I have two heavy duty ramps, that I want to put my car up on to give me some extra clearance underneath.

How do you prevent them from squirting out as you drive on? My garage floor is smooth cement.

Carefully.

Try jamming the ramps under the tire before starting up. Kinda pinching them in place.

I can see why you might be concerned about having the ramps "squirt out", but I've never run into that problem.

Verify that the ramps are in good condition, not rusted out, and that all welds are in good shape, and that they are rated for the weight you'll be placing on them and big enough to support the tire size in your vehicle. While you're at it, verify that you won't be 'climbing' your vehicle into any obstacles you wouldn't normally encounter while on the ground. Roof racks, ski racks, light bars, antennaes etc..can cause clearance issues in some garages or with some garage doors, once on ramps. Sometimes door arcs can swing into obstacles, once on ramps.

Obviously, you want to first take the time to have the front wheels pointed straight ahead, that the ramps are perfectly aligned to the tires, and that the tires are perfectly or nearly perfectly centered in the ramps, and that both tires engage the ramps at the same time ... and then drive up slowly.

Honestly, even with the shallow 'well' at the tops of the ramps, that you should feel yourself drop into, my biggest concern was that I would drive over (past) the top of the ramps... but then again, most of the vehicles I put on ramps were manual transmission shifters, which adds a complication to the process.

It greatly helps to have a safety spotter watching and directing the driver's advance up the ramps...but having said that, I've done it solo before. The times that I have gone solo, I stop and triple check everything. If something doesn't look, sound, or feel right then simply STOP, and either re-check or slowly back down and re-check, then take another crack at it.

Depending on the work you're doing to the vehicle, if possible, I'd strongly recommend leaving manual transmissions in 1st gear, automatics in Park, engaging the Emergency Brake, and chocking the rear tires to prevent roll back.

Once you are on the ramps be ready for the slight jump/ drop to the ground as you exit the vehicle, and perform a quick walk-around check to verify vehicle stability, before starting any work.

Keep in mind that certain work, especially in the engine compartment, will be greatly elevated at awkward angles, and many things will be difficult or impossible to access. Having a step stool or step ladder handy is a good idea, but in some cases you may need to do some prep work like loosening bolts or removing caps before you put the vehicle on ramps.

My advice would be to take a little time before starting the work to evaluate the garage work space (do second vehicles/ tools need to me moved or repositioned?), will you have access to electrical outlets? access to good shop lighting? and air compressors? etc...

Thanks folks!

I just spent 20+ minutes looking for the video that fits this.

I fail. YouTube failed me.

I use a thin rubber mat under each ramp to prevent them from slipping.

Jam each ramp tightly up against the wheel and drive up slowly.

Floor jack and jack stands is how I roll

I bought plastic ramps with rubber bottoms. Used them a few times. But on the very glassy cement, I'm sure they would slide. Once I had one go out sideways on my van. It was NOT good.

I use jacks and stands now too. Ramps are sketchy.

I once experienced the "metal ramp squirt" while attempting to drive up on it. Since then, I've resorted to using the floor jack to get the vehicle raised, then I slip the ramp underneath the elevated tire/wheel and slowly remove the jack. It takes more time and effort, but after "that one time," I guess I'm chicken to try it again.

Please use a spotter to share when you reach the top. Going over the top, a phrase most often viewed as a statement of someone doing something amazing, is not good. Rhino Ramps are actually made to avoid damaging the car if you do go over the top, with a clever molded in folding V notch. Even so, this is not something I recommend doing.

^^ If you're going to jack up the car anyway, you might as well use jack stands.

Ramps also don't allow the wheel/tire to hang free for wheel/tire, brake or suspension service. If you're any kind of serious DIY-er, you'll get a floor jack and jack stands.

Best answer is buy a lift. I always wanted one. My buddy has one and uses it all the time.
I have had ramps shit out many times. I have put my feet against them while my wife drives up them. Not the smartest move.

https://youtu.be/iLTo5mihQq8

Talks about use in a garage.
Annoying robot voice though so be prepared.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Floor jack and jack stands is how I roll

Yep. They make large jack stands for pickup trucks/SUVs that you can also use on passenger cars.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Floor jack and jack stands is how I roll

Safest way.

Do not, do not use flimsy jack stands.
Isn't your life worth buying heavy duty jack stands ?

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
^^ If you're going to jack up the car anyway, you might as well use jack stands.

Ramps also don't allow the wheel/tire to hang free for wheel/tire, brake or suspension service. If you're any kind of serious DIY-er, you'll get a floor jack and jack stands.

Yessir, depends on the job.

2x4's behind the ramps, against the garage wall. Once the weight of a vehicle is on the ramps, it works well.

Truck is tall enough to not need ramps. Front wheel drive with ramps is usually not an issue. However, I took an 8’ 2x4 with two holes, each about 2’ in from the end and drilled matching holes on the concrete. I drop a bolt through each hole in the 2x4 hole into each hole in the concrete and then use the 2x4 to backstop the ramps. When my garage was only 24’ deep, I had 2x6s cut the same length and placed them between the garage wall and ramps to backstop the ramps. The current garage is way to deep to do that.

Jacks and stands are a great idea, except I have to drive two of our car onto ramps in order to gain clearance for the jack in the first place.

I use both jacks, stands, and ramps. Sometimes you need the suspension loaded to clock bushings after a teardown or ride height change. I still want and need a lift like no other. I digress.

I have race ramps which don't move much, but one thing I do is use a baby monitor to verify my wheels are in place without overshooting. The car I work on most is a stick, so scooting up can be interesting. Especially in back wheels up mode.

I've never had the sliding problem, but always wonder if they will slide. I've used them on a rough driveway and a smoother garage floor.

A related question, has anyone ever used four ramps to lift the entire car up, keeping it level?