MogLite Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Well I just picked up my new trailer yesterday. Alas it didn't come with any ramps. I've got loads of box section - 40x40 x 1.5mm wall. If I make two ladder style ramps, out of the box - will they bend too much ? A piccie Some numbers The ramps will be about 1.8m long They will be about 0.6m off of the ground when connected to a level trailer on flat ground I want them to be able to load my Ibex and MogLite, both are about 2200kgs, the Ibex is a bit front heavy, MogLite is about 50:50 I don't want to buy any steel, as I've got loads of this stuff. I've also got 50x25 1.5mm wall. Would that be a better bet ? Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hoe about a hinged "Drop Down" vertical support half way along - will add a huge amount of strength, then your safer with the thinner lighter ramps ? Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael calvert Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hoe about a hinged "Drop Down" vertical support half way along - will add a huge amount of strength, then your safer with the thinner lighter ramps ?Nige i have some light ones from 50 x 50 x 3 angle and they are fine for the 90 length maybe a little shorter but without measuring cant be too sure of exact dims the trailer i have came with some very HD things, nearly takes two of you to lift them: 100x50x4 box about 2/2.25m long, very slow incline to trailer though! think they were made to put a min digger (3t) on back of a farm trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hoe about a hinged "Drop Down" vertical support half way along - will add a huge amount of strength, then your safer with the thinner lighter ramps ?Nige I did wonder about that, but if the trailer isn't on level ground, then the legs would be either too long/short ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipity Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Halfway along the length weld a +/-100mm piece of the steel you are using to face downwards, then triangulate with either one length bent centrally or two lengths to either end. When done it should look like a shallow upside down triangle. The bottom sections need not be massively thick, even 25mm box would do fine. Strength to weight it will win every time over a simple beam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Halfway along the length weld a +/-100mm piece of the steel you are using to face downwards, then triangulate with either one length bent centrally or two lengths to either end. When done it should look like a shallow upside down triangle. The bottom sections need not be massively thick, even 25mm box would do fine. Strength to weight it will win every time over a simple beam. Oh yes - I see where you are coming from with that - I like that idea a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 i'd just double-up the steel box on the side beams, so you end up with a 40 x 80 box, put them on top of each other, rather than side by side.... if that makes sense... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Triangulate every time. They will be massively strong, and lighter than any other alternative. Obviously you'd want to add more rungs, but i couldnt be arsed to draw them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Not what you asked, but perhaps you already have waffles? I have waffles I use for ramps when loading the RR onto my trailer. The trailer is just above 70cm high and the waffles are the longer from FF (180cm?) Works well, but when loading a Volvo 245 onto it we had to find a slope so that the belly of the volvo would clear, since the angle is steep. The waffles make some noise, but seem to hold up. This is what it looks like, no pic of the actual loading arrangement but that can be arranged. Tobias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Triangulate every time.They will be massively strong, and lighter than any other alternative. Obviously you'd want to add more rungs, but i couldnt be arsed to draw them.. Nice one - interesting...... So you'd triangulate a center spar, rather than both the outside ones. That will help keep the weight down I did think about waffles, alas I just sold my long pair at Sodbury - typical !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I'm not a grownup, i know nothing.. Yes two outside triangles will be stronger, and keep stresses in straight lines etc etc, but i don't think you'll need that sort of strength, and as you said, they'll weight quite a bit more then too. you could always triangulate the sides down to the leg (so perpendicular to the long braces), if you were worried about the 'deck' of the ramp bending around its longest axis, but i don't think that'd happen either, again due to the width of the tyre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Triangulation is a good thing! (Have I said that before..? ) I would triangulate the side rails as it will be asking a lot to transfer the bending stresses from the edge to the middle. Give me a few mins to hack out some numbers and I'll come back to you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 OK, To carry a 600kg wheel load ( I reckon a front axle is around 1200kgs) you will need to triangulate with 100mm downstand AND intermediate downstands splittlng the difference between the middle and where the lower link meets the top link. You would also need transverse "rungs" on the lower links wehre the downstands intersect. Alternatively, weld on two additional sections, one 75% of the