- Updated Aug 25, 2018
- Writen by Edward Miller
- Table of Contents
7 Best Car Ramps for Routine Car Maintenance in 2020
- Updated Aug 25, 2018
- Writen by Edward Miller
- Table of Contents
Car ramps always come in handy when you have to lift your automobile. Whether you changing the oil or have to do any other maintenance that requires you have to slide beneath the car, you will be happy to have the best car ramps around.
Car ramps are made of high-quality material that can carry a lot of weight and they keep the vehicle in a steady suspension as you work. Using them not only provides adequate space for working on your vehicle but also makes the job safer.
And because car ramps are crucial for your safety and anyone else working on your car you cannot afford to pick low quality ones as they can cause accidents.
Luckily, there are many good car ramps out there. And here we aim to make it easy to pick the right ones for you with our top 7 car ramp reviews and a comprehensive buying guide.
Contents
- 7 Best Car Ramps – Reviews
- 1. RhinoGear 11912ABMI – Best Portable Car Ramp
- 2. RhinoGear 11909ABMI – Best Budget Car Ramps
- 3. Race Ramps RR-40 – Best Car Ramps for All Cars
- 4. Race Ramps RR-56 – Top Rated Car Ramp
- 5. Scepter 08226 – High Incline Plastic Car Ramp
- 6. Nicky Nice 612944 – Inexpensive but Still Highly Useful
- 7. Tomioka Racing TR-Slope – Low Profile Car Ramps
- Car Ramp vs. Jack Stand
- How to Buy the Best Car Ramps
- How to Use a Car Ramp
- Conclusion
7 Best Car Ramps – Reviews
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. RhinoGear 11912ABMI (Best Portable Car Ramp) | ||
 | 2. RhinoGear 11909ABMI (Best Budget Car Ramps) | ||
 | 3. Race Ramps RR-40 (Best Car Ramps for All Cars) | ||
 | 4. Race Ramps RR-56 (Top Rated Car Ramp) | ||
 | 5. Scepter 08226 (High Incline Plastic Car Ramp) | ||
 | 6. Nicky Nice 612944 (Inexpensive but Still Highly Useful) | ||
 | 7. Tomioka Racing TR-Slope (Low Profile Car Ramps) |
PRODUCT |
|---|
1. RhinoGear 11912ABMI – Best Portable Car Ramp
- Weight Capacity: 16,000 lbs
- Incline Angle: 17 degrees
- Material: CoreTRAC
This car ramp model by RhinoGear is designed for portability and will allow you to carry and use the ramps from anywhere.
The car ramps have a CoreTRAC non-skid construction that offers top notch security and traction to prevent slippage. And the ramps are made of patented polymer for extra durability.
And, unlike other competitive products, this one provides 17 degrees inclining angle that will ensure that those that drive low clearance vehicles have an easy time.
Also they can accommodate weight up to 16,000 pounds which makes them ideal for for any car that you may have in your garage.
The material used to make these car ramps could have better quality but it is still rugged enough for long service life. And while they are also not as wide as expected they should still accommodate most tire widths.
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2. RhinoGear 11909ABMI – Best Budget Car Ramps
- Weight Capacity: 12,000 lbs
- Incline Angle: 17 degrees
- Material: CoreTRAC
For those shopping for car ramps on a budget, RhinoGear has you covered with this inexpensive model.
The wide stance of the ramp is ideal for maximum stability, excellent weight distribution, and unquestionable strength. Also, these ramps are wider to accommodate most wheel sizes
The construction uses patented polymer internal core system that is what provides the superior strength and allows the ramp to handle 12,000 pounds.
As far as the incline angle is concerned, it can also incline at an angle of 17 degrees and give you sufficient space for car maintenance even if you drive a low clearance model
These inexpensive car ramps might still not be very ideal for heavier vehicles like jeeps but for most others they are perfect.
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3. Race Ramps RR-40 – Best Car Ramps for All Cars
- Weight Capacity: 6,000 lbs
- Material: Solid Core
Race ramp has manufactured this lightweight car ramp for the users that like something easy to carry around and maneuver.
