Truck Ramps - Changing Oil

[SJay]

Got a 2019 Ram 1500 and want to get some ramps so I can do some general maintenance and oil changes. Curious what ramps everyone is using?

 

[5030]

Had a couple sets of 'store bought' ramps that petered out. Finally built my own from .40 retention wood. Built them much more stout that store bought ramps. So stout that I can back my ag tractors up on them to do a PTO shaft swap without loosing fluid.

I've had them for over 10 years now and I'm glad I took the time to build them.

 

[KennyG]

I also used to have plywood ramps that worked well. I put vertical 4 x 4 supports inside them to insure they wouldn't buckle. However, I now just use jack stands since, with the extended oil change intervals, I rotate tires when I change oil.

 

[Roadworthy]

For my 2010 RAM I just slide under the truck on a piece of cardboard. It's tight but it works. Ramps? That's a good idea. I've only been using them for my wife's car. I just use the cheap metal ones from the parts store for that and they've worked fine for a number of years.

 

[5030]

I also used to have plywood ramps that worked well. I put vertical 4 x 4 supports inside them to insure they wouldn't buckle. However, I now just use jack stands since, with the extended oil change intervals, I rotate tires when I change oil.[/QUOTE

Instead of plywood for the ramp tops, I used 1" thick x 12" wide PT planks screwed to 1" wide tapered planks for the sides and fronts all secured with stainless deck screws. On the bottom edges I angle drilled holes and screwed in stainless deck screws protruding just a tad below the bottom surface of the verticals so the ramps would 'bite' into my concrete pad just a might. One issue I had with the old metal ramps as they always wanted to coot on the concrete.

 

[SJay]

Any pictures??

 

[Bird]

I don't have any pictures, but twice I've made my own ramps of 2 x 10 lumber, cut the first one 4.5', then 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0; cut one end of each with a 45 degree angle, stacked them, and screwed each one to the one below, attached a large drawer handle to the side of each one, so they were heavy, but solid wood; no way they could collapse under the weight of a vehicle. The first time I did that was in 1973 to use under a little Winnebago motorhome, and the later one was just to change oil and such on my car and pickup.

 

[coobie]

Race ramps made in the good old USA "Escanaba Michigan" are hard to beat..I bought a set last year for car/truck/lawn tractor work.Very sturdy.. Car and Auto Ramps for Service, Loading and Display - Race Ramps

 

[BLSXJ]

the previous owner of my house left behind a 12x12 rough cut cedar post ~8' long.

I promptly took the chain saw out, and cut a long angle and made a pair of ramps. SOLID wood.... will not buckle!

 

[5030]

Race ramps made in the good old USA "Escanaba Michigan" are hard to beat..I bought a set last year for car/truck/lawn tractor work.Very sturdy.. Car and Auto Ramps for Service, Loading and Display - Race Ramps

I'm a Michigander too but 317 clams for a set of ramps that look just like the ones I built from, .40 retention for about 40 bucks, ain't gonna happen in Deerfield. The Yoopers will have to keep eating smoked fish...... Eh?