What's with Versa sedans and heat shields? My 2012 lost its about 4 years ago. Came off easily, never replaced it. Jokester on a Nissan forum said " Don't worry, it grows a new one." BTW, how do you like your Versa JTK?
A little ramp mishap..
- Thread starter JTK
- Start date
If concrete is not available, can rhino ramps be used on hard, dry, level ground?
I had this happen to me about 10 years ago with the daughters Toyota Echo on the original Rino Ramps on smooth concrete. Junked the pair after sawing the damaged one in half so no neighborhood kid would injure himself.
I now go up using left foot feathering the brake and right foot on the gas. Feels weird at first yet i'm quite good at it now. Zero roll back.
I now go up using left foot feathering the brake and right foot on the gas. Feels weird at first yet i'm quite good at it now. Zero roll back.
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Originally Posted by gfh77665
If concrete is not available, can rhino ramps be used on hard, dry, level ground?
They advise against that.
If concrete is not available, can rhino ramps be used on hard, dry, level ground?
They advise against that.
A vehicle with too much power for the drivers skill
) I butt my ramps against the 1" step between the garage floor and the driveway and, then I drive sloooly up the ramps. Ed
) I butt my ramps against the 1" step between the garage floor and the driveway and, then I drive sloooly up the ramps. Ed
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
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Originally Posted by Aredeeem
What's with Versa sedans and heat shields? My 2012 lost its about 4 years ago. Came off easily, never replaced it. Jokester on a Nissan forum said " Don't worry, it grows a new one." BTW, how do you like your Versa JTK?
Decent little car. I bought it for my older kids to use for work and college. I've only owned it for a year, but it's been problem free. One of the heat shields that runs along the tunnel corroded around one of it's anchor screws so I had to beef it up with a washer. Like you say, seems like a common Nissan issue. Yep, if it got bad enough, I'd pull them off and forget about it.
What's with Versa sedans and heat shields? My 2012 lost its about 4 years ago. Came off easily, never replaced it. Jokester on a Nissan forum said " Don't worry, it grows a new one." BTW, how do you like your Versa JTK?
Decent little car. I bought it for my older kids to use for work and college. I've only owned it for a year, but it's been problem free. One of the heat shields that runs along the tunnel corroded around one of it's anchor screws so I had to beef it up with a washer. Like you say, seems like a common Nissan issue. Yep, if it got bad enough, I'd pull them off and forget about it.
A friend of mine owns a 2008 Civic but doesn't really have space to work on his car, so he will stop by with parts/oil and I'll help him out on occasion. I can tell he is a bit nervous driving it up onto the ramps, but he always turns down my offer to do it. Well, last time he wasn't consistent on the throttle, and the car started rolling back down the ramps. He panicked and instead of braking, hit the gas which caused the ramp on one side to shoot under the car. The same thing happened where the pinch weld on the body cut into the ramp, but luckily no other damage.
Sad thing was, I was double-footing it because I've had this car up on these ramps 2-3x before and have been using ramps for as long as I've been working on cars. Still got me.
Oddly enough, the only other time I had the same disaster was back in the mid 1990's on a 1993 Nissan Sentra. I was (stupidly) on an ancient, dry packed dirt/gravel driveway with metal ramps and shot the right side ramp under the car. That one went under the pass floor pan. Older brother was there working on his car too at the time. He was wiping tears laughing he thought it was so funny. Darn Nissans are gonna kill me yet.
Oddly enough, the only other time I had the same disaster was back in the mid 1990's on a 1993 Nissan Sentra. I was (stupidly) on an ancient, dry packed dirt/gravel driveway with metal ramps and shot the right side ramp under the car. That one went under the pass floor pan. Older brother was there working on his car too at the time. He was wiping tears laughing he thought it was so funny. Darn Nissans are gonna kill me yet.
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Originally Posted by JTK
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
This was exactly my experience also.
It struck me that the right ramp slides due to less weight on that side of the car. In England the left ramp would slide.
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
This was exactly my experience also.
It struck me that the right ramp slides due to less weight on that side of the car. In England the left ramp would slide.
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Originally Posted by JTK
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
Armchair what? I wasn't making the comment to you nor do I care to debate too much throttle vs too fast with you.
Whatever you did, the surface you were working on had nothing to do with it IMO. What other surface would be the safest to do this job on besides smooth, level concrete?
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
Armchair what? I wasn't making the comment to you nor do I care to debate too much throttle vs too fast with you.
Whatever you did, the surface you were working on had nothing to do with it IMO. What other surface would be the safest to do this job on besides smooth, level concrete?
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Yep … for 2WD the worst I ever had was an old 300. Best is our Fusion Hybrid … low speed torque and control
My two 4WD's ? Only engage xfer case for 4 ramp jobs … but the big tires crawl the steps easily.
