Lancia Motor Club

General => General Chat => Topic started by: John B on 15 August, 2016, 03:54:37 PM



Title: Ramps
Post by: John B on 15 August, 2016, 03:54:37 PM
Since I have no chance of installing a hydraulic car lift (unlike certain lucky members  :)) and not wanting to dig through 2 metres of limestone bedrock to make a pit I have had to settle on a compromise ........ still, laying down to work has a certain appeal  8).


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: the.cern on 15 August, 2016, 10:59:56 PM
I just love that .... it looks sturdy enough!!!!


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: fay66 on 16 August, 2016, 12:04:30 AM
I just love that .... it looks sturdy enough!!!!

Someone  in about 100 years time will no doubt wonder, what the heck were they used for ;D

Brian
8227 8)


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: Jay on 16 August, 2016, 09:12:37 AM
I can’t remember which European country/region, but I remember seeing concrete ramps similar, but bigger for HGV on the roadside of major roads. Do any other members recall seeing these  ?


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: chriswgawne on 16 August, 2016, 09:14:12 AM
There used to be a set of ramps like this at Goodwood Circuit I recall which were very useful assuming you could get your car up there in the first place! The horizontal 'high' part was vehicle length which I found especially useful and I imagine they were demolished in the run up to the first Revival.
Chris


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: John B on 16 August, 2016, 10:28:11 AM
The thought had crossed my mind to extend the flat part......and even to continue with a slope down the other side.


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: Neil on 16 August, 2016, 10:36:25 AM
Sounds like a bridge ;),  I remember the ones at Goodwood they were pretty massive I expect they had been there a long time.


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: the.cern on 16 August, 2016, 06:07:32 PM
I was working as an engineer on a bridge construction site in the early 70s, a time of significant industrial unrest!!!! All the major sites in Essex were shut down in one dispute and all work stopped, but as part of the Resident Engineer's staff I had to report for duty every day. My main task was to monitor movement of a bridge deck with varying temperature. Calculated expansion of the deck was  11 inches (280mm), the specification required the expansion joint to accommodate 16 inches (405mm) and the joint installed had a maximum capacity of 18 inches (455mm). Quite astonishing to monitor this level of movement in a bridge deck .... mind you, it was 2000 feet (600m) long!!! This task did not occupy the whole day!!!!

So my junior engineer and I fabricated a raised ramp using scaffolding and materials lying around on the site. Rather shaky and did not comply with any design or build regulations, even in those relatively relaxed times, but it did the job and allowed us to service and carry out repairs on our cars and indeed a couple of other engineers came down to join in the fun!! The RE turned a blind eye and the contractor was absent from site and so we got away with it.

Necessity is the mother of invention!!!

                                               Andy


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: Richard Fridd on 16 August, 2016, 07:06:51 PM
Goodwood (Nye). Why was it removed I wonder?


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: Richard Fridd on 16 August, 2016, 07:18:15 PM
From 'Revs'


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: the.cern on 16 August, 2016, 10:11:29 PM
The thought had crossed my mind to extend the flat part......and even to continue with a slope down the other side.

A thought crossed my mind having re-read this post and the mention of 'bridge' by Neil in the post that followed it. Construct the 'slope down the other side' as a mirror image to the ramps that you have already made and link the pairs of ramps with a pair of removable bridge sections. That way you have the rigidity of the fixed elements under the four wheels with the flexibility to remove the bridge sections to improve access for yourself, parts and tools etc. Weight might dictate the use of aluminium sections for the bridge elements. Also, for me in my forgetful advanced years, a warning system to ensure the bridges were in place before the vehicle could be moved would be helpful!!!!!

Life's little challenges, where would we be without them????

                                  Andy


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: stanley sweet on 17 August, 2016, 10:47:18 AM
There are the remains of ramps like John's outside a disused garage in a neighbouring town. I must admit I wouldn't trust myself without help to stop in the right place. Maybe cement a couple of bricks at the end?


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: DavidLaver on 22 August, 2016, 07:04:07 PM
AstroTurf down the inside to lie on?


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: the.cern on 22 August, 2016, 08:11:57 PM
AstroTurf down the inside to lie on?

Luxury living eh David!!!!


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: John B on 22 August, 2016, 09:02:16 PM
I've now made a crawling board (is that the correct term?) ...... 4 swivel castors, 1" thick plank and 3" of foam rubber.
Probably fall asleep under the car now!


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: frankxhv773t on 31 August, 2016, 07:36:04 PM
Such ramps, with the horizontal extension, were common anywhere that heavy vehicles were repaired in the past. I saw them regularly in my days as a young valuer. The ones that were high enough for a man to walk under the vehicle but had no form of lip at the edge to give notice that you were driving off the side always struck me as only for the brave.


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: John B on 31 August, 2016, 09:03:50 PM
An assistant standing by to shout "Left hand down a bit" certainly makes the ascent much less worrying.


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: Dilambdaman on 07 September, 2016, 08:10:15 AM
On the subject of scary ramps :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC43linIah8


Robin.


Title: Re: Ramps
Post by: frankxhv773t on 08 September, 2016, 06:47:20 PM
I was thinking that getting through the first doorway was the real challenge and the ramps would then be easy, then I saw how close thw wheels were to the inside edge of the ramps. Nicely done.