Low Budget Lift Solution
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First off I know getting under a car can be dangerous but this setup makes me feel more comfortable than some. I've had one start coming down on me off ramps before so I'm a bit anxious putting it in the air.
I've been looking at lifts and at the kwik lifts and I basically couldn't justify the cost for either at the moment. However, I did need to get the car up high enough to pull the tranny out (comfortably). I looked online and saw a guy on a lexus forum or something that had done a stacked system and I just modified it for an F-body so that I can drive up on the first piece and easily get a floor jack to the cross member or rear end. It is supporting the car now with 325's out back with room on either side so it is plenty big enough.
Each piece is basically a 24" long and 16" wide unit. Each unit is built stackable so that it supports the other pieces and helps keep it all locked together.
The whole thing invlolved the following materials (I have the number of each piece at each length as well):
25 - 2"x4"x8'
24 Board feed of 2x12" (I had a guy cut 2 2x12x12 into 6' pieces to achive this)
I also used some 2x10 that I had sitting around for the ramp pieces on the first section but you could just get some additional 2x12. Either way you need 4 pieces, 16" long
2.5lbs of your favorite 2.5" screws
==========================
$100 +/-
Drive it up on the firs level. From there you jack it up to the next level in the front and then put the next section under the wheels. Repeat for the rear and you are good. In my case I had one more section to get it up high enough to pull the trans so I repeated that process again to put it up to the highest setting. Putting this thing together reminded me of playing Tetris.
Here are some pictures.
This picture shows the base level. Put one under each tire and drive up.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp1.jpg)
Piece #2
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp3.jpg)
Piece #3 (Second Level) ... A bit higher than a rhino ramp and with wheel stops.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp4.jpg)
Picture shows 2/3 stacked. These go on top of the first piece.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp5.jpg)
Piece #4
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp6.jpg)
Piece #4 Stacked on the pile
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp7.jpg)
Piece #5 Again with wheel stops
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp8.jpg)
Piece #5 Stacked
I've been looking at lifts and at the kwik lifts and I basically couldn't justify the cost for either at the moment. However, I did need to get the car up high enough to pull the tranny out (comfortably). I looked online and saw a guy on a lexus forum or something that had done a stacked system and I just modified it for an F-body so that I can drive up on the first piece and easily get a floor jack to the cross member or rear end. It is supporting the car now with 325's out back with room on either side so it is plenty big enough.
Each piece is basically a 24" long and 16" wide unit. Each unit is built stackable so that it supports the other pieces and helps keep it all locked together.
The whole thing invlolved the following materials (I have the number of each piece at each length as well):
25 - 2"x4"x8'
24 Board feed of 2x12" (I had a guy cut 2 2x12x12 into 6' pieces to achive this)
I also used some 2x10 that I had sitting around for the ramp pieces on the first section but you could just get some additional 2x12. Either way you need 4 pieces, 16" long
2.5lbs of your favorite 2.5" screws
==========================
$100 +/-
Drive it up on the firs level. From there you jack it up to the next level in the front and then put the next section under the wheels. Repeat for the rear and you are good. In my case I had one more section to get it up high enough to pull the trans so I repeated that process again to put it up to the highest setting. Putting this thing together reminded me of playing Tetris.
Here are some pictures.
This picture shows the base level. Put one under each tire and drive up.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp1.jpg)
Piece #2
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp3.jpg)
Piece #3 (Second Level) ... A bit higher than a rhino ramp and with wheel stops.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp4.jpg)
Picture shows 2/3 stacked. These go on top of the first piece.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp5.jpg)
Piece #4
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp6.jpg)
Piece #4 Stacked on the pile
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp7.jpg)
Piece #5 Again with wheel stops
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp8.jpg)
Piece #5 Stacked
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp9.jpg)
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The full stack is around 14" + 3" from the base which is under the tires already.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp10.jpg)
Here is the car up at the middle level.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp11.jpg)
Here is the car up to the highest level.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp13.jpg)
As you can see it is about 22-23" up to the bottom of the subframe. This works out about right for the trans jack that is a max of 24 1/2. At worst I may need a small board between the jack and trans to pull it.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp12.jpg)
So like I said this isn't as good as a lift but for about $100 it should do the job. I looked at the 12-ton jack stands that would go 30" +/- and they were about 80 for two.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp10.jpg)
Here is the car up at the middle level.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp11.jpg)
Here is the car up to the highest level.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp13.jpg)
As you can see it is about 22-23" up to the bottom of the subframe. This works out about right for the trans jack that is a max of 24 1/2. At worst I may need a small board between the jack and trans to pull it.
![](http://www.johnnycinco.com/content/ramp/ramp12.jpg)
So like I said this isn't as good as a lift but for about $100 it should do the job. I looked at the 12-ton jack stands that would go 30" +/- and they were about 80 for two.
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Looks good. Before I got my lift, I'd put the car on 4 Rhino Ramps, and then I had a secondary platform made from 4x4's and 2x12's that went on top of the front wheel Rhino Ramps. Pulled my transmissions a number of times with that setup, worked just fine.
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Take your time and be careful.
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Wow this seems a bit scary to me.. I would rather put it on 4 wide steel wheels
I remember a guy that got killed in his garage.. goofing around with some sort of ramps. He was the father of one of my buddies when I was younger
I remember a guy that got killed in his garage.. goofing around with some sort of ramps. He was the father of one of my buddies when I was younger
#17
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Just got the car off the ramps tonight with a bunch of work being done. No issues what so ever. The way the pieces stack they can't move around as is.
I guess if I had four old rims/tires that would be one thing. I don't think it would yield the same amount of clearance though. I could barely get the tranny out on my jack as it was just sliding the whole thing out from under the car.
The way I see it wood holds up your house and wont' just compress so it isn't like all four sides will squash down either. I dont' know but this was cheap and worked really well. I'm thinking about selling my rhino ramps now.
I guess if I had four old rims/tires that would be one thing. I don't think it would yield the same amount of clearance though. I could barely get the tranny out on my jack as it was just sliding the whole thing out from under the car.
The way I see it wood holds up your house and wont' just compress so it isn't like all four sides will squash down either. I dont' know but this was cheap and worked really well. I'm thinking about selling my rhino ramps now.