Best Car Ramps

Many people choose to save money by doing basic auto repairs at home.

While there will always be certain tasks that are outside the ability of the amateur, many repair jobs can be done at home with a minimum of expertise.

Most people don’t have too much trouble with a tire change or the occasional fluid swap, but they can run into trouble when it comes to the underside.

Without a good set of car ramps, you will have to trust your safety (and that of your vehicle) to a jack. For safety reasons, this is not acceptable.

Top 7 Car Service Ramps

1. Race Ramps RR-56 – Highest Rated Auto Ramps
2. Discount Ramps 6009-V2 – Best Low Profile Car Ramps
3. RhinoGear 11909ABMI RhinoRamps – Best For Oil Change
4. Nicky Nice Solid Steel – Best Metal Auto Ramp Set
5. Scepter 08226 – Plastic Automotive Ramp Set
6. Race Ramps RR-XT-2 – Low Profile Ramps (Two-piece design, Pack of 2)
7. Trailer-Aid Tandem – A Trailer’s Tire Changing Ramp

Let’s take a look at seven specific car ramps so that you can get a better idea of what you need. You might be surprised at just how much variety can be found in these products. Below is a list of the best car ramps that will help you to perform vehicle tasks.

1. Race Ramps RR-56 – Highest Rated Auto Ramps

Some people might feel suspicious of plastic ramps, but these are probably safe. Of all the plastic ramps on our list, this is the only one for which we can find no negative reviews at all. That alone speaks well for the product.

These ramps have a pretty gentle incline, making it easy to get the car in place. At only ten pounds each, it is also pretty easy to move these things around. Although they are made of plastic, we feel better knowing that they are made of solid plastic. The RR-56 ramps are said to have a capacity of 6,000 pounds, which is more than enough for most vehicles.

2. Discount Ramps 6009-V2 – Best Low Profile Car Ramps

These ramps are a specialty product, designed for vehicles that are very low to the ground. At only three inches high, they can fit underneath any car, but this comes at a price: you only get a 3-inch lift.

These ramps are plastic, and they are not fully solid. They have a “honeycomb” structure which is meant to keep moisture from accumulating in the holding area. This feature is kind of nice, but it lowers the weight capacity of this jack. A capacity of 4,400 lbs may seem like a lot, but it’s pretty low in comparison to the others.

3. RhinoGear 11909ABMI RhinoRamps – Best Car Ramps For Oil Change

These ramps are very nice-looking and are marketed as the ideal product. With a reported 12,000-pound capacity, these should be sufficient for even the largest vehicles. Their hollow design makes it easy to stack these ramps for easier storage, helping you to save room in the garage. Great traction and a 12-inch lift don’t hurt, either.

That being said, this product may not be as durable as advertised. Based on the manufacturer’s warnings, we can see that these ramps can be unsafe under many circumstances. When we look for customer complaints, we find that there are consistent complaints of breakage.

4. Nicky Nice Solid Steel – Best Metal Auto Ramp Set

These are a simple set of traditional steel ramps. They probably look a lot like most of the other car ramps you have seen before. That being said, there is nothing wrong with a classic design that has proven itself over time.

The best thing about these ramps is the fact that they’re made of steel. A thick powder coating helps to deal with rust issues, but you can be sure that steel ramps will eventually rust. Still, that will take quite a few years if these ramps are kept out of the rain.

With its high safety ridges and deep wheel well, this one makes us feel a lot more confident. Its 9-inch lift should give you plenty of room to work, but some customers complain that the grade of the ramp is too steep.

5. Scepter 08226 – Plastic Automotive Ramp Set

These might be the strangest ramps on our list due to their boxy, grid-like appearance. This design is meant to provide maximum weather resistance, and we can see that there is a durable central rib to maintain the cohesion of the product.

Overall, these ramps are pretty cheap, very light, and very easy to transport, and convenient in every way. However, there have been a quite a few complaints with the low lift. 6 inches isn’t really enough clearance for many jobs, and some customers have claimed that the advertising misled them on this matter.

6. Race Ramps RR-XT-2 – Low Profile Ramps (Two-piece design, Pack of 2)

These are very similar to the race ramps that we looked at earlier. However, these ramps have a special feature that allows the lower ramps to detach. The purpose of this feature is to make it easier for you to get under the wheels.

A steep ramp is more difficult to use, but a less-steep ramp will end up being too long, thus getting in the way. This product is meant to solve that problem. With an 8-inch lift and a 1500-pound weight capacity, it should be sufficient for most vehicle.

In terms of flaws, the main problem here is the cost. These ramps are costly, and the benefit of detachable ramps (their main feature) may not be worth the extra money.

7. Trailer-Aid Tandem – A Trailer’s Tire Changing Ramp

As the name of this product implies, it is intended mainly for tire changing. It might not be the best choice for repair jobs that require you to access the underside of the vehicle. We can see this to be true when we look at the height of these ramps. 4.5 inches just isn’t enough for most jobs.

In spite of its low lift, this product excels in every other area. It has the highest weight capacity of any ramp set on our list, excellent traction, a deeply cupped holding area, and each ramp only weighs about 5 pounds. If it just had a safety ridge and a higher lift, this would be the best product on our list.

Car Ramps Buying Guide

As you can see from reading the reviews above, there are certain criteria that must be evaluated when you are shopping for car ramps. We will now give you a “quick and dirty” checklist of these factors so that you can more easily evaluate any set of car ramps.

Weight Capacity

Look in your owner’s manual to find the approximate weight of your vehicle. Using this number, you can ensure that your chosen set of ramps will be strong enough to handle the job.

Lift Height

This is probably the most important thing. The whole purpose of this ramp is to allow you access to the underside of your vehicle. A set of ramps with a low lift is probably going to be a waste of money. If you happen to drive a car that is particularly low to the ground, that might be a different story.

Width

It can be hard to get a vehicle positioned properly on a set of ramps. If you don’t position the ramps completely straight, the wheels can slip off the sides. A raised ridge on the top section will do a lot to help prevent this issue.

Safety Ridges

If something happens to bump the vehicle while it is on the ramps, the result can be just as bad as you would imagine. Serious damage to your vehicle can result, and you can be injured (or even killed) if you happen to be underneath the vehicle.

Material/Durability

Your choice here is simple: Plastic or steel. While plastic is lighter and does not rust, it will never be as strong as steel. Some manufacturers will tell you differently, but they are probably exaggerating.

Conclusion

So which of the products on our list is the best? Your needs will partly determine this, but we would have to give the win to Race Ramps RR-56: the highest rated ramps. They may not have all the bells and whistles, but they are the most trustworthy.

With our handy checklist in hand, you should now be ready to hit the store and choose your next set of car ramps. We hope that you have learned everything that you need to know, and that you will be happy with whatever choice you make.