I am going to be building my run-up blocks tomorrow so I can start working on the airbags and brake chambers.
So am I better with 8x8 railroad ties, I figure two wide by two high would give me 16" wide by 16" high for the fronts. Or am I better with something like 2x12's stacked on end?
The local 84 lumber claims to have used railroad ties cheap, if there are any left.
You won't be able to drive it up on 16" high. Measure your height to the lowest point and subtract an inch. 16" wide is good but ties should be in really good shape. Lot of guys use Hardwood. That is a lot of weight sitting above your head which can pop like a grape if it doesn't work. I did mine out of 5 2x8 on edge. Glued them and screwed them. Then drilled holes all the way through them and put in all threads with big washers and nuts on each end. 40 inches long and 0 to 8" at top which flattens out for 12 inches. They are 4 years old and are just starting to show where and glue is letting loose.
I have both 2x8 and 4x8 that I have been using to put under the bus to keep it level, so I can reuse that and make the ramps from it. Got to see if I can get away with anymore lift than that though.
I use 3 4x4s bolted together. Made a couple of different length sets so that i could stack one on the other to get more height if needed but have never had to do that.
made my ramps 8" high 18" wide with ramp 24" long and a 12" flat on top all welded 3/8 X 1.5 angle and 1/4" diamond plate, very sold, about 115 lb each.
then made blocks for when jacketed up to keep from the extra space needled sonetimes and keep off me when open air system. was caught once, buddy connected the air to get it off me. ;D
Dave M
Yeah, so I think I will use my existing wood first and see what I can craft up.
I would not risk with anything as narrow as 8 inches. If ground is soft on one side, one could flip over a short time and maybe while you are under it. I wouldn't use less than 2x12's, which is only 11 1/4 inches or two railroad ties side by side and bolts. Spend some money to do this right so it is good and secure. Make sure you have stops at end. Also consider on soft ground that beginning of slopped end could flip up as coach gets to end of top of ramp. What if it rains a lot after up on the ramps. Could ground soften and cause a problem. Just some thoughts.
Years ago, I had 4 ramps made from timbers cut by a sawmill. 12x12x 81/2ft oak. Cut a taper on them and used to raise my Brill to work on it on asphalt driveway Didn't put stops on ends and got too much momentum getting up on them and went off ends. Coach dropped like a brick and slightly bounced a few times. Fortunately, nothing was damaged. Immediately installed stops. 10 or 12 foot would have been easier to get up on them, but it was as long as the mill cut. Their business was making railroad ties. Even at that length, they were pretty heavy, especially when still green.
I used 2x10's stacked 4 high. Started with 96, 84, 72, 60 long mainly to facilitate my tandem drives. Made the front with 48, 36, 24, 12 long. Long ones are heavy, but easy to move with a 2 wheel dolly. Good Luck, TomC
I wasn't going to make them 8" wide, 16" for the fronts is what I was thinking. I am talking about stacking the 4x8s on end and bolting 4 of them together. Yes going to put stops on them. As for the length, well at only 8" tall, I shouldn't need a ton of length for that to be at less than a 45 degree angle. Everything is going to depend on how much room I have fully aired up as to how high I can make them. Although if I start with 8" and determine that I can get away with more, I can always add a longer section to the bottom of them.
If you can find quality ties, it would be good in my opinion. I have made some like you mention with 2x10x60 and 10"wide as great ideas were recommended to me also. My 4 work great for concrete and I have planed to get some shortys for tag axle.
I am going to say quality timbers as you mention will be cheaper and as good or better and get the nylon loc nuts and washers imo. I will no doubt need some plain 2x10 for leveling and such, as heavy as these I made are have are only considered keeping 2 in the bus.
Just for good mention I did see some where a tandem wide ramp but do believe 12 hi and was also a key in my build.
I like them. The only concern I would have is the bolt ends sticking out. If I were to run off the side it would surely puncture a tire.
I think I might get some 2x10s or 2x12s and make them like you did.
Those are nice but I would use Nyloc nuts on ends and then cut the bolt off and grind down flush to nut. Also would use Red thread locker on them.
I did rework the one side with nylocs and welded the other side, they seem pretty stable. You see though not solid so that would need consideration or mods on soil.
We have used a set of six 2x8, five feet long, glued and bolted, set on edge for ten years. They have an 18" long level end and are bolted together. This means that we have 7 1/2" of height and that is spread over a little less than 4 feet.
This setup is strong and safe, and is easily used to level the coach or any other vehicle. They go under the coach or under a car just about as easily. They weight about 50 lbs. When greasing the coach, I use one for each front tire or both on one side for the rear tires.
They ride in a bay, so we always have them.
For what it's worth.
Tom Caffrey
My pad is milled asphalt and has compressed where the tires are sitting so I know exactly where the ramps need to go and the small depression should keep the ramps from sliding.
My goal is to have enough rise that I can comfortably get the body blocks in place and get a jack under there. It would be nice if I had enough room to do the rear brake chamber work without having to jack it up as well.
You guys inspired me. Built these over the last couple of evenings.
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi61.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh72%2Fstfagen%2FIMG_6277.jpg&hash=c97d8f562d2f5ccd74e9e0be0b30f05261d66592)
Interesting design. How do they perform?
Can i borrow some ramps?
You da man, they look great. I could use a piece of rope on mine for a pull of sorts, had any thoughts there i can bor/ wait wait that has to go at the top hahahahaha
good work
Got the basics from the BCM site, they are heavy. Will have to add rope handles and will be moving them with a handcart cause they are nearly 11 sheets of 3/4 plywood for the 4 of them. Just a little short of 2 3/4 sheets each. Finished last night so I haven't put the bus on them yet, but they should hold anything I can drive up on them.
