How to jack up on a slope?

[DrSebWilkes]

I've heard how the police is wising up on SORNed cars on the road, even if suspended in mid air ...

So that might be too risky to "rely" on. So I'm still in this original position. What would you say is the maximum gradient that you may jack up a car on?

[Wilk]

Depends in which direction the gradient falls and what area of the car is being lifted
It's not a set rule, more of a common sense thing. Make sure it's well chocked and the car is facing the direction of least tilt

[skkylinedave]

Jul 15, 2016 21:25:58 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

Slope on that diagram is an exaggeration but it demonstrates the point.

There is still the flat road ....

Your car has no mot insurance tax and you don't have a license - don't even  thing about it .

  I don't see why you want to jack it up so desperately ? You are not going to be able to achieve anything . If you selling it [ strongly advised by most people ] just top the oil up , you don't need to faff around with it .

[Anglia68]

This is how I have my car on my drive when I need a little clearance, in this case changing the engine from underneath.

[DrSebWilkes]

Jul 16, 2016 10:08:02 GMT Anglia68 said:

This is how I have my car on my drive when I need a little clearance, in this case changing the engine from underneath.

That might work! I like it! And you feel that's a safe / doable option for when you do do work under it?

[welshpug]

i spy garages, use them!

or ask a friend.

[MkX]

To paraphrase Crocodile Dundee, that's not a slope - this is a slope;

If you lived in Llantrisant your dodgy handbrake would be a real disadvantage!

[Anglia68]

Jul 16, 2016 11:35:25 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

That might work! I like it! And you feel that's a safe / doable option for when you do do work under it?

If I didn't feel completely safe working under my car like that I wouldn't work on it.
They are heavy concrete blocks and my handbrake works plus there is room for a chock on them as well if needed.
The front axle stands are heavy duty and have a nice wide base to them and are very stable.

If I could use the garage I would but it's full.

[DrSebWilkes]

First bit of good news?! Well ... my friends call me the good doctor for something!

Looking at the image of the cars in the photograph, I calculated that the drive is at a slope of between 4 and 5 degrees. (That's roughly a 1 in 14 gradient). If the car were to be on ramps, given the length of the wheelbase, the side of the car on the ramps would actually be higher than the car at the top of the slope, and wouldn't (Shouldn't) roll in any direction, since the ramps usually go up to 20 cm and the difference in height of the car should be less than 19 cm. So ramp work = easy. The good news about that though is that 5 degrees doesn't sound TOO bad, does it? Could I in theory jack a car up on that without "too much" concern? etc.usf.edu/clipart/32400/32483/angle_005_32483_md.gif <-- that's 5 degrees.


So Anglia68 I'll assume that my drive is similar or perhaps less step than your drive?

[sal]

Jacking a car up doesn't require this much thought and mathematics. Use a combination of jack, axle stands, ramps, common sense and just get on with it safely.

[foldy]

I was going to say, just use a pair of ramps. That should counteract the slope of the driveway.
But I see you have come to that conclusion.
Just a tad overthought about it.

[DrSebWilkes]

+I want to leave the car on the ramps, which I think should be okay, right? That won't put too much strain on some already worn tyres, right?

Also, I won't be the one driving the car up the ramps if she doesn't have any brakes! Good luck Dad ...

Once it is on ramps I can do some basic maintenance and once I feel happy about having done it all, I'll proceed to fixing all the breaks

Also the incline feels less in real life. I suspect that some of you would jack up on the slope without really having given it much thought.