If you own a pickup truck, you need a set of loading ramps. They work great for anything from loading a riding lawnmower to loading your favorite all terrain vehicle or motorcycle. Without these ramps, it is impossible for one person to load anything heavy, and extremely difficult for two people. When you finish with what you need to load, the ramps fit flat and sit on the bed of the truck, taking up little room.
Cut the 2x8 plank into four sections, two that are 4 feet long, and two that are 1 foot long. Sand the cut edges until they are smooth.
Cut the piece of aluminum into four equal sized pieces 6 inches long with a hacksaw. Use the sandpaper to clean the edges of the aluminum and make it smooth. Place a mark on each cut piece exactly in the middle, 3 inches from the end. Place the pieces of aluminum in the vise, with the mark that you made even with the top of the vise.
Tap the aluminum pieces with the hammer, bending them into a 45 degree angle. This will form the joint between the top of the ramp, which sits on the tailgate of the truck, and the ramp that rises from the ground. It may be necessary to increase or decrease this angle depending upon the height of the truck bed from the ground.
Place the 1 foot section of plank on the tailgate of the truck, and place the 4 foot section vertically from the ground to where it meets the top ramp. Place one of the bent pieces of aluminum on top of the assembled ramp. Drill two holes in the vertical ramp section of the plank, and two holes in the top section. Place a flat washer on the bolts, and push each bolt through the drilled hole. Put a lock washer on the bottom of the bolt.
Thread a nut onto each bolt finger tight. Repeat this three times for the other pieces of aluminum. Tighten the bolts. Store the completed ramps in the bed of the truck.
