Egon
Epic Contributor
Tennis ball hung from the ceiling and just touching the windshield Pat.
Step by step photos of new garage
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patrick_g
Elite Member
Egon, I know that trick although the last time I did it I used an old pair of socks in place of the ball. I have a rubber thinngie with two berms on it laying on the floor. It is positioned to cradle the front tire and hold the truck where I want it. JUst drive over the first lump and shift to neutral. It self centers in exactly the same spot each time.
You can make one out of a scrap of ply and a couple 2x2 for the cost of the fasteners.
Pat
You can make one out of a scrap of ply and a couple 2x2 for the cost of the fasteners.
Pat
Bird
Rest in Peace
In the house we had before I retired, I hung two tennis balls in the garage when our oldest daughter started to drive; one for her and one for my wife. Since we have the annual state safety inspection stickers in the lower left corner of the windshield, I hung the tennis balls so they could drive in to where the ball would be touching the windshield right on that sticker. That worked great.
patrick_g
Elite Member
Bird, I have set the tennis ball or "old sock" system up for others and found that it was easier for them to aim if the ball was out in front of them. If there is a hood ornament that seems to work fine or if there is a feature on the hood (sculpted shape) out front to aim with. I have also used the spot where the rear view mirror is glued onto the windshield with success. Really whatever works is fine but my experience with not so good drivers indicated something up front was best. For a good driver just needing a little gage just about anything anywhere would work.
I do like the double berm on the floor for a front tire better than the ball. The second berm tends to hold you back and prevent accidental overshoot. A scrap piece of OSB or ply about a foot wide and a couple feet long with a couple boards fastened to it does nicely. The first berm (board) doesn't have to be very high just an inch or so will work. The second berm can be a scrap of 2x4 or 4x4. Sawing a bevel on the side toward the tire seems to work better than an abrupt edge. The second berm is at the end of the OSB or ply and the first berm is far enough away from the second to allow the tire to be between them without touching either by an inch or so.
As you can see I spared no expense or effort in providing you with these precision engineering drawings for the ParkingAid. Actually I was afraid my description was maybe not crystal.
Pat
I do like the double berm on the floor for a front tire better than the ball. The second berm tends to hold you back and prevent accidental overshoot. A scrap piece of OSB or ply about a foot wide and a couple feet long with a couple boards fastened to it does nicely. The first berm (board) doesn't have to be very high just an inch or so will work. The second berm can be a scrap of 2x4 or 4x4. Sawing a bevel on the side toward the tire seems to work better than an abrupt edge. The second berm is at the end of the OSB or ply and the first berm is far enough away from the second to allow the tire to be between them without touching either by an inch or so.
As you can see I spared no expense or effort in providing you with these precision engineering drawings for the ParkingAid. Actually I was afraid my description was maybe not crystal.
Pat
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Bird
Rest in Peace
Pat, you don't know my wife and daughter. They'd probably never be able to find that scrap of OSB on the floor with a tire. I needed something that would help them gauge the distance, not only front to rear, but also side to side.
I needed something that would help them gauge the distance, not only front to rear, but also side to side.patrick_g
Elite Member
Ahh, hard cases, eh? Park by braille if no assist available? Give them a ball to aim at and a parking aid on the floor to help stop their forward motion and secure then at the desired standoff distance... the best of both.
My wife parks unaided but the Prius is dwarfed by her space in the garage. I have been thinking of setting up something to cut down on the variability of her parking. I think a ball to aim at and a parking aid on the floor to act as a positive distance gauge/arresting gear will do fine. In fact, I think I will go do it RIGHT NOW!!!
Ok, I'm done, it is built & tested by me and tested & approved by wife.. She loves it! It is a chunk of pipe insulation wrapped in a piece of red plastic (free flag from Lowe's) dangled so that she aims the center of the electronic dash instruments at it and drives till the tire is captured by the thingy on the floor.
It went fast and easy but I did ruin one chunk of scrap when I cut a compound miter BACKWARDS on one piece of scrap and had to make another one. That and I am still a little gun shy after the thumb vs saw encounter 9 days ago.
Pat
My wife parks unaided but the Prius is dwarfed by her space in the garage. I have been thinking of setting up something to cut down on the variability of her parking. I think a ball to aim at and a parking aid on the floor to act as a positive distance gauge/arresting gear will do fine. In fact, I think I will go do it RIGHT NOW!!!
Ok, I'm done, it is built & tested by me and tested & approved by wife.. She loves it! It is a chunk of pipe insulation wrapped in a piece of red plastic (free flag from Lowe's) dangled so that she aims the center of the electronic dash instruments at it and drives till the tire is captured by the thingy on the floor.
It went fast and easy but I did ruin one chunk of scrap when I cut a compound miter BACKWARDS on one piece of scrap and had to make another one. That and I am still a little gun shy after the thumb vs saw encounter 9 days ago.
Pat
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Egon
Epic Contributor
Do you have to wash the socks first??
patrick_g
Elite Member
Egon said:Do you have to wash the socks first??
Think about it buddy, wouldn't that be a waste of time, effort, and other resources!
Pat
to every one that has been posting about the tennis ball to stop when going into the gararge. I have two left over eye senior from the old door, could a person rig this up to turn on a light at the back of the garage to flash when the car pulled up to a point in the garage. Opps I just figured out a promblem every time a broke the beam walking by it, it would flash hum neat but not going to work I guess. Any ideas.
Roger
Roger
