Trolley Jack?

[Flintstone]

I have a cheapy trolley jack that works but being a budget model jacking up the Chimaera is a bit of a faff.

It just fits under the car at the front (I stuck a piece of wood onto the cup of the jack to avoid nurgling the underside of the car) but not under the rear and it doesn't lift high enough so there's lots of frigging around with axle stands and blocks of wood.

Would I be better off using ramps?

Any recommendations? Reasonable prices only please.

Oh, and am I right in thinking that two jacks should be used at the same time to avoid twisting the chassis?

[crankedup]

I could'nt use ramps for my now departed Griff', well
it was OK for the rear but the front was to low.

[hut49]

Standard ramps (ex-Halfords) are too high and you can't drive either front or rear up onto them without creating a longer run up with a couple of boards. If you do this be careful that the boards are attached v securely to the ramps otherwise you'll be left stranded like the duke of york - neither up nor down - when the torque fires them back at warp factor 9

[bluebottle]

I have a set of old Halfrauds ramps that are over 20years old from my student days, and have no difficulty getting the Griff on them?.
Front wheels drive forward onto it and for the rears I reverse onto them.
I have never liked driving onto them tho, alway scared whitless of over shooting, so i normally use a trolley jack and axle stands.

[parrot of doom]

Drive onto a pair of paving flags, then jack it up.

[budaholic]

parrot of doom said:

Drive onto a pair of paving flags, then jack it up.

This is what I did, except they kept cracking.

Now I have two 18" squares of old kitchen worktop I use.

With regards to jacking, I always jack the cerb up from the centre of the side. This way it lifts the front and rear wheels at the same time, and doesn't twist the chassis.

Bud

[Flintstone]

I've been using a few layers of thick plywood to raise the car before sliding the jack underneath.

What I was really hoping for was a slim trolley jack with a good high lift.

I must admit I'm not keen on ramps for the reasons mentioned though what if.................I were to fix each ramp to a plank of wood? Drive over the wood before going up the ramp, the car's weight on the plank would prevent the ramp from shooting away. That'd work.

Any recommendations for the jack?

[budaholic]

I just remembered.......... about a year ago, i saw somewhere.. (don't remember where) a guy made a ramp for his Cerb from scaffold boards.

like a long gradual ramp... like this.



looked heavy though.... and they were huge.

[Flintstone]

They'd weigh a ton and take half the garage to store.

The wood fixed to ramps might be the best bet.

[yellabelly]

A short while ago Schnozz posted a thread where he was working on his lady's S2, to get the car sightly raised he used caravan levelling wedges from Halfords. I bought a pair and they are invaluable, durable plastic about 45cm long by 10cm high and fit in the boot easily so you always have them when needed.
Cost about £18 - £20. The ones they currently show on the Halfords website are much bigger and more involved
YB

[GarryM]

budaholic said:

With regards to jacking, I always jack the cerb up from the centre of the side. This way it lifts the front and rear wheels at the same time, and doesn't twist the chassis. Bud

I've seen this done at a track day with no probs but manuals/bibles all advise against doing it. It made we wince to see it done as you're lifting half of the car on that skinny outrigger tube which has no bracing in the middle. I guess it's a good test that the outrigger isn't rusty!