Yes! That was my FIRST and ONLY concern! Glad to know I'm not alone... !

You could always add a piece to the back of the ramp. That way it'll still be stackable.

You could add an air horn, or a rubber chicken. Bwwaaaaak!

That was my first thought, too.

If you have a low car, or long overhead from the tire to bumper, you can break something with tall enough stopper when driving the car on or off the ramp. I agree that something more rigid would be good, but you need to figure out a solution that fits your car, general measurements for that block don't apply...

Good idea. My home-made ramps don't grip exposed aggregate concrete very well and front wheel drive cars like to spit one ramp backwards. My driveway is on an incline so that makes the grip even weaker. I used non-skid rubber foam, the type used under throw rugs, when my driving my front wheel drive car up the ramp.

He should have used wood glue in-between each of the layers of boards, this plus some bolts would have improved strength and safety.

Sliding ramps is the reason I quit using metal ramps. Plus they were always too steep for my 2002 mustang. The bottom of the front bumper hit the ramp before the tire. Been thinking of making some ramps. I would use 2x10s and maybe go a little longer on top.

I always had good luck with the plastic rhino ramps which are rated stronger than the metal ones.@@marks3750

@@stipcrane You could make a bottom layer, detachable, which cancelled out the driveway angle. Wouldn't need much attachment. Pegs or screw bolts.

The tire flap idea is pure genius, even more effective than non-skid on the bottom.

@@ericwrenfrow8349 Someone commented earlier that a piece of rope will work for this as well.

im a lil confused, like you added a traction pad to the wood part?

@@tubbycustard8866 think of a piece of tire screwed onto the low end of the ramp and extending onto the ground. The tire rolls onto the rubber first before hitting the wood

Brilliant idea! I need to do this

I see a Nobel Prize headed your way !

Excellent advice. I throw a piece of carpet or square of anti-fatigue mat under my plastic, slippy slidey Gorilla ramps and "painted" the bottoms of my diy wooden ones with rubberized undercoating. You can just give em a quick spritz with the spray can when you get a significant bare spot.

you are right. With a rear drive car, the ramps may skitter forward while trying to drive up, which is less problematic with a front drive car. Cutting the ramps at 45 degrees does help.

My then wife's grandfather had a set of wood 2x4 car ramps, I burned them. They were too old, dry and brittle.

Nice

Funny my grandfather told me and my dad to never do this. He was a mechanic for Ford and worked on everything from GT, Cars, Semi, Trucks and Planes. It's just not a good idea to trust wood. Thats why they don't make wood ramps for you to buy. When your under the car you shouldnt save money. Those ramps might cost 100 bucks but you need them. They are not going to give up on you. I own them and they are way stronger and wider and waterproof. Just buy them or dont work on your car.

Yes, I'd feel better about a longer top step too.

I was thinking of the rubber for a non slip bottom too. Can't tell you how many times my metal ones slip a little bit when driving up them.

Yes, wider sounds VERY wise. It would be very easy to steer off narrow ramps, and for the extra $$ would save a lot of headache.

Ditto. The top platform needs to be longer and wider. And why NOT cut 45's on the ramp pieces?

Old tires are a good source of rubber. I use that stuff for all kinds of padding and gripping projects.

Can you explain what you mean by metal clasps? I suggested making the hinge pins removable but I'm thinking your idea might be more practical.

@@Jez2008UK Certainly! I probably should have said "toggle latch clamps" instead of clasps--something like you'd see on a heavy duty toolbox. If you go to that on-line store named for the big river in South American and/or the ancient mythical women warriors and search "Accessbuy Heavy Duty Adjustable Toggle Latch Clamp 4003 Style" you'll see what I'm talking about. I didn't use this brand but found something not quite as heavy duty at my local hardware store. I think this "Accessbuy" might be a wee bit overkill for the application but they certainly would do the job and keep the two halves of the ramp connected as you drive on and off. Hope this helps.

@@Jez2008UK Certainly! The metal clasps would probably be best called a "latch clamp" or "toggle latch clamp". That huge on-line store named for a river in South America and/or for the mythical ancient female warriors has an example of a heavy duty model if you search for " Accessbuy Heavy Duty Adjustable Toggle Latch Clamp 4003 Style". I bought a less heavy duty version at a local hardware store in that I thought these might be somewhat overkill for my application. But these do look like they'd do a good job of keeping the two parts of the ramp connected while driving up and down them--which of course is very important! But if you look around you can find a lot of possibilities. Hope this helps.

