Driveway curb ramps
 

I'm afraid I'm going to scrap the front of my corvette as I come out of my driveway into the street because it has a steep drop-off. Anyone know someone/place that sells driveway ramps? Or does anyone else have this problem? what do you do?

From an earlier thread:


The SEARCH utility is your friend :D

Some minor front end scraping (of the diffuser) isn't going to cause a problem...its flexible and designed to take abuse. If you're hitting something hard then you do have a problem. I'm sure you've tried traversing the drop-off at different angles to see if that minimizes or eliminates the scraping. Some type of removable ramp might be the answer but IMO removable, unsecured ramps might become dislodged by heavy trucks or possibly even stolen by neighborhood pranksters. I'd explore adding a small concrete or asphalt cam strip onto the drop-off (to reduce the approach angle). It may not be permissable due to governmental regulations or subdivision CC&R's but IMO it would be worth looking into. I don't know what your situation is but I'd be inclined to put a small cam strip in and see what happens. As long as it isn't causing drainage issues chances are no one will have a problem with it. Worst case you get a notice and have to remove it. Good luck.

Here's my solution: 2'X2'X1" rubber tiles. I've got a 1 1/2" drop off the end of my driveway into the road. My air dam would drop hard into the driveway and scrape for the last 6 inches or so till it cleared. Also my front splitter would scrape if not at an extreme angle. Now no scraping at all. They are called 1" eco-tiles and are made from car tires. here's the link: http://www.rubbercal.com/Eco_Sport_1_Inch.html
http://cfupload.stevesdomain.net/images/23a243e010.jpg
http://cfupload.stevesdomain.net/images/dc5114af05.jpg

i PARTIALLY FILLED MINE WITH SOME CONCRETE.

[QUOTE=TB427Z06;1577097661]Here's my solution: 2'X2'X1" rubber tiles. I've got a 1 1/2" drop off the end of my driveway into the road. My air dam would drop hard into the driveway and scrape for the last 6 inches or so till it cleared. Also my front splitter would scrape if not at an extreme angle. Now no scraping at all. They are called 1" eco-tiles and are made from car tires.




nice tip! you can get them at sears.com too

I just put the ZR1 splitter on my wifes Vette and I am doing some damage on my Fcar so I am finally buying these this year.

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-8156343..._2150_85233098
http://site.carguygarage.com/web_images/ramp2.jpg

http://www.bridjit.com/

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...curb+bridge.do

http://www.carguygarage.com/singlecardrivew.html

I have about a 3 1/2 to 4 inch drop. I place a couple of 2 x 4s there when I go in or out of the driveway. No scrapes and cheap. Going to purchase a 2 x 12 as soon as remember to hit the store. 2 3foot long pieces should work nicely and are a very cheap fix.

That works, but kind of brings down the neighborhood a bit don't ya think? :ack:

Yeh, looks like a real ghetto :crazy2:

I have the Bridjit system in my drive and I still scrape although nothing like I used to. My C5 is lowered on Pfadt c/o's and I have a set of the Fat Mommas sold by a forum vendor. I like the Bridjit but with as steep an incline as I have, they just help out, not eliminate the problem. Mine also seem to "migrate" down the curb every couple of days, they are heavy but I drag it back in place every weekend.

Well if you are disagreeing with me, no problem. :thumbs:
All I know is, if my neighbors had 2x4's lying on the road at the base of their driveway, yea, I'd be pissed! looks like crap! :ack:

If I installed one of those things the city would sue me 6 ways from Sunday.

In our city, as long as it isn't bolted down, has a relief for drainage, doesn't interfere with street cleaning and/or snowfall and doesn't look like crap (2x4's) :ack: your ok. :yesnod:

Is that the people or the approach thing?
coop

I was at Home Depot tonight and they have them for $6.99 each. :thumbs:

On my way home from work everyday, there is a dip in an intersection / street (not even close to my house) that is simply unavoidable and it turns heads when the rubber air damn hits it every single time. Sounds horrirble, but when checking for damage, it is hardly noticeable. The air damn has springs so it 'folds under' for that very reason.

I'll just replace the whole thing for less than $100 when it does show significant wear. No harm, no foul.

:lol: i remove the 2x4s after I come in and out of the driveway. I don't leave them sitting out there as you some of you have stated it would look ghetto.
2x4s are temporary as they were laying around. Worried if I purchased something like the ramps and left them there some smart a$$ little punk would come by and take them.

:thumbs: I was wondering the same about the ramps being stolen, but they are bolted together and they weigh like 160 lbs and not real maneuverable so I think they are safe. :yesnod:

You are right. They are heavy. I have 2 of the center sections in order to span my drive and like I said earlier, they do slide down the curb about 6-8 inches weekly and I have to drag them back...not easy but doable.

Only in the daylight :lol: Hey, love the Italian!

