The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

garystockton · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 13:10 Post subject: Vehicle Ramps

Hi all,

I'm trying to find a decent set of vehicle inspection ramps to use with the 120 series Cruiser - the one's from Halfords are not weight-rated enough, nor are they wide or high enough. The ones on Difflock look quite nice, but to be honest for a bit of angle-iron chopped up and welded into a bridge they seem a bit over-priced. If I could weld, I'd knock up my own, but it's not worth the effort for me to even try (I can't draw a straight line without a ruler, and even then I get it wrong Wink

) I'm a little tired of trolley-jack / axle stands, especially when it's only a 10 minute job and it takes me 20 minutes + to get organised!!

Anyone got any suggestions - there's lots on e bay, but as it's basically a safety device I'm loathe to buy something that's been sitting out in all sorts of weather and / or otherwise mistreated, so I'd prefer to buy new.

Cheers

Gary

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Wandering Willy · ******* Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 1016 Location: Norfolk

If you want something wide and solid - get a railway sleeper!

It's about 8" wide so it fits the tyres on my amazon very nicely. Garden centres may want £25 for one but the timber places sell reasonable used ones for about £15.

If you have a chainsaw, it's a 5 minute job to cut one 8' sleeper at an angle to create 2 X 4' ramps. They are a little heavy though.

I fixed a length of angle iron on one side of each and use 4 big wall plugs in the floor of my garage to fixed them to when I want to see under the car. Otherwise, they tend to slide forward as you try to drive up, but with 2 screws in each ramp they are very solid.

I hope that helps

Willy

alaric · * Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 49 Location: Rodmersham, Kent

The Difflock shop stock 4x4 ramps: here

I've heard good reports, but not got around to getting some myself as yet.

Alaric.

RADIOTWO · ****** Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 816 Location: GLOSSOP

Landcrusher · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 18:54 Post subject:

Why, what are the ratings on the Halfords ones? Your car is 2100kgs, so with front off the ground each stands takes a quarter, less the effect of the angle, gravity etc, so if each stand takes 1000kgs, (safety limit of at least 2X) it's enough. Yeah? Basically half a tonne per wheel. Have a look at Machine Mart. I use loads of their stuff. Including my welder. Personally, I wouldn't make my own ramps and I can weld.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

wildsmith · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 21:10 Post subject:

All that money for a bit of bling blue pipe and he won't buy some proper ramps Laughing

I'd buy the difflock ones if I didn't already have some halfords ones Gary that my overweight 80 sat on for ages while I changed the gearbox a couple of years ago so it seems they do the job ...
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Jon m0zxj

01 UZJ100 lifted (AHC & 40mm BL), ARB locked f&r, cryo'd 4.88's, TJM front bumper, 12k goldfish, sliders, rack, snorkel, 35's, storage, aux power etc.
93 HDJ80 sold
94 HDJ80 RIP

Landcrusher · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 22:17 Post subject:

Yeah, bling blue pipe that he has broken all ready. Embarassed

You know it wouldn't have happened if you'd brought sausages. It a penance, I tell you. Twisted Evil

I have two sets of ramps and I drive the LC up them both at the same time. It makes working under there a good deal easier.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

garystockton · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 22:47 Post subject:

Ja ja - the blue pipe is fine - it's the Toyota bit that broke Crying or Very sad

and nowhere near the blue pipe!

And if you go to Salisbury plain there may well be a lot of that sausage!

OK - so Halfords seem to be ok then. Seemed a bit narrow - like 235mm wide I think? But they were more than the DiffLock ones, so I'll probably get those then.

Thanks, guys, for the advice (when I found it Wink

)

Landcrusher · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:47 Post subject:

OK, OK enough mickey taking.

Have a look at this product. Now that's what I call a car ramp.

http://www.jtproducts.co.uk/content.php?section=the_equipment

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

garystockton · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:57 Post subject:

I looked at those - to be honest, the assistant's not really my type Wink

also for that kind of cash I can by a 2nd hand proper vehicle left and install it in my carport (after removing the roof of course!)

So I think I'll go with the DiffLock stuff - although the bridge system is quite clever!

Landcrusher · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:11 Post subject:

Oh, sure I agree - but if money was no object, I'd be tempted. With the ramps I mean.

The Difflock ones look OK, but I'm not keen on the end stop arrangement. Mine has a vertical end stop. This one is sort of 'over centre' which I just wonder about tipping the ramp of you stopped hard. I'm sure they're fine, but I did wonder about that. You know, with all the car places in trouble and closing down, it makes me wonder if there are any of those car display ramps out there. They use them for 4x4 vehicles. You know the ones I mean? You drive up them and they tip forward into a flat position, like a fixed teeter board.

LC
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HDJ 80 but still a 90 owner at heart (yeah right!)

Wandering Willy · ******* Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 1016 Location: Norfolk

OK so no-one like the railway sleeper idea!

However, I worry about the ramps offered by different suppliers. They have probably been tested by parking a big car on them but on a nice flat surface by someone who gets the ramp straight first time. In the nasty old 'real' world, the surface isn't level and the car goes on at an angle with one wheel hanging half off the ramp. The result is that the 'local' load on the ramp structure could be several times the average value. Then you trust your future to it by crawling underneath.

I am not suggesting that these metal ramps are dangerous. I just don't fancy getting it wrong and suffering the consequences.

By the way, my railway sleeper ramps have been living at the bottom of the garden for about 10 years now, haven't gone rusty or rotten, been stolen or collapsed when abused and they didn't cost £60 when new.

Willy

Ian-P · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 18:37 Post subject:

Quite like the sleeper ramp idea! I have some halfords ones, but always feel a little wary whenever I use them.
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