Garage overpass. Assembling a mini-overpass with your own hands: wooden and metal

Every car owner knows that the main “sores” of a car are hidden in two places: in the engine compartment and under the bottom. You can get to the engine by opening the hood. But you won’t be able to fix the suspension or remove the transmission without getting under the body.

To perform work under the bottom of the car, you can use a pit, a lift or an overpass. The pit can only be installed in dry soil, so it is not available in all garages.

A lift is an expensive pleasure that a repair shop can afford. As a result, the average car enthusiast is left with a homemade overpass for the car, which does not require large costs and time to assemble.

In this article we will look at the most popular and affordable structures, and also describe step by step the process of their design and installation.

Depending on the budget and complexity of the repair, there are two types of overpass structures:

• Allows you to raise only one axle of the car (front or rear).
• Full-size (designed to accommodate the entire car).

The first option is economical and convenient. The mini-overpass for partial entry has small dimensions and weight. It is easily installed on a level surface and removed after the repair is completed. The main disadvantage is that it is not as convenient to use as a full-size design, since the lift of the car here does not exceed 50-60 centimeters.

The full-format option is more expensive and more difficult to implement, but gives the car owner simultaneous access to all body components. Let us note in passing that, regardless of the type of overpass, for its high quality workmanship you need to make a drawing, and when assembling it, you need to accurately maintain the dimensions of the structure.

Three groups of sizes are especially important:

• height and width of the supporting pedestals of the “chairs”;
• length of the ladder (entrance and horizontal);
• ladder width.

In addition, attention should be paid to the junction points of the ladders with the pedestals. They must support the weight of the car without deformation.

Popular options for overpasses for car repairs

The simplest type of mini-overpass is two pairs of scraps knocked together wooden beam with a cross-section of 20x20 cm. By cutting the edge of such an improvised support at an oblique angle, we will get a solid platform onto which you can drive the front end or back the car (photo No. 1).

Photo 1. Two pieces of timber - the simplest lifting device for repairs

The disadvantages of such a support are obvious: there are no sides on the beam to protect against lateral sliding of the wheels, which requires the driver to be extremely careful when entering. There is also no rear bumper to prevent an accidental slide. The height of the stand is not sufficient for easy access to the bottom.

There is a better option wooden support to perform simple repair work. Such an overpass in a dacha is made from scraps of boards, sequentially knocked down into a wide board. One side of it forms a stepped slope for entry (photo No. 2).

Photo No. 2 Mini-overpass made from scrap boards

This design has a bumper bar and two carrying straps. Its width can be chosen so that you can drive in to inspect the car without the risk of the wheels falling off. The cost and complexity of manufacturing such a stand are minimal.

Most often, mini-overpasses are made of profile metal (pipes, angles and fittings). They are more durable and stronger than wood. You can see an example of such a design in photo No. 3.

Photo No. 3 Stand-overpass from a corner

Instead of a corner for the supporting part of the ladder, you can use fittings or a pipe. By extending the horizontal ladder by 1 meter, we will get a mini-overpass that is more convenient for work. Using it, you can get to most of the units located under the bottom of the body (photo No. 4).

Photo No. 4 Extended version of the overpass-stand

The review of compact designs is completed by a mini-overpass for a collapsible car. It occupies an intermediate position between portable and stationary options (photo No. 5, 6, 7).

Photo No. 5 Portable overpass assembled

An important feature of this design is the ability to dismantle the horizontal ramps after the vehicle enters for convenient access to the wheel arches and sills.

Photo No. 6 Option for partial assembly of an overpass for lifting one part of the body

Photo No. 7 When disassembled, the universal overpass fits completely into the garage

It is possible to work while lying or sitting under a car, but it is not very convenient. Therefore, for regular repairs, you need a stationary high overpass assembled on a columnar foundation (photo No. 8).

Photo No. 8 Stationary metal overpass on a concrete base

This design, if necessary, will accept not only a passenger car, but also a small truck or bus.

How to make a collapsible car overpass yourself?

The manufacturing of the structure begins with the preparation of a detailed drawing. When doing it, you will be able to take into account and think through all the stages of assembly, avoiding the mistakes inherent in hastily completed work.