You need to give me your address. So I can come by and borrow(steal) your good ramps when you get them.:D It must be a Portage thing, because I use wood boards also.

I have the bridjit's, no issues after three months. Purchased from Griots.

Although the UPS guy wasn't thrilled, they do weight in pretty heavy.

I have also had a couple of neighbors ask about them and the sheriff stopped one day, drove up the drive, got out and said what a difference it makes even on regular height cars.
Noticed over the weekend another neighbor around the corner was putting his together, $$$ but they look professional and I don't have to haul them up and down the drive.

Since I haven't finished building them yet why don't you give me yours so I can save the time and money. :rofl:

Coworker gave me a better idea on how to build them. Going to give it a shot this weekend.

Mine were built on the cheap. I have a lowered C5, my air dam is 2.5" off the ground. But this works for me for now.

Attachment 48152745

The road in front of my place is blacktop and had a NASTY dip where it joined my driveway. I simply went and talked to some folks at the town hall and convinced them to... "FIX IT"...

After some friendly persuasion it's now smooth and level going into my driveway!!! :thumbs:

Scrap or pay !
 

:iagree: That's my concern. This township has so many rules and regulations you could sit and read a whole day and not come up with a answer. :crazy2:

I would not bet on it... If it is not bolted down, people will steal it, not the matter of IF but WHEN.

I guess I am lucky because my driveway extends into the street and over the curb and gutter perfectly flat. I tore up the existing extension and rebuilt using fiberglass reinforced concrete and added blocks on the edge (on my side of the curb) to prevent people from driving through. Since my driveway is 26 feet wide, this was a bit of concrete work but certainly worth it. :D

I had the approach to my drive redone. They redid the driveway from the curbing at the street through the sidewalk part. They did a nice job with the transition. Makes all the difference in the world. Cost about $2800. I had it done when I started looking at Corvettes since I knew I'd take the nose off the car with the way the builder did it.

John

I'm going to check with the city next and if they don't have a problem, order them. Kids won't like not having the bump to jump, but.....

I'll put some foot long landscaping nails into the concrete cracks to keep them in place and maybe reduce the chance of someone stealing them.

24 bags of reinforced concrete for me and good workout with a pry bar and sledge hammer removing the old one for me...:D

[QUOTE=C6LS3;1577097847]Great tip. I have brain storming this and you got a perfect solution. Now when I am backing out it wouldn't sound like the bottom in being rip off. I'll hit them with some silver or grey paint to blend in:willy:

What a great idea!

Thanks

Alan

I have the Bridgit ramp. If you do not have a rounded gutter they don't fit very well. I ended up having to take a power plainer to them to get them to sit right. I then used some internally threaded concrete anchors to bolt them down. Works perfect now and no one can easily steal them.

The nice thing about rural is no sidewalks. My street and driveway are almost flat. I own the first 150' of my street. When I first built my place I paved the road and my 350' driveway. It's very sports car friendly.

:lurk:

We just filled our with concrete. So far no problem with the city over it:thumbs:

I remember back when I built my house in 1975. It had a "drive over" curb. When we poured the driveway I got a permit from the township and removed the curb and the cement pourers slopped the curb so that our cars would not scrape the bottoms. The developer really got pissed, but there wasn't anything he could do since I got a permit. The neighbors were envious, too. You might want to check into this and see if you can do the same.

I almost bought this product. I tried to angle the car on and off the driveway and had no problems.

:withstupid:

abso-frickin-lutely - looks like crap

What's it called at Home Depot or in what dept?

Leave it out and it will get stolen:crazy:

i put 6 sheets of 1/4"x4'x36" plate steel with a 2x6 footer under the edge that sits on the street.
it spans my driveway and makes the transition from street to sidewalk almost flat.
i angled the front edge of the 2x6 with a 45 degree bevel. so the only height i have to overcome is about a 2x4 in height. the rest is a smooth transition all the way to the sidewalk. the water runs under it unaffected.
the sheets weigh 80 lbs each. i painted them with autobody undercoating to prevent rust. and they work great!

Photos please ... :toetap:

:lurk:

[QUOTE=TLK;1577103834]http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-8156343..._2150_85233098
http://site.carguygarage.com/web_images/ramp2.jpg

The major issue with these is they are an ugly, dumb-azz cheap solution, they use "Recycled rubber tires" so their cost is nearly zero ... instead of using a gray or cement-colored rubber or plastic that matched the color of EVERY curb out there.

I wrote the Brigit peeps and asked why they weren't concrete-colored, their response was they "only offer black."

Also, if you have a concrete-curb you cannot legally alter it, as it is either city, county or state property (unless you built it), and is not usually on your property, always on a gov't easement or right-of-way. Maybe someone will offer a light gray one one day ... :willy:

[QUOTE=Thrash;1581533641] Read my post#40. When I built my house in 1975, the township let me remove mine. I would definitely check with the locals and see if anyone can remove it in their area. In some places- you can.......:thumbs:

sorry to bring back old thread but I need to know where these are. I move into a new house at the end of the month with a huge dip. I don't want to pay $300+ for some rubber.

