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Date:         Sat, 4 Jun 2011 17:18:13 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Help the chimp avoid getting crushed
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4deac58d.524ee50a.5e7a.563c@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Thanks - that's a lot of thought!

But I still don't see the problem. Maybe I'm simple.

With the downhill tires parked on the ramps, they show no desire to slide. Yeah, there is a sideways vector, but there is a lot of friction between the ramps and the concrete. I mean, when I drive up onto the ramps, I have to hit the brakes when the tires go into the pockets so as not to roll off the backsides of the pockets. If anything would cause the ramps to break free and slide downhill, that would do it. But they don't. The ramps stay put, the van stops. Once parked, you can lean and shove on that van any direction you want and the ramps don't slide. I think the vertical vector is plenty strong enough to grind the steel into the concrete.

(Of course, now watch the concrete under the ramp edges suddenly turn to powder, providing a nice slippery base . . . )

This discussion got a little off-topic. I'm satisfied that I have a stable arrangement for working under the van, but didn't think that I could adapt my setup to safely lift the van on a corner to get a tire off the ground to replace rear shocks. But that project is canceled because the van can't accommodate this kind of shock.

Thanks to all who took the time and brainpower to look at this problem!

-- RJS

On Sat, 2011-06-04 at 19:53 -0400, David Beierl wrote:

> At 06:55 PM 6/4/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote: > >8 inches, more like, the height of the ramps. About 6 degrees, according > > Ok, 550 lb instead of 350. Where does the 550# gorilla sit? > > Ok, if you insist on doing this...you can drill holes in the concrete > to take a couple of locating pins to rest each ramp against. That > brings you down to 275 lb. Now carry it a step farther. > > Make a set of identical sub-ramps that match the driveway slope and > are long enough to carry the main ramps. Eight holes drilled in the > concrete for 3/8" or 1/2" locating pins. Now you can park the van on > the ramps and all the horizontal vector is taken up by the pins, even > though the van is still tilted six degrees. Cover the two downhill > ones with diamond plate so your steel ramps won't sink in. Two more > pins in each one to keep the plate in place and the steel ramps from > skidding. *Now* when you drive down onto them you'll be level and > there will be no horizontal forces on the vehicle. Three-foot ramps > would be 3 1/2" tall at the end; four widths of 4x4 spiked together > would give you 14" wide. Or you could get them welded up from plate, > in which case a lip of plate at the end would restrain the van/main > ramp. Or build from multiple layers of 1/2" plywood screwed and > glued with the long piece on top and the edges underneath chamfered > some so they don't crush. > > There ya go, Mr. Squirrel. Still no help when you need to raise a > wheel, but a start. And you could extend the concept to make jacking > platforms for bottle jacks, stands etc.. If Mrs. S. doesn't like the > little holes, remind her how much less she'd like picking a van up off of you. > > This doesn't mean I think it's a good idea, just a (much) less bad one. > > Yours, > David >


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