Question about Rhino Ramps
 

I'd like to get a pair of service ramps for my stock height, sport package Z. I know that Race Ramps are the hot ticket but $200+ is more than I can justify. My question is will the much more affordable Rhino Ramps work on a Z that hasn't been dropped?

I don't think it will clear, even without a drop. Someone did I write up somewhere here.

I was afraid that might be the case. I saw some at PepBoys yeaterday and I think it might be possible to cut them down an inch or so and then they might actually work. Perhaps someone has some experience with some of these more affordable ramps.

I had the smaller version Rhino Ramps and I still needed 2x4's on the ends to get up the ramp at stock height.

Now that I'm dropped, they are useless for the Z.

Which Rhino ramps did you get and did you get enough lift to be useful?

Yea, with a drop things get very tight.

You might not have enough clearance to work with if you cut the ramps down, not to mention it might not be safe to do so.

That whole "being chrushed by your car" thing was in the back of my mind

i made ramp extensions out of wood and just screw them on lightly when i need to get my Z/G on rhino ramps. it saves space inside my garage too this way when im not using the ramps.

If you remove those front flaps infront of the front wheel, you will be able to get the front wheels up on the ramp with no problem. If not, they will touch the ramp as you go up. I just left them on.

Rear, no problems.

They were the 12k rhino ramp.

I was thinking about the 12K ramps too, they are wider than the standard ramps which should better accommodate the wide tires that we are blessed to have on the Z.

I have the 8k ones. If you have a stock sport pckg chin spoiler, it will also hit at stock height.

I have the 8000 rhino ramps. Last weekend i drove my DD up the ramps to do an oil change, the right ramp slipped and went under the car and bent the right front panel. I went to the body shop today and they quoted me $1200 to get it fixed.

I'm throwing the Rhino ramps away and going to order the 2-piece 56-inch Race Ramp on amazon for $240.

I cant image what it would be like if that Rhino ramp went under my Z.

How the hell did that happen? Drive up too fast and sent over the other end? :icon17: sounds like user error to me. Never happened to me over 10yrs using mine.

Agreed. If you drive up on the ramps carefully and correctly the car isn't going anywhere.

I think the issue is they have a tendency to slip on a typical garage surface if you drive up on them too quickly, so you need someone or some thing standing in front of them to keep them lined up and in place. If you hear or feel them slip forward or sideways... STOP!

Yep, they do tend to slip on smooth concrete floors. Grab one of those heavy black rubber mats to place the ramps on. Definitely keeps the ramps from slipping.

or you can do what I did.....

http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...journal-2.html

You won't be able to change your oil but at least you can reach the front and rear jack points. $25 in materials and about an hour to put them together. With a little practice you will be able to get all four wheels off the ground with no issue.

I like your ramps and construction is a no brainer as I'm a retired contractor but I kind of like the light weight of the plastic ramps.

Well I'm off to the garage to install my wheel spacers, it's supposed to be hot today so I want to get started early.

i have the same ramps. I put the ramps right in front of the garage where the little step is since it was slipping on the garage floor. I also use some 2x4s in front of the ramp. Works so far....

guard dad- ill take some snaps of my ramp extension i made for my rhino ramps and you can make a much better one based on wat i did. im no carpenter and wont even pretend i know how to work with wood. :D

i only have a basic backsaw and c-clamp. no angle cutters or power saws/sanders... nothing. lol my neighbors who have all these power tools were kinda amazed how well i cut straight free hand.

that was my 3rd oil change with the rhino ramps actually. they always slipped. I have the concrete surface garage.

It always took me 2-3 tries to get up on the ramps. I even used them a couple times on the Z.

But I cannot take chances anymore. things happen. Rhino ramps have a very steep angle. slippage is common. thats not user error. its a design flaw.

i could easily put a nonslip material (commonly used to line the kitchen drawers) under the ramps, but that would compromise the structure of the ramps. I'd done it a couple of times already, it worked. but I could tell the ramps bend a little bit where the wheels rest. That is something i donot want to risk my life for.

I've only tried to get the Z onto Rhino Ramps once when I did the exhaust install, and could not drive the Z onto them. Just kept pushing them backwards. So I jacked up the whole rear and slid them under. No clearance issues driving the Z off of them.