Shave the curbs down
 

Hi

In my area we just shave the curbs down! It is like filing your nails

Good luck

Alan

I had 2 layers of interlocking mats and a single layer between (like a "H") and my GS made it in without scraping. Without them it's so close backing in all it takes is slightly lifting up the splitter and it does not touch. With the bolts in the stock position I wonder if I turn the rear bolts a turn or two would it raise the splitter a half inch or so? BTW, went to the store Sunday, gone 45 minutes and when I got back, my mats were gone!!!

Sorry to hear that. Sure stinks when stuff like that happens.

Lisa

can you exit or enter your drive on an angle?

Sorry to hear that.

I recently got Brijit curb ramps myself and feel uncomfortable leaving something that cost $350 up for grabs.

They are too heavy to move every time I drive in and out. But if I don't use them the front nose of my GS scrapes the sidewalk (not worried about the air dam, which scrapes slightly even with the curb mats).

What is really needed is some sort of "hydraulic" lift shocks on front suspension, similar to what is used on "low riders" that would just give you enough clearance for curbs & speed bumps, just hit the switch when going in & out of drive way, then lower to standard height when driving. being able to raise front end just 2" would make the difference needed.**:yesnod::cool::yesnod:**

I used a hammer drill and some concrete anchors to hold mine down. They have been there for a year and no problems.

;) I wish I had these "having a driveway problem" i gotta park in the garage in the back of the house...I gotta drive thru a ugly city alley....boo woo!

I have an 8 foot 2"X12" pressure treated plank that fills in the gutter area nicely. I can pull in and out without scraping. I painted it gray so it matches the street. Works great and water flows underneath it. Still, the HOA is starting to complain about it.

The alleys with the good ol' speed bumps thanks to Richie Daley :willy:

wonder if they would work for the entrance/ exit of my garage,my drive has a bit of a steep uphill incline to the street.

I got these for the driveway at my office.

I found them in the outdoor section near the patio tiles and such. Out of the 3 people in the store I asked where they were, only 1 knew what I was even talking about.

I bought 2 tiles with a horizontal thinner one and it was not nearly enough. I went back and bought 6 more tiles. I will try tomorrow again to see if it works. I am wondering how to secure them to the ground so they don't "walk away."

you could try a little roofing cement, it will adhere the ramps to the pavement & is absolutely waterproof, not easily removed but could probably be pried up with some work *:yesnod:*

I have a 12' section of bridgit at the end of my driveway. The driveway itself is 38' wide and the drainage curb at the end is pretty severe in the slope. The bridgit works great, the sections together weigh about 170 lbs, so I sunk 6 lags into the concrete curb drain and bolted them down, and I remove them for the winter season. I guess if some prick wants to go to the trouble of unbolting them and dragging 170 lbs away, not much I can do about that.:leaving:

[QUOTE=Thrash;1581533641]:thumbs: I checked with the Town before installing mine, their take was "as long as it does not impede water flow (it doesn't) and can be removed (it can)", then I was good to go. I went a bit further, and painted mine to match the concrete.:yesnod:

3rd year and they still haven't been stolen, nor do I expect them to be. As I said...NOBODY wants them or cares about them. :lol:

When it rains heavily the rain water runs by my driveway like a river! I wonder if the roofing cement might cause issues.

Racer, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your Avitar picture!!! Cutest little ass! :smash:

Ron

I have Belgium blocks on the leading edge of the driveway...I just turn up the stereo as I leave the driveway. Never lost the flexible spoiler yet although it does scrape...

That's the price of driving a sports car I guess.

Good info; I scrape in and out of my new garage because of driveway angle.

I bought 12 feet of Bridgit and iot works well. It is the only product OKayed by our HOA so all the homes look uniform.
Also installed the little wheelie frame savers sold by Andy at A&A on the West Coast.

Same here. But the $350 price was almost a deal breaker. 'Vette tax', I guess.

Here is the product that Home Depot sells. I am looking into them as I have a BIG problem area between my driveway and garage. This thread has some good ideas. This is one more possible solution. There are several sizes available. I am looking @ the basic gray product which seems not to be a stock item in stores but can be shipped to your closest HD location. The product is much darker than it appears here.:cheers:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/2030418...c#.UgA2_N7D99A

I painted my 2x4s black. I leave them in place as long as the car is out of the garage.

Going to my home depo to look for these in the morning this is some of the reason I dont take my car out as much is the ease of pulling it out from the back.

Driveway Ramps
 

The best way to go is to have the end of your driveway shaved as long as it is concrete!

Good Luck