Blitz Rhino Ramps Review – Ups and Downs are noted, please See My Video
Written: Jan 29 '08 (Updated Feb 07 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, Easy to use, Durable Hardened Plastic Construction.
Cons: Can accidentally become a missile. Manual? Website?
The Bottom Line: Hard to provide a recommendation one way or the other. I use them but realize there are pitfalls. They will save time compared to jacking a car up.
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| nonedude's Full Review: Blitz 11903 Rhino Ramp 8000 |
What are Rhino Ramps?
Rhino ramps are used for lifting a vehicle front end or back end off the ground. With these particular ramps, vehicle will lift 6.5 inches higher when properly used, thus providing the home mechanic with additional clearance to accomplish vehicle undercarriage maintenance.
Examples:
Oil & Filter Change
Transmission fluid change
Fuel Filter replacement
Etc.
Ramps are constructed with durable hardened plastic (and hammered in video). They can handle a good deal of abuse.
Instructions
Instructions are located on the “Warning” sticker on each ramp. Instructions are incomplete, they leave out some basic information, and also they jump around in topic. I will not quote them for these reasons. They are useful, just not what I would hope for. I will provide instructions in my own wording and this is for informational purposes only in regards to making a purchasing decision. Please read sticker on ramps and any product packaging prior to using this product, and don’t take my instructions as gospel.
My Instruction for ramp usage (incline):
1) Make sure your vehicle is on a level and hard surface (asphalt, concrete, etc.)
2) Wheels should be in a straight position.
3) Place both ramps where incline starts, treading face upwards, up against each tire (touching). Make sure ramps are centered straight in alignment with wheels.
4) SLOWLY drive up the ramps until your tire rests in the cradle area of ramps. It’s alright to hit backstops but don’t hit them with force. This step takes some time and patience to do it right.
5) Shift transmission to park position and fully activate emergency brake.
6) Carefully exit vehicle and check alignment of your tires in conjunction with ramps. If anything is off centered, carefully decline vehicle off of ramps and redo everything from the first step. It’s recommended per instructions on sticker, to have a friend provide guidance while you are in the vehicle.
6) Chock opposite end of vehicle, both tires!
Declining ramps:
1) Remove chocks from opposite end of ramped side (while standing on side of vehicle, not in front or behind).
2) Deactivate emergency brake.
3) Transmission in reverse and holding brakes firmly, slowly decline ramps until you are fully off of them.
Notes:
Straight alignment of tires and ramps.
&
Driving up the incline.
Are the 2 most difficult tasks in my opinion.
Measurements
All measurements done by me (except were noted), with a locking tape measure:
Ramp Width: 10.5 inches
Ramp Length: 3 Feet
Ramp Height at backstop: 8 3/8 inches
Ramp Height at tire cradle: 6 1/2 inches
Ramp Height at starting incline: 3/8 inches
Ramp tire cradle length: 11 ¼ inches
Ramp tire cradle width: 8 inches
Incline length: 21.5 inches
Each ramp weighs approximately: 5 pounds per my guesstimate.
Incline Angle: 17 degrees (Per Epinions Product Listing)
Notes regarding measurements:
Tire cradle is where tire rests when sitting on ramps.
Backstop is what prevents your tire from over shooting the ramps.
Start incline is where your tire first touches the ramps.
Incline length is how many inches your tire will travel prior to resting in the tire cradle area.
Incline angle of 17 degrees is news to me, it’s not listed on the ramps and I don’t have original packaging or manual. I conclude this to be an accurate representation after eyeballing the ramps.
My Experience with Product Usage
Prior to the purchase of my current vehicle (an Accord) in 2004, I owned a 1996 Chevrolet Beretta. These ramps are very useful for oil changes and replacing the fuel filter which was located in the rear (under trunck area) of my Beretta. I’m just saying, I have successfully lifted the front end and back end of a vehicle with these ramps.
These are my “oil change” ramps. I drive my car each and every work day making multiple stops. Per my Microsoft Word document titled “Car Maintenance”, this is how often I change my oil due to heavy driving in one year:
FROM FEBRUARY 2007 to JANUARY 2008 (actually 10 months and 20 days, per dates):
1) Date: 2-12-07 / Mileage: 88,659
2) Date: 4-11-07 / Mileage: 93,427
3) Date: 6-6-07 / Mileage: 98,539
4) Date: 7-14-07 / Mileage: 101,612
5) Date: 8-23-07 / Mileage: 105,886
6) Date: 10-30-07 / Mileage: 111,681
7) Date: 1-1-08 / Mileage: 116,702
7 oil changes in less than one year due to extensive driving! Honda recommends 7,500 mile oil changes for normal driving, because of circumstances I use synthetic oil and change more frequently.
