How to Safely Raise a Vehicle Using Ramps

ID: 66951

Description: Used properly, ramps can be a safer alternative...

Steps:

1. Caution: Injury may result if this procedure is not followed properly. Be sure to follow each step carefully and follow all warnings.
2. To begin, park your vehicle on a firm, level surface such as concrete or asphalt.
3. Never try to raise your vehicle on soft or uneven terrain. If the ground shifts or the ramp changes position unexpectedly, you could be seriously injured or killed.
4. Center the steering wheel so that the front wheels point exactly straight ahead.

5. Slide the first ramp directly in front of the vehicle's front, driver-side wheel, until it touches the rubber of the tire.

6. Put the second ramp into position directly in front of the vehicle's front, passenger-side wheel.

7. Make sure each ramp is centered in the path of the tire so that once the vehicle moves forward, both wheels will stay completely supported by the ramps.

8. With the motor running and your vehicle in gear, begin slowly driving it straight forward onto the ramps.
9. Due to the steep incline of the ramps, you'll need to give it more gas than you might expect. At first, the vehicle may not move forward at all.
10. Slowly and steadily apply more throttle until the vehicle begins creeping up the ramps.
11. When doing this for the first time, be prepared to stop quickly in case you accidentally apply too much throttle. Either keep one foot on the brake pedal, or one hand on the e-brake lever. If your car has a manual transmission, use your left foot to feather the clutch pedal.

12. Continue driving slowly up the ramps until your vehicle levels out, and then stop immediately.
13. You can either find the correct place to stop purely by feel, or you can have a friend spot you from outside the vehicle.
14. Most automotive ramps have a slight dip at the top, or a bump stop, or both, to help stabilize the vehicle with the wheels in the correct position.
15. If you don't make it all the way up the ramps on the first try, that's okay—it can take several tries to get a feel for how the vehicle responds on the ramps. Let it roll back down, stop at the bottom, reposition the ramps and try again.

16. With the front wheels in final position at the tops of the ramps:
17. Put the vehicle in Park (or first gear if you have a vehicle with a manual gearbox).
18. Set the parking brake.
19. Turn off the ignition and remove the ignition key.
20. Use extra care when exiting the vehicle, which is now raised much further from the ground than when you entered.

21. Chock the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards down the ramps.