ewanspence
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| posted on 24/8/04 at 07:36 AM |
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BIG car ramps
Has anyone ever thought of making a pair of these BIG ramps. I recon the steel would cost around £100 and it would take about 10 hours to cut and weld
up.
I am about to make up some drawings to see how bes to design it to make for easy storage. I would like them to be about 28in tall.
As the website (link to manufacturers) says the bought ones come in 4 parts, the 2 triangle parts and
the 2 rectangles, they then bolt together, but I was thinking about making them in either 2 parts, ie 1 big ramp for each side.
I have plenty of head room in the garage as the builder had made it for a 4x4 so storing them will be easy. Hook 1 end to a bracket at the end of the
garage then lift the other end of the ramp to hook at the other end.
[Edited on 24/8/04 by ewanspence]
Ewan.
Visit the MegaGrip site :-
http://www.geocities.com/ewanspence/
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andyps
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| posted on 24/8/04 at 09:27 AM |
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I have seen them used by car daelers and thought that they would be great to have, but storage would be a big issue. One great thing about them is
that when teh car is half way up them before they level out there is massive room underneath - probably enough to work on a steering rack for example
whilst standing up. Would be interested in your plans.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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blueshift
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| posted on 24/8/04 at 10:53 AM |
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very cool. I was thinking about something like that recently after struggling under my car with one end up on ramps.
hey, I just thought of a great reason why my next car should be a jacked-up jeep wrangler 
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ewanspence
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| posted on 24/8/04 at 02:47 PM |
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I have thrown together a quick drawing (below) with materials required. I would plan on having a scaffold tube for the winch beam (luckily I have an
electric winch in the garage somewhere) and also the scaffold tube for the jacking beam. Both of these would lock the 2 ramps together.
I could also use my pair of standard Halreuds ramps as chocks under the ramps before I start working under the car just as a safety measure.
Locally 6m of 25x25x3 angle is £5 and 50x50x3 is £9.90 which would be a total of £90
Ewan.
Visit the MegaGrip site :-
http://www.geocities.com/ewanspence/
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SeaBass
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| posted on 24/8/04 at 10:18 PM |
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Looks good ewan. I've been thinking along same lines although I have access to a pit for similar work.
Cheers
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wilkingj
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| posted on 25/8/04 at 10:03 PM |
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I like that, how about putting the winch and jacking bar in tubes at each side with locking pins / bolts. Then you could take them out and have two
narrow ramps for easier storage. Just an idea. or even 3 or 4 removeable cross bars for stability.
Just to stop it collapsing over to one side.
thats my 2d worth.
Regards
Geoff W. 
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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ewanspence
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| posted on 26/8/04 at 06:12 AM |
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the jacking and winch bars were planned to be removable but the software package I used was such a pain that I didn't go to that detail.
I am collecting the steel to start the build this weekend. I know I should be getting on with the Locost but I am now at the stage that having the
Locost (now officially christened the "MegaGrip" at a good working height (about 800mm off the ground) would saving my poor old back and
it should only take a couple of weekends to throw it together.
I am now working on a version 2 of the ramps ..... watch this space....I may even patent the next version!!! unless it has been done before.
P.S. Version 1 will be built to be able to morph into version 2.
[Edited on 26/8/04 by ewanspence]
Ewan.
Visit the MegaGrip site :-
http://www.geocities.com/ewanspence/
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andyps
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| posted on 26/8/04 at 09:52 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ewanspence
I am now working on a version 2 of the ramps ..... watch this space....I may even patent the next version!!! unless it has been done before.
[Edited on 26/8/04 by ewanspence]
Don't tell us anything about version 2 until you have lodged the patent application then otherwise it will not be acceptable.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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ewanspence
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| posted on 26/8/04 at 10:15 AM |
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Andy, thanks for the advice. I am currently going through the patent site to see what I have to do (and I did notice they advised you tnot to talk to
anyone).
Through my reading I cannot find anywhere that it says there is a cost to make a patent application. Is this correct....are the government actually
doing something for nothing...I am sure I have just missed it.
Ewan.
Visit the MegaGrip site :-
http://www.geocities.com/ewanspence/
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andyps
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| posted on 26/8/04 at 04:49 PM |
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I think the lodging of a patent is something like £15 or £20 but not certain. The trouble is it really doesn't get you very much - basically it
means you have a patent lodged, to turn it into a patent involves paying for searches to verify it is original etc. and this can get expensive. It is
still worth lodging to start with - just beware that there are costs later. I have kind of gone through it but didn't complete the process due
to lack of funds / market potential.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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