Review: Race Ramps

[Marc08EX]

Review: Race Ramps
Race Ramps




Description: (Taken from Autopia`s website)

Race Ramps is a Michigan-based company that specializes in creating innovative products that make the life of any car enthusiast easier. Lightweight and durable products are a necessity around the garage and the racetrack, and Race Ramps continually produces innovative new products that fit this need. With such unique and useful products, Race Ramps has taken the automotive accessories world by storm, quickly becoming a leading producer.

Race Ramps is proud to provide a complete product line made in the USA from American-manufactured raw materials. Their US-patented manufacturing process provides lightweight yet durable products that have become a fast favorite with car racing, repair, and display sectors. The secret to the lightweight portability of Race Ramps products is the solid foam core, that provides strength while minimizing weight.

Next time you’re heading to the track or the car show, don’t forget to pack the trunk with your favorite Race Ramps items!


Price:
$110.00 for Rally Ramps (RR-30)
$219.99 for Car Service Ramps - 56 inch (RR-56)
$247.00 for Car Service Ramps - 56 inch 2 piece (RR-56-2)
$363.00 for Car Service Ramps - 67 inch 2 piece (RR-XT-2)
etc


Introduction:

Are you an avid DIY`er who loves wrenching on your own car? If so, this product review is for you! Read on.

I honestly never thought I`d purchase Race Ramps. For as long as I can remember, I never really entertained the thought of buying their products because of their hefty price tag. I`ve been using my trusty Rhino Ramps whenever I`d perform maintenance on our family`s vehicles. I`ve been doing so for 10+ years. I`ve had some issues with it but as long as you are aware of its limitations, you learn to be cautious with it.


Review:

I`m going to discuss the different aspects I like and dislike about the product.

Lightweight - easy to carry and maneuver around. Easy to position in front of the tires to center it before driving up.






Non-skid surface - the exterior has a special coating that prevents it from skidding. This is a big safety feature for me because you know the ramp will stay in place while you`re driving up on it. I felt extremely confident driving up on these ramps going forward or in reverse. The ramps didn`t move at all. When I first got my rhino ramps, my uncle had an accident with it. As he was going up on the ramp, he stopped halfway through the incline. As he started rolling back, he gave the car some gas and it kicked the ramps all the way to the back tire and made the front tires drop to the ground. This was extremely scary and unsafe. What if the driver forgets to hit the brake pedal because of panic? Sometimes, the ramps also scoots forward as you reach the stoppers at the top of the ramps. Both these issues are prevented by the non-slip surface coating of Race Ramps.



Here`s a video I found on YouTube that shows exactly what happened to my uncle before. Please start at time stamp 0:46



Solid construction - the race ramps are solid. You don`t see these ramps flexing as the car drives up on it. As opposed to rhino ramps, which are hollow inside. Sometimes, you see the support structure of the rhino ramps bend a little. Makes me feel uneasy sometimes.

Here a picture showing the construction of my Race Ramps:



Here are some pictures showing how Rhino Ramps are constructed and how it compares to Race Ramps:










Integrated strap - this is a cool feature because it makes it more convenient to carry the ramps around. Also, it gives you the ability to mount these ramps on the wall.






Removable piece - you can remove half of the ramp to allow easier access through the side of the vehicle. This feature is only availabe in the 2 piece models.










Dimensions - the length, width, height and incline of the ramp depends on which model you get. The model number specifies the length of the ramps.

I recently purchased the 67" Ramps. It provides a 10" lift at the top and it is 14" wide. It has a 10.5 degree angle, which allows lowered cars to have more clearance driving up the ramps. This low approach angle is a big improvement over the old rhino ramps which has a 17 degree approach angle. If your car is lowered and can`t use rhino ramps because your bumper doesn`t clear it, then you need to consider this product. I think this is the main feature buyers of these ramps are looking for. The 67" ramps is available in 1 or 2 pieces. AG only sells the 2 piece for the 67" Ramps.

The next product they have is the 56" Ramps. It provides an 8" lift at the top and it is 12" wide. It has the same approach angle (10.5 degrees) as the 67" Ramps. So bumper clearance between this and the 67" ramps are the same. The main difference between this and the 67" ramps is the lift height. The 56" ramps are significantly cheaper than the 67" ramps so if you`re on a budget, you need to consider these ramps. Again, It comes in 1 or 2 pieces and AG sells both of them.

