Bongo Fury

Yes, the center of gravity moves, but let's not split hairs - how high are you going to lift anyway?!

Is it not reasonable to consider a 100% safety margin as "good enough"? 1 ton ramps (each) with (nominally) 500kg loaded on each? (Usual disclaimers apply). I'll admit though, I'd naturally tend towards the next set up in terms of rated capacity, particularly for the Bongo - you'll probably find them slightly wider/taller, too.

I will never jack the van up with my little 2 ton pressed steel jack again - 3 ton plate steel all the way. But I do regularly jack the van up and use homemade wooden plinth blocks under the wheels (of unknown load capacity), so what gives...

Hi
Normal industry safety margin is 2 1/2 times ....I don't use ramps that aren't up to the job, I'm afraid. There are plenty out there that are rated over 2 tonnes!..
Oh...I don't use anything but hydraulic jacks...replaced at intervals...and I can't remember how High I lift, but I bought hydraulic ramps, and always stick axle stands under as well
Cheers
Helen

helen&tony wrote:Normal industry safety margin is 2 1/2 times

There you go, then.

Hi
Entirely off Bongos for a minute, but my (new ) hydraulic jack has more trouble lifting the Jeep than it does the Bongo...front or rear!....and it's not as heavy...odd, isn't it?.....I'm looking for another jack when I can find another distributor of decent equipment!...
oh...as for standard "windey " jacks, they give me the eeebie-jeebies just looking at 'em
Cheers
Helen

Driver+Passengers wrote:Yes, the center of gravity moves, but let's not split hairs - how high are you going to lift anyway?!

Is it not reasonable to consider a 100% safety margin as "good enough"? 1 ton ramps (each) with (nominally) 500kg loaded on each? (Usual disclaimers apply). I'll admit though, I'd naturally tend towards the next set up in terms of rated capacity, particularly for the Bongo - you'll probably find them slightly wider/taller, too.

I will never jack the van up with my little 2 ton pressed steel jack again - 3 ton plate steel all the way. But I do regularly jack the van up and use homemade wooden plinth blocks under the wheels (of unknown load capacity), so what gives...

I agree 100% with all of this. And I've seen a 2 ton hydraulic jack burst its seals trying to lift half a Bongo

helen&tony wrote:Hi
Oh, boy, I wasn't going to comment, but all wrong, I'm afraid, as the mechanics of raising a car on ramps is far more dynamic, and involves calculations involving the rearward shifting of the C. of G.
Suffice it to say I wouldn't recommend creeping under a vehicle of the Bongo's weight on ramps which are probably made in an obscure Eastern European factory, or China, given a dollop of paint, and a nice sticker....The safest way is to hire workshop space at a garage with a lift or a pit!...or drive up the kerb in the road
Cheers
Helen

Or drive over one of your Bulgarian Pot Holes.

If you want to see if a ramp is up to the job, try using only one, under a single front or rear wheel on a Bongo.

I can confidently state that the load isn't 1/4 of a Bongo, and I have a fairly flat ramp to prove it!

(I was being lazy, won't do that again!)

Ramps such as the claimed 1000kg each shouldn't be used to crawl about under vehicles - I always used axle stands adjusted and pinned as close as possible to the axle or jacking points.

I use 4 x 3 ton axle stands whenever I work under the van. Even then, it's not a place I enjoy being.

Hi
Absolutely, Dave...I gave my ramps away when I got the Bongo some 10 years ago (nearly 10), as for a start they aren't wide enough for safety ; secondly, they are only designed for light weight....

Rita: You can't imagine how true that is on the potholes....BELIEVE ME, the money has been given to Bulgaria by the EU for infrastructure repairs, and the owners of some very expensive new 4x4s thank the British taxpayer very much for their generosity (that's yours and my tax payments ).......Even large farm tractors drive round the craters!

Simon & Jim...Purely a personal view, but trusting stands ....I know they're more than up to the job if correctly rated....but it gives me the creeps looking at a vehicle like that.
The ramps available for a heavy vehicle are limited, and I was looking at getting a 2-post lift installed here, but getting a competent installer is a problem, plus I can't do very much nowadays....However, I did get some hydraulic ramps freighted here...I can't tell you how beefy they are, but I can't lift ONE on it's own....and they really are well constructed....also there are a couple of firms offering 3 1/2 thousand kilogram ramps with 18 inch lift in the UK, where you can detach the risers for the ramp when the car's in situ....very neat, but expensive....and really worth the money!
Cheers
Helen