For your info: My 2004 Honda Accord V6 Sedan weighs in at: 3,349 lbs curb weight per Edmunds.com
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2004/honda/accord/100336777/specs.html
These ramps are a great time saver. No need for jacks or jack stands. Just drive up the ramps, chock wheels (emergency & parking brake on), grab socket wrench, filter wrench, oil pan, and get to work. It takes me about 20 minutes to do an oil change. I gotta clean-up the mess and store used oil for recycling drop-off, else it would take me less time.
Cost
I purchased these ramps on sale at Pepboys Automotive for $30 (pre-tax) a few years back.
Warning Sticker Quotes
Quoted directly from the warning sticker located on each ramp:
1)Do not exceed rated capacity of 2,000lbs each or 4,000lbs per pair or 8000lbs gross vehicle weight.
2) Use only as a matched pair to support either front or back end of vehicle.
3) Inspect ramps before each use.
4) Use on vehicles with maximum tire width of 7 1/2 inches.
5) Do not use other lifting equipment in conjunction with ramps.
6) Never accelerate or apply brakes suddenly
7) Do not use ramps on slick surfaces.
8) No alteration shall be made to these ramps.
DANGER, DANGER
If you watch my YouTube video (see “Product Video” section in bold below), you will see how ramps can turn into missiles while I descended. I made the video prior to writing this review and should have shown you how far they shot away from my car. I’m guessing at least 30 feet. You can hear the skidding noise as they slide off my patio with some force right past the video camera. They ended up stopping in the grass & leaves located way past the edge of patio.
What happened? These ramps have small anti-skid rubber feet (padding) located on the bottom. The padding has been off of my ramps for however long, I don’t know. I just noticed today. I don’t remember if they were glued or forced into the ramps via friction. I believe they were black in coloring and blended in with the black colored ramps (poor choice). If you don’t notice they fell off, you could have a major problem, like I potentially created without trying.
I placed the ramps on an “exterior porch and floor” latex painted cement patio on a cold January day. I did not try to make the ramps project like a missile but they did in my second video shooting. My car is 100% fine, no-one got hurt, no property damage, camera didn’t get whacked but caught the action, and I’m glad I could forewarn you the reader.
Manual
What manual? These ramps came wrapped in cardboard which contained additional information, but I threw the cardboard out years ago. I went googling with the following search engine keyword strings with hopes of finding a manual or at the least a company website:
“Blitz Rhino Ramp Manual” / “Rhino Ramp Manual” / “Blitz Rhino Ramp” / “Rhino Ramp Instructions”
I came up empty handed in my quest for literature and/or a company website.
Company Information located on Ramps
Made in the USA
Manufactured by Blitz USA Inc.
Miami OK USA
Blitz Customer Service
1-877-922-5489
I will try calling blitz customer service about my lost anti-skid rubber feet. Pending the outcome of that call, I will come back and re-rate this product if warranted.
Ultimate Opinion
Ramps are great and a time saver (I use them) but I do have issues which seriously drop product rating to 3 stars.
- Could not locate manual or instructions on the internet. Could not even locate a company website.
- Product is listed as 8,000lb Ramps. This is deceptive to me because that figure is for Gross Vehicle Weight and can lead to a safety problem. Say you have a 7,500 vehicle and you want to use these ramps. Your thinking you should be safe. Well, what if you drive your front end of vehicle up the ramps…. and your vehicle is front end heavy (4,500 lbs)! I hope you read prior to purchase and usage of product that the maximum pair weight is 4,000 lbs. or you may have a major problem. Safety is important!
- Based on memory, anti-skid rubber feet are black and ramps are definitely black. I just realized today the feet are missing (previously mentioned). Ramps should be inspected prior to each use per warning tag, but do you inspect every detail of every product you use prior to use and follow every warning? Something simple like
making the pads bright in color and I would have noticed they were missing. Shame on me and shame on the company.
Product Video
I created a video of this product on YouTube. I feel it could be useful in making a purchasing decision. Reading the review, followed by watching the video is the best logical method to follow for understanding.
Rhino Ramps Video URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb3zkFJVoGU
My Profile page on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NoneDude4Epinions
My username: NoneDude4Epinions
I plan on adding more product videos in the future, please feel free to subscribe to my channel, I welcome anyone to do so. Videos are edited with simplicity, I do not have the time to spend making them look very professional.
--Other Reviews by me with videos--
Gator Grip Universal Socket Wrench
Harbor Feight Tools
Keeper Ratcheting Tie-Down
Haynes Honda Accord Manual
Sharkbite Compression Fitting
Sharkbite Disconnect Clip
The Sharkbite video is dual purpose, it serves to show the compression fitting and disconnect clip in action.
Thanks for reading my review!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nonedude
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Member: Mike
Location: Glassboro, NJ
Reviews written: 81
Trusted by: 15 members
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