Safely raising a car?

I have an Audi TT Quattro. I'd like to swap in a performance exhaust. I'd like to raise it between 10-12 inches to allow me to work under in my garage with a concrete floor. I'd love to have a lift but after installing a lift, the house would be sold in the divorce.

I'd prefer something besides jack stands. I'm considering

I'm considering either something like the ramp in this thread:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-corvette-general-discussion/2416498-diy-build-your-own-car-ramps.html

Or wooden crib blocks such as these:

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/wood-cribbing-block-diy-for-raising-the-car-in-addition-to-jack-stands/

Storage is an issue when I'm done. I don't see these being used than once or twice a year. Suggestions?

Thanks!

Mike

I made a bunch of 14”x12” cribbing blocks from 4 pieces of 2x4 when I was changing the clutch on my Solstice and they worked wonderfully even with the car +18” off the ground. I kept each one separate, don’t nail the layers together.  Super solid and I just keep them stacked up behind the garage until the next time I need them. So much better than jack stands.

Did you assemble each block of four or did you simply stack them? How high did you have the blocks raising the car?

I'm guessing you went around the car in a circle with one floor jack or did a back to front with two jacks?

In reply to iborg :

The higher you go, the more stable you need. 

Cribbing secured together is more secure than loose blocks. When you jack it up, it is angled, and there are lateral forces. Lifting a car 12" from zero to 12" off the floor is almost no risk. Lifting it from 12" to 24" is riskier (because you are adding lateral forces to the cribbing on the opposite side). Lifting  from 24" to 36" would be very risky to do in one lift. 

I don't like to lift one corner at a time. Most cars can be lifted one side at a time. Again, more predicable lateral loads (a car being lifted from the right side is giving lateral loads on the left equally distributed. A car being lifted at one corner is giving lateral loads to all three other corners, in different directions).

Its pretty hard to come up with specific formulas on this.

Don't build a ramp. Too many things can go wrong. 

Cribbing. 

iborg said:

Did you assemble each block of four or did you simply stack them? How high did you have the blocks raising the car?

I'm guessing you went around the car in a circle with one floor jack or did a back to front with two jacks?

 

Each block of four was assembled to make one layer. I had 6 layers stacked while I was working and I never once felt it was unstable in any way. I raised one side of the car at a time and took 2-3 lifts to get to the final height. 

The ramp in that link looks terrifying.

Yellow corvette guy is likely going to die under his car one day.  If he’s lucky the drywall screws are going to fail when he’s driving up and not laying underneath the car.  I’m not trusting my life with osb and drywall screws.  

If a lift in the garage leads to divorce, leave her now 

Any one try these? 

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/79004/10002/-1?CAWELAID=230006180040252388&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=39714413703&CATCI=aud-300525381019:pla-484224800072&CATARGETID=230006180039220966&cadevice=m&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8MvWBRC8ARIsAOFSVBVCj2jQXebtgvUooI1Yn0Hij9bSd68l1f3TB-5FNQTtNUei5zySzDYaAnrlEALw_wcB

Neat, but i need a failsafe.  A pin, a bar, anything to keep them up when a hose bursts.  

According to the website, it has locks on the hydraulic cylinder that lock the cylinder in place.