[clanceman427]

Was taking care of my chores today (oil change on my truck and wife's car and tire rotations on both) and figured I'd share something I did for my car ramps. Now, I know most of you already know or have made similar helpful tools, but sometimes it helps to see what some do to save time.

I like using car ramps, but my wifes car, and ironically my truck, both need help getting onto the ramps because of fog light/low front end setups. I made these ramp helpers out of left over 3/4 inch plywood and 2x4 scraps cut and screwed together. The ramp lead-ins are long enough to let all my cars and truck get fully on the boards before staring on the ramps. The ramps themselves sit on the plywood, in order to save my blacktop driveway. The endcap of wood keeps the ramps tidy.

This setup is nice and easy to make. I also posted a pic of how I wrap the framerail of my wifes car when changing her oil filter which is 90°, so the oil runs out. That paper saves the mess on the car chassis and directs it to the waste pan. Also, the waste pan is sitting on a piece of 1/4 inch plywood, which is great for catching the spillover of oil, plus doubles as the base for my hydraulic jack, when using that in the driveway, perfect size and the thickness makes getting the jack on and off easy.

* ALWAYS use safe procedures! I use park, emergency brake, and wheel chocks on the back tires when using these ramps.

Again common stuff but you can apply this to your Cougars!

Kevin

 

[69eliminator]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[xr7g428]

I love this stuff! Thanks!

I have a couple of my own, I cut the top out of a distributor cap, leaving most of the plug wire towers, so I can see if I am stabbing the distributor correctly and to verify the rotor is at the right height.

I also use a wooden dowel rod to keep the bearings in place when I rebuild a top loader. Simple, cheap, effective.

 

[Royce Peterson]

I never drive up the ramps. I use a floor jack to place the wheels on the ramps. I turn the ramp on the passenger side backwards, it makes it impossible for the car to roll off the ramps.

 

[69eliminator]

I never drive up the ramps. I use a floor jack to place the wheels on the ramps. I turn the ramp on the passenger side backwards, it makes it impossible for the car to roll off the ramps.

Royce, great idea. I'm always a bit leary driving up and over the ramp!!
Do you jack the car up at one point so you can place both ramps? Or one side at a time?

 

[Harvey]

How steep of ramps can a 68 cougar take? I have been brainstorming about making a set. Solid front to back to actually park the car on. I figured it would make it much easier to clean the undercarriage or work on it. I was thinking of two 2 by tens on edge, and a 2 by 12 along the top. I would put fillers every two feet or so, so that the two by tens could not spread or collapse. Figure if the wheels are ten and half inches off the ground the undercarriage would be just about right height to ride a creeper under. Figure the car will be parked more than driven and this is where I would actually store it? What do yall think? How wide are stock tires? Oh I could also build a cross brace between the two ramps so as to set a jack on if I needed to pull a tire or something.

 

[Royce Peterson]

I jack one side at a time. Jack under the lower A arm.

Royce, great idea. I'm always a bit leary driving up and over the ramp!!
Do you jack the car up at one point so you can place both ramps? Or one side at a time?

 

[BarneyFife]

Harvey, trying to build something out of wood that would hold the weight of the car, would not be something i'd be willing to give advise or even try. I'd much rather my family be taken care of if a nice metal set of ramps, designed for the purpose by someone with deep pockets, were to collapse and kill me, rather than my makeshift homeade ones fall down and kill me. (meaning.....the metal ones have been designed to do this are are safer).

and even if you did make some ramps to drive on out of wood, i'd never ever put a cross member there with the hopes of putting a jack on there to raise the car and concentrate even more weight in one place. this just smells of one of those "1000 ways to die" bad ideas...

 

[Harvey]

I hate to admit but you are probably right Barney, It sounds good and I am sure the ramps would support the weight, but I am one of the ones that always seems to learn stuff the hard way, Got the scars to show it. Thought it would look good and be functional but not sure. Would be nice to have a permanent ramp or lift to clean and work under the car.