Ramp recommendation?

[tamo3]

Hi,

A lot of folks lower your car. In order to lift up, you might need some low profile ramp.

I notice that low profile ramp is quite expensive. This race ramp cost more than $200.

Those ramp are around $40, but it's not low profile.

I googled and find a lot of people DIY ramp.

some metal version.

Those looks professional build.

I might end up with....

Once finish using it....

What low profile ramp do you use???

[SteveJ]

I went with the two piece Race Ramps. Amazon.com: Race Ramps RR-XT-2 67-Inch XT 2-Piece Race Ramp: Race Ramps: Automotive

No they aren't the cheapest, but they don't slide, even on my epoxy painted garage floor.

[siteunseen]

I have those Rhino Gear Ramps for $40 from local parts store. My 240's lowered an inch and has a front spoiler, no problem but I kick them under the tires before I drive up, they slide on my garage floor if I don't. I've pretty much started raising it up with a floor jack and then putting them under the tires.

I just measured them and the flat spot at the high end is 6 1/2" off the ground. http://www.amazon.com/RhinoGear-11909-RhinoRamps-Vehicle-Capacity/dp/B006EGAIII/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411834931&sr=8-1&keywords=rhino+gear+ramp

[LeonV]

Some chunks of 2X4.

[rossiz]

i have the same $40 metal ramps - they work fine on an exterior concrete driveway (brush finish)

i have the eibach progressive lowering springs, so about 2" lower than stock, no front air dam.

tricky part is getting up on them when you're alone - i use a mirror to see when i'm up on the flat spot (actually a slight hollow). you can actually feel when the wheels drop in, but the fear of dropping off the back makes me want to watch!!

[gnosez]

I'm confused. Why not just jack the car up and then use jack-stands?

A whole lot cheaper.

And I do know all about a lowered Z since both the street and race 240Z have just over 3 inches of clearance at the middle of the engine cradle support assembly and the twin exhaust pipes on the race car might be just at 3 inches if that.

The race car has a removeable front spoiler as it would never be able to go up a ramp without scrapping.

[Walter Moore]

I haven't used ramps since I bought a house with a garage and concrete floor. We used to use ramps when I lived with my parents on the gravel floor of their carport. Personally, I don't trust them. (ramps)

However while my imitation BRE spook is high enough off the floor to clear nearly all curbs, and parking lot bumpers, but there is just barely enough room under it to wiggle a floor jack down the center of the car to lift the front end by the cross-member. It seems to me that if the car was lowered even a little I would never be able to lift the car in the "usual" way.

Maybe that is why people use ramps.

[Mike]

I can't jack the front of my car because of my front spoiler. The problem is getting the jack far enough inside so I can use the long handle to pump the jack. I've resorted to using the stock body jack first and then sliding my jack far enough in so I can get to the center mount under the front cross member. If I had ramps it would be a heck of a lot easier. Only problem with ramps is that you cant remove the wheels.

The race ramps seem pretty sweet.

[siteunseen]

I have to remove that "cup" on my floor jack so there's nothing but a flat square on there, pump it up a few times before shoving it under the car. The rear is even tougher but I've done it so many times it's routine now.

I use ramps as much as I can because with stands there's no weight on the suspension so the bushings and tie rods don't look too comfortable to me.

I raise mine up to keep from bending over so much working on the motor, back aches a lot less.

[Captain Obvious]

I used to drive my 300ZX up on a pair of 2x12 slabs just so I could get enough room under it to then use a floor jack. The extra inch-n-a-half lift was just enough room to get my floor jack under the center front onto the jack point. The first bunch of pumps were still very short because the handle hit the lower lip of the facia.

That was a pain in the butt.

[LeonV]

I used to drive my 300ZX up on a pair of 2x12 slabs just so I could get enough room under it to then use a floor jack. The extra inch-n-a-half lift was just enough room to get my floor jack under the center front onto the jack point. The first bunch of pumps were still very short because the handle hit the lower lip of the facia.

That was a pain in the butt.

Exactly! I have to do that with the Z and even my bone-stock S2000. It just adds one step to the process, you get used to it.

[rossiz]

i have an inexpensive (harbor freight) floor jack with low-clearance lift point - works great for getting the car way up on jack stands. with my stock front valence and the eibach progressive lowering springs it juuuust squeaks under in the front and i need to go in from the diagonal to have handle pump clearance - the first few pumps are tiny, but as the car goes up i gradually move up to full swing of the handle.

the ramps are super quick/easy to do a quick job like swapping out the pre-pump fuel filter (a regular task for me). the advantage of ramps (and the reason i bought them) is that you can lift the car with the suspension loaded, so things like sway bar, control arm bushings, etc. can be set & torqued correctly under load.

jack stands enable the opposite - letting the wheels drop to swap suspension/wheels/etc.

just a different tool for a different job.

and for me, the ramps are quicker to pull out and roll up onto (i store them under the porch) vs. my jack and stands, which are in the shop, so the lazy factor comes into play...