The new news 24 thread

[cort1977]

Two new tyres on Mercedes daily today.   I have avoided replacing the sound but flat spotted old ones for 18 months because I'm cheap and only drive the car in the city.   It's nice to be able to go above 50 without shaking.   Verdict: some things are not worth scrimping on.

[garbaldy]

Quote from Mrs. h on seeing the above picture.....

 

"That..."

 

Me 'What???'

 

"That is what is not to happen here"

 

Me 'Yes dear'.

I just showed it to my misses to see what she would come out with,

 

She said surely they could be parked closer and then the other three wouldn't have to stay out on the road.

 

I took that to mean we have room here for more.

[richardmorris]

It's like one of those "what's the problem with this photo" tests.

A. Nothing it looks fine.

B. They're all outside getting cold.

C. He could fit four more on the drive with better parking.

D. He should sell them all and buy a new Maybach.

E. some of them aren't white.

[New POD]

About 3 months ago a security guard at the NewKlear Kettle Plant that I attend every day, gave me a home made business card, telling me it was his last day because he was going back to work as a mobile/freelance mechanic.

 

Since I've owned the Omega it has erm BRAKED LEFT, and Tramlined and there was lots of vibration on application of said brakes.  The rear brakes were an advisory at the MOT, and the service history showed new Front Wishbones in the last year, so I got hold of some new front and rear discs and pads but didn't have any time to do them.

 

Today said ex-security guard, took the Omega away, and then rang later me to say that the wishbones were fecked.

 

Anyway, I now have a car that brakes in a straight line and does not tramline.

[Bren]

Having a CT scan on my chest tomorrow.

 

To be honest I am worried at what they might find.

[MarvinsMom]

i'll wish god-speed for tomorrow Bren, been superstitious and not wanting to tempt fate and all.

 

plus i know that typing something like that is a big thing for alot of chaps too.

 

Jo x

[richardmorris]

Having a CT scan on my chest tomorrow.

To be honest I am worried at what they might find.

Don't worry, You're already ill. Be positive about what can happen with a diagnosis. Oh and don't expect the radiographer to tell you what they see( not allowed to) in the scan.

[SiC]

Good luck!

[SiC]

Bought these from Machine Mart today with my VAT free voucher:

 

Except I realised after that these weren't Clark branded, so only got 10% off. However £55 for 2.5tonne ramps and extensions isn't bad imo.

 

What it does mean, is that hopefully I can do more undercar work without stressing about it so much that the car might fall on me.

 

One for the stupid questions thread on these, but I'll put it here...

 

I've never used ramps before though. Any gotchas? How can I fuck up and hurt myself? I.e. possible to make it fall off the ramps when working underneath?

[mercrocker]

Good luck Bren....

[Lacquer Peel]

Absolutely not.

 

Im always on the lookout for 4X4s and there is a surprisingly large number of people who think a good selling point is showing photos of it up to the doorhandles in muddy water on an offroad course.

Yeah, no, thanks.

 

I would never buy a 4x4 with lifted suspension and/or aggressive tyres for that very reason. My friend bought Defender OLLI pickup with FSH*, I warned him off it because of the off road tat added and it ended up being a total disaster area.

[cobblers]

Bought these from Machine Mart today with my VAT free voucher:

IMG_20161130_212757.jpg

 

Except I realised after that these weren't Clark branded, so only got 10% off. However £55 for 2.5tonne ramps and extensions isn't bad imo.

 

What it does mean, is that hopefully I can do more undercar work without stressing about it so much that the car might fall on me.

 

One for the stupid questions thread on these, but I'll put it here...

 

I've never used ramps before though. Any gotchas? How can I fuck up and hurt myself? I.e. possible to make it fall off the ramps when working underneath?

I and most people I know have pairs of ramps in the corner of the garage that are never used cos they're just a ballache to get a car onto.

I'm a pillock so most of my cars have been too low to get up them, but even with a normal car it's hard work to get a drive axle safely up them. Mine only get used as axle stands really tbh. Occasionally I'll reverse something onto them but they just want to slip out of the way most of the time so I'll end up nailing the fuckers into the tarmac or something. Ramps definitely seem to be one of those tools that seem brilliant til you try and use them. Infact thinking back I had mine for ten years, lent them out three times and then just weighed the bastards in.

[mercrocker]

I've never used ramps before though. Any gotchas? How can I fuck up? I.e. possible to make it fall off the ramps when working underneath?

 

Watch yourself going up them, they can be spat out by the rear wheels if going backwards and it is possible to overshoot.   Gently does it in both cases.   I am extremely fortunate in having a lip at the end of my drive which I can put my ramps against.   My German friend used to get me to hold his ramps (on bloody gravel) while he gunned his Admiral up them.  Terrifying......

 

I do use mine a lot but they tend to get in the way of some jobs and they are next to useless for anything that involves a wheel off.   As Cobblers says, they do make good axle stands especially if you use actual stands on t'other end.   I can get mine down and have the car up them in about 15 seconds which is a lot quicker than moving enough shed shit to dig out the trolley and find both stands.

[Kiltox]

Fucking hate ramps, they have their place but they are mostly a massive pain

[SiC]

Sounds like it was £50 well spent!