The ramps are made with a solid and durable core material to ensure maximum strength and sturdiness. And so it seamlessly lifts the car and holds it for as long as you like without slipping away.
The ramps can accommodate weight of 6,000 pounds which is suitable for various kinds of cars including BMWs, Miata’s, Jaguars, Corvettes, and many other car brands.
These ramps are the second priciest option among our car ramp reviews and they are also not very ideal for tires wider than 8 inches. However, the price is reflection of the quality and you will also hardly find regular cars with wheels wider than 8 inches.
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4. Race Ramps RR-56 – Top Rated Car Ramp
- Weight Capacity: 6,000 lbs
- Incline Angle: 10.75 degrees
- Material: Solid Core
Race Ramps RR-56 is a top-rated car ramp that has been designed to make it easy to lift your vehicle for maintenance. The ramps are extra wide and completely suitable for low-profile cars that require very dependable ramps.
With this model, the car can lift up to 8 inches at an incline angle of 10.75 degrees. This means, that this model can accommodate any vehicle that requires maintenance.
Read More: 10 Best Low-Profile Floor Jacks
These car ramps can withstand up to 6,000 pounds and because it is made of highest-quality standards and material, you can expect great performance and durability.
The surface construction is also completely skid-free and which make these some of the safest ramps to use.
Being the priciest item on our list, some car owners might shy away from this car ramp but you can be confident that it will be worth the few extra bucks.
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5. Scepter 08226 – High Incline Plastic Car Ramp
- Weight Capacity: 12,000 lbs
- Incline Angle: 17.5 degrees
- Material: Core Parabolic
These Scepter car ramps are lightweight and large ramps made of plastic material. And they are built to accommodate most cars on the road today.
In no time, the brand has given some splendid options, and this is one of the best car ramps in the market today.
These ramps will accommodate 12,000 pounds which makes them ideal for all kind of cars whether they are sedan, SUV, hatch
The extra wide ramps come with 17.5 degrees inclining angle. The cause of parabolic arch design is to enhance the weight distribution and support. And the plastic construction makes it lightweight and easily portable.
The grid style construction makes it comfortable with all kind of weather conditions. This is a long-lasting model. Plus, the grid offers better traction for added stability.
While plastic is not always the most durable material, the one used to make these ramps is heavy-gauge and should last long enough.
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6. Nicky Nice 612944 – Inexpensive but Still Highly Useful
- Weight Capacity: 6,500 lbs
- Material: Steel
For high quality steel car ramps like these, it is hard to get a better deal. Yes, this material has its downside but the strength is simply unmatched.
These relatively more affordable car ramps also have a non-skid surface to keep the vehicle in place and they are also more lightweight for easy maneuvering and transportation.
Other than that, to make this ramp even more durable, the steel is powder coated for protection against the elements. Hence, you can use them in wet or dry environment and not worry about it getting rusted or stained.
These car ramps do not have a high enough incline angle for low clearance vehicles but they should still work well enough for most cars in the road.
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7. Tomioka Racing TR-Slope – Low Profile Car Ramps
- Material: Plastic
With the heavy-duty plastic material and a lightweight overall design, these Tomioka car ramps are designed to give users an easy time.
The lightweight makes these easy to maneuver when lining up the vehicle and also make them easy to carry around.
Of course, this is quite light in weight and portable enough that you can simply put them in your car and take anywhere you like.
Considering the overall strength and features of this model, it is certainly a commendable product that budget-buyers should consider trying out.
The design and low incline angle mean that these car ramps might not accommodate a lot of weight or low clearance vehicles but they should still be useful enough for a majority of vehicles.
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Car Ramp vs. Jack Stand
When it is about raising a car from ground level, two main products come to your mind: car ramp or jack stand. While both do the same job they do it differently and are hence ideal for different situations.
And knowing what each has to offer, what it is about and how it works will make it easier to choose between a car ramp and the jack stand.
1. Car Ramps
A car ramp is a simple machine with a very basic working mechanism. All you need to do is drive the car onto them to get a lift and it is this simplicity that makes them quite popular.
