> Also, I never use ramps (in combination with jack stands). Period.
> When one end of the car has little to no resistance to rolling, those
> jack stands become very marginal in the resistance they offer to
> lateral/longitudinal movement. Anytime I'm working under one end of the
> car, on jack stands, with the other end's wheels on the floor, I make
> damn sure to block those wheels in both directions.
I have a pair of ramps. I have never driven onto them. I kinda doubt that it
would be possible, anyway. Fortunately, the ramp part comes off of the
platform part, so the ramps sit in a corner and the platforms get used. The
platforms have adequate dip in the middle that there is more than enough
resistance to rolling in any direction, especially in the direction away
from where the ramps were supposed to attach, so one goes facing forward and
one rearward. This gives me a sense of security that cannot be equaled by
using four jackstands. I agree with Bud that it is important for the jack to
roll in compensation for the arc rather than for the car to move when you
have the whole car in the air. I have used the platform/stand approach in
doing to clutch jobs on Miatas, and if you have any idea how much motion is
necessary to extricate and re-install a transmisison in one of those!
David Lieb
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