www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi
I want to build a car service ramp made of wood, for general service and repair. I have seen few on you tube and will look similar to the pic attached. My car's curb weight 1500- 1930 Kgs
My question is whether Treated softwood Joists is good for the job? Pic attached.


Many thanks

Should be fine for occasional use. However a pair of steel ramps is not a lot of money and would last a very long time.

Rorschach wrote:Should be fine for occasional use. However a pair of steel ramps is not a lot of money and would last a very long time.

Steel ramps are fine and cheaper from my proposed wood ramp but they are less than 250mm width, my fronts are 245mm and rears 275mm so not suitable really.

It is for occasional use, oil change....etc.

Cheers

yartin wrote:my fronts are 245mm and rears 275mm

Staggered that size - something pretty hot then. Make sure that you construct the ramp at a shallow angle if you don't have much ground clearance. I can't use steel ramps, my car won't go up them due to the overhang.

My steel ramps are fairly narrow, narrower than the tyres I think but I don't have any trouble.

Fair enough if you want to make your own though, you might want to add lipping either side to help stop them sliding out as you drive up them. And as arco says since you are making your own, make them longer and shallower. That is my only complaint about mine, they are steep and can be hard to drive up slowly, even worse for reversing onto.

sounds like a BMW, If I had space for a garage I would have a scissor lift or even a quickjack if space was tight (neither are cheap)

Yes I am making a bit longer than the ones you buy of the shelf so can get a shallow angle. Plus a lipping to help stop when it is up to the last plank.

Bob225 wrote:sounds like a BMW, If I had space for a garage I would have a scissor lift or even a quickjack if space was tight (neither are cheap)

Yes it an E63. I just use the driveway for basic services and repairs.

I was looking at a car lift in Costco this week, not much change from a grand

jaeger wrote:I was looking at a car lift in Costco this week, not much change from a grand

Does it come with the car?

Not cheap, but if you do a lot of work on cars, even small scale professionally then a lift like that would make life a lot easier and the added bonus is you can move it around unlike a proper garage lift.

yartin wrote:Yes it an E63

Ah, one o' them thar new-fangled tanks, a "Bangle-butt GT"!

E31 here, yartin - from when Grand Tourers really were.

arco_iris wrote:

yartin wrote:Yes it an E63

Ah, one o' them thar new-fangled tanks, a "Bangle-butt GT"!

E31 here, yartin - from when Grand Tourers really were.

E31 very nice car, mine is 650

jaeger wrote:I was looking at a car lift in Costco this week, not much change from a grand

That's a Quickjack

650 that's the 4.8 V8 isn't it, I always like the look of the 635 (E24 ?) they where dirt cheap in my teens now a good one goes for silly money