 

I did go for a pair that had extensions for though for the very reason that most of my cars are low. Also the reviews on them had someone say they were perfect for their 9-5!

 

Also reminds me that I need to get some decent chocks. At the moment I use a cut up old fence post.

[Kiltox]

I use mine to do odd jobs like getting to the crank sensor on the van - easier in those cases than jacking it up but it's a pain getting on and off them.

[stuboy]

i got ramps somewhere.. couldnt use them as car is lowered

[dome]

 

I did go for a pair that had extensions for though for the very reason that most of my cars are low.

I have a pair of those extensions. If you use them more than twice and they've not gone banana shaped I'll be amazed

[SiC]

I have a pair of those extensions. If you use them more than twice and they've not gone banana shaped I'll be amazed

Oh dear. I better keep the receipt safe.

 

My main aim with them was so I could do an oil+coolant changes easier and replace the gearbox mount on the Saab.

 

I've now got a good bit of buyers remorse!

[Tickman]

Ramps can be brilliant. With the extensions it will make it easier to climb up. 

I have used ramps loads and it has made some jobs possible as where I used to do the work you could not jack the car up safely.

Use and abuse them and if they are rubbish take them back!

[chodweaver]

I've obviously been well lucky with the ramps my Dad left me. I suspect the way the angle iron has been cut at the bottom causes them to bite onto tarmac/catch on concrete as I've rarely had a problem with them being spat out. I am paranoid that I'll overshoot them one day, despite the fairly decent lip at the top. What I fantasise about is having an effing great polished metal sheet to act as a mirror, mounted on the side wall in my dream garage, so I can see the wheels from the driving seat and

1 bomb up the ramps and see how far I'm on without calling Mrs CW or the otter who lives next door to sight for me

2 do things like run the engine while on stands with the wheels off the ground so I can do that initial test with new brakes/calipers to see that the wheels are going round and then stop when I touch the brake/handbrake etc. /test speedo cable/slightly less fucked gearbox/new clutch etc. without dropping the car and getting half way out of the garage before I remember I've left out a vital part/oil/incompressible fluid etc.

[gm]

don't do this :

 

 

and don't do this :

 

 

[twosmoke300]

Cut a strip of carpet about 6 foot ( or more ) long and loop it around the bottom rung of the ramps . This means the weight of the car is on the carpet as it drives up and stops the ramps skidding away .

[RickRirai]

I bought some of those ramps with jacks in and am well pleased. I can drive on to them and have most cars at a comfortable working height in 2 minutes. I can also jack it up high enough to let it back down on to stands to get the wheels off like in this Punto clutch change

 

Even if I'm working on the top end now I still drive it on an jack it up so I'm not bending over all the time like for this timing belt change

 

I'm well impressed and they didnt cost much more than normal ramps. I also made some extenders for lowers cars and haven't had one too low to get on the ramps yet.

[LC Torana]

My ramps look like those blue ones, except the last rung is a few inches further back away from the backstop, so there is a quite pronounced dip that tells you you're nicely balanced at the end.

 

Brilliant for those jobs where you want your car up nice and high, but don't need to take a wheel off.

 

Like an oil change.

 

But I've never in my life even contemplated reversing up them.  Or trying to get a FWD car up them.  The very idea of either terrifies me.

[dave21478]

I use my ramps quite a lot. Great for fluid changes, exhaust work, undersealing/welding etc etc.

 

Only once had a "small problem" years back when I drove a mini up them on gravel and it fired them backwards, the car landed on its sills on top of the ramps and the sills collapsed to the point where I couldnt open the doors.

 

Level ground. Take it easy. Someone above mentioned carpet strips round the bottom rung - that works well. Chock the other wheels. You will be fine.

 

Those MX5 photos^^^^ The road is uneven as fuck there so the bottom of the ramp only has a few small contact points with the ground. No wonder they slide out.

[dollywobbler]

I also make great use of my set of ramps. Only one incident, possibly the first time I ever used them, when I drove the 2CV straight over the top of them. Got away with minor scuffs on the sill due to the ride height...

 

Reversed the S-MX up them yesterday with no problems. Twice. Well, one ramp skidded away the first time, because I gave it a bit too much welly. Just rolled down, replaced the ramp and went for it again. No probs. Tricky with the Nippa, as the wheels are tiny and the engine feeble. Hmmmm, clutch smell!

 

Definitely one of the most useful things I own. My driveway is uneven, so if I get things right, I can have the car on the ramps, but actually level - ideal for oil changes.

[Bucketeer]

I eventually managed to get the Mitsubastard going yesterday without too much frostbite. I slithered down the mountain track and popped into the village for some supplies. Imagine my delight upon returning homeward much later when I discovered that some kind soul had cleared the first part of the track with a plough and then just stopped, leaving a huge bank of frozen earth and snow across the road. It was completely solid, immovable and impassable.

Yeah, thanks for that.

 

 

At least I had my driving gloves socks on for the 4 mile walk home with several bags of shopping.

 

[Supernaut]

My dad has a good set of ramps.

 

Massive concrete blocks with bits of railway sleeper laid on them. They don't slide away!

[The Moog]

At least I had my driving gloves socks on for the 4 mile walk home with several bags of shopping.

 

I iz disappoint not comedy Homer Simpson driving glove socks with matching Muppets driving hat pants