OK, for those who wanted the dimensions of my tilt ramps so they can do up a set of plans on autocad for a possible "how to"

Have a look at the photos below and if the guy(s) who offered to convert to pdf from autocad plans can take a look and let me know where you need more detail or added dimensions. They are not made of mild steel. I forget the name but it is a gal type angle - quite light.






KB

Duragal Angle is grade 450MPa in sizes up to 6mm thick

_________________
Too many cars, and too little time.

Like it - but would like to see something a bit more fail safe than a couple of choks under the back end. What about a swing down leg with a screw adjustment -

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

The british ramps have adjustable legs. On mine, with the car right to the front bump stops, it is balanced forward. I went out and bought the thickest pieces of wood I could get my hands on. They are a wedge fit - sometimes I have to lift the bumper slightly to slide them under. I've had no trouble with them. When the ramps are empty, the wooden ramps act to weigh it down into the "drive up" angle.

I did think could it be made better by a hinged set of metal ramps that also folded down to become the end stops, but in the end it is simple, AND it works.
KB

I am halfway through designing my own ramps (I am a structural engineer), and I will get them drawn and post the file up when i have finished.
I am making them so that larger cars should be able to use them as well, and they will have swing down legs with pins to hold them in place.
I will probably be using 300MPa steel too, because it is more readily available and has a bigger range of sizes.

_________________
Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

Great servicing jigger....have you ever thought of tieing the two ramps a set distance apart with some removal braces (say down low on the floor) and attached at either end

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

Simple answer: Yes but in reality, not needed. You can line it up by eye just as easily. even with the brace, you'd still have to get out of the car to do it.
KB

Yep....but what I meant was that you would have the two ramps effectively clamped together for some additional safety

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

I agree with 9YaTaH, there really great, but i would be worried abpout the sideways stability

_________________
Ryan Filippi
Minis In The Gong
[email protected]
www.minisinthegong.com.au

The sideways stability would not be a problem, because to tip the ramps you would need to park the car so that the tyres were half off the edge of the ramp.
Also, if you had a sideways force on the car while it was on the ramps, you would not tip them, because the cars weight would keep the ramps from overturning.

I have done some quick calcs on the stability of the ramps that I am designing, and I will post them up here if anyone is interested

_________________
Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

Angle iron????????

You can calculate things all you want....... but nothing will predict the point when the welds will collapse under that weight.

No way would I lie under that crap. Its over a pit or nothing at all thanks.


Crazy.

_________________
[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs

You'd better learn how to weld properly then The welds we did on the welding course I did took 20-30 tonne to break

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Actually, you can calculate the point at which the welds will break, and as Wombat says welds can be very strong.

weld strength can actually be accurately calculated. For example, the strength of general purpose welding using E41XX/W40X electrodes is 0.313kN/mm for 3mm welds = 31.3kg/mm. The welds are almost always stronger than the attached members, so the welds are not the limiting factor. Also, if it is designed properly, if the welds fail, they will fail in compression, and so the structure will hold together by the angles bearing against each other anyway.

_________________
Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

Yeah, I did Engineering Multi trades at TAFE all those years ago, studied MIG TIG ARC and PLASMA........... I know how to weld, but still wouldnt lie underneath that. The same way that I wouldnt lie under a car on regular ramps.


Maybe i'm just over-cautious

_________________
[NATHAN] -- Sold everything mini related and am back in big beautiful BMWs