The collapsible overpass must have the following dimensions:

• The length of the entrance and horizontal ramp is equal to the length of the car + 1 meter.
• The width of the ladder is at least 40 cm.
• The height of the supporting pedestals is 70-80 cm.
• The width of the upper part of the support pedestals is equal to the width of the ladders.

In order to make the overpass durable, you should not skimp on metal. For drains you need to buy a 63 mm equal angle angle. Supporting pedestals “chairs” can be welded from a corner with a shelf width of 50 mm. The filling of the drains is done with corrugated reinforcement with a cross-section of at least 14 mm.

Without welding machine, grinders and drills, it’s better not to start working. In addition to the assembly tool, you need to prepare 12 pairs of bolts and nuts for attaching the ladders to the “chairs”.

Stages of work

The first step is making the support pedestals. They need to be given a trapezoidal shape to increase stability. For accurate assembly of the base and upper part of the “chair”, the corners cut to size need to be laid out on OSB board, fixing them together using clamps or welder magnets.

First, the lower bases of all four supports are welded. Then the frames of the upper platforms are assembled and the legs from the corner are attached to them. The final stage is the installation of the upper frames with legs into the lower supports and fixing them by welding.

Please note that in the assembly diagram one of the corners of the upper frame is turned upside down and forms a bumper to protect the wheels from falling off the overpass. One more fender corner needs to be welded on the end supports. They will not allow the car to move off the ramp.

In order to make the overpass with your own hands as stable as possible, you can install cross braces on it from a steel profile. It is bolted to the pedestals. This measure will not be superfluous, since it will increase the rigidity of the entire structure.

The horizontal and entrance ramps are made from a 63 mm angle and reinforcing bars that act as a “ladder”. Length of inclined ladder for passenger car must be at least 3 meters. The size of the horizontal section is selected by adding 1 meter to the length of the car. The width of the ladders is at least 40 cm.

Before installing the reinforcing bars, the corners are turned over so that their flanges face up and serve as outer side edges. The “ladder” will be level if the profile is laid on a solid horizontal platform. It is difficult to attach it to concrete or asphalt. Therefore, you can use two transverse angles as a mounting base. The guide “ladders” are attached to them with clamps. Having completed this operation, you can begin the welding process. It will be more convenient to align sections of profiled reinforcement using a 63 mm corner piece as a template.

Making an inclined ramp for an overpass for car repairs is slightly different from assembling a horizontal one. You need to leave a free end 10 cm long on it (without reinforcing bars), which will serve as a connecting point. The vertical edge of the profile is cut with a grinder to the horizontal shelf. After this, it is necessary to bend the connecting ends.

If you don’t have a bending machine, but have a couple of friends of considerable weight, then ask them to climb onto the pedestal to counterbalance the bending force. Before this operation, you need to lay the entrance ramp horizontally, supporting its free end. Two holes are drilled locally in the supporting part of the profile and the corner of the “chair”. Having fixed the ends of the “ladder” with bolted connections, it is tilted with force down to the ground. In the place where the profile was cut, you need to weld a piece of steel plate to strengthen the support unit.

The horizontal ladder is mounted by laying it on pedestals. After this, holes are drilled for the bolts in the supporting corners and the upper support profile of the cabinet. For more reliable fastening of the overpass to the site, eyes can be welded to the “chairs”. By fixing them with dowels to the concrete or steel pins to the ground, you will protect yourself from the displacement of parts of the overpass when a car enters it.

When making a test drive, pay attention to the behavior of the inclined “ladder”. If it bends, you will have to make two intermediate support frames and bolt them to the corners.

Transport periodically needs to have its chassis checked. For this it is convenient to use an overpass. Design used at service stations.

If the owner of the car does not want to spend money on the services of car mechanics, he can conduct an inspection on our own, lifting it using an overpass.

This method is a worthy competitor to the inspection pit in terms of ease of access to the lower part of the machine. Installing the overpass yourself will help save money.

Some types

Based on the type of device, there are two types of overpasses for road transport:

1. Full size.
2. Mini overpass.
3. Mobile - the design is discussed in detail in this article, this collapsible overpass having small dimensions. It can be easily located in the garage and, if necessary, can be quickly installed. Designed for inspection of passenger vehicles.