My two 4WD's ? Only engage xfer case for 4 ramp jobs … but the big tires crawl the steps easily.
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Originally Posted by JTK
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
Armchair what? I wasn't making the comment to you nor do I care to debate too much throttle vs too fast with you.
Whatever you did, the surface you were working on had nothing to do with it IMO. What other surface would be the safest to do this job on besides smooth, level concrete?
My apologies for misreading.
Agree on the concrete thing. These ramps do have a single rubber gripper on the bottom of each. Maybe it was more stiff than grippy at 30degF out and would have held in place otherwise. Lot of factors.
Originally Posted by JTK
Originally Posted by dlundblad
OP went up the ramps too fast; they didn't slide.
You can armchair quarter back it how ever you want but like I said. I crawled up the ramps with not enough oomph, causing me to stop before I reached the top of the ramps. A bit too much throttle tip-in at that point shot the right side ramp rearward. I made no forward movement.
Armchair what? I wasn't making the comment to you nor do I care to debate too much throttle vs too fast with you.
Whatever you did, the surface you were working on had nothing to do with it IMO. What other surface would be the safest to do this job on besides smooth, level concrete?
My apologies for misreading.
Agree on the concrete thing. These ramps do have a single rubber gripper on the bottom of each. Maybe it was more stiff than grippy at 30degF out and would have held in place otherwise. Lot of factors.
Originally Posted by JTK
Darn Nissans are gonna kill me yet.
Sure seems like they are trying.
Darn Nissans are gonna kill me yet.
Sure seems like they are trying.
I never knew how heavy those bad boy Versas were. I used to service one for a friend.
Guess I just got out with my life!
Guess I just got out with my life!
Roll old Craftsman 2 ton floor jack under jacking point and lift high enough to install NAPA jack stands. Shake vehicle to be sure load is stable. Proceed with task.Forty years without a mishap.
Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Roll old Craftsman 2 ton floor jack under jacking point and lift high enough to install NAPA jack stands. Shake vehicle to be sure load is stable. Proceed with task.Forty years without a mishap.
I hear ya. The problem with something like the Versa is, the only places you can lift it, is from the 4 pinch welds designed for the OEM scissor jack and those "reinforced" areas are tiny and flimsy. You need a slotted puck or adapter for the floor jack (which I have and use), to even use a floor jack on it.
There isn't much to the front subfame, but there are some marginally acceptable areas on it you could place jack stands, but nothing that gives me a warm n fuzzy.
Even the solid rear axle beam is just a flimsy inverted "U" that will twist/bend under little force. The rear trailing arm supports you can use, but again, super flimsy.
Roll old Craftsman 2 ton floor jack under jacking point and lift high enough to install NAPA jack stands. Shake vehicle to be sure load is stable. Proceed with task.Forty years without a mishap.
I hear ya. The problem with something like the Versa is, the only places you can lift it, is from the 4 pinch welds designed for the OEM scissor jack and those "reinforced" areas are tiny and flimsy. You need a slotted puck or adapter for the floor jack (which I have and use), to even use a floor jack on it.
There isn't much to the front subfame, but there are some marginally acceptable areas on it you could place jack stands, but nothing that gives me a warm n fuzzy.
Even the solid rear axle beam is just a flimsy inverted "U" that will twist/bend under little force. The rear trailing arm supports you can use, but again, super flimsy.
My solution for a four (4) ramp job...
The tall ramps are made from a combination of 2x4's and 4x4's. Thin ramps are a lamination of 3 thicknesses of 3/4" plywood.
Did this so as to be easy on my clutch. 4 ramps at once are hard... + I have a stupid electric parking brake.
I use two separate pieces of (long) 4" wide-flange (wide I-beam) each with a short stub of 13/16" round barstock welded at midspan... to fit-in / swivvel-in to my floor jack. One at back, 1 at frt... whereby I can then have pads / pucks to lift the car from the rockerpanel jacking points (rear) or frame horns - frt. PITA but it works; safe + no damage to the car.
Then, always, wood dunnage or jackstands.
The tall ramps are made from a combination of 2x4's and 4x4's. Thin ramps are a lamination of 3 thicknesses of 3/4" plywood.
Did this so as to be easy on my clutch. 4 ramps at once are hard... + I have a stupid electric parking brake.
I use two separate pieces of (long) 4" wide-flange (wide I-beam) each with a short stub of 13/16" round barstock welded at midspan... to fit-in / swivvel-in to my floor jack. One at back, 1 at frt... whereby I can then have pads / pucks to lift the car from the rockerpanel jacking points (rear) or frame horns - frt. PITA but it works; safe + no damage to the car.
Then, always, wood dunnage or jackstands.
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