# Garage Ramp - Maximum Incline?



## hambroski (Sep 14, 2009)

Morning All,
My Garage has a very steep incline to get in. The height from the ground to the garage floor level is 30cm and the incline is over only 65cm. This appears to be a 1:2 incline and would be enough to destroy the front or back of my R35.

I have booked the builder to come back to smooth it off and I am trying to work out what the incline needs to be to avoid damaging my baby.

My calculation was that the front splitter is 15cm above the ground and the distance from the front of the splitter to the tyre contact patch is 75cm so the incline had to be 1:5.

Therefore, for my 30cm climb I need a ramp of 1.5m.

Does that make sense?

Thanks,

Does anyone have experience of this?


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## mickv (May 27, 2009)

I think you have got it hambroski. Just considering the splitter clearance, I think you need to ensure that the angle of the ramp is less than the angle between the splitter lip and the tyre contact patch. So, you want a ramp that's slightly longer than 1.5m to give you a bit of a margin, otherwise the day you forget to go really slowly you'll mash your splitter.

I also thought that you need to consider the clearance on your side skirts above the top lip of the ramp, once your front axle is at garage floor level. However, I think that with a ramp of over 1.5m, you should be fine on that front. This is just based on gut feel and seeing my car loaded onto a flatbed a few times - the splitter is always close but the side skirts are no problem.

Good luck:thumbsup:


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## hambroski (Sep 14, 2009)

Thank you Mickv! Very good point!!!!! The distance between the front and back contact patches is about 260cm and therefore, the mid point is about 130cm with 15cm clearance.
As the ramp is 1.5m long, the back wheel will already be on it and climbing by the time the mid point is on the edge. It should work. If not then, the incline would need to be 1:8.7 (30/130). This means my ramp would need to be 261cm long!!!!


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## mickv (May 27, 2009)

As it's lunchtime, I've just drawn it to convince myself - I was questioning whether your assumption that the mid point of the side skirts is the important bit was right. As it turns out, it is right, but only because the clearance of 15cm happens to be half the step height of 30cm - obvious now I think about it. For a bigger step, the crunch point would be closer to the front of the car and vice versa for a smaller step.

So, assuming all your measurements are right, you'd need a ramp that starts 1.3m out from the garage step to clear the side skirts. Therefore the front lip is indeed the important one as that needs at least 1.5m of ramp. Get that clearance right and you're sorted. Just remember not to change your splitter for an aftermarket snow-plough design.

And check those measurements a few times...


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## hambroski (Sep 14, 2009)

I though I might add an extra 10-20% just in case!!!

Thank you!


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

I got a wooden ramp (home made). 120cm to increase 30 cm height.


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## hambroski (Sep 14, 2009)

thanks Enshiu then my 1.5m is plenty.


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## charles charlie (May 3, 2008)

hambroski said:


> thanks Enshiu then my 1.5m is plenty.


show off...


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

charles charlie said:


> show off...


maybe next time 2m?:runaway:

2-5% incline is really max.


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