Using ramps and axle stands. Is this safe or is there an easier option?

Like many home mechanics, the biggest challenge when working under the vehicle is the lack of height. I am not a fan of working under the vehicle as although I always use axle stands I do keep thinking "what if ..." whilst I lay underneath a 2 tonne vehicle.

I have to do some driveshaft work soon and was wondering whether to gain maximum height I could drive the front of the vehicle up some ramps and then jack up and rest the rear of the vehicle on axle stands?

Just wondering whether to do this or to just buy 2 pairs of identical ramps and drive the whole vehicle up the ramps.

Keen to hear how others approach this. Those of you who still use a pile of bricks need not reply ;-)

This is what can happen when you use ramps and drive off them.

I use bricks but, I put them inside the structure of the ramp as a safeguard. Use large stands with a wide base, triangle bases need to be positioned correctly. Leave your jack fully raised underneath.

Yep! and work on a firm ground, I would most heartily suggest flat and level concrete or tarmac; next door's back garden 'lawn' isn't the best place to start.

Most ramps make me a bit nervous. The horizontal tops are too short and very little movement is need to roll off.

If you had ramps under the front and stands under the back how would to ensure it couldn't roll? Stand bases are small and wouldn't take much pushing.

I fit under a Defender without any lift, what do you need to do ?
I recall at Billing there were a couple of companies who made vehicle lifts, one was a "double v" style lift and the other one a smaller version of what garages use.

http://www.landroveraddict.com/forums/thread.cfm?threadID=75011

blue beasty said:

If you had ramps under the front and stands under the back how would to ensure it couldn't roll? Stand bases are small and wouldn't take much pushing.

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That is a valid point. I always though that to push a stand over with a vehicle weight sitting on top of it would be difficult to do. My theory is that to push a vehicle over will require the stand to rise slightly as a result of having a triangular base?

I need to remove the propshaft.

large wooden blocks, cut up sleepers etc are what i prefer

jamesmartin said:

large wooden blocks, cut up sleepers etc are what i prefer

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This is what I use.

You should be able to remove the prop without lifting it- I can fit under and am well fat!

sm0129 said:

This is what I use.

You should be able to remove the prop without lifting it- I can fit under and am well fat!

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i struggle with discos with side steps

I use this

mick2a said:

I use this

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That's the one I was meaning, looks scary as hell and unsafe, but does the job.

Those wheel ramps shown by mikescuba are wholly inadequate for a vehicle the size of his, a wheelbarrow (empty) is about as much as they can be trusted to support. Never ever support a vehicle on bricks or breeze blocks and the likes, always use substantial wooden blocks like sleepers as JM suggests.
Axle stands are by far the safest but use good and strong one's, if you are working on soft ground use thick plywood under the stands, about twice the size of the stands foot print to be safe.

Carrington224 said:

Those wheel ramps shown by mikescuba are wholly inadequate for a vehicle the size of his, a wheelbarrow (empty) is about as much as they can be trusted to support. Never ever support a vehicle on bricks or breeze blocks and the likes, always use substantial wooden blocks like sleepers as JM suggests.
Axle stands are by far the safest but use good and strong one's, if you are working on soft ground use thick plywood under the stands, about twice the size of the stands foot print to be safe.

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They do look weak but those ramps are designed for a vehicle greater than the Land Rovers weight. I have a similar pair, never used them as I really don't have a need but they exceeded the LR weight.

Agree with Carrington....
Invest in good quality axle stands and work on concrete
Although as has been said..
Removing prop is easy with the landy just on its wheels

i once did some stuff under a metro by pushing it over onto its side onto an old mattress

I suppose the difficult part was....
Getting it upstairs into the....
Bedroom?

flat said:

i once did some stuff under a metro by pushing it over onto its side onto an old mattress

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did the metro then stick to the mattress by any chance?

chris7 said:

I suppose the difficult part was....
Getting it upstairs into the....
Bedroom?

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The only time I've had a vehicle (Triumph 2000) fall on me I had just completed replacing a UJ on the back axle. It was as I reached in to remove the last axle stand. Luckily the car was on tarmac but reversed up to land which dropped away from road level and I was on the land so although it dropped onto it wheels and hit me , it didn't squash me.
I don't have solid ground to park the 110 at home so I use stronger Axel ramps than shown, on 3/4 inch ply 2 ft by 3 ft sheets.
Similarly to remove a wheel, once up on the ply and lift the ramp gets shoved under the Axel then the wheel removed before working on the hub.