The next product they have is the 30" Ramps. It provides a 5" lift at the top and it is 10" wide. It has a 16 degree approach angle. This is the cheapest car service ramp they offer at $90 but I honestly don`t think the lift height is enough.

Race ramps also has a 40" Ramp, but AG doesn`t sell these specifically. But I have these ramps so I`m going to discuss them. It provides a 7" lift at the top and it is 10" wide. It has a 16.7 degree approach angle. This specific ramp will not give you additional approach angle clearance compared to rhino ramps.

There are a lot more choices for these ramps and you can pick one that suits your needs. But I`d highly recommend getting either the 56" or the 67" ramps. They have the low approach angle and provides good lift height at the top. AG sells both of these ramps.

Here are pictures comparing the Race Ramps 67", Race Ramps 40" and rhino ramps at different angles.







Here`s a good picture showing how wide the Race Ramps 67" are compared to the other 2.



Here`s a side profile picture comparing the lift differences between the ramps. The farthest most is the Race Ramps 67" which provides a 10" lift. The middle one is the Race Ramps 40" which provides a 7" lift. The closest one is Rhino Ramps and I think it proves a 6-6.5" lift.



The following pictures are showing the approach angle of each ramp and how it looks relative to the car`s bumper.

The Race Ramps 67" has a 10.5 degree approach angle:



As you can see, it`s not hitting the plastic piece underneath my bumper:



The Race Ramps 40" has a 16.7 degree approach angle:



As you can see, it`s hitting the plastic piece underneath my bumper:



The Rhino Ramps has a 17 degree approach angle or so (please don`t quote me on this)



As you can see, it`s also hitting the plastic piece underneath my bumper:



Yeah I know I know hitting this plastic piece is not a big deal. My bumper sits relatively high so I`m fortunate in this aspect. But lowered vehicles or vehicles that have low front bumper clearance from factory like the Corvettes need a low angle approach angle. The 16.7 degree approach angle from the Race Ramps 40" or Rhino Ramps will hit Corvette`s bumpers.


In action pictures: Check out all that ground clearance!!!





















You can use these ramps to install an exhaust system or polish it (for us detail geeks):







Here`s a picture showing how a 255 tire sits on top of the Race Ramps 67".



Here are some action shots on the Race Ramps 40" on an Acura TL:








Price - here`s the main reason people shy away from these and it is its biggest downfall. I totally understand. I myself didn`t even consider these for a long time. More so when you think that the rhino ramps Essentially accomplishes the same thing. But if you have a sports car with very low ground clearance then you need an alternative to rhino ramps. Also, the benefits I outlined above make them worth it to me. I didn`t realize it until I started using these ramps and I couldn`t be happier with my purchase. For me, the price is totally worth it.

I mainly bought these ramps because of the lift height it provides. I recently purchased a catless downpipe for my car and I heard it`s a PITA to install. Majority of the people are saying that the higher the car, the easier the job will be. Having a lift would be the best. When I changed the oil on my car before, I barely had any room underneath the car when I put it up on rhino ramps. I really feel uncomfortable putting my car on jackstands. As much as possible, I don`t like working underneath the car that`s only supported by jackstands. Also, my car has these stupid jackpads which makes me so uneasy when it sits on top of a jackstand. Im afraid it will slip or crack lol! Shops were charging an arm and a leg for the DP install so I told myself I`ll just buy these instead of giving the shops that money.

And the way I look at it, these ramps will last a lifetime. I`ll be using it in my future cars and if I decide to get a Vette one day, then I`m already covered. Also, these ramps have good resale value so when you consider that, the cost isn`t as high anymore.

Storage - these ramps do take a lot of space because of its length and height. A good option is to wall mount these and get them out of the way.


