A lowered car meets a standard ramp in one of two ways: the front lip folds under, or the tyre won’t even fit. The fix isn’t the cheapest ramp on the shelf. It’s knowing whether you need to work under the car or just get a jack under it, then measuring before you buy.
The quick picks
- Best service ramp for lowered cars: Race Ramps RR-56-2, $595 a pair
- Best steel ramp, made in Australia: Stanfred CRTP1400, $360 a set
- Best for wide tyres: Race Ramps RR-XT-2, $795 a pair
- Best jack-access ramp: Aeroflow AF98-2109, $83.99 a pair
- Skip for a lowered car: ToolPRO 850kg, $61.99 each on sale
Jack-access ramp or service ramp?
Low-profile ramps come in two very different kinds, and most listings don’t say which they are. Jack-access ramps lift the car only 65 to 76mm, enough to slide a low trolley jack under the jacking point. Service ramps lift it 200mm or more on a gentle slope, so you can drain the oil or inspect the underside.
Never work under a car on jack-access ramps. They’re the first step to getting the car onto jack stands, not a replacement for them. If all you need is the jack to reach, pair a set with one of our low-profile trolley jack picks. If you want to change oil on ramps alone, buy a service ramp.
Worked example: a lip 100mm off the ground, 700mm ahead of the front tyre's contact patch, gives an approach angle of about 8.1 degrees. That car clears the Trak Jax, the XTender combination and the Aeroflow, but not a 10.8-degree ramp. Leave a degree or two of margin for suspension dip.
Stated angles from Race Ramps and Track Ramps. Calculated figures are our minimums from published lift and length (arctan of lift over length); the real incline is steeper because the platform takes up part of the length. Measure your car with Race Ramps' yardstick method: angle = arcsin of the stick height over 914mm.
Race Ramps RR-56-2: best for most lowered cars
The Race Ramps RR-56-2 is the pick for a lowered car you’ll service yourself. Race Ramps states a 10.8-degree approach, it lifts the wheels 203mm, and it’s made from light, solid foam. Australian reseller Autonovus lists the pair at $595, on sale from $649.85. The incline section unclips, so you can reach under the front once the car is secured.
The weaknesses are real. It’s rated at 680kg per ramp, so check your front axle load, and it takes tyres up to 254mm wide. The instructions say never to use it with wet tyres. The Australian listing makes no compliance claim, so ask the seller to confirm the warning plate and instructions required here are supplied.
Stanfred CRTP1400: the Aussie-made steel option
The Stanfred CRTP1400 is the best steel ramp for low cars, made in Australia and rated at 1,400kg per ramp. Its first rung sits just 40mm off the ground, which helps a low nose start the climb, and the tyre ends up about 230mm high. Repco lists the set at $360.
Stanfred says it complies with the portable ramp standard. The catch is the 225mm maximum tyre width, which rules out many performance cars on 245s. Check your lip clears that 40mm first rung, too. Our calculated slope of at least 10.7 degrees puts it close to the Race Ramps.
Race Ramps RR-XT-2: for wide tyres and more lift
The Race Ramps RR-XT-2 is the one to buy if your tyres are wider than 254mm. It takes tyres up to 305mm wide and lifts the car 254mm at the same stated 10.8 degrees. Autonovus lists the pair at $795, down from $998.25. It shares the RR-56-2’s 680kg per-ramp rating and foam construction.
Its weakness is size. Each ramp is 1.7m long, so storage in a single garage takes planning, and you pay $200 more than the RR-56-2 for the extra width and lift. Buy it for a wide-tyred V8 or track car, not a hatch on 225s.
Aeroflow AF98-2109: the jack-access pick
The Aeroflow AF98-2109 is the best value way to get a trolley jack under a very low car. It lifts each wheel 65mm, weighs 1.8kg a ramp and is rated at 1,000kg each. Supercheap Auto lists the pair at $83.99, and the listing says it complies with AS 2640:2016. Our calculated slope is a gentle 5.4 degrees or more.
Two cautions. It’s jack-access only: 65mm is not working height. And earlier Aeroflow low-profile ramps sold from June 2019 to May 2023 were recalled because they came without instructions or warning labels. Check yours has both. For a pricier alternative with a stated 8-degree slope, Track Ramps’ Trak Jax lift 76mm for $269.
ToolPRO 850kg: why the cheap ramp is the wrong ramp
The ToolPRO 850kg is a decent standard ramp, made in Australia and $61.99 each on sale at Supercheap Auto until 8 November. It’s sold singly, so a pair is $123.98. For a lowered car it fails twice: the incline is steep, and it takes tyres no wider than 200mm or taller than 650mm.