They are also generally safer and more reliable when compared to the jack stand Plus, they offer a large surface area for extra support and they are more affordable than the jack stand
The only downside with these tools is that because of their light weight, they can easily slide away as you try to incline the car.
2. Jack Stand
The working mechanism of a jack stand is much more complicated than the car ramp.
In this, you first have to apply the parking brakes, choke the wheels that remains on the ground, locate the lift point and place the jack under the point to lift the car.
With jack stands you will not have to move the vehicle and carefully align it over anything. And you can also remove the wheels as well while working on something like brakes which makes them more versatile.
However, if the stand is not set correctly, it can come crashing down on you and cause lethal accidents and the jack stands are also relatively more expensive.
Buying Advice
While both the options are good, we still insist the regular users or domestic users to buy car ramps. These are economical, safe and also help you to do all kinds of maintenance tasks with ease.
However, for those that are looking for something more versatile that can also be handy for other things such as working on wheels, the jack stand is the best choice between the two.
How to Buy the Best Car Ramps
Considering the weight that they will be accommodating and the potential risk involved, you cannot afford to make the wrong choice when choosing a car ramp.
But the good news is that choosing a good car ramp is quite easy as you only need to watch out for the following.
1. Weight Capacity
When it comes to choosing a car ramp, one of the first things you need to consider is the weight capacity. Even it has many other great features it will still not work for you if it cannot accommodate your vehicles weight.
The capacity is measured in Gross Vehicle Weight and the higher the number the more the weight the ramps can take.
You can get models that can lift as little as 5,000 pounds and as much as 15,000 pounds or more, and so what you choose depends on your vehicle's weight..
2. Wheel Width & Choks
Sport cars usually have wider wheels than the general-purpose cars. That is why it is important to note the width of the wheels and then choose an appropriate ramp width.
Most car ramps are wide enough to accommodate almost any wheel width but you still need to check and make sure what you buy will work for your vehicles..
Next thing to note is that security of the user is the prior concern. That is why you must pick car ramps with appropriate wheel choks to ensure that the car will not accidentally roll down from the ramp.
We strongly suggest you to buy wheel chocks if they are not a part of a car ramp kit.
3. Ramp Surface
The ramp surfaces are mostly available in two main types: serrated or punch plated. The purpose of the surface is to make sure that the car has maximum traction as you load or off-load it.
Both ramp surfaces can provide great traction, and so the traction you get is mostly dependent on the particular model you buy. Hence, it is important to check out the surface before buying to determine if it has enough traction or not.
4. Price
Car ramps might not be as expensive as the modern jack stands but you still need to consider the price when shopping.
You can get a set of car ramps for as little as $30 while some models with super high weight capacity and an almost indestructible metals material will retail for hundreds of dollars.
If you want something for occasional use at home it does not make sense to splash out a lot of cash and on the other hand it would be a wiser idea to spend more on a high-quality ramp if you want to use it commercially.
How to Use a Car Ramp
A car ramp is straightforward to use whether it is your first time or not as you will only need to follow the few simple steps below.
Step 1 – Place the pair of ramps in front of the car wheels. And make sure to place the lower slope in front of the wheel to help car easily slide on the ramp.
Step 2 – Drive the car onto the ramp. and make sure that the wheels are in the center of the ramp. Stop when the wheels have reached the bump.
Step 3 – If the ramp is sliding away try increasing the speed. But in this case, make sure to apply brakes instantly after you feel the bump.
Step 4 – Then, you have to put the wheel clocks near the tire. This helps to safeguard that under any circumstance, the car will not move from its position.
Step 5 – With the car ramps, you can also use car jacks. This is for the added security.
Conclusion
Car ramps make vehicle servicing and maintenance easier by creating much-needed working space. But to ensure maximum safety when working you need to make sure you pick the best ones.
However, this should not be easy as our buying guide above highlights the important things to consider which include weight capacity, wheel width and ramp surface.
And from our top 7 car ramp reviews, you can be sure that there is something for you whether you want to lift a standard saloon car or a truck.
