Should a car be stored on jackstands? Options

[PanelBilly]

Just wondered what's the best way for the car to sit when its not in use

[jaxdream]

If you got the space , spare jackstands and don't need to move the car , then why not?? The jackstands will take the pressure off the tires and keep from flat spotting them , making for a more rounder tire that won't go blip blip till it heats up upon reuseing said car ,I suppose it depends on how long the car is going to be inactive, YMMV....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Jack / Jaxdream

[montoya 73 2.0]

The correct way to store a vehicle for more than a few months is to remove the wheels and stack them. I've also heard about filling the gas tank to full.

[tradisrad]

I am always nervous storing a car on jack stands, but I also live 1/4 mile from the San Andreas fault.
I really dont see a problem storing it on stands.

[bandjoey]

But! Once on stands they tend to grow into the steel. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jt914-6]

For any length of time jackstands keep the tires from flat spotting. But don't let them rust onto the car....

[shoguneagle]

I usually store a car during the winter months (mid Oct to mid April) since the cars are usually in Flagstaff, AZ instead of Northern California (one car remains in Nor-Cal where it is licensed and insured). Here is what i do for short storage say one to three/four months: Full gas tank with Stable additive, wheel dollies in case I have to move them, fresh oil prior to storage, increase the air ten pounds over normal driving requirements, battery tender if not avvailable then disconnect battery, start the cars at least twice and drive them around (this depends on weather in the Arizona High Country - 7100 ft). These cars never see snow or adverse weather.

If it looks like the cars will be stored more than five months, the tires are removed after doing the above items; cars on jack stands. All the cars are stored inside and covered. Any project cars I am working on are moved to the trailer garage where the openings are covered, enclosure sealed at lower points, air vented to the completely enclosure, etc after doing the foregoing items. In the Spring time and when it is warm (either Nor-Cal or Flagstaff) the top and sides come off and that is where i work on the project). Usually on projects I remove the tires to take the weight off the suspension, I try to put the jack stands under the suspension rather than the frame/unibody.

These are my thoughts and have used them on highly collectible cars/projects as well as late model cars i have/still own.

Why do I do this? Fresh oil change keeps acid buildup minimized; Stable prevents fuel deterioration; full fuel tank keeps rust from forming below the tank top; jack stands under suspension points keeps tension applied to shocks, springs, torsion bars, sway bars; Use Chevron fuels and additives; Antifreeze strength verified since it freezes in Flagstaff; Try to drive each car and re-service sometime during the short period storage, if longer term than three to four months and going to be more than a year, I coat cylinders and valves with light oil and keep the spark plugs removed. Anything longer that say two years, other long term storage methods are used including placing the car into vacuum storage. Whole different set of problems.

Then again I have been accused of sometimes going overboard when it comes to storage of vehicles. These are my thoughts.

Steve Hurt

[tracks914]

I thought most 914's were on jackstands...............

[jmill]

I've got some thoughts on this, which I need to do myself. If you store your car on jack stands, level the floor. It's as easy as putting plywood or stacking 1/8th 12"x12" sticky floor tiles under the stands. You don't need to get crazy and level the whole car. Just level the 2 fronts and 2 rears to each other. Or level the 2 sides to each other. You want to avoid stressing the tub at an angle and tweaking a corner. I'd do this for sure if I was welding in any stiffening.

[VaccaRabite]

The correct way to store a vehicle for more than a few months is to remove the wheels and stack them.

Yes. This is correct.

I've also heard about filling the gas tank to full.

NO! This used to be correct, but it no longer is. if you have ethanol in your gas, your gas will have turned sour by the time spring rolls around. If possible, you want to go the other direction. Drain the tank.

This also gives you a great time to replace the fuel filters and check your fuel lines.

If you do not have ethanol in your gas, filling the tank is still a good idea. the idea is that a tank full of gas would keep water condensation out. But since the ethanol goes bad so fast, its no longer a good idea.

