Engineers-design me ramps

[dweymer]

I want to build ramps to drive/push a car (911,914,944) up into a box truck. I think the deck height is 48" Has a 2500lb lift gate, but a car wont fit on that

Cheaper is better.

[Zeke]

Go to a loading dock and drive the car in. Your ramps for 48" will be over 30' long. The only other way you can do this is to drive the car on some sturdy ramps about 14' long raised as high as you can and get on w/o scraping. Then, with a cross support, lift the car at each end with a pair of jacks until you can drive it on to the truck bed. Might take some time to do it this way, but it can be done.

I took a race car across country many years ago in a box van. Our ramps were 40' long to clear the angles and we still had to fudge at each each end and with no nose on the car.

If you are stuck on doing this, you will need at least 4 center supports, like strong sawhorses. The ramp equipment will take up as much room as the car. McNichols sells precut ramp sections.

[dweymer]

Good point on the scraping Milt, I found 16' ramps, pleanty of capacity weight wise but had not thought of the angles.

[Jim Sims]

You need what is know as a "yard ramp":

http://www.bondorseals.com/more_info/mobile_yardramp/mobile_yardramp.htm

[on-ramp]

never fear, On-Ramp is here. I'm on the job....

[dweymer]

D&mn Jim, for that price I could have it flown here

[dweymer]

Any thoughts on lifting one up there?

[URY914]

Donnie,

Load it on to another low trailer, than tilt that trailer up in to your truck. Use the trailer ramps to get it in the truck.

Paul

[dweymer]

I was thinking along those lines, load it onto 12-16ft ramps, then lift the loose ends of the ramps up to reduce the approach angle.

[kycarguy 935]

If you don't have to load and unload very often you can call one of the tow companies with a larger size roll back. I have used this method before to store cars in my 28' pup trailer. Its about a 48" deck also.

My friend also had some rails that were aluminum and they were used by some trucking companies to load cars. I remember they were long and about 18" wide each. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of them. I did try to buy them from him but he wasn't selling. I will keep searching google for a name for them.

Good luck and let us know what you end up using.

[Wickd89]

Got to go with the ramps. I assume the maker of the box trailer must be able to provide these for you. At a price of course.

[Jim Sims]

"D&mn Jim, for that price I could have it flown here."

Let's see, you want a lightweight, compact, easy to use (disassemble and take with you), 30 ft. long bridge (this is what a ramp is) capable of safely holding a 3000 to 4000 lb car with low clearance and sharply reduced approach angle. Plus you want it for little money. Good luck. You may be better off trying to use a portable lift that can elevate to the truck bed height .

[HawgRyder]

I have used the old trick of backing the truck down a slow sided ditch and then using short ramps to the other side to get a down angle to the truck.
Bob

[dweymer]

Originally posted by Jim Sims
"D&mn Jim, for that price I could have it flown here."

Let's see, you want a lightweight, compact, easy to use (disassemble and take with you), 30 ft. long bridge (this is what a ramp is) capable of safely holding a 3000 to 4000 lb car with low clearance and sharply reduced approach angle. Plus you want it for little money. Good luck. You may be better off trying to use a portable lift that can elevate to the truck bed height .

I was being funny, not a smartass .

But your right on the ramps, the lifting idea is looking better.

[Tim Hancock]

If I needed to do something like this, I would fab up a set of curved truss ramps. You could affix them to the lift ramp and drive on then raise or just throw some pre-ramps down to get the front valence to initially clear.

Here is a crude sketch.

[dweymer]

Tim

That's it exactly, I don't have the drawing software to do it. Will post some measurements today.

[dweymer]

some measurements:
Center of wheel to center of wheel- 88"
Wheel diameter 24.5"
Low point of vehicle 7"

[dweymer]

Or a rail lift:

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by dweymer
some measurements:
Center of wheel to center of wheel- 88"
Wheel diameter 24.5"
Low point of vehicle 7"

With that short of a wheelbase and that much ground clearance, why not just go with maybe a 14' straight set of ramps? My drawing below shows a car with your specs on a 12' 8" ramp. You would probably need a couple short planks at the bottom bridge a shallower lead on portion to clear a low valence, but you did mention you wanted it to be cheap.

[Jim Sims]

If you can get by with simple 16' ramps then you may consider the below ramps. I doubt you can truly design, anaylze and fabricate and safely test for less than their price unless you're working for free. Cheers, Jim


http://www.beacontechnology.com/ramps/carramps/bfal-3616-50.html