Are they 9.75" high or do I need more coffee :-[
Quote from: harleyman_1000 on November 09, 2014, 05:49:41 AM
Are they 9.75" high or do I need more coffee :-[
yes, 13 layers, just a hair under 10 inches and will fit under the bus with the air bags down.
I made my ramps as Tror did except mine are 12"wx48"L and the top I believe is around 18"L.Going on 14 years and still work well.
Don
Looks like they would weigh about 150# each. You could carry one in one hand and an 8D battery in the other for balance.
Would these ramps suffice for our buses, Eagle 1973 05, weight unknown at this time, bus was double framed on repairs. This is just a question of inquiry to get feed back.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rhino-11912MI-Vehicle-Ramp-Max-16-000Lbs-Heavy-Duty-Plastic-Black-/390966594283?hash=item5b076ccaeb&item=390966594283&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rhino-11912MI-Vehicle-Ramp-Max-16-000Lbs-Heavy-Duty-Plastic-Black-/390966594283?hash=item5b076ccaeb&item=390966594283&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr)
Literature states 16,000 lb. I guess it all depends on the surface the ramp is on. I've looked at these before and seems they may work but may slide as you try to drive up in it. Worst that can happen is it would crush but seems to be well designed.
Literature says it's rated for a vehicle that's up to 16,000 lbs GVW. That translates to 4,000 lbs. per wheel (more or less assuming all wheels on a vehicle are the same weight, which is very unlikely). That's not enough for most buses.
If it crushes while you are under it, that would be pretty bad. I wouldn't trust them.
It would be nice to find pre-made, relatively light ramps in the style of the ones linked. However, I have my doubts about those. One could always contact the manufacturer and pose the question to them.
The way I would figure it, you use two ramps to lift half the weight of the vehicle. So if the GVW was 16000#, that would mean that two ramps can hold 8000#-- or just 4000# per ramp as was mentioned above. Two of these would almost be good enough for my front axle. Four of them would be almost okay for my rear. Unfortunately, almost is not enough. A set that could do 6000# a piece would be very interesting.
Nice work Thor, I would trust those for sure, Nelson
Read the one and two star reviews for those Rhino ramps on Amazon. Be sure you read the reviews on the 16,000 pound versions.
I like the one about them being a new type of population control.
I have seen the ramps on C/L and Ebay made by Westward and Bluff before for 200 bucks a set used,I know nothing about either but they were rated at 40,000 lbs I almost bought a pair of the aluminum
How did you fasten the plywood layers together, Thor?
Davy
Liquid nails and 2 1/2 inch deck screws. First four layers are screwed from both the top and the bottom and then every other layer thru to the previous ones.
Just a thought, but could you cut the plywood ramps in half(middle from front to back) and use some kind of latch like on a tool box, only much more heavy duty? If so it would make them lighter to move and easier to store in the bays.
Can you guys educate me? I've never used ramps on the bus. None of these shown appear to be wide enough to support the dual rear wheel width, do you just run up on one wheel? Also what about buses with dual rear axles, do you make them with a longer flat on the top so both axles are on the top? I have the worst case situation dual wheels on both rear axles.
Bruce
Quote from: harleyman_1000 on November 14, 2014, 07:33:49 AM
Just a thought, but could you cut the plywood ramps in half(middle from front to back) and use some kind of latch like on a tool box, only much more heavy duty? If so it would make them lighter to move and easier to store in the bays.
I don't see why not so long as you have a super solid base under them and made sure that they were not too tippy once the bus was up. These were really designed more as a shop system for working on the bus at home and not on the road so portable was not really a design element.
My 2 cents (canadian currency )
Do not run the duals up on 1 tire, too much load . All 4 tires should be on the ramps , especially with a rear engine coach.
Mark
I agree with the load issue; however, what if you run the rears up on a single ramp, then use blocks to support the outside tires? That would save you from having to have double full rap.
Quote from: Emcemv on November 14, 2014, 09:44:38 AM
Can you guys educate me? I've never used ramps on the bus. None of these shown appear to be wide enough to support the dual rear wheel width, do you just run up on one wheel? Also what about buses with dual rear axles, do you make them with a longer flat on the top so both axles are on the top? I have the worst case situation dual wheels on both rear axles.
Bruce
Picture equals word count and all that.
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coachconversioncentral.com%2Fimages%2Framps_25.jpg&hash=118c700210c27ca78a591d9302d5d64b4af23638)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coachconversioncentral.com%2Fimages%2Framps_30.jpg&hash=6394768623da7cba8ed4440e82eb913edb17d3cb)
must be a detroit as I see lots of drips
been there done that
after out of frame rebuild no drips in the last 4 years
dave
ps nice ramps
Duhh, that's why you make 4 ramps! Got it now! Thanks, pictures were perfect! Nice set of ramps. Got to make a set.
Mung, the blocks for the other tire is a good idea however one could put a side extension where the tire would be. Use the ramp for one tire but once near the top have the extension that second tire would be on when stopped.
I was just thinking that you could use the singles on the front then use the same singles in the back and just put blocks under the outsides rather than another full set of ramps.
For what its worth I built my ramps from bridge planks, they ar 14" wide and 3" tall screwed together with 3/8 lag bolts, heavy to move but very safe, bridge planks are hard to find, I went to the County roads shop they let me dig through the pile. HTH.>>> John.