Won't disagree with you Scott, but I use them all the time, WITH jack stands
under the front axle of my 77 Westy, or on the rear if I'm working at the
back. I have mild claustrophobia and the idea of that van coming down on me
just makes my hair stand on end. Sometimes I even put two trolly jacks up as
well. Overkill I'm sure, but I'm a big fan of safety. That's how I've made
it to 58 so far. :-) Oh yeah, and big solid rubber chocks behind the wheels.
Courtney

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: Brake Pedal Pulse Questions

> Ramps are always inherantly dangerous.
> My father would be dead if I did not remember to go out the garage, on
> time,  and tell him it was time to stop car work and go to his job ....
>   Smashed between a creeper and the bottom of the car,
> yelling for 45 minutes...no once could hear him........passing out.
> Another half hour he might have been dead..or brain damaged or whatever.
>
> they are inheritantly  dangerous.
> they save one step , jacking up the car ..
> totally not worth it IMO.
>
> scott
>
>
> On 8/22/2012 12:26 PM, neil n wrote:
>> Thanks David.
>>
>> For a future fuel tank reseal, I'd considered making ramps so I could
>> back
>> the van onto them (rear of van facing downhill) and get the front end up,
>> but didn't take the ramp idea any further.
>>
>> Are you suggesting one ramp per vehicle corner, each providing room and
>> level surface for a jack and jack stand?
>>
>> Like this?  image:
>> https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zCqGzE1KbmI/UDUyJPKF0WI/AAAAAAAAF_U/cBj1mBmkZ-Q/s800/ramp.jpg
>>
>> For what I need, 2 ramps should suffice for now. (work on one end of
>> vehicle at a time)
>>
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 22, 2012 at 10:22 AM, David Beierl
>> <dbeierl@attglobal.net>wrote:
>>
>>> At 02:09 AM 8/22/2012, neil n wrote:
>>>
>>>> The issue is limited work space on a sloped drive way. I'm
>>>> uncomfortable
>>>> raising the rear up on jack stands. I'm OK with raising one front
>>>> corner
>>>> at
>>>> a time to do the upper control arm bushings.
>>>>
>>> If the slope's within reason, build four inverted ramps that match the
>>> slope; have all weight-bearing points  on a level surface.  That will
>>> take
>>> away all the horizontal components of your load vectors on both van and
>>> stands, and give you a setup that's just as stable as it would be on the
>>> flat.
>>>
>>> Yrs,
>>> d
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Neil n
>>
>> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly  http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
>>
>> '88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
>>
>> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>>
>> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
>>
>> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>>