I myself have some wooden railway sleepers that I put under each wheel, after jacking each corner up. I don't trust working under a car just sitting on axle stands - If there are any forward/backwards/sideways pressures they can topple over. Many moons ago I helped save someone who was changing the clutch on a Chevette where it had done just that at the point he was writhing the gearbox off the engine - It's amazing how much you can lift in heat of such and emergency! Ramps can be Ok but it can be difficult to get the car on, they can slip forward whilst trying to drive on an it's a steep slope so if your clutch is not in its first flush of youth you may finish it off!

I used to like ACF50 but I've found it does wash off after a while. I'm a fan of Dinitrol products (chassis, sills, door/boot/boot bottoms etc)but use Owatrol oil on seams, axles, suspension parts, rusting sumps . It looks like engine oil when going on but sort of sets to a clear satin/varnish type finish. It's fantastic stuff on other things - eg a garden ornament that my wife got as a present which looked awful with rust after it's first night in the elements, a quick wipe down with Owatrol sorted it and it's been fine for years since. It's also worked a treat with my garden gate!

Edited by Big John on 21/06/2020 at 10:01

As Catsdad mentions you need care choosing and using ramps, but its not rocket science.

The issues will be approach angle and the ramps slipping away from you on the hard concrete ground.

You want reasonably high ramps, and with as long an approach ramp as you can find, there might be issues with the approach angle where you find your front skirt (rears seldom a problem) hits the ramp before the wheels start to ride up, you can alleviate this somewhat by making up a secondary ramp which then lays on the middle of the ramp so you are driving up the second stage a couple of feet before the steel ramp itself.

Re BT's plankss :-) If you have a welder friend he could make a permanent hinged section out of steel that folds away when not in use, but scaffold board thickness planks would do fine too, you could screw a couple of peices of angle steel onto one end of the board so they slot safely into the ramp and won't slip, i probably haven't explained that very well but hopefuly you get the gist..

As said laying an old rug or rubber pad under the ramps should stop them sliding out as you drive up, generally they only slip as you first touch them, again the gentler the ramp slope the better, i never have this issue by the way but my cars are high off the ground and the ramps very large and long, circa 5ft long.

Once safely on the tyre cut out on the top of the ramp, and the ramps are acceptable quality, then no issues going underneath, depending on what your situation at home is you could lay scaffold boards on the ground so the set of wheels not on the ramps are that board (or two) thickness off the ground as well, and all still solid and safe to work under, you'll work out whats best for you after a bit of expereimentation.

First time using ramps can be a bit scary, set the ramps in front of the front wheels and butted up to them, roll down the window and look at the wheel and ramp in question (note this will not work with Audi TT's, you can't get your head out enough to see the wheel) it won't take much torque initially but will increase as you get higher, then be ready to cut the power just as you go over onto the flat....this is exactly how car transporter drivers do their job...reversing the back wheels up is just the same method but make sure the front skirt won't foul the ground as the rear rises..

If i was 30 years younger i'd buy a scissor frame lifter, but we're talking serious money here.

edit, Big John, never heard of owatrol oil before, thanks for that tip.

Edited by gordonbennet on 21/06/2020 at 11:01