jjmartin1340
Member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2011
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 3
I am an 81 year old man. A few years ago my legs started hurting when I walked. X-rays showed calcium building up on the spine, pinching the nerves to my legs. No cure except a dangerous operation where I might get better or might lose the use of my legs. I opted to stay as I am.
In 2021 I bought a used mobility scooter. It has a top speed of 10 kph (6 mph). It has been great, I use it to shop in stores that have no customer scooters, and to cruise around the small town I live in, seeing things I can’t when I’m driving – nice landscaping in front yards, nature walkways, etc.
The scooter has always had a rough ride, the springs in the back end never worked. This summer I decided to take it all apart and fix whatever problems I could find. I have to work sitting down. I can walk short distances, about 10 ft., without a cane, but any farther I need cane or walker.
It would be easier to do this on the deck, under the awning; protection from sun {I burn very easily) and rain. So I decided to build a ramp to put over the steps so I could drive the scooter up onto the deck.
I purchased a panel of 3/4” plywood, 2 ft x 4 ft. I tried it out with my adult grandson holding it. The scooter went up it with ease; too easily, as it started to tip over backwards. My grandson caught me. So I formed new rules: move the seat as far forward as it can go, and only go up as slowly as possible. Success.
Now to fasten the board in place so I could use it by myself. My first design was to install a support board under the deck overhang. I cut a 2x4 to about 2.5” wide with a slope matching the angle of the ramp. I screwed a couple of deck screws in about 20” apart and cut the heads off leaving a pin ¼” high. Then I installed steel mending plates, 12” x 1-1/8” with screw holes, to the underside the ramp. The holes on the two outer plates lined up with the pins. I had to put1/2” boards under the plates otherwise the ramp would be too far below the deck boards. I tried it out. Oops – the ramp was pivoting on the edge of the upper step and lifting itself off the pins.
I had some leftover tent pegs, steel, orange, 5/16” dia, 10” long. I decided to use two. I moved the ramp over about 2” so the pins would not interfere. I enlarged the top hole in the outer mending plates to 3/8”. I drilled two 3/8” holes near the end of the deck boards and down through the support board to drop the pegs into. I also added a handle so I could carry the ramp with one hand.
It works nicely. Drove the scooter up onto the deck and went to work. Slowly.
I had the scooter apart on the deck for three weeks. The pivots for the rear wheels unit were rusted solid. Someone suggested an auto mechanic had probably seen lots of rusted parts and would know what to do. I took the rear wheel assembly to my mechanic. He looked at it and said Let’s try a torch. A minute later he came back with the wheels flopping around merrily. When I examined it at home I found they had made the pivots with a 5/16” steel bolt inside a steel bushing. Being on the bottom of the scooter, it had probably seen lots of puddles. I cleaned out the rust and replaced the rusted bolts with stainless steel ones. Applied lots of grease and reassembled. Works great!
I assembled the scooter over a few days and tried it out. Great; no jarring bumps over sidewalk expansion joints.
The entire operation took nearly three weeks. I’m glad I was able to do it on the deck.
I have to leave the scooter outdoors year round as I have no garage and there isn’t room in the house for it. So shortly after I bought it, I made a cover frame out of white plastic pipe with a blue tarp over it. It’s light enough I can handle it without a problem.
I assembled the pipe frame on the deck while sitting in a chair on the lawn. See photo. I made a classic mistake; fortunately it was easy to correct.
In 2021 I bought a used mobility scooter. It has a top speed of 10 kph (6 mph). It has been great, I use it to shop in stores that have no customer scooters, and to cruise around the small town I live in, seeing things I can’t when I’m driving – nice landscaping in front yards, nature walkways, etc.
The scooter has always had a rough ride, the springs in the back end never worked. This summer I decided to take it all apart and fix whatever problems I could find. I have to work sitting down. I can walk short distances, about 10 ft., without a cane, but any farther I need cane or walker.
It would be easier to do this on the deck, under the awning; protection from sun {I burn very easily) and rain. So I decided to build a ramp to put over the steps so I could drive the scooter up onto the deck.
I purchased a panel of 3/4” plywood, 2 ft x 4 ft. I tried it out with my adult grandson holding it. The scooter went up it with ease; too easily, as it started to tip over backwards. My grandson caught me. So I formed new rules: move the seat as far forward as it can go, and only go up as slowly as possible. Success.
Now to fasten the board in place so I could use it by myself. My first design was to install a support board under the deck overhang. I cut a 2x4 to about 2.5” wide with a slope matching the angle of the ramp. I screwed a couple of deck screws in about 20” apart and cut the heads off leaving a pin ¼” high. Then I installed steel mending plates, 12” x 1-1/8” with screw holes, to the underside the ramp. The holes on the two outer plates lined up with the pins. I had to put1/2” boards under the plates otherwise the ramp would be too far below the deck boards. I tried it out. Oops – the ramp was pivoting on the edge of the upper step and lifting itself off the pins.
I had some leftover tent pegs, steel, orange, 5/16” dia, 10” long. I decided to use two. I moved the ramp over about 2” so the pins would not interfere. I enlarged the top hole in the outer mending plates to 3/8”. I drilled two 3/8” holes near the end of the deck boards and down through the support board to drop the pegs into. I also added a handle so I could carry the ramp with one hand.
It works nicely. Drove the scooter up onto the deck and went to work. Slowly.
I had the scooter apart on the deck for three weeks. The pivots for the rear wheels unit were rusted solid. Someone suggested an auto mechanic had probably seen lots of rusted parts and would know what to do. I took the rear wheel assembly to my mechanic. He looked at it and said Let’s try a torch. A minute later he came back with the wheels flopping around merrily. When I examined it at home I found they had made the pivots with a 5/16” steel bolt inside a steel bushing. Being on the bottom of the scooter, it had probably seen lots of puddles. I cleaned out the rust and replaced the rusted bolts with stainless steel ones. Applied lots of grease and reassembled. Works great!
I assembled the scooter over a few days and tried it out. Great; no jarring bumps over sidewalk expansion joints.
The entire operation took nearly three weeks. I’m glad I was able to do it on the deck.
I have to leave the scooter outdoors year round as I have no garage and there isn’t room in the house for it. So shortly after I bought it, I made a cover frame out of white plastic pipe with a blue tarp over it. It’s light enough I can handle it without a problem.
I assembled the pipe frame on the deck while sitting in a chair on the lawn. See photo. I made a classic mistake; fortunately it was easy to correct.