Zach

[PeeGreen 914]

Just curious, if storing your cars on jackstands is best why do most of the collectors with millions of dollars in cars not store them on lifts or jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[grambo]

Just curious, if storing your cars on jackstands is best why do most of the collectors with millions of dollars in cars not store them on lifts or jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Cuz millionaires R dum, huhuh lol!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

[jmill]

Just curious, if storing your cars on jackstands is best why do most of the collectors with millions of dollars in cars not store them on lifts or jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I believe rich guys (like Leno) have a guy on the payroll to run them up and rotate the tires. Not a bad gig.

[PeeGreen 914]

Just curious, if storing your cars on jackstands is best why do most of the collectors with millions of dollars in cars not store them on lifts or jackstands? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I believe rich guys (like Leno) have a guy on the payroll to run them up and rotate the tires. Not a bad gig.

Yeah, I dunno, I always wondered as I have always seen big collections just sitting and the owners never worried about the tires. From what I understand, the only reason to get the cars up is to protect the tires. Is there another reason?

[VaccaRabite]

The guys with the big collections also usually have staff mechanics, etc. If you have the money to buy 300+ cars, you can buy new tires when they flat spot.

Zach

[ArtechnikA]

Yeah, I dunno, I always wondered as I have always seen big collections just sitting and the owners never worried about the tires....

You think those guys actually _drive_ those cars?
Maybe - but I bet it's not on a whim.
There's some lead time to freshen the fluids, upcap the intake & exhaust, ungunk the fuel system, check the brakes...

I think a lot of the 'flatspot' concept may be leftover from the bias-ply tire days, although my Contis will flap a bit for the first mile.... I think if I were going to store it on the tires I might pump 'em up a bit and then bleed down before hitting the road.

Tires time out at about 6 years anyway whether they're run or not so I don't think it really makes much difference.

Going back a few posts - if there's gas in the tank, MHO is use something like StaBil. (There's probably someone somewhere who had a bad experience and hates the stuff. So you be the judge, but let it be an informed decision...)

Lifting the car also puts less preload strain on the springs, although it also extends the damper rods into the air, so it's a bit of a tradeoff suspension-wise.

[Elliot Cannon]

Store your car?? Why would I want to store my car? I don't get it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[Rand]

The collector displays would look funny if they weren't sitting on the tires.

I remember as a little kid, during a cold winter, experiencing a flat-spotted tire... By the first mile down the road it was gone. I haven't experienced flat spot syndrome since. I'm skeptical it's an issue with tires these days.

[charliew]

The new gas is impossible to keep in a fuel system safely for a extended time in my opinion. I ruined the carb on my case trying to remove a long skinny jet that had the threads at the very bottom that was froze from varnish when I first got it. I also had a new 200.00 fi pump go bad in a fiero I had for too long on jack stands in the shop. WE always turn the petcock off and let the motor run the fuel system dry on old tractors, lawn mowers, outboard motors and etc. My friend who does tractor pulls has about 20 restored john deers and all of them have av gas in them. Thats all he uses. He buys it by the barrel. It's way easier than screwing with cheap gas. he only puts a few gallons in each one so he can move them around his toy shed or to work on them. I had a rebuilt motor in a 42 jeep that had tight valve guides. They would stick if I let it set too long. I put stabil and marvel mystery oil in a under seat tank. after three months the gas was junk. I had to take the tank out and clean it out, the fuel just wouldn't fire off. Maybe it was the marvel that ruined the octane. I know one guy that for long term motor storage on carbd cars he runs diesel through them till they die from a portable fuel tank, or he slowly fogs them through the top of the carb till they die. he also drains the tank.

[montoya 73 2.0]

Here in Oregon we have "Clear gas". No ethanol! It's now legal to purchase for "on road cars" or atleast the guy sells it to me. Cost more than premium but I will pay to spare myself the drama with ethanol.