Is there a better way than jacking up your car to work under it?

I have been using Race Ramps when possible as well - I have the 12" tall ones that actually can either be two 12" blocks or four 6" blocks (which is generally how I use them).

 

I considered race ramps when I needed to pull the trans out of my 77 but for the cost and the height I'd need to clear the bellhousing making my own version was the best option.
I bought a couple 2x12s and used some leftover 6x6 and 4x4 posts I had laying around. Cut the 2x12s into 3' sections, and the posts into 1' sections and boom, over 36" of height if needed.
Not sure if the attached picture will work, but in the picture you can see a door behind the car. With normal cribbing this would be blocked, but with these sections being 3' long I had plenty of room to roll the car forward and back to get into that room/around the front as needed.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/F3w3g4A1R7Rmkn7x7
Edit: above link has pictures

 

Here is a side picture of two of four wooden jackstands that I built out of 2X4s. In the picture below, the Fox body coupe is being held up at the body pinch welds.



Here is a picture of a wheel on top of one of the wooden jackstands later in the car's build. I've got a tape measure to show the dimensions of my stand.



I made them this size because it would use up an 8 foot (96") 2X4. I'd cut up one 2X4 into three 17" pieces (51") and three 15" pieces (45") which is a total of 96". Obviously each piece of wood is slightly short by the width of the miter saw blade.

I applied Liquid Nails in between the boards and nailed the boards together with galvanized nails that I happened to have on hand. I actually drilled pilot holes for the nails since I wanted the boards to stay in the exact position that I wanted them.

 

Those wooden jackstands are super sturdy and I highly recommend them. If anyone is wondering, the coupe has an LS376/480hp crate motor and a brand new T56 Magnum in it. I've done a full Maximum Motorsports suspension upgrade with the car on the jackstands. It now has a torque arm and panhard bar in the rear. Did I mention that those wooden jackstands are sturdy?

 

No, not really. They have lips on either side to prevent the car from rolling off, but the car doesn't really seem to move anyway.

 

The wooden stands are sturdy but HEAVY to move around and have you seen the price of Lumber lately??? EXPENSIVE........ I have two shorter wood ones I built that I set the car on first and then jack up fully for the Race ramps.....

 

True. They are heavy and they take up a lot of room. I made mine last spring (2020) and they've been holding up my car most of that time. I've stacked them once. They stack nicely straight up in a corner of the garage.

The two things that I like about the wooden jackstands is that they are so sturdy under the tires and you can make them to any height that you want.

Yeah, I can believe that lumber prices have gone up. When I built these, I was buying nice, 8' long 2X4s for just under $3 each from Lowes.

 

I probably spent $150 making my monstrosities and that was a little over a year ago. They are also ridiculously heavy (mine are 40lbs each) but I can deal with that to have some peace of mind while under the car.
That said, depending on how tall you want/need the car building your own will probably still be cheaper than race ramps (or at least the brand-name ones). On their website the 14" tire cribs are $415 EACH... sheesh

 

Spent 60 bucks or so doing the wheel cribs IMO money well spent. They don't get in the way like jack stands or some type of lift that gets in the way of rolling under the side of the car.