Wooden Panel for my car jack.

[sams93]

I think at best this loosely qualifies for this forum, in that the solution currently involves a piece of wood. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as solutions for my problem below.

I enjoy working on my car, but have a gravel driveway. Using a jack on gravel is a big no go, because the jack needs to be able to roll itself inwards towards the car on it's wheels as it moves up, and then retreat outwards when being let down. Every time I have to jack the car up, I use a 1m x 60cm sheet of painted 18mm plywood as a base for the jack to sit on. It mostly works sort of fine, but the plywood surface isn't hugely strong and the jack wheels are small, so the result is that sometimes it digs in to the plywood and then the wheels don't roll so the jack cannot move = not good. I've made do like this so far and it has been fine, but i'm wondering if there might be a better material, or something that I can stick to the face of the ply to stop this.

It needs to be cheap (ideally free... something I might readily find on facebook marketplace or the like), because I don't care about it very much and it just lives outside against the side wall all year. It also needs to not be harmful or messy by design (I thought of steel sheet but it will rust and then when i'm messing about under the car crawling around I will end up covered in rust myself).

Thoughts so far:

• Sheet steel 1-2mm - I thought I could screw some to the face of the boards.
  • Will rust and cover me with rust when i'm under the car = no good.
  • Will end up with sharp edges which will also lacerate me under the car = also no good.
• Sheet aluminium 1-2mm - could screw to face of boards.
  • Will it be strong enough or will it just deform
  • Same concern about the sharp edges which might lacerate me although I suppose I could just grind them down.
• Some kind of plastic?
  • It needs to not shatter and be strong enough not to break with the jack wheels.
  • I could round the edges so that I don't get injured by it.
• Something else altogether?

TIA for any suggestions...

 

[TRITON]

1-2mm of alloy or steel will bend with 3/4 ton placed on it
So I'd suggest timber, possibly even reinforced with steel(to stop the timber splitting) or possibly even utilize car ramps.

My Dad used car ramps, which were constructed with 3" timber, simply nailed together with lots of internal supports(also nailed in)
https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/axle-stands-trolley-jacks/halfords-2-tonne-car-ramps-657271.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Motoring>Tools>Garage+Workshop>Axle+Stands+and+Trolley+Jacks-_-Motoring>Tools>Garage+Workshop>Axle+Stands+&+Trolley+Jacks-_-657271&srsltid=AfmBOorK1Hn5_g_MXtq13L3AN07ZhA1nJ5H3JP4p-kfZNzukj0CktHIvNvY&gStoreCode=S0729&gQT=1

Just remember to apply the handbrake

 

[sams93]

1-2mm of alloy or steel will bend with 3/4 ton placed on it, especially as the footprint of the jack is probably 4x4 inches.
So I'd suggest timber, possibly even reinforced with steel(to stop the timber splitting) or possibly even utilize car ramps.

My Dad used car ramps, which were constructed with 3" timber, simply nailed together with lots of internal supports(also nailed in)
https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-workshop/axle-stands-trolley-jacks/halfords-2-tonne-car-ramps-657271.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Motoring>Tools>Garage+Workshop>Axle+Stands+and+Trolley+Jacks-_-Motoring>Tools>Garage+Workshop>Axle+Stands+&+Trolley+Jacks-_-657271&srsltid=AfmBOorK1Hn5_g_MXtq13L3AN07ZhA1nJ5H3JP4p-kfZNzukj0CktHIvNvY&gStoreCode=S0729&gQT=1

Just remember to apply the handbrake

The ply panel has mostly held up fine it just compresses a bit when it's damp and the wheel gets stuck - do you think a 1-2mm steel or alloy would be fine if it's backed up by the ply. The ply is well supported by the gravel when on the ground so there is no issue with that bending, it's just giving the jack a flat surface to roll on.

Car ramps won't work because whenever i need to do any brake/suspension/drivetrain/steering work I need to have the wheel off.

 

[Jameshow]

How about plastic chopping board cut up into strips and screwed down perhaps some timber rails to keep the wheels on the track?

 

[Tris]

You could cut the board in half lengthwise, glue and screw the two together then face it with a piece of galvanized sheet. Cut the sheet 50 mm oversize and dress it over the edges. Clout nails around the edges will hold it on, best pilot them first in ply

 

[mwinfrance]

Thick smooth paving slab in a plywood tray with wooden end sides to stop it moving.

 

[Duncan A]

Please tell me that you're not relying on a single jack and a piece of crunchable plywood to hold the car up while you're working under it.