Personally I wouldn't want to risk a cracked ramp. Maybe a mod to make them less springy??

I didn't think the pro had the bell swing on it???

mod?

Yea its a mod there is a guy on here selling them. Its a captive ball that swings the bell stays put.

Doesn't seem like a good idea, I'd be more inclined to find a way to firm the protectors up. Broken ramps aren't cheap to replace.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the AC/DC ramps pretty much a straight shot at the beginning of the ramps (IE no slight turn). If so, a clean ramp shot really wouldn't impact the protectors that much anyways. And it's hard to imagine that momentum would be broken so much with striking a metal protector vs. plastic that this would make a discernible difference.

I am curious as to what your findings are.

And it may be interesting to install the protectors on your Pro and see if the shots become less smooth there.

Ok confirmed. This helps a lot. And a huge thank you to AV8. I wrote a post yesterday about how frustrating AC/DC is to play and cited ball going up the ramp partially and back down for drain as a huge part of the frustration. Indeed it seems several magnitudes better with the ramp guides removed. I removed the guides, played one game, scored 156 mil and actually had fun. Again, a big thank you goes out to AV8. His craziness of buying both the pro and premium paid off (for me).

And given the choice between a cracked ramp and a frustrating game, I'll take the cracked ramp.

Interesting solution!

Moving to Stern

Removing ramp protectors is a horrible idea. Stern saves every penny they can, if they built and installed protectors, odds are good you need them.

What about removing the guards and bending them in slightly to "hug" the inner contour of the ramp? This would make them tighter against the ramp and hopefully a smoother shot. I did this on my TRON Cliffys and it worked good.

Agreed. I'd be a bit hesitant to remove those protectors.

I actually put ramp protectors on my Pro and haven't noticed a major difference. I'd hate to have a ramp crack as it's costly and a pain to replace.

Where did you get your ramp protectors?

Been paying attention to this. The way the ball enters the right ramp almost always hits part of the side and removing the guard sure has helped. The right ramp is fully protected by posts and targets. The left ramp is only slightly exposed. But the game sure is more fun to play.

The left side of that left ramp is just asking to be cracked, especially when shots are coming from the right flipper. Good idea, but I think something needs to be done there.

The game was designed with ramp guards. If the game was supposed to be easier, it would have been made easier.

Maybe try a small piece of cardboard blocking the right outlane instead?

This is quite silly. First, I would bet the game was actually designed without the ramp guards and they were added after as a value add. Second, no one finds it fun to have balls roll half way up the ramp then back down. With the ramp guards off, it still happens but happens way less.

Nothing is more silly than taking the ramp guards off. If you get a clean shot on the ramp, the balls won't roll half way up then back down. Also, I don't know the development point when the ramp guards we're installed, but rules and points have been and continue to be tweaked to compensate for all sorts of things.

If the ball isn't making it up the ramp often enough, and the ramp guards are the issue, it's one of two things. Either the guards aren't installed appropriately or you need more practice.

I'm with Jalpert- a clean ramp shot is a clean ramp shot. I don't think I'll be taking guards off of any of my games. Interesting theory though.

BS. Adding cardboard in the outlane is way more silly. Come on.

By all means, if you guys are happy then don't remove the ramp guards. I removed mine as did the original poster and the game has been more enjoyable since. I guess the pro model that ships with the same flipper coils and same ramps without guards is "most silly" according to you...

Leave the ramp pros on & PLAY BETTER!!!!!

Cardboard in front of the outlanes was a joke...

Pretty sure MarkMon was joking too

I don't think so...

I was kidding about the cardboard stuff as I knew you were, too. But not the rest.

I know man. And if people want to remove their ramp guards, they should do whatever they want.

It's just that sometimes we forget there are a bunch of newbs on this forum. First they take them off their AC/DC, or they see this thread and start taking ramp guards off their other games etc.

I just wanted to remind people that there are repercussions to it. People should do whatever they want, but the games were made to be played with the guards, they serve a purpose, and cracked ramps are shitty and expensive.

That's all true and pretty well stated. But in this case, the ball does not hit the ramps head on like it does in many other games. I'm not sure where the break point will be. I don't want my ramps busted either. But the game really is way less fun with those ramp guards on. To the point that it was frustrating and now its fun. And "learn to play better" is not a good answer to this. My high scores on 3 ball have been ~225 mil. I'm not *that* crappy.

