Plate Steel Base Thickness for trolley jacking on Drive Blocks

[tjamesbo]

My Drive is block paved and since its been done I/ve been jacking my vehicles up as normal however I am worried about the loading on the brick sized blocks and them moving or sinking so I thought I would get a piece of steel plate 500 X 1000 so that the load from the jack wheels was not on an individual block however i cant decide how thick the plate needs to be to take my trolley jack and at worst the Vito Front End ( 1800kg according to a weighbridge )
3mm or 5mm or ??
anyone any suggestions
Boyd

 

[Naraic]

Don't know the answer...but, over the years I have had several of the very biggest skips possible, the ones that are rolled on and off the very big lorry. They wheel along the blocks as the full skip is being lifted...never so much as a crack in even one block and the weight would be multiple times what you are jacking up. They just will not move, nor sink.

This type:

 

[amustali]

As long as the blocks were lain properly, theyre fine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Taffy7hfa]

We use these from time to time, commonly known as crane mats or outrigger pads.

 

[Westheath]

My Drive is block paved and since its been done I/ve been jacking my vehicles up as normal however I am worried about the loading on the brick sized blocks and them moving or sinking so I thought I would get a piece of steel plate 500 X 1000 so that the load from the jack wheels was not on an individual block however i cant decide how thick the plate needs to be to take my trolley jack and at worst the Vito Front End ( 1800kg according to a weighbridge )
3mm or 5mm or ??
anyone any suggestions
Boyd

3mm

 

[umblecumbuz]

I have a piece of hardwood planking, about 12" wide x 2" thick x 48" long. I always use that, and I am about to cut it into two equal lengths, either for use under each jack or axle stand as needed or as a wheel block to stop the car moving. That's always been more than sufficient support. That's out on the driveway. In the garage with its rough concrete floor I jack up off the concrete.
I know it's not answering your query directly, but it does in an oblique fashion.

 

[DREAMER NO2]

A piece of 3/4 ply wood do just as good you need to distribute the load evenly over the blocks below the trolly jack wheels .

 

[AnthonyUK]

I use some offcuts of decent quality decking of around 1” thick.

 

[tjamesbo]

Prefer the steel to the wood as the jack only just goes under when its going under the front subframe of the CLK or the W124 so I think I'll opt for the 3mm It shouldnt move and hasnt so far as it was layed professionally but sometimes belt and braces is safe 4 wheels on the jack 1800Kg on the vito and its not just rolling across its pump up loading jack wheels could be on corners of blocks etc and very awkward if any did sink and had to relevel it

 

[Ken_R]

Are you sure about 500 x 1000? In 3mm that's going to be fair amount of weight, and where to store it?

I'd go for 'chequer plate', used reverse side up. You can get a sheet of the thin stuff from B and Q. Not cheap though.

 

[Jimpey]

I would go with the ply but where the jack is a tight fit, drive onto sections of ply first to maintain the clearance. The thin material you have in mind will distort (and stay distorted) if it is called on to perform the function intended (i.e. if the block paving 'tends' to sink).

No reason to go massive either, a few inches beyond the footprint of the jack will be adequate.

Jim

 

[Frontstep]

So does that mean I have to return the plastic chopping board I purloined from the kitchen ?

Its lasted well.

 

[Jimpey]

Plastic chopping board probably has very similar properties to Plywood of the same thickness

Jim

 

[ajlsl600]

My Drive is block paved and since its been done I/ve been jacking my vehicles up as normal however I am worried about the loading on the brick sized blocks and them moving or sinking so I thought I would get a piece of steel plate 500 X 1000 so that the load from the jack wheels was not on an individual block however i cant decide how thick the plate needs to be to take my trolley jack and at worst the Vito Front End ( 1800kg according to a weighbridge )
3mm or 5mm or ??
anyone any suggestions
Boyd

1\4 will be fine, i often just put a 22mm x 1ft x10 block of wood under front trolley wheels.height allowing .

 

[stwat]

I'd be worried about the Jack sliding around on the smooth metal surface.

 

[KennyN]

A piece of 24" x 12" alloy chequer plate around 3/16" thick will suffice , try Metal Supermarkets for a price as they will be cheaper than B+Q.

Drill a couple of holes in it an attach a loop of cord so it can be picked up easily.

Simples.

Kenny