One possible addition, to make wood slip-proof: buy a dollar-store piece of rubber front door-matting, and staple it to the underside of the ramps. Then it will not slip even on very smooth concrete, or even wet surfaces. GripSafe! You could also make the ramp portion completely removable by using hinges without captive pins. The higher end-stop piece is also a good idea, but would necessitate a change to the over-all sizes of ramp-parts.

That's pretty cool, it's great to be able build your tools to fit your needs, my Dad was a A&P and commercial pilot who was great at making tools to make repairs while in remote locations, cheers to you!

"During Desert Storm.." - now there's an opening to a sentence you don't hear every day..!

​@@lukemallory7832 unless your on KZfaq and some clown is lying out of his arse

Even without the 45s I'm blown away by how simple and functional this is ways to make it custom are endless nylon webbing for handles holes drilled for weight reduction even longer boards to eliminate the two pieces design are easily accommodated

Sounds heavy but solid.

Hey... I was thinking the two same things. My front tires are 235 wide and rears are 255. Did you make the WHOLE stand out of 2x10"s, or just the top piece with a 2x10 and used 2x8s for most of the stacked pieces? OR, somewhere in the middle, where the top pieces along the whole ramp are 10s, and the pieces underneath are 8s?

@@yeders I would suggest using at least same width on bottom as on top to help reduce stablity issues. Consider that 10's all the way up would make it a bit heavier.

An additional thought. If the same width of 2x isn't maintained from bottom to top the hinge won't work without some kind of modification being done for hinge attachment (won't be able to fold otherwise).

Stay off of construction sites unless you have permission first.

@@topherh5093 unless it’s like gated or something no one cares if you are at a new home construction site. There are people there all the time looking at the houses for sale, rummaging through the trash, asking us contractors stupid questions, etc.

@@topherh5093 Why do you care? Whenever I need a random building supply, I check the construction dumpsters first.

Just attach the webbing of a ratchet strap to the front of the metal ramps and roll it out back towards the car. The wheels will drive over and wieght the straps keeping the ramps in position whilst you drive on to them.

@@baldyslapnut. no need, I have wicked wooden ones 🤣

only a problem with rear drive cars.

@@rupe53 No, front wheel drive will do it on a smooth cement garage floor. I put anchor sleeves in my floor so I could pin them in place.

@@robertsmith2956 ... ok, let me rephrase that... MORE of a problem with rear drive. Lots depends on several things, like the angle of the ramps and how aggressive you approach. Obviously, there are always exceptions.

@@poa2.0surface77 a running start will have the front skirt slide them forward before the tires even get there. I just let out a little more clutch, engine is going plenty fast. The ramp extensions I had to get for the saturn make it a nice gradual incline, well worth the money. And they come off after you are up it.

More gas , in other words using momentum to get up the ramps also don’t always work and in the long run could be more dangerous then helpful. Especially with front wheel drive if you’re power to the wheels decides to grab on the ramps more then the traction on the floor you could shoot your ramps right under your car. Then you’ll have lots of fun getting those ramps out from under your vehicle if the vehicle sits close to the ground anyway. Although if your vehicle sits higher off the ground you probably not need the ramps in the first place? I actually watched a person try using the gas as you mentioned it to get up ramps that did shoot a ramp right under his vehicle. Which was the wheel that had power to the wheel! Be safe and don’t get too carried away or it could bite you in the rear end

I was already impressed by the construction and the video, and then he stacked them! Legendary

Really good & safe suggestions !

Wow Wayne, that’s amazing, you’re the best sunshine.

Exactly. Our low slung Merceded E320 will not go up a standard metal ramp because the ground effects plastic hits before the tire start to climb. Custom fit your verhicle before you start cutting!

Do you have knee pads that go along with that comment?

@ no, you're the best. Have a star 🌟

Why are the metal ones death traps? I've been using them for 40 years and am still alive.

​@@jamese9283 My neighbor would disagree but he's six feet under. He was pinned between the metal bumper of his car and the concrete wall of his house when his 14yo(or so) son accidentally went too far while trying to get the car up on the ramps. The dad didn't make it because the femur(s) were fractured and severed the arterie(s). He did survive for a quite awhile. The bumper kept the arteries pinched long enough for the medics to get there. They were able to use tourniquets to get him to the hospital. Unfortunately the ER doctors argued until it was too late. Eventually the family was given a settlement but, as you know money can't fix everything. While the ramp's design was not the only factor, there have been several articles written about how dangerous those old metal ramps are. It has to do with getting over that first bump, the steep incline, and their lack of traction. I personally think it also has a lot to do with the average person's lack of skills and coordination. My dad had a pair of those ramps that he used for close to 40 years without having an accident. He only changed them because he's old and wanted the new ones that are much lighter. They are also much easier to drive up on as well and thus require fewer basic skills. Now they just have to worry about technical issues like putting the right amount of the correct oil in the correct place. 😄