The device includes:

• four stands for supports;
• two pairs of track with a lock to prevent the car from rolling;
• two pairs of inclined ramps for entry;
• a sufficient number of stiffening beams to fasten the parts to each other.

They build a structure from steel.

Stages of preliminary work

Creation begins with a diagram and selection of the type of structure (stationary or portable) and the material from which the work will be performed.

General dimensions:

• height – up to one meter;
• width - about two meters;
• the length of the ride is one meter;
• the length of the horizontal platform is from a third of a meter.

The overpass is two symmetrical combined structures. From the side in the drawing it is a rectangular trapezoid. The tracks must be fixed between each other to resist displacement when a car drives onto it.

The steel structure is mounted using:

• Bulgarians;
• nuts, bolts.
• welding machine;

As a frame, reinforcement and a forty-millimeter corner are used. The assembled structure is painted on top.

Steel structure

The most common of the manual ones is a mini overpass made of metal.

This solution has some advantages:

• high mobility;
• ease of installation – does not require special skills;
• safety and durability.

Although a self-made overpass can last for decades, over time each structure wears out. If you maintain it properly and treat it against corrosion, its service life will increase significantly.

Welding of the overpass proceeds as follows:

• a corner is prepared and two rectangular trapezoids are mounted;
• combine them with each other using a corner;
• additional stiffening ribs are formed from the remains and trimmings of the corner from the sides;
• prepare the reinforcement and weld it to a horizontal base and onto an inclined plane;
• clean with a metal brush, open with a paint coating for metal.

The technique is repeated for the symmetrical part of a pair of tracks. On the main platform, you can make a limiter side so that it is impossible to cross the permitted mark.

It is convenient to store it in a vertical position.

An alternative lifting mechanisms And inspection pits is automobile overpass, which is practical and easy to use. The metal structure can be installed anywhere, and does not require a foundation: the main condition is the presence of a flat surface. Our company is engaged in the manufacture and installation of metal structures of all shapes and sizes. We accept orders for automobiles.

Review of metal structures. Mini car overpass

The metal drain car overpass is an above-ground structure, consisting of support posts and sites from where, using special devices, operations for loading and unloading petroleum products or liquefied gas into tank trucks are carried out. The structure is located near the road, which makes it easy to supply vehicles for loading.
It is much more convenient to carry out vehicle inspection or repair when the following types of structures are used:
Portable design It is compact in size and can fit in small room repair shop, in a garage or under a canopy in the courtyard of a private house. A mini overpass that is convenient and safe for car repairs is popular; the vehicle can be driven onto such a design partially (front or back). The mobile garage metal structure is lightweight and equipped with wheels, which allows you not only to move it around, but also to transport it without any problems.

The collapsible model is successfully used on ramps, garages, workshops, and washing stations. The structure is quickly assembled and disassembled. Structures used at wheel washing stations must be factory-made and take into account important points, improving workflow: present closed system water circulation and wastewater disposal. The length of the structures varies from 5 to 10 meters, the load capacity is up to 25 tons.

The inspection model is mandatory equipment for automatic transmission posts or vehicle inspection points. This type of structure is equipped metal canopy, which creates convenience during inspection vehicle in any weather conditions.
Ares company will manufacture metal structure for a driving school, standard or according to a customer’s project.

Why do they order overpasses from us?

All metal structures manufactured by Ares have high quality and assembled in accordance with standards (GOST). You can buy or order any model of automobile overpass from us, which we will deliver and install at the place of its operation.

A garage overpass is a very popular device. Many car enthusiasts periodically carry out technical inspections and repairs of their personal vehicles.

If visual inspection of the body or some car components can be performed without an overpass, then diagnosing the condition of the bottom and the components located under it is very difficult. This article will tell you how a garage overpass is made.

Types of garage overpass structures

For high-quality and comfortable repair and maintenance of your car, you need to properly organize workplace, especially to ensure its safety for humans. For this purpose, a variety of types are built, tippers or other devices are purchased.

An inspection hole for car repairs is made in the garage itself or simply in an area that can be:

• On a dacha area.
• On a personal plot.

When constructing such a structure, in order to strengthen the earthen base, you need to cover the inner layer of the device with bricks or sheath it with boards.