Would be nice to see a way to make those ramps al little more forgiving even with the guards in place. While it seems unlikely they will break I like the peace of mind.

I think we are beating a dead horse here, but high score or not, clean shots to the ramp will make it up the ramp. Taking your protectors off the ramp will make the game easier, and if that makes you feel good have at it.

You want to take it a step further and say that the ramp guards are preventing you from making the shot too often and taking the fun out of the game. My only response to that is that it's not the ramp guards.

Ramps on most games can't be backhanded. The fact that either ramp on AC/DC can be makes the ramps a lot easier than on most games. If forehands were cake, and backhands were pretty much gimmes, the game would really suck. There is more than enough ramp action as it is, and neither forehand or backhand on either ramp is particularly difficult IMO, even with those pesky ramp guards.

You don't know this. It's not like I have one pin and am new to pinball and have never seen a game with ramps. I have some 25 machines. With the ramp guards on, AC/DC is the single most difficult machine to shoot the ball up the ramps without it coming back down (compared to all my other machines). Ramp rejects are extremely annoying. It really feels like you made the shot and get screwed. I realize it means the shot wasnt perfectly centered, but whatever. With the ramp guards off, AC/DC is inline with every other game. Call it a making the game easier, a design flaw, a design goal whatever. The game is more fun with the ramp guards off. If I have to buy 10 sets of ramps and put a new set in every 2 months in order to actually enjoy my game, that's what I'll do.

On my game, I have plenty of power to hit backhand the ramps while hitting the side, sometimes part of the way up, sometimes near the top and complete the shot just fine.

The problem is you are comparing the Pro and Premium. You wouldn't argue that they both play at the same speed, so why can you make the argument that the ramps are supposed to be the same difficulty on both?

Then, as I suggested before, there could be something wrong with your game. I don't have 25 machines, but it's sitting next to an IJ and either AC/DC ramp is worlds easier to both forehand and backhand than the right ramp on my IJ. Also, I have a STTNG and again, either ramp on AC/DC is a sinch compared to the Gamma ramp.

If your AC/DC is truly the hardest game to hit ramps on without it coming back down, I really believe there might be an issue with your game.

I was having trouble quoting above. You have established that the Pro and Premium play at different speeds, and that's why you like the Pro. But I think it's reasonable to say that just like one is built for speed, the other wasn't meant to have ramps of the same difficulty. Since the two versions have other established differences, why is it unreasonable to consider this one of those acceptable differences?

Have to agree. I have an LE and there is absolutely no issue with ramp shots. I know other LE owners personally. This is not a common issue.
Perhaps there was an issue with how your ramp guards were installed at the factory? Perhaps there is another issue.

It has already been said but I will second it: removing the ramp guards is a bad idea. The ramp guards should not affect your ramp shots.

Sorry, you guys are discussing this based on theory. You use terms like "should not" or "its easy for me". AV8 and I are coming from a direct comparison. Yes, my ramps were harder to hit than STTNG or IJ - just as I said "harder than any other game". This doesnt mean my flippers were under powered or that I couldn't make the shot. It means that more often than in other games, the ball would go up the ramp part of the way and come flying back down. I don't need help learning to play pinball and there's nothing wrong with my AC/DC. Removing the ramp guards solved all this utterly.

If there was something wrong with the game, it's now fixed.
I'm glad you guys all think I should put the ramp guards back on and hate the game again. But I'm going to pass on that.

Hey man, it's cool. Do whatever you want, just trying to understand. You are saying that AC/DCs ramps with the ramps guards on are so hard, they are even harder than IJ's right ramp and the STTNG Gamma ramp.

AC/DCs ramps if anything are too easy. Most people aren't having the issue you are, you obviously can play pretty well, so the logical conclusion was that there must be something wrong. I believe you when you say that the guards were keeping you from making the shot, if you want to believe me when I tell you that shouldn't be the case, feel free to as well.

Leave them off, enjoy away!

Most enjoyable thread - passionate, fun and entertaining. Have any of you guys ever met in real life??