shadetree mechanics. repair/service ramps. ever seen anyone drive off other side?

[GWN7]

It can happen......

Buddys car. Took it to his father-in-laws shop. Insurance wrote the car off.




Also happened to a guy I used to work with. He took his brand new Ford Pickup to Florida. When he got there decided it was time for a oil change. Shop kid drove it up onto full ramps but forgot to put it in park or block the wheels. Truck rolled 1/2 way off the ramps bending the drive shaft. A new shaft had to be pulled from the production line to replace.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by vash

i've fallen short of parking the car perfectly ontop, but i have never driven them off the other end. anyone ever do this? seen it done? the car body gets crushed?

I did it with my 99 e300d. What a cluster#### that was. I was using the ramps because I had loaned my jack to a buddy. Was having a hard time because the bumper is low and kept pushing the ramp. Thought I had it secured but one side had slid forward, and I was cranky and rushing and wasn't paying attention, and drove one side ride over the ramp. ####ing ####er.

Had to call my neighbor and borrow his jack, and he is a helpful but smug ba$tard and he got great pleasure out of seeing the car half flopped onto one ramp, with the rocker all beat to $hit

[Tervuren]

Thats a pic of a two post lift. The Lotus is very light on the front. I base where I put my car on the lift by approximate CG at start, and CG while working on the car.(If removing engine, I may park the car a hair forwards)

Looking at the pic, they may have not wrenched the car off of its supports, rather than a weight balance issue alone. The fact it tipped rear, does mean they got the CG aft of the posts by a lot, also possible that they jacked a non structural part of the car. I let a tire place replace the tires on my wheels on my car once out of necessity, and have always brought the wheels/tires in since.

A major issue, is the pressure from "managers" that don't understand working on cars, they want speed - and this leads to mistakes. There can be guys that know their stuff at these places, but management can try to force them into risky positions.

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by vash

i've been on an oil changing tear lately. just helping out others. in order to do this work in my driveway, and get my fatarse under the car, i drive them onto my trusty car ramps.

you know what? i hate them!! my palms get all sweaty, i stall cars with stick-shift transmissions, i get all herky-jerky even with auto tranny cars. my wife's subaru isnt too bad with the "hill holding" feature. but damn..i hate those ramps. i hate pulling a vehicle onto them.

i've fallen short of parking the car perfectly ontop, but i have never driven them off the other end. anyone ever do this? seen it done? the car body gets crushed?

you four post lift guys can kiss..nevermind..

I did it with the ex's 98 Jetta POS. Got that sucker wedged between the front wheel and the fender LOL. Backed it back onto the stand and no one was the wiser.

LOL they do suck. None of my current cars can use them, ALL THREE of my rigs are dropped

[on2wheels52]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

What about the two post guys?

krikey, my bay at the service station was a one-poster.
re ramps, you couldn't give me a set.
Jim

[speeder]

This is a funny thread to me. I have a set of good ABS plastic ones, I use them all the time. Mine have small rubber "bumpers" on the bottoms near the beginning of the slope so they stick to the ground right when you begin to drive on them. You obviously need to be careful pulling onto them but you'd also need to be pretty clumsy with the pedals to drive completely off the other side. Mine have a pretty good stop that the tires hit before you'd drive off.

And yes, I have a good floor jack and plenty of jack stands. If the job requires removing any wheels, then ramps are not what you'd use. But for getting under the car quickly to make a quick adjustment or just getting the front up a little for better ergonomics working under the hood, ramps are great.

[A930Rocket]

I've got some kind of plastic ramps, along with three floor jacks and six jackstands. I use what's needed to get the job done.

[weseeeee]

I traded in my ramps for a jack and stands. For anything serious, I use a buddy's shop.