I’m looking to buy a pair of ramps, not the plastic type that level the van while camping, which I’ve got but not used yet, but steel ones to keep at home. Hopefully I can use them to adjust the clutch cable without taking a back wheel off, and will come in handy one day when I need to drop the engine. There are a few on eBay, I’m a bit confused about what weight capacity I need, as they’ll only be supporting one end of the van at a time. I thought it best to ask first, rather than end up wearing the van because I’d bought a pair that were too weedy.
Rear axle weight can be 1300kg so axle stands should have at least that load rating and preferably more.
Hmm, difficult to drive onto with some sort of calamity in my experience. I've only used them by jacking the van and shoving them under the wheels, all in all a bit pointless. I can just shimmy under and adjust the clutch with it sat on it's wheels. Never go in from behind (ooo matron), not enough room, you'll get oily and it's a long way to the clutch cable wing nut.
As Zed says, not much point in the ramps and I heard too many horror stories about them collapsing. I bought these 6 ton axle stands from SGS, not because of the weight necessarily but because of the height range. I had the bus on four of these while I refurbed the underside. Loads of room for scooting around on a crawler board. They're out of stock at the moment though, "coming soon". https://www.sgs-engineering.com/js3-axle-stands
Have to say collapse wasn't a concern, I just think they're a terrible and pointless idea all round. I barely ever need my van up in the air with it's wheels on, normally I'd be taking at least one off even just for better access to the rockers.
Railway sleeper cut in half at a nice angle makes 2 solid ramps, bit of 3x2 across the top as a stop They don’t shoot out when your back wheels spin on them like the metal ones!
Ramps are rare these days as modern cars have such huge overhangs you can't get them up (matron!). To stop them slipping a friend of mine bolted his to a sheet of ply - the ply was roughly the same footprint as the ramp plus a couple of feet of ply sticking out at the bottom of the ramp - so the car sat on the board first, then drove up the ramp. On old stuff - if I don't have to take the wheels off - I much prefer ramps, same with modern stuff tbh - I'll jack he car up and put the ramps under the wheels.
I have used them when we had the Bay but I’m pretty sure I just jacked the bus up to get them on the ramps ( can’t remember what job I was doing but I must have had my reasons) . Very difficult to drive up on them without something very sold the other side of them to stop them running away
Yeah sure, but what would you drive a T2 onto ramps to do? I can't think of a single occasion when I've thought "if only I had ramps...". I'll give you a point for safety as it shouldn't be able to fall on you so saves getting axle stands under for a quick job.
I use ramps fairly regularly, never on the bus at the minute, I always add axle stands aswell, Belt and braces ,
Hmm, I think you’ve all put me off the idea. Zed, so you shimmy in underneath forward of the wheel to do the clutch adjustment, yes? I guess jack it up a bit and pop it on an axlestand first, I’m bigger than you.
Yes. jack it up is more luxurious but unless you think it would squash you if the jack failed/wheels on I don't bother with a stand. Whatever is needed to be safe. Tip. take molegrips under with you. The first part of the bit with the wingnut on is square, clamp them on to stop the cable turning with the wingnut. Mine needs another turn or two as well, it has since I fitted the gearbox but I only remember when I'm driving it... like this morning.
I tried molegrips, but they were a faff because I couldn’t see what I was doing. I used long nose pliers in the end, but I'm going to try using my hemostat, bought for another job, next time. I only realise that mine needs adjusting when the lights turn green and I can’t get first, much to the amusement of traffic behind. The wife thinks it might be because I rush it in a crisis, rather than put it in in a more relaxed way, f’na f’na!
