for $50 dollars I bought a ramp style lift from a fellow. it has very large c channel for the car to ride on and it is also used for the height for the ramp with a base on it. you drive up the ram and it tilts to level and then you put in a piece of channel in the back for support. It is only off the ground about. 30in. though. And is ridiculously heavy. But for the price I hauled it home. He was using it for his corvette in the shop. and he had the place and space for a 2 or 4 post lift.. I bought a large I beam from him as well for 10 bucks and made giant gantry for other projects ED

 

Check craigslist... I've seen them used for under $500

 

There is one just over an hour from me for $300. It is only 30" tall, and looks a bit old and flimsy. I can't tell from the usual CL shitty, grainy, 100' away picture he put up. It's also a tilt style, which I do not want. I could alter it, but if I'm going to do all that I will just build one.

Yeah, I definitely considered that before getting my lift, but I never could bring myself to consider it acceptable. It just seemed hokey to me, but that's personal opinion. After building an RTI ramp it was even more tempting to build a second and at least work on the vehicle parked on the slope.

As an interesting aside, check out this wooden version for a Mustang
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/terminator-archive-208/98085-perhaps-my-greatest-mod-pics.html

Not gonna debate good idea or bad idea. It's, um, creative.

It does sound like more work that it's worth...mainly with setting it up and taking it down after each use...but with 4 trucks, I'm sure it will get some good use in a short time. I've been working on my newest truck quite a bit (wheel bearings and seals, brakes all around, complete fluid change, front-end bushings, etc...).

My CTD is 2WD, so I have to drag out the car ramps anyways and squeeze my big ass under it for oil changes.

It just kills me anymore to climb under and around a truck for hours on end. And in a gravel driveway no less.

The only part I haven't figured out yet, is how I will be able to lift the vehicle off it's wheels while on the ramp. Or unload the suspension. If not, I could always save those jobs and just do them on the ground like always...

 

Yeah, I definitely considered that before getting my lift, but I never could bring myself to consider it acceptable. It just seemed hokey to me, but that's personal opinion. After building an RTI ramp it was even more tempting to build a second and at least work on the vehicle parked on the slope.

As an interesting aside, check out this wooden version for a Mustang
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/terminator-archive-208/98085-perhaps-my-greatest-mod-pics.html

Not gonna debate good idea or bad idea. It's, um, creative.

 

Build two sliding (ill call them jack holding braces for lack of a better term) going across the two ramps to place bottle jacks in to lift the car while on the ramp to do wheel/suspension work. Slide into proper position and lift vehicle.

 

That's kinda what I was thinking. Although to support the weight across a 5' span, it would probably have to be a piece of thick channel or I-beam (or multiple pieces of square tube?). And I would still have to stack some 4x4's on it to get the bottle jack within lifting range.

Re-reading what I just wrote, it sounds like a death-trap... :laughing: