EmailA Better way to Jack-Lift Your Porsche. Brute Industries Race Ramps
June 18, 2008
When it comes to maintaining your Porsche, especially if you are a back-yard mechanic or a DIYer, sometimes the hardest part about the project can be preparing your car and getting it jacked up and onto stands quickly and safely. You know what I mean. If you’re not fortunate enough to own a lift, then you are relegated to jacking up a side, placing a jack-stand, moving to the other side, repeat, etc. etc. Most likely, this is only after several hit or miss attempts of getting the jack positioned just right and making sure you don’t damage the car or scratch your nicely finished garage floor. Lastly, you better hope you didn’t buy the cheap stands. Having your Porsche crash/crush down on top of you is the last thing you want to be thinking about when you are underneath trying to remove a stubborn bolt or hard to reach oil filter. There has to be a better way…
Race Ramps Discount Code
Enter Brute Industries, Inc. the manufacturer and distributor of the patented Race Ramp products. I came across Brute Industries one day while I was trolling YouTube for Porsche related videos. After seeing the video below (you might want to mute the volume as the soundtrack is a little annoying), I reached out to Rich Heinz, the founder and inventor of Race Ramps and struck up a conversation. Rich was kind enough to send me some of Brute Industries product for my use and review. I warned Rich in advance that my review would be objective and that if I didn’t like his product I would say so. He seemed pretty confident that this wouldn’t be the case. In fact, he was so confident that I would like the product and want to recommend it that he is offering a discount to my readers. So, after reading my review, if you decide you want to purchase any of Brute Industries products be sure to use the following Coupon Code “993c4s8” when entering your order. This coupon code entitles you to a 10% discount off your entire order of any Brute Industry product (not just the Race Ramps) and you can use it and share it as many times as you like.
Among a number of amazing products offered by Brute are the 56” and 67” one or two piece Race Ramps. These light weight, industrial strength ramps allow you to simply drive your Porsche (or any car for that matter) right onto them and provide amazing clearance (better than most jacks and stands) and titanium like strength.
My Porsche 993, while at what some might call SUV ride height, is still quite close to the ground. To determine the proper size Race Ramp for my vehicle I used one of two simple methods prior to ordering. You can use this easy to follow guide and decide for yourself.
I opted for the standard 67” Race Ramps in the two piece configuration (more on this later). The 67” configuration is perfect for most cars with lower ground clearance. However, if you have lowered your Porsche, have a Turbo, or extremely low ground clearance you will want to consider the optional Race Ramp Extenders. These simple add-ons provide the extra clearance you need to drive your car up the Race Ramps and are very fairly priced. You can see the pictures below of just how close my exhaust was to the ramp from a clearance standpoint using the standard 67′ Race Ramps.
Race Ramps are Light and Strong
My Race Ramps arrived just a few days after talking with Rich. As I watched the UPS driver pull the carton from his truck I was a little apprehensive. Given the size of the box, my first thought was, “Wow, these things are going to be cumbersome and heavy to move around.” Boy was I wrong! The UPS driver simply put the box on his shoulder and walked up my driveway as if the box was the lightest thing. Turns out it was. The entire 67” set-up was less than 30 lbs (or 15 lbs per ramp). After taking them out of the box, the set-up was a snap. I simply placed them on the ground behind my rear wheels, centered them, made sure they were aligned, started the car and backed onto them.
Backing onto them for the first time made me a little nervous, I have to admit. Because they are so light weight, it didn’t seem possible they could handle the weight of the car. As it turns out, each ramp can handle up to 1500 lbs for a maximum weight of 3000 lbs. While the ramps can handle tires up to 12 inches in width, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for error if you veer to one side or the other. If I were doing it again with my 993, for the first time, I would definitely recommend a spotter (I’m running 285/30 – 18 on the rear of my 993).
After slowly making my way up the ramp, the lip at the far end makes a nice safety catch to keep you from rolling back off of them, I was very pleased with the ground clearance, stability and more importantly the sturdiness provided by these simple to use Race Ramps. In fact, as you can see in one of the picture below, I had gone a little to one side and the Race Ramp handled it just like the car was centered perfectly. There wasn’t the slightest bit of droop or sagging on the side of the ramp. Once up on the ramps be sure to chock the wheels still on the ground for safety. You can do so with a small piece of wood or Race Ramp makes some very inexpensive and lightweight wheel chocks that work quite nicely with this set-up.
As I mentioned earlier, you can purchase either one piece or two piece ramp. The ramps that Rich sent to me were of the two piece variety. I would highly recommend these for a Porsche application. From the videos on this post and the picture below (sorry about the Corvette, I couldn’t get a good picture of my car from the side) you can see how the two piece gives you side access to your car for some of those hard to reach spots. The one piece design, while very functional, doesn’t allow this access.