That tyre limit rules out a Toyota 86 GTS on 215s before the lip is even a problem. The Rhino 850kg ramp at Bunnings has the same limits. If you want a cheap steel ramp for a standard-height car with wider wheels, ToolPRO’s 1,000kg version takes tyres up to 250mm wide, at $149.99 each.
Will your tyres fit?
Check this before the lip. Ramp makers quote a maximum tyre width and, for steel ramps, a maximum diameter. We worked out the overall diameter for five common performance tyre sizes and checked each against the ramp limits. Section width is the first number on your tyre sidewall.
| Ramp (max width) | 215/45 R17 (Toyota 86 GTS) | 225/40 R18 | 245/35 R19 (FG X XR6 Turbo) | 245/40 R19 | 265/35 R18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToolPRO / Rhino 850kg (200mm, 650mm tall) | Too wide | Too wide | Too wide | Too wide | Too wide |
| Aeroflow AF98-2109 (225mm, 680mm tall) | Fits | Fits | Too wide | Too wide | Too wide |
| Stanfred CRTP1400 (225mm, 780mm tall) | Fits | Fits | Too wide | Too wide | Too wide |
| Race Ramps RR-56-2 (254mm) | Fits | Fits | Fits | Fits | Too wide |
| Race Ramps RR-XT-2 (305mm) | Fits | Fits | Fits | Fits | Fits |
Our calculation. Diameter = rim size x 25.4mm plus twice the sidewall height. Limits from each maker or retailer listing; Race Ramps publish width only. Check your own car's tyre placard.
The five ramps side by side
| Ramp | Lift | Approach | Rating | Max tyre width | Where and how much |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race Ramps RR-56-2 | 203mm | 10.8° (stated) | 680kg per ramp | 254mm | $595 pair, Autonovus (sale) |
| Stanfred CRTP1400 | About 230mm | 10.7°+ (calculated) | 1,400kg per ramp | 225mm | $360 set, Repco |
| Race Ramps RR-XT-2 | 254mm | 10.8° (stated) | 680kg per ramp | 305mm | $795 pair, Autonovus (sale) |
| Aeroflow AF98-2109 | 65mm | 5.4°+ (calculated) | 1,000kg per ramp | 225mm | $83.99 pair, Supercheap Auto |
| ToolPRO 850kg | 180mm | Not published | 850kg per ramp | 200mm | $61.99 each, Supercheap Auto (sale to 8 Nov) |
Sources: maker and retailer listings, checked 27 October 2026. Sale prices are time-limited.
Check the label: ramps have a mandatory standard
Every portable vehicle ramp rated at 1,500kg or less sold in Australia must meet a mandatory safety standard based on AS 2640:2016. It needs roll-off and over-travel protection, instructions in the box and a permanent warning plate telling you to use the ramps in pairs, on hard level ground, with a wheel chocked.
Missing labels and instructions are exactly what got low-profile ramps recalled. Check for the plate before you use any set, new or second-hand. Some listings quote the standard as AS 2640:2017, mixing up the 2016 standard with the 2017 regulation. That’s likely a slip in the listing, not a red flag on its own.
How to use ramps safely
Around 120 Australians had died in DIY car maintenance accidents since 2000, according to Product Safety Australia figures published in 2019. Ramps are safer than a jack alone, but only when used properly. A Northern Territory mechanic suffered serious crush injuries when a car rolled off its ramps.
- Use ramps in pairs, on dry, flat concrete, never on grass, gravel or a slope.
- Line the wheels up straight and drive on slowly, with a spotter standing well clear of the car’s path.
- Apply the handbrake, select park or first gear, and chock a wheel that’s still on the ground.
- Check nothing under the car will foul the ramp as it climbs, especially the lip, exhaust and diffuser.
- Never use foam ramps with wet tyres, and never use a ramp as a bridge between two surfaces.
- Torque wheel nuts properly after any wheel work, with one of our torque wrench picks.
Which ramp should you buy?
Buy the Race Ramps RR-56-2 if your car is lowered on coilovers or springs and you want to service it at home. Buy the Stanfred CRTP1400 if your tyres are 225mm or narrower and you want steel made here. Buy the RR-XT-2 for wide tyres, and the Aeroflow if you just need the jack to reach.
Don’t buy any ramp until you’ve measured your lip height and tyre size. A ramp that scrapes your splitter is about as useful as a speed bump, and our speed bump regulations guide shows how low that bar can be!
