I got a response back from Checkers Industrial about which chocks a small car can use. They said the Goodyear, UC1600, and UC1700 might work--the specs for the UC1600 and UC1700 say they're for 27" and up tires, though. The Goodyear chocks aren't solid, I'd rather stay away from anything that might possibly buckle.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5zIz1YSh_e7NjNpYTBtVGlkZXJVZEM3Qk5yTGFUNngzWHFV/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5zIz1YSh_e7UzdYX2J4VEFFblFYWE5odTJLTjMyblV4SnFF/view?usp=sharing
http://www.amazon.com/Checkers-Industria...=goodyear+chock
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I'm a UPS diesel semi mechanic and deal with a few type of chocks on my job. The first rule is to place the chock on a clean surface. I've seen chocks slide on gritty concrete. The molded chocks are not nearly as good as laminated ones.
http://www.amazon.com/YM-W4150-Laminated...065&sr=1-13
Thanks for the pointer about usage. Best I can do is sweep the concrete driveway clean; I don't have a garage. A semi and a compact sedan have very different diameter tires, I don't think that particular chock will work. YM's products appear to be the same as CheckersIndustrial's.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_automotive?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=YM&node=15684181
I haven't seen any laminated ones in dimensions small enough for a 22.7" wheel. The closest YM has to 22.7" diameter compatible chocks is a molded one:
http://www.amazon.com/YM-W4158-Extruded-...6137&sr=1-7
I don't have any firewood. I'd have to buy wood, a saw or table saw to cut it with, glue, material for a strap, measuring equipment, etc..
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hang them on the garage wall.
I don't have a garage. I've been putting everything in a closed plastic tub. Probably getting poisoned from the fumes as we speak. :\
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Old railroad ties with the tar coating have been the best for me.
Well, there are plenty of railroads nearby. I'm sure they won't miss a few feet of track. If you've got a link to an online source of bargain-priced railroad ties, let me look it over.
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I made 4 chocks out of 10" of 2x4. 2 on each wheel front or rear, depending on which end I lift. They aren't the best but they're cheap, light, re-useable, disposable and they work well on my small cars with 14 and 15 in wheels.
Home Depot sells 2x4's for $2.81 after tax. Not bad. Did you glue the 2x4's on top of each other? I've got plenty of screws left over from another project (TREX no-pre-drill self-counter-sinking screws with star heads, nice stuff); screws are way more reliable than glue, and allow disassembling. I do worry about the weight of the boards (very light relatively), their grip on the concrete (even rough wood slides pretty easily given enough weight pushing it), the brittle and weak nature of wood compared to rubber (worst case scenario is the car breaking the wood chocks by crumbling them or the bonds holding the pieces together and then rolling--that's what chocks are there to prevent), and contact with the tires (I could borrow a table saw, but that's going to be another project that takes a long time and effort). I could just make some kind of pyramid that matches the "appropriate" shape of the tires, like eljefino said; I'd have to be sure no screws contact the tires or driveway (pretty easy). I do think about the bulk of the wood taking up a lot of space. A link to some kind of rubber grip material that I could screw on the bottom of the wood and the side of the wood where the tire is (better grip and less damage to the tires) would help. http://www.homedepot.com/s/2x4%2520lumber?NCNI-5#
I'm pretty sure if wood made for a well-performing chock, there'd be more retailers selling wooden chocks--it's cheap, easy to manufacture, and relatively light. The "cheap" chocks from harbor freight are all available on Amazon, too; the cheapest ones have reviews noting that that they have a strong chemical odor, the one with the metal piece in it has reviews saying that they crumble at the stress point where the end of the metal piece is.
So far, my top pick is either wood (still not a lot of confidence in the quality of wood as chocks), or Race Ramps RR-WC. The UC1600's are too big for a small car, and the Goodyear chocks aren't solid.