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]

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.

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

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

Looks good ewan. I've been thinking along same lines although I have access to a pit for similar work.

Cheers

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.

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]

quote:

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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]

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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.

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.