Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 15:39:37 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Good types of drive-on lift ramps?
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hi,
I should mention I use truck size jackstands.
their base is closer to 11 by 12 inches, than the 8 X 8 or whatever common
size 'small' car jack stands are.
Particularly the cheapo type with the pin. I have some small heavy duty
ones like that ...where a case iron top parts slides up and has a racthet
type lock on it. More finely adjustable than the cotter pin type.
so I'm not saying those little cheap stands are so great.
and ...
working on any car jacked up on any slope ...
about the only safe mode I can think of is you're working the front end, and
the rear is on the ground brake set very firmly, and good wheel chocks
behind the rear wheels.
Working on anything that rolls, on any slope, is plan risky.
Really, you have to constantly plan for it the whole time.
and all four wheels off the ground on a slope ....very scary.
If that's all you've got ....just be super careful.
the first amd most basic requirement for any half decent place to work on
anything to do with suspension or brakes or under the van, is ......smooth
hard flat and level surface.
Anything else just fights you, and is risky.
'flat and level' is the most important requirement.
working in the street is insane,
it's bothersome ...but if you're under something working on it with cars
going by...
just takes one person fiddlying with their cell phone or whatever, they bump
into the car you're under...
bye bye Vanagonaut.
not worth the risk. You can generally only get your head mashed in once.
Some other better arangement is needed of course.
I totally understand your use of ramps.
They might be my choice too if I had your working circumstances.
that skiddering forward factor is sure obnoxious all right.
good discription too.
That's one of the things I really don't like about them..
I almost end up jacking the car up high enough to lower it onto the ramps
due to that factor.
they need that lead-in skirt for sure. Not sure I've ever noticed any on a
drive-on ramp before.
hey, send your ramps over to me and i'll try them out for a while and report
back.
lol.
scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 3:08 PM
Subject: Re: Good types of drive-on lift ramps?
> Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>> do whatever you like of course.
>> I don't recommend them. they are dangerous.
>> or sure can be.
>>
>> when a van is on jackstands, it's not going anywhere.
>
> Humph. If jackstands had bigger feetsprints I'd agree. But I bet that if
> you lift a Vanagon eight or so inches and stick it on top of four of
> those on a driveway tilted at 5 degrees, it wouldn't take much of a push
> to topple them. My driveway is 5 degrees. It's either work in the
> driveway or on the busy street. Not a big fan of working on a busy
> street. Curb on one side, fast cars on the other.
>
> I used ramps for my Westy and my bay window on the driveway at the house
> in Cali, which was about 5 degrees, too, and there were no stability
> problems. I just feel safer with ramps.
>
> The kind I had were the heavy plastic ones. They had a nice pocket on
> top to prevent the vehicle from rolling. Pretty good, all 'round but
> they were a bit shorter than I wanted, and didn't have lead-in skirt
> which caused them to skitter forward in front of the tires.
>
> I also used them to raise the front end of the van when it was stored on
> a gravel patch by the driveway during winter. It was steeper than 5
> degrees there, more like 10. Jackstands would have gone right over if
> someone had leaned on the rear of the van.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