@@Jonathan.D your neighbor sounds like a moron

@@BH-gh6qm You are right about that and it's hard to say otherwise. He set himself up for disaster. He didn't give himself an out. He let an inexperienced kid operate a vehicle. Plus he used the metal ramps that even some adults have a difficult time using. Back in the day he would have been trampled by stampeding bears or mauled by a hungry brown cow. 😄 I shouldn't make jokes but the guy could have won a Darwin award.

@@Jonathan.D The way you described the accident, I don't see how you can blame the ramps. Any design can be made safer, but at some point it takes a little brain power not to hurt yourself.

I'm curious how you would _"Add 2nd set on top upside down as per the "storage" solution"_ when you have tires sitting on them. Didn't exactly think that through, didja?

@@mikerew9132 what he said makes sense, but not explained very well. Only need to extend the level the tires are on, not at the level of the stop.

@@mikerew9132 easy, build the 2nd set without the hinges and the taller side it attaches to

@@Pantifo I dont think the geometry works with an exact duplicate set, you'd need to remove the endstop from the inverted one in order for it to stack correctly and keep the vehicle correctly level.

Or buy a jack and 4 jackstands. Safer, too, as you won't drive off the ends, and also, wood can split and fail.

I think he screwed it.

“Don’t ask me how I know” 😂 operator error😂

He was probably pretty close to finding out himself when forgetting the wheel chock

I wouldn't think the wooden ones would be nearly as prone to being dislodged as metal ones. There's more surface area touching the ground than touching the tire.

lol being 17 I did something similar with my CRX. Backing down ramps, took the chocks out, but had the ebrake on. Enough gas, front wheel shot the ramp out the front. That was fun...

you took the words right out of my mouth!!!

Agreed; I'd be very hesitant to rely on those hooks, since they could be pulled out with only a little force, like a bit of extra throttle on the way up the ramp.

I was thinking of using toggle-latches…replacing both the hook and the hinge. That would let you completely remove the low part, making it use-side agnostic.

@@keithklassen5320 Up the ramp there is no pulling force on the hook. Down the ramp the force is divided by both sides and little chance the half ramp would turn outward.

Even a set of those cheap slide locks for doors would work.

I mean plastic can be extremely strong. Until its not. I just don't trust plastic that much lol.

I remember a Mr Magoo from childhood, I wonder if any relation 🤔

​@Lurch Boys the point here was 20 dollar ramps to save a few $ on DIY car maintenance. Also, if you can't have grain running horizontal then explain bottom or top plates, upon which just about every single house on this continent rests?

​@Lurch let me know what you're smoking because I want some of that! Sure they might not last a few years but you make it sound like these things are gunna explode at the smell of a cars tires. The boards are fine in that direction because the compressive forces are spread amongst the boards and into the floor. The only risk really is splitting at the edge of the boards but if you were serious about building these things you'd be better off just PL'ing the entire thing and sealing the edges with the glue so it functions as a single block. Stuff is nigh indestructible.

@Lurch ??? This entire comment seems very confused. We orient wood to take loads in the direction of the grain because that's how it's strongest, yes, but if you did that here, you'd be very likely to split the wood along that grain on the thinner parts. Yes, joists are oriented with the longer axis vertical, but that isn't because it's inherently weaker in the other axis. Joists are bent under the load they carry, and the taller the beam the greater the load it can carry... but these ramps aren't being bent, but mainly compressed, and the load they can carry isn't increased by making them taller. Plywood would probably be a better material, mind, but...

@@ConReese what is PL'ing? Asking for myself

@Dan Hoepelman it's a type of construction adhesive called litteraly PL made by a company called Lepage, the glue is so strong its stronger than the hardest hardwood bond there is so structurally the weak points become the wood itself and not the joint once it's glued

same here - now the garage wants $80 for an oil change. I ordered a filter wrench for these new fangled oil filters and will go back to doing it myself - but I didn't want to revert to the 70's and use those steel ramps which always made me nervous.

Tie a piece of rope to the ramps and extend it toward the car such that the cars tires drive onto the rope which will keep the ramps immobile.

@@roseymalino9855 Thanks for the tip!

I've done that as well, and I suspect we're not the only ones. Front wheel drive, metal ramps, forgot to remove the chocks, went to back down, and the ramps shot forward and hit my adult son in the shin. Fortunately, no serious damage, other than a bit of swearing. Lesson learned, and could've been much worse.