I have only two suggestions for improvement on the ramps I was sent:
- If possible, I would offer a slightly wider size for cars with very wide street tires and possibly even wider track tires.
- If practical, it might be interesting to integrate a slight lip or rail on the side of the ramps to act as a guide when backing up (for those of us with rear-engine cars). This lip or rail would simply act as a safety mechanism to ensure that you are backing straight onto the ramp and not veering to one side or the other (very similar to how the rear safety lip functions).
Race Ramps are a Superior Designed Product
All in all I think the Race Ramps are a superior designed product and will now be using them instead of my jack and jack-stands. In addition, Rich has sent me a set of wheel cribs that can be used in place of jack-stands. I have not yet had a chance to try these out, but from the looks of them and my experience with the ramps I’m sure they will work just as well.
Don’t forget that Rich is offering a 10% discount for my readers. If you decide you want to order something from Brute Industries, be it the Race Ramps, Trailer Ramps, Wheel Cribs, etc. simply add in the coupon code of “993c4s8” when prompted and you will automatically receive a 10% discount.
I hope you found this review helpful and I’ll be posting another one in a few weeks on the wheel cribs.
Searching for Used Porsche Parts
May 19, 2008
When it comes to the maintenance on your Porsche are you a Do It Yourself (DIY) type of owner? If so, and maybe even if you’re not, then this post is for you.
As a kid, I used to relish taking the time to fix a problem on my then current ride of choice. My family didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so my cars were usually whatever I could purchase with the money scraped together from a couple of part-time jobs. The fact that the car I was buying may not be running at the time of purchase never really deterred me (just ask my friends) as I knew with the right parts and perseverance I could get it running. Part of this process usually involved a trip through the labyrinth of junked and abandoned car shells littered across the grounds of the local junkyard. With a box full of wrenches and the resolve to spend the time to find whatever I might need I knew I would/could get the car running again.
Well, let me tell you, times have changed, and drastically. No more searching and hunting for a car with the right part. No more getting lost in the maze of dusty cars and trucks wondering if the dog you hear barking is that proverbial “junk-yard” dog or just a neighborhood stray. Read on and you’ll understand.
Finding Used Porsche Parts
Sara Darkamen is the VP and Co-owner of Los Angeles Dismantler. Sara and I first met through Linkedin and the Porsche network there. Ever since then, we have corresponded through email and a number of various social networking sites including facebook and Rennlist. What I’ve come to know about Sara is that she is passionate about networking and even more passionate about Porsche; two of my favorite things. As a result, I asked her to write up a brief overview of her company so that for those of you who are the DIY type, and need quality parts, have another venue (if you weren’t already aware of them).
Here’s what Sara had to say:
Walking into Los Angeles Dismantler for Porsche arouses mixed feelings. On one hand, there is a bit of sadness in seeing so many wrecked Porsches. On the other hand, wheels immediately start turning in the head.
What would it take to swap a 996 Turbo engine into something a little older, or a little lighter? It doesn’t stop there though. The interchangeability of parts through various generations of Porsches leaves the possibilities nearly endless. Brakes, transmissions, interior pieces, even front end conversions are possible with a bit of ingenuity and work.
The sight of 100’s of Porsches in conditions ranging from completely destroyed, to nearly perfect is impressive to say the least. Every car has a story, and for most of them, it comes to an end at this lot. When a car comes in, it is photographed and documented. Usually two or three guys stand around and try to piece back together the cars last moments. Some cars fates appear obvious, others remain total mysteries. Either way, questions of how and why are rarely answered.
Demand for Used Porsche Parts is Growing
Most cars come in with salvage titles, so even if the car could be brought back to life, it simply wouldn’t be worth it. The few cars that arrive in running, drivable condition rarely last long that way. The unfortunate reality is that almost all the cars that come in, are worth more in pieces. New Porsche parts can be extremely expensive, and some parts are nearly impossible to find for older models. The demand for used parts grows with every mile Porsches are driven.
No matter how destroyed a car is, there are still valuable parts that can be salvaged. These parts are bought up by various mechanics, body shops, and enthusiasts. Little of the car is wasted, components that can be resold are shelved or shipped, and any scrap metal is recycled. The average Porsche owner is not one to neglect their car. Fortunately, this is reflected in the parts that come off the cars.
LA Dismantler is the end of the road for many of the cars that come in, but it is far from a junk yard. Junk yards are dirty, unorganized, and overcrowded with all different kinds of cars. LA Dismantler’s facility has only Porsches, and they are organized in custom built racks. The facility is kept clean, all work is performed indoors in a shop that most mechanics would be jealous of. Every Porsche that gets dismantled helps keep many more Porsches on the road.
