs that will fit into holes in the drive, that will effectively make the car level, but until then I just make sure the two wheels on the ground are very securely chocked and use as many axle stands as I can.

liam.mccaffrey - 6/4/09 at 12:59 PM

I have put cars up safely on concrete blocks with wood shim on way steeper gradients that.

just make sure they are longitudinal(sp) so they can't topple.