Lang's new Mack toy carrier

Yes, the springs actually work OK I reckon- I didn't realise how much work they were doing until we broke one, on our ramps! I've seen two put side by side too, I reckon that could be an idea. Another idea you posted ages ago Lang- a helper ramp- on our early attempts at getting a decent breakover angle, we bolted slabs of timber about three foot long, from the back of the tray forwards- sort of helper ramps for the front wheels to run along, as they go over the angle. They sort of lifted the front just that bit more to stop the guts dragging. Not ideal, but certainly better than sticking bits of stuff under the wheels as you go up. Took bugger all to hold themon, a couple of tek screws, and you could play with them forward and backwards to get them where you wanted them.
Food for thought..

Jeffo"
Good lead . After my episode with Chantelle the Mack Parts Interpreter I discovered her male equivalent.

"Do you have ramp helper springs"

"Yes. What size do you want. We have three sizes"

"What are their capacities?

"I could not tell you that"

"Well what does the manufacturer's chart say"

"There isn't any chart. Just tell me what size you want"

"How can I tell you what size if I don't know their capacity"

"How can we tell you what their capacity is? Every ramp has different weights and different lengths"

"Do you understand that if I order a set too strong the ramps will come to level and stop two feet off the ground. If I order a set too weak they will fall down and crush me? You must be able to tell me what weight they will support so I can order the right size"

"I just said every ramp is different and customers order different sizes"

"How do they know what size to order?"

"Well we have never had any complaints"

"So. The only way to tell if it is the right size is to order one, build the correct brackets for it and see if it works"

"That should not be too hard"

"And when I find it is either too strong or too weak I can exchange it?"

"Of course we are happy to exchange. There is a 20% restocking fee"

At last I can bypass morons.

glad you have found some help for your problem. The ramps on Lorry are 2.500 mtrs long x 0.600 mm wide and have 2mm thick angle iron as the runners. when I removed the ramps, flipped them over to put the bend upwards we had to refit the springs. this was fun until the brilliant idea of removing one or two of the angle iron rungs, put a length of pipe on the top of the spring and while one of us held the spring back the other tack welded the rungs back in place. Then as you can see a small and short length of angle iron acts as a guide fr the spring to run in.
I now these ramps are bloody heavy especially when I put them back onto Lorry but with the springs under tension I can fairly easily lift these ramps up.
I guess the best way to establish the weight of your ramps so you can call back that idiot would be to use a tow ball weight stand. I recently bought one so I can keep an eye on the ball weight of the new van as we set it up to suit us. I bought a Hayman Reece which I would say is a quality tool and the weight on the scale read 3 kg under what the plate states inside the boot of the van so it is fairly close. Good luck with your research and end result.

Sounds like it was best you didn’t go out to Willawong and do a face to face.
It must be frustrating dealing with such idiots.

Cobba, You must bead eye Dick driving up a 0.600mm wide ramp. now 600mm I can do, but not 0.600mm

Lang, how would you go if you made the ramps slide out from under the beaver-tail or stored them on top of the beaver-tail with a false floor over them.

That way you would be sliding them rather than trying to lift them.

Zuffen

Apart from the structure not allowing a slide away system, I would still be lifting 50kg on full extension to start, then back into their tracks.

There is certainly no room for a draw/roller type supporting track system.

I like the idea for tandem car trailers which have a clear flat under tray to allow the sliders and usually much lighter ramps.


PS Just realised even that chart is useless without knowing the length of the straight rod on the spring ie. the moment arm through which the weight acts. I suppose even the slowest supplier could read a tape to tell me that.

Lang

A typical rear door (ramp) of a horse float would be 1.6 high, ie so you can just see back of horse over it.

Lang m80
me thinx U need to kno
the length of ramp from pivot mouting point
the balance center of ramp
the weight of ramp

look @ other trucks with similar setup
measure the diameter of the spring steel n how many coils etc

OR
cut to the chase n fit a winch

cya

Ive fitted quite a few of the coils,and if you stay clear of the coiled part ,you can heat and bend the tails to suit any special application.............you do need to be careful with both spring and hydraulic ramps ......if they fall on you ,it aint gonna be pretty.......Wally Carpenter had one of the float ramps fall on him ,and if one of the other drivers hadnt checked out why he wasnt waiting at the meeting place ,he would be dead,as the site was quite remote .......The ramp was elec/hydraulic ,and the hydraulics used to leak back from the cylinder,which basically meant the ramp should have been powered up before the chain and dog was taken off......the ramp fell as he walked over to the other ramp,and pinned him to the ground.