length and the second 50% of the length of the first (in this case 1.8m) This is simpler to fabricate but a little heavier. It does has an advantage in that it will be better at resisting the local torsional effects from the rungs. The section you have is pretty thin walled so that is where I would see the majority of your issues. A couple of lower rungs would help this design too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Nice one Bish - I'm tempted to say -show your working - but I wouldn't understand it I'll start cutting some steel, and we'll see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatboy Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Andy, I didn't see any kind of leg at the back of your trailer so you may want to consider adding a pair of them as well to prevent the trailer tilting back when loading it. I normally put a little trolley jack under the numberplate beam but at some point intend to put a pair of legs on the corners. The worst case scenario (which I believe was mentioned in a mag a while back) is that the trailer tilts and lifts the back wheels of the towing vehicle off enough to render the handbrake ineffective.. If you are parked facing down a hill, off she goes It would be really messy if you also had mid span supports on long "hook on" ramps and no legs on the trailer because as the wheels left the ramp onto the trailer, the trailer could dip enough to unhook the cantilever ramps before the trailer heads off.... (Just call me Doomsday ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 It would be really messy if you also had mid span supports on long "hook on" ramps and no legs on the trailer because as the wheels left the ramp onto the trailer, the trailer could dip enough to unhook the cantilever ramps before the trailer heads off.... (Just call me Doomsday ) The trailer does have a couple of jacks on the rear, but to be honest I think I would have been too lazy to use them.......until you told those stories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101nut Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 The worst case scenario (which I believe was mentioned in a mag a while back) is that the trailer tilts and lifts the back wheels of the towing vehicle off enough to render the handbrake ineffective.. If you are parked facing down a hill, off she goes Hmmm ... or as one of our club members did end up with the 110 tow vehicle nose down in a ditch with the trailer still connected ... 3 hours of work to unhitch the trailer and get the 110 out again ... Ok I admit it, we laughed at him not with him! AndyG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hmm, Spent a couple more minutes looking at this and you are going to need the doubled up section full length and the triple section for a large part of it too. You might want to consider shortening the ramp - how high is the trailer? If you are only loading 4x4's then you could have a much steeper ramp which would greatly reduce the required ramp length and therefore its required strength. A comment on the triangulated system - you will be relying on the butt weld at the point of the triangle to cary a lot of tension. If that weld lets go the whole lot will come crashing down. Have you not got any tube left over from your roll cage? You could bend that up nicely and it'd be a lot stronger than the box section you have to hand....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollythelw Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 couldnt you use the box section to make a gym, pump yourself up to superhuman size and strength and then lift the cars on? that would keep you off the streets for a while - and I wouldnt have to worry about those mystery visits you pay to the sheep pen at night, I know you think no-ones noticed.... but we know mate, we know.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general-confusion Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Better Still build a new car capable of driving onto the said trailer with no ramps required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MogLite Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Better Still build a new car capable of driving onto the said trailer with no ramps required Have you seen the avatar ? This wont have any problem climbing on the trailer, but its a bl00dy rough way of doing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 I've seen comp-safari motors taken off trailers without any ramps. For a perfect dismount, leave the brakes off the trailer and towing vehicle too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatboy Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 I've seen comp-safari motors taken off trailers without any ramps. For a perfect dismount, leave the brakes off the trailer and towing vehicle too Interesting question for the forum, "If you leave all of the brakes off like John TC suggests, and "floor it" in the vehicle on the trailer, would you be launch the towing rig therefore landing on the spot where the trailer was standing 2 seconds earlier ?? " Has to be worth a try, just make sure you "film n'share" it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Equal and opposite reactions and all that, it would come down to the relative mass of the two vehicles, and the rolling resistances. Be fun to try though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 I dont bother with ramps for my 90 it climbs on and off fine. maybe some hd waffles would do he job fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.