I’m looking forward to visiting the yard for myself on my next trip out to LA. I’m not sure how I’ll feel standing amongst all those broken and busted Porsche shells. It is safe to say, I hope my Pcars are with me for a long, long time before getting up close and personal with the likes of this place. 
Suspension Failure in a Porsche 993 (996 or 997)
May 16, 2008
Some of you may remember Valerie from her Introduction to Driver’s Education posts from a few weeks back. Today’s post comes from Vaelrie’s brother Ernesto. Ernesto is a Porsche 993 owner, enthusiasts and PCA DE instructor. Recently, while tracking his car at Waterford Hills Raceway, Ernesto experienced a catastrophic suspenion failure at 90+ MPH. Fortunately, he was able to maintain control of his 993 and he was uninjured. While I would have preferred to wait and post this article with pictures, given the fact it could happen to any one of us, I wanted to post it up immediately. The following is a description of what happened and is important for all 993 owners to read and understand.
To my 993 family friends,
The suspension failure on my car this past Tuesday has an interesting background and is worth understanding if you own a 993. Please note that the 996 and 997 use very similar suspension components and geometry, so my final conclusions/recommendations at the bottom do apply.
I went through the car yesterday and have the following details to offer:
Issue: Rear left suspension collapsed under very high lateral loading and moderate impact from road surface. For reference, I was in a right hand corner, traveling about 90mph, under maximum acceleration, at Waterford Hills Raceway.
Root Cause: Rear left knuckle failure at lower attachment point. The lower attachment point joins the base of the shock absorber to the knuckle and is held geometrically in place by a cast aluminum link that attaches to the rear-most point of the rear crossmember.
Failure Sequence: The lower attachment point on the knuckle has two ‘ears’ that wrap around the shock. The cast aluminum link has a ball joint stud that goes through the knuckle ears and the shock. This bolts the assembly tight with a large nut on the opposite end. The left ‘ear’ (forward on car) of the knuckle failed first, allowing slop in the overall joint. This caused extreme bending of the other ‘ear’ on the knuckle, which eventually failed also. At that point, the rear left suspension had significant slop. (That is what I was feeling going through big bend, which I thought may have been a corded tire.)
Please note that all the events described here happened in a few seconds, but the failure modes of the components show that there were various phases.
The sustained corner loading on the car (during the corner) caused the suspension to push rearward, its travel being limited only by the shock and the cast aluminum link. The cast aluminum link bottomed out on the crossmember and began bending dramatically. Eventually it failed also. The shock rod then broke and also collapsed, ripping the sway bar link off of the shock in the process. At that point, I had the car stopped and was limping back to the pits with the suspension collapsed.
Background on Ernesto’s Porsche 993
I bought my car with only 36,000 miles and clean car fax. The car drove perfectly, but during the first few drives I noticed that under moderate cornering acceleration, I could generate fairly violent wheel hop. Under mild acceleration, the car would not do it. Under very aggressive acceleration, the car would not do it. But under moderate acceleration, with only mild wheel spin, the wheel hop was severe.
I learned after talking with various Porsche folks, that the original shock absorbers on the car tend to blow out fairly quickly, allowing the suspension to hop around uncontrolled. I thought that was an insane recommendation given the low mileage on my car, but through forum chats I discovered that people had seen this issue on cars with as little as 20,000 miles. So, I took the shocks out of my car and confirmed that I had a left rear shock completely blown. It’s incredible how well the car drove considering the condition of the shock. I replaced all 4 shocks with slightly better quality Bilstein HD’s. During reassembly, I noticed that the car had a slight amount of wheel end play when performing the traditional top-to-bottom and side-to-side check for loose bearings.
Even though the play was slight, I decided to replace the culprit link / ball joint. This link was the lower, rear-most cast aluminum link described in the content above. With new links, the suspension was firm, slopless.
Over the next year, during my routine vehicle checks, I noticed that the rear suspension had again developed a very slight slop. Very slight. Most people would ignore it. I monitored it but it didn’t seem to get worse.
Looking back now, given the severity of the original wheel hop issue, I suspect that the knuckle integrity had been jeopardized. The lateral slop and violent wheel hop the car experienced may have stressed the knuckle enough to create a hairline crack, or the start of a crack, that I never noticed. It took four years of dedicated track use and sticky race tires for it to let go.
Conclusion / Recommendations
The failure I experienced on my car can be prevented. So,
- Check your rear suspension looseness regularly.
- Be very strict about slop or endplay.
- If you have end play, have a thorough inspection performed and replace any component that contributes to this end play.
I want to thank Ernesto for sharing this post with my readers. Has anyone else experienced anything like this or something similar? Ernesto is going to be repairing the car next week, so hopefully I will have a follow-up post with some good pictures.
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