Lifting all four wheels at home

jeremy156

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What’s the general thinking about having all four wheels off the ground on the driveway? Is it safe to run two wheels up a pair of Halfords ramps - and then jack up the other end to support on axle stands? Would that be stable/safe, or should I clear my mind of such thoughts?

Thinking of diff fluid change and access to replace flex discs and carrier bearing.
 

davidsl500

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2 sets of ramps is what I used to do. I didn't like the axle stands extended out so far if one end is on ramps.
 

daibevan

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2 sets of ramps is what I used to do. I didn't like the axle stands extended out so far if one end is on ramps.
I just had an image of trying to drive onto 4 ramps simultaneously
(the sort of thing I might do:))
Yes I know you would slip them under after jacking the front up, but it made me smile.

Btw a really good idea. I'll keep an eye out for a second set of ramps myself.
 

Wighty

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I just had an image of trying to drive onto 4 ramps simultaneously
(the sort of thing I might do:))
Yes I know you would slip them under after jacking the front up, but it made me smile.

Btw a really good idea. I'll keep an eye out for a second set of ramps myself.
Drive forward onto the first set of ramps , then reverse onto the second set ?:rolleyes:
 

M80

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Driving up ramps, I have tied webbing straps to the lower rung of each. The strap is long enough to be under the distant wheels as I mount the ramp. The weight of the axle on the straps prevents the ramps skipping away as I mount.

Mind I can't use my ramps for the Vito as the uprights collapsed the first time I tried it. slowly as it was I'm glad I wasn't under there. I use axle stands now.
 
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jeremy156

jeremy156

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That's a smart idea, the webbing, I have a concrete ground, so it does tend to slip easily.

I've been taught to always have a secondary support, be it the jack, a wheel, something in addition.... belt and braces.... so I quite fancy the idea of four axle stands in position in case any of the ramp uprights dissolve.
 

00slk

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Also to help prevent the ramps slipping I place a mat under the ramp, sounds strange but does the trick ;)
Failing that I ask the wife to stand in front of the ramp with her foot on it, has worked in the past :D providing it's only one ramp that's slipping forward. It wouldn't be lady like to lie down and place a foot on each ramp!
 

EmilysDad

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Many years ago I made some extentions for my ramps because the front valence of my Senator touched the top of the ramp way before the wheels started up the bottom of the ramp. I now always use these because it means you drive up a shallower angle & the ramp is more likely to stay put.
I think my ML might be a bit heavy for my nearly 30 yr old ramps :eek:
 

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Drive forward onto the first set of ramps , then reverse onto the second set ?:rolleyes:
Ah, the old "Forward and Back" Method....:cool::cool::cool::D
 

Jim2

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What’s the general thinking about having all four wheels off the ground on the driveway? Is it safe to run two wheels up a pair of Halfords ramps - and then jack up the other end to support on axle stands? Would that be stable/safe, or should I clear my mind of such thoughts?

Thinking of diff fluid change and access to replace flex discs and carrier bearing.

i made 2 wooden "boxe's" that stand 20" high, and I jack up the front first and place a box under each wheel, then drop the wheel's into their respective boxes.The tyres fit into the boxe's by a few inch's, so cannot move in any direction. ( designed specifically for this )Then I jack up the rear, and use axle stands to support the back of the vehicle. The 20" that the boxe's give plus height of the car on it's suspensions ( as it's resting on the boxe's ), give's plenty of room to work underneath, and it's perfectly safe. Only fly in the ointment is that there is quite a lot of jacking up to do, but I have 3 ton garage trolley jack, so that help's.
 

rorywquin

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Driving up ramps, I have tied webbing straps to the lower rung of each. The strap is long enough to be under the distant wheels as I mount the ramp. The weight of the axle on the straps prevents the ramps skipping away as I mount.

Mind I can't use my ramps for the Vito as the uprights collapsed the first time I tried it. slowly as it was I'm glad I wasn't under there. I use axle stands now.


Yep - I have never liked the quality of those ramps - I also tried a set years ago and they kept sliding away from the car as I was trying to drive onto them.
 

Wighty

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Yep - I have never liked the quality of those ramps - I also tried a set years ago and they kept sliding away from the car as I was trying to drive onto them.
I tape some foam underneath each ramp where they contact the floor , and as above as well I put some long straps running from the ramps under the wheels to stop the ramps shooting out when you drive off them
 

umblecumbuz

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Similar to EmilysDad.
I've made a pair of extended ramps in two parts, as pic below. The 'box' section cannot move out of place once the wheels begin to drive up the sloping section, because of the strip of old safety belt, as shown. Once the car is sitting on the box, I can remove the sloping section for easier access.

All four wheels off the ground? I also have the usual steel ramps which then go under the other pair of wheels.

Will try Wighty's 'to and fro' method next! Prefer him to post video of how it works first though!


 
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jeremy156

jeremy156

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That's rather clever - the strap "loose" on the slope, just grabbing as the wheel covers it. Inspired.
 

sonic

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When I was in the army 40 years ago, we had a row of about 6 concrete ramps in camp, which would elevate the vehicle about 6 feet.The only problem was they were built for HGV's. However if you were very careful you could just get a car up, with the edge of the inner tyre just over the edge of the ramp.
 

ajlsl600

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i invested in a scissor lift as i found that car ramps were good for oil change but if you had to remove anything of length one end would always jam on the concrete a few inches before you could remove it. i am currently fabricating 4 no 1.25 mtre box stands so the lift can be dropped or removed as i want to drop the exhaust in one piece to get prop off to change centre bearing.
 

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