They don't shoot forward if they sink down in the asphalt. LoL. SMH The metal ones are okay in a pinch, but I've straddled a ditch with a vehicle before so I wouldn't have to use them.

@@ianshand6094 yep that happened to me once as well, quite embarrising i must add. but you live and learn

Just gave me the idea of taking one board and cutting slots for the chains. Put it on the ground set it up and drive on top. Make wide slots so you can wiggle the chains a bit.

@@jeffarcher400 ... that won't work because you will be parked on a crosslink. If you must install chains with the tires on the ground, then you'd best have roller chains so you can remove a crosslink, drive forward to the blank spot, then put it back in after pulling forward again. That's how we did it on the road. Driving up on ramps (centered to the inside wheel) leaves the entire outside tire free.

@@rupe53The slots are for the cross links??? I was thinking it wouldn't work for x type cables but for H type it should. They sell a plastic chain block. Weird chain patterns can be custom cut into the wood for particular applications. Agree that there's nothing better than having it up in the air.

@@jeffarcher400 .... cables? We're obviously not talking about the same class of truck. The stuff I was working on is 30,000 pounds and up. (fuel delivery, fire apparatus, etc)

@@rupe53 Aren't truck chains the old H ladder design? I know trucks would destroy the cable design. I just meant you could change the slot pattern to custom design it for whatever you have. Lots of respect for the truckers. Out there day and night in all weather. Often risking their lives without fanfare. Cars only seeing an obstacle and not thinking about how things get on the store shelves. It's tough enough towing my boat. I wouldn't want to drive a big rig in town.

I'm impressed, at, your wife. She sounds like a keeper.

Lol, yeah, she is. I almost have enough pilfered 2x6’s to make the forms for a concrete pad I’m about to pour!

Just curious, shouldn't you have your car on level ground when changing the oil?

@chillyballs555, in a perfect world, that would be ideal. Conveniently for me though, the drain plug on my wife’s Toyota is at the back of the oil pan so it works out well.

Agree. Taller (Hollow design so its less heavy). Hinges replaced with pin/hole where it can be pulled apart tool-less or design the wood to hook together the way the Eastwood plastic ramps do. Might as well copy the Eastwood dip where the wheel should sit, dip tells you when to stop pulling the car forward and it does the other things you said "to the top piece at the rear to keep vehicle from rolling backwards". The Eastwood ramps look nice enough to be worth the price but they seem overly wide and could be taller so that's why I am looking at DIY.

The pin idea would also work well for the taller front block to maintain the storage feature.

That’s a good idea. Definitely don’t need them to be solid.

Good suggestion, thank you

But wouldn’t that weaken the wood?

@@GodsMan500 No, for the same reasons that an I-beam is very strong even though there isn't much material in the middle of the beam. Wood is ridiculously strong in compression. I bet you could leave one-inch strips in the middle and the edges of the middle pieces and still have enough strength to hold up the car.

The only problem with that that I can see is, wood changes with the seasons, and if it’s all screwed, glued and whatnot, the surrounding wood around the holes could possibly start to check aka split, that’s why I was thinking maybe splitting them in half, then running the upper boards perpendicular to the bottom then once again switching perpendicular to the next. For starters the wood would be more secured together and it’d help stop any cupping that might want to happen. Personally I’d add at minimum 1/4 inch plywood strips between the wood like how we do headers in the CARpentry world, that would definitely stiffen and hold them flat for years to come and lessen the chances of the planks splitting. Wood fluxes and splits like butter when being pressured in this flat grain application, while when it’s on end, it’s strong as steel. That’s just my input as a wood guy for the last 20 something years. Totally love this idea, being I loaned my metal ramps out yrs ago and forget to whom🤪

was the first thing i thought of; was what about rollback. seems too small of space, with no stop block. was worried.

plus i wouldn't use 2 1/2" screws I'd be bolting them together or using large coach bolts.

@@yuk-erkmckirk9277 I think bolting would be overkill adding cost, weight, and labor to the project. There's really no stress on these planks.

​@@yuk-erkmckirk9277 standard 3" x 8 or 3" x 10 screws would be fine. I ve built my longer platform style ramps with 2x8s and 2x4 scrap wood and 3" x 8 screws to change out my oil pan. Didnt have any issues. Ramps are solid and while they not be storage conscious, i did add hanging hooks so i could vertically hang them on a wall anywhere inside or outside.

Wow, thanks!

Ya I was wondering how many people Would drive right off the end