Rob Roy

Hey - my wife has a couple of search and recovery cadaver dogs - can she come over and practice later?

j/k

MrGST

Assuming the structure is nailed or glued together...
Once the car is up, there is plenty of strength, however, I would make two changes asap:
- You need a better ramp design as mentioned above
- You should add a built in chock on the front side of the ramp to prevent driving over the edge

Nicole

O-M-G! Did you really have to get us worried about you?

If you weren't concerned about having the wheels up in the air, I would recommend contacting PorKen for a set of his lifter bars. I have them, and they work really well.

The total cost of the bars, four jack stands, and a jack is more than your solution, though.

Mrmerlin

Dean please dont use these ramps or supports,
The potential to damage not only you but your car is unquestionably very hi.
Maybe you should try to build a tree swing or something

SolReaver

I had a similar home made contraption. However, It was made of 4 by 4 s from discarded fence posts, was solid, and held together with gorrilla glue and screws. A product of boredom, frustration, and a then recent incident of manufactured ramps sliding out. The total height was about two feet. If put together correctly these contraptions can be plenty safe. Caveat is that you don't want any side to side force, make them solid, longer and wider next time, and PLEASE put in some guide rails and a 2 by 4 lip or nailed in chocks a few inches from the end so that you can feel where to stop. My set lasted me years, saw hundreds of jobs, were actually used briefly on semi's and trailers, and were eventually borrowed and not returned. They were unbelievably heavy and stable. I don't much care for the ramp and cinder block part though. I have seen too many cinder blocks shatter under load.

I wouldn't use those unless it was just to stuff under a frame or wheel in case of jack failure. If you want to make some "big boy" ramps make em solid. Safety tip: always throw a couple of old rims under the car while you are working. It could mean the difference between a trip to the hospital vs. a trip to the morgue. and then who would fix the Porsche?

Helpful hint: if you want to "beef up" plastic ramps. fill them with a mix of cement and packing peanuts.

devilinblack

Actually, now that I think about it my first wife's father had a ramp in the backyard made out of railroad ties. About 5 feet high and long enough for a full size pickup. I loved it for changine oil but hated the lack of stop chocks or side ramps and well, the fact that it was made out of wood.

I really don't miss rural NC.

Charley B

Boy, you guys are a tough audience. I think the blocks are fine and probably strong enough to hold an earth mover. The ramp needs a little more thought. A screwed in 2x4 on each end on top will ensure the tires are in the center and won't move.

The big advantage to a set up like this is the height, which is higher than any manufactured ramp I have seen.

SharkSkin

Looks stable enough for the flatlands. Out here in earthquake country, I'd rather have the steel ramp that will slide around rather than topple.

cold_beer839

I hope I get the beer you owe me before that lift drops the hammer on your ***.

largecar379

the boards are as safe as steel.

I've hauled 150,000 lb cranes on a drop deck with the same kind of support on the crane frames.....coast to coast for years. If pine will support a crane of that size, your 928 is no contest for breaking the wood. oak would be better, but it's a lot more $$$$$.


Redneck it is, and that's darn sure OK by me---just make sure it's blocked to prevent front to back, side to side movement---and easy addition.




--Russ

Landseer

Extremely dangerous.

Dean, keep safe.

Don't want you or some kid walking by to be hurt by a rig like this.

Sure, its sturdy vertically. But that doesn't mean much in the practical application where other forces and factors are involved.

Is it ok to make alignment adjustments when vehicle is inclined? Weight is significantly shifted to rear wheels in this orientation.

Landseer

Are you familiar at all with Craigslist?

Here, try this.

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/977804736.html

OrionKhan

If you didn't know about them, here's the link to the liftbars that Nicole mentioned: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...bars-here.html
and
http://liftbars.com/

jon928se

Once it's up there and stationarythe "pedestal" supporting the front wheels is way stronger in compression than needs to be (One will probably hold up three or four 928s, assuming you can balance them all on top of each other)

It has a bigger footprint than normal jackstands thus it's more stable.

If it were me I would add a piece of 10x2' about 4feet long to the base and through bolt from top to bottom - 1/2" studding (threaded rod) one at the front and one at the rear to solidly locate the 4foot long baseplate. Leave about 1 foot of basplate in front of pedesatal and 2 feet behind. Use some more 2x10 to prop the ramp about halfway down. just about any grade of timber (I don't know American structural grades) even the carcasing grades in a 2x10 will span 2.5 feet with the wheel load of a 928, just choose carefully - no knots or shakes in the pieces you use for the ramp "bridges". Oh and Don't use Balsa ! LOL.

Most important thing with this set up is to make sure it is all connected together and can't come apart when your manouvreing on and off.

Remind me not to build a house using American blocks. Everyday on my commute to work I pass a Toyota Celica GT4 that is about 4feet off the ground supported just with a stack of blocks under each wheel -been there about 3 months now, I think they don't know how to get it down.

OrionKhan

I was thinking the same thing. If all those pieces (the stands) were bolted together, it would be real stable. The way it is now, I'd be more worried abous something shifting as the car was being driven up on the stands.