Advice: To make it easier for the driver to work, the descent into the pit should be laid out with steps and handrails should be attached.

A homemade overpass installed in the garage in the absence of an inspection hole also helps to improve the performance of work. Such designs may have different types, configurations and base.

An overpass, most often, is a special device that rises above the ground, serving for periodic inspection of the vehicle and, if necessary, repairs. The purpose of the device is the same as that of the inspection pit.

A homemade overpass is a necessary attribute of any garage. Very often there are circumstances when it is not possible to equip a pit.

This may be related:

• With close proximity to groundwater.
• Unfavorable soil characteristics.

In this case, making a car overpass will help you easily find a way out of your predicament.

The advantages of the design, compared to a conventional inspection hole, are:

• Availability of a larger area for work.
• Lots of light.
• More comfortable.
• No dampness.
• There is no darkness.
• The bridge for cars is not flooded by melt and groundwater.
• When performing work there is no need to stay in the ground for a long time.

For a garage, you can use the following options for overpasses:

• Portable.
• Having the appearance of a viewing hole.
• Made of brick.
• Constructed from sleepers.

For the manufacture of structures the following is selected:

• Wood.
• Metal.

Tip: The main feature of a homemade overpass is the presence solid foundation, which allows you to minimize the likelihood of the car falling. To make it, you should only choose quality materials high strength.

The overpass in the garage can be located:

• In the corner.
• Near the wall. The front of such a structure should be blocked by a fence that will prevent the machine from rolling away.
• The overpass can be a kind of continuation of the unhindered movement of the car from the parapet, which requires increasing its length.

Features of overpasses for gates

Based listed benefits, car enthusiasts often prefer to use conventional inspection holes homemade overpass, which allows you to conveniently solve many problems and eliminate breakdowns that have arisen in the car.

Structures can be made with bases of varying complexity:

• Welded products require special equipment and welding skills.
• A simpler device is called a “ladder”, which consists of two small ladders made of wood. The car drives its wheels onto them, and the part needed for inspection rises to a certain height. On such an overpass it is possible to carry out the necessary amount of repair work.

The construction is not so difficult to do on your own. To do this, you will need to prepare boards approximately 50 millimeters thick and square bars 100 millimeters long on each side.

The optimal height of such devices is 15 centimeters, which is enough to complete repair work in full. The portable overpass allows all driver manipulations to be completely safe.

After driving onto the created plane, the car is located in a horizontal position, which ensures the stability of such a structure.

Advice: When on an overpass, the driver needs to be on the safe side: put the car on the handbrake, and put any stop under the wheels that will impede movement.

How to make a flyover from various materials

For car owners in rural areas or who spend a lot of time driving suitable for a dacha design option from brickwork on cement mortar. The design has the form of a trapezoid with a width equal to the distance between the wheels of the car.

Disadvantages of such an overpass:

• We need a site for its construction.
• Over time, the brick will begin to deteriorate.
• To free the site, the structure will need to be dismantled, which will require significant effort and time from the owner.

Overpass made of railway sleepers

The overpass can be assembled from railway sleepers.

In this case, two bases are laid out by laying sleepers on top of each other in the form of a slide, as shown in the photo. Tracks for driving are laid across.

To ensure the reliability of the structure, it is fastened with staples.

Disadvantages of such an overpass:

• Not everyone has the required supply of sleepers.
• The sleepers are quite heavy, which makes it impossible for one person to assemble and disassemble such a structure.
• After the completion of the repair work, you will need a lot of space to store sleepers.

When constructing this structure on your site, they can be left in the open air. Wooden sleepers are usually impregnated with creosote, which protects the wood from rotting.

Metal overpasses are more popular.

How to make a metal overpass

The metal overpass is universal. It can also be used in city garages.

To make the design you will need:

• Rolled metal.
• Welding machine.
• Any fittings.
• Grinder with a set of cutting wheels.
• Hardware.
• Metal paint

If desired, the overpass can be made collapsible, which will allow it to be quickly assembled if necessary.