Disappointment:

I do want to share one disappointment I have. My 67" race ramps came with a few minor dents. I contacted Autopia regarding this and they were so helpful the entire time. These Race Ramps are drop shipped directly from Brute Industries so there`s only so much Autopia can do and I totally understand that. Anyway, Race Ramps just blamed the dents from shipping and said that it won`t affect functionality anyway. I totally understand that it won`t affect functionality but being an OCD detailer, I think you guys can understand my frustration. I paid a hefty price for these ramps and I just expect them to be perfect. If anybody is going to dent them, I want them to be me. Not from the factory or shipping. And to be honest, the box didn`t look like it was mishandled so IMO, the dents were from the packing process done in the Race Ramps factory. Anyway, Race Ramps didn`t even apologize or try to help out in any way. They just shrugged it off and blamed it on shipping. There`s a guy on the Camaro forums that received dented race ramps and Amazon shipped him ramps 3 times until he was satisfied. So if you`re anal about how perfect the ramps will look upon arrival, you should consider getting these from Amazon (sorry Autopia - I mean no disrespect) because Amazon stocks them and has the ability to ship replacements. Like I said earlier, this is not Autopia`s fault because they don`t stock them. I also had an inquiry/request I e-mailed Race Ramps about twice and I didn`t hear anything back from them at all. I knew my request that time was a long shot and I wasn`t expecting them to do anything but a simple response saying no would have been fine. Don`t ignore your customers. IMO, Race Ramps has pretty poor customer service.

I guess I`m just spoiled by how AWESOME the customer service we get from Autopia. So all you guys buying from Autopia, please be grateful for what they do for us. They have the best customer service in the business.


Conclusion:

You can`t put a price on safety and peace of mind while working underneath your car. Nothing beats that warm and fuzzy feeling you get knowing that the car above you is solid and stable. these race ramps give me that feeling compared to using rhino ramps. Even more so with jackstands. The low grade angle allows vehicles with low ground clearance to get up on ramps with ease. The non-skid surface gives me confidence that the ramps won`t move while driving up on them.

Yes these ramps are expensive as heck but with the benefits I`ve outlined above, I think they`re totally worth it. These ramps are solid and looks like it will last a lifetime. They are proudly made in the USA and I`m proud to support companies that make their products here.

I give Race Ramps a big thumbs up! You need to consider purchasing them if you enjoy working on your own car.

[Accumulator]

Marc08EX- Good review. I have a set of those and while I don`t use them nearly as much as I`d expected, they are indeed handy to have. FWIW, they support the Tahoe just fine. And yeah, one piece of my set had a minor dent too, which I just live with.

[mjlinane]

Great review, Marc!

[GearHead_1]

Nice review Marc.

[JustJesus]

good review.

that`s a scary experience to have, with the ramp shooting back like that!

[Accumulator]

I also go the extra blocks to go under the other two wheels. Again, handy on rare occasions...they spend 99.99% of their time in the weight room where we stand on them for certain leg exercises. *VERY* useful in that regard, wouldn`t want to do without them.

[glfnaz]

Marc, wonderful review. Very thorough. I`ve never considered getting these, but after your review, my mind started thinking about all the fun I could have! Great Pictures!

[dennis hiip]

Pricey? very. will stick with my Rhinos

[Marc08EX]

Marc08EX- Good review. I have a set of those and while I don`t use them nearly as much as I`d expected, they are indeed handy to have. FWIW, they support the Tahoe just fine. And yeah, one piece of my set had a minor dent too, which I just live with.

I also go the extra blocks to go under the other two wheels. Again, handy on rare occasions...they spend 99.99% of their time in the weight room where we stand on them for certain leg exercises. *VERY* useful in that regard, wouldn`t want to do without them.

Thanks a lot Accumulator!

I also have 4 of their 12" wheel cribs. In hindsight. I wish I just bought 2 of the 10" to match the height of the 67" ramp LOL

Great review, Marc!

Thanks a lot mjlinane!

Nice review Marc.

Thank you Mark!

good review.

that`s a scary experience to have, with the ramp shooting back like that!

Thank you JustJesus!

Very scary indeed. I was beside the car when it happened. Good thing I didn`t get hit. But my uncle was shook up.

Marc, wonderful review. Very thorough. I`ve never considered getting these, but after your review, my mind started thinking about all the fun I could have! Great Pictures!

Thank you Brad!

You will not regret your purchase! It helps with detailing too. You don`t have to bend over as much.