Unlike Kenchan, I had my table saw, radial arm saw, compound miter saw, reciprocating saw, and circular saw at the ready in case they were needed. ;-)

wow, im impressed professordave! :tup:

did your ramps not come with the rubber shoe stopper thingie on the bottom? my garage is concrete too and never had it slipping and sliding and flipping around all over the place... :confused:

I'm looking forward to those pictures.

I've got a possible fix for the sliding problem. How about attaching the ramps to a piece of plywood? If the plywood was perhaps 8-10" long on the approach side (the beginning or bottom) of the ramp the wheels would easily climb onto the relatively thin plywood and then transition to the ramp itself without the ramp slipping because it is anchored to the plywood which is held in place by the weight of the vehicle.

Go to Walmart and buy the least expensive rubber backed bathmat that you can find that is at least 36" long, 48" is better. Slit it lengthwise. Put 1 section under each Rhino ramp, rubber side down, carpet side up. Wedge the edges of the ramps up tight against each tire before you start to drive up on them.
I use them only for oil changes, but the ramps work fine and the bathmat keeps them from slipping on a slick concrete floor.

I just got these. $75 shipped

http://www.tomiokaracing.com/tomioka-racing-slopes.html

http://www.tomiokaracing.com/Pictures/1_1.jpg

Good advice! I use some thick rubber mats salvaged from a horse barn to keep my ramps from slipping on the garage floor.

That should work. But when u make the extension that is screwed on temporarily it should solve this problem too as initial incline is much shallower and the car's weight is already on the ramp assembly. Ill take snaps tomorrow. :)

I have the 12,000 Rhino Ramps. Sport Pkg, unmodified.

I take off the wind deflectors and slap a 2x4 in front, and move it behind the rears when I'm up on the ramps. I have only used them in the driveway, never in the garage.

Just make your own out of wood.

here you go guarddad-

ramp with extension... the arrow points at the rubber shoe that's on the ramp to prevent slippage. you can tell it's slightly raised while without any load.

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...-31-31-596.jpg

here's the bottom side of the rhino ramp. make sure you have this shoe when you buy...

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...-29-55-936.jpg

here you can see where the 2 screws go on when i attach the extension to the ramp...
i put masking tape on the rhino ramp to make it easier for me to aim where the extension goes to screw it down.

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...-30-36-729.jpg

back side of the extension...

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...-30-58-782.jpg

side view...sorry about the shadow of the bush...but you get the idea.

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...-30-21-217.jpg


ive used this exact setup for over 10yrs now. no issue. :) my Z is stock height, no issue clearing the stock diffuser when i had it. my G is pretty low too, no issue. ive not had one car yet that could not clear. :p

For safety's sake, I would advise the Race Ramps or a similar product. You can't put a $$ value on your own safety. I use mine all the time. Well worth it.

Thanks for the pics. I really appreciate all of the quality feedback, it's nice to have such a terrific resource as this forum to provide time and money saving answers.

Np! :tup: GL with the project.

Nice extension, Ken!

My ramps slip in the driveway when I try to back onto them with the Z, I think because of the sealer on the asphalt. No problem getting the Mazda (FWD) or daughter's boyfriend's Audi TT (AWD) onto them though.

thanks, professordave. yah, ive not tried them on asphalt but on concrete has never slipped on me. FWD/AWD/RWD cars...

does yours have that shoe at the bottom of the rhino ramp?

Yep, I have the shoe. Still slips! :icon14:

there's something definitely wrong with your driveway. :icon17:

I totally agree. I had Rhino Ramps and they slipped and caused $1200 damage on my DD.

Now i'm getting the 2-piece 56-inch Race Ramp for $220 on amazon. I wished i bought the raceramp earlier.

I never felt safe getting myself underneath a car on rhino ramps.

Never nice, Kenchan. I like it.

Race Ramps are da bomb! I use them for my DD and my Z. They are spongy a bit so when you pull up on them slowly they grip into the blacktop. I haven't tried it in my garage but I could see that being slippery. Well worth the $ and piece of mind in my book. I doubted my purchase before but every time I use them I am reminded of what a good purchase it was.

Only thing I hate is pulling up the ramps in the Z. I feel like I'm killing my clutch! It's a fine balance of throttle, clutch and brake to get up the initial incline along with fear of rolling past the stopper at the end of the ramp! But once it's up there, doing the oil change is a breeze.