The instructions are as follows:

• Four base stands are assembled, approximately 50 centimeters high. To ensure stability, the sides should be assembled in the form of a trapezoid and connected to them of the same length with crossbars from an equal angle 63x5. Bridges can be made from a 40x4 corner and reinforcement with a diameter of 12 millimeters. The bridges are an ordinary metal ladder.
• Two bridges for driving a car and two bridges for placing a car during repairs are made. The minimum length of the latter is calculated by measuring the distance between the centers of the car's wheels and adding a small allowance to it.
• All elements are bolted together, which allows you to quickly assemble or disassemble the structure.

If there is very little space in the garage, you can make a mini-overpass that allows you to partially lift the car, and its price is minimal. To make the most basic version of a mini-overpass, you can use wood or metal.

To work you will need:

• Board 50 millimeters thick.
• Wooden slats with a cross section of 100x100 millimeters. The lifting height of the vehicle depends on the cross-sectional dimensions.

The order of assembly of the structure:

• A block is fixed on the top of the board, which acts as a restriction on the movement of the wheels.
• On the other side two are attached wooden bars: one a little further from the middle, the other from the edge of the board.

At least two of these devices are needed, and four elements are needed to lift the entire car off the ground. The operating principle of the overpass is as follows.

When installing the structure under a car wheel, it will rest on the ground at two points:

• The front part of the board and a block fixed closer to the middle.
• After the car wheel hits the board, the center of gravity will shift closer to the end of the board, its front edge will rise, and the rear part will lower.
• Making bars of the same cross-section will allow the board to take a horizontal position.

Tip: The length of the board should be chosen so that it does not hit the bottom of the car.

• The wheels remaining on the ground are fixed with special stop blocks.

The video shows in detail what types of overpasses there are and how to make them.

There may not always be an overpass or lift nearby to inspect the car from below for preventive purposes or replace some part. A mini-ramp will help you not to depend on external circumstances, which quickly, without special effort and costs you can do yourself.

Will need

The easiest way to make this device is from wood, so we need to prepare:

• edged boards of the required length;
• rollers for trolleys – 4 pcs.;
• screws and nails.

In our work we will use the following tools and accessories: tape measure, ruler and marker, circular and pendulum saw, nail gun, screwdriver, clamps and hammer.

Order of operations

Out of six edged boards We manufacture the side profile of the ramp.

To do this, taking into account the size of the wheels and the front overhang of the car, use a tape measure and a marker to mark an inclined line on one of them.
Sawing the marked board portable circular saw. Using the first blank as a template, we mark the remaining five and also saw them.

We lay four side profiles in pairs in parallel on a flat surface with the base up and at the calculated distance from each other.
For each pair of side profiles we lay a board flush with their ends. Using a nail gun, we fasten these ramp elements with nails, which we finally finish off with a hammer.

To control, use a ruler to measure the distance between the side profiles in several places. From the fifth and sixth blanks with the contours of the side profile, we cut off two pairs of rectangular bars with a pendulum saw, taking into account the measurements taken.

We insert them at the beginning and end of straight sections of the side profiles, which will serve as spacers and at the same time amplifiers. We secure them on the outside with nails.
We place the remaining wedge-shaped elements between the inclined sections of the side profiles and fix them on top with one nail in suitable place, fastening is carried out from below through the base board.

We cover the upper horizontal platform with a board, aligning its end with the ends of the side profiles, and make a mark on it for the cross section.

We nail the short part of the board to the horizontal section of the side profiles. We dock the long part to the short one and secure it with nails to the inclined section.

We cover the open ends of the ramps with a board and cut it off slightly above the top of the horizontal platform. This protrusion will serve as a limiter for the wheels, preventing them from rolling off the platform. We also secure them to the ends with nails.

We screw two rollers transversely to the upper part of the restrictive element from below using screws and a screwdriver. Rollers will allow you to move the ramp, if necessary, by rolling, which is much easier than carrying it by weight or dragging it.

Checking the ramp in action

We roll up and lay the ramp in front of the front wheels of the car.

We carefully move the car forward, overcoming the inclined section of the ramp, and drive the front wheels onto a horizontal platform. We put the car on the handbrake. It would also be a good idea to place a stop under the rear wheel.

We make sure that the distance from the floor to the bottom of the machine has become quite spacious and you can easily sit under it for routine inspection or repair.

Having completed the work, carefully drive off the ramp and put it in a secluded place, where it will remain until the next use.