Gramp5

Should cars have anything under them for winter storage.Put up on jack stands?

Oldsguy

Welcome to CO. We have numerous threads about this, a simple search netted me this thread which refers to another thread in it's body that is also useful.

Tell us about yourself and your Oldsmobile.

jaunty75

Putting it up on stands would take the weight off the tires and prevent them from developing flat spots. But, what you should do is raise the car only to the point that each tire is just touching the ground and not so that there is space between the bottom of the tire and the ground. You don't want the wheels dangling by the suspension for extended periods of time.

joe_padavano

Just to clarify a little, be sure the jack stands are under the rear axle and front control arms so that the weight of the car is on the suspension. At that point, it doesn't matter if the tires touch the ground or not. In fact, you should keep them off the ground.

jaunty75

Thank you.

toro68

I use Sat-Bil in the gas tank before I put up the Oldsmobile for the winter.

jaunty75

I think you mean "Sta-Bil."

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/default.aspx

Sat-Bil is what Dish Network and DirecTV customers have to pay each month.

my72vert

This is what I have heard

Dont leave jackstands on the frame. This could cause frame to sag or bend in spots. It is better to leave the car on the ground.

Radial tires will not flatspot. It is recommended to overinflate the tires a little. Bias ply tires will flatspot.

Do not fill gas tank all the way, only 7/8ths full. Add fuel stabilizer.

Change oil before storing.

It is not necessary to remove the battery. Just hook up to a maintenence type charger. One that monitors the battery charge.

Store the car clean and cover with a breathable cover

Put some kind of rodent deterent on the inside and on top of the air cleaner.

These are tips I have read or have gotten from other collector car guys.

ziff396

Mine is on concrete. However, I also put 6 mil plastic under it during the winter. Unless there was a vapor barrier installed under the concrete, moisture will come up through it. I have seen this in the winter as vapor particles form under the plastic. Outside temp down to 0, but the earth under the concrete remains about 50 below frost. I know this as I am a contractor.

Oldsguy

Interesting information ziff, thanks for that tidbit.

Gramp, sorry for the inaccurate referral. I now realize you were mostly concerned with supporting the car and not general winterizing techniques. They are still good ones though.

cutlassgal

I have a plastic tarp I park Teepo on. I have a question - actually Larry was wondering about this..... Would having a little fan blowing towards the underneath of her help any, or make no difference - he thought it might help to have air just circulating to cut down on moisture, humidity, rust, etc.... He said to ask you all!

TK-65

I read people saying to put the car up in the air on jack stands for storage. This is something Ill NEVER do. It would suck big time if your garage or home caught fire and you couldnt get the car out because it was on jack stands. I park mine on carpet, put a cover on, pull the battery cables and leave it till spring. Been doing it for 15 years.

jaunty75

I would think that the blowing fan would have a negligible effect if all you're doing is just blowing air from the garage onto the underside of the car. If any moisture condenses on the car, which the presence of the plastic tarp is supposed to help minimize, the blowing air could speed up how quickly it evaporates. But the question is how quickly if the air you're blowing onto the underside of the car is no different in moisture content than the air would be if you weren't blowing it onto the car. In short, I think the moving air would help, but not that much.

I would think a more effective thing to do would be to run a dehumidifier in the garage to keep the air in the garage as dry as possible. In the north in the winter time, if the garage is unheated, this is not likely much of a problem or an issue. But if it's an attached garage or unattached but heated in any way, the moisture content of the air would likely be higher than the outside air, and a dehumidifier would help.

cutlassgal

Thanks Jaunty. Larry was just wondering when I went out and started her the other day. She sits in an unattached unheated garage. He insulated it and got drywall up over the summer, but the only heat comes from electric heaters he uses when he's out there, which isn't often.

442much

I also open my windows a crack to save the weatherstripping. My weatherstripping is original so it must be working. It doesn't leak or whistle at higher speeds.

I too, will never jack my car up so it's immovable.

76 Regency

[quote=442much;I too, will never jack my car up so it's immovable.[/quote]

I've been doing this too, even sometimes leaving the doors only half-way latched but recently I heard NOT to do this because it literally is an open door for insects and rodents. What do you think?

bkeese

I got a buddy (retire contractor) with a pair of 57 Dodge hemis and said he noticed rusting on the cars until he placed plastic under them. He use a heavy rubbery plastic he bought from Home Depote. I covered my gravel with plastic before I poured the concrete and that helps alot.

I never do it except on boats and lawn mowers but running the gas out of the carbs on these things really works.

I know my trailers get cracks in the sidewalls from sitting, how about car tires, never noticed it. Do trailer tires crack because of UV rays?

Bluevista

I park mine on visqueen, overinflate the tires, radials will get flat spots but they go away after a few miles of driving, turn off the battery. cover it up with good car cover and leave it until spring. I don't even charge the battery, always start right up, only batteries I had problems with were the old repo wet cell Delco type, they were junk. I've been doing that storage deal for the winter for thirty years and never a problem.
I know there are differing opinions but I was taught forty years ago by the best mechanic I ever met to never jack or support a car under the control arms or rear axle housing tubes or differential. If you want to take weight off the tires you're better off jacking it up by the specified jacking points on the frame, support it with jackstands, then jack on the axle and control arms and put more stands under those so you're only jacking the suspension and not trying to jack up the full weight of the car.
I don't want my car to be stuck in the garage in a fire either so I've never done it, no reason to anyway and it always does more damage than good to the suspension bushings. Get some roller wheels/tires if you have bias ply or roll the car backwards or forward a little periodically so it isn't sitting on the same spot.

stevengerard

doesn't anyone run their car for a bit during the winter? I go out and let mine run 15 - 20 minutes once a month or so, even back it out and pull it in a few feet. I just put my car away this weekend and will probably have another opportunity over the next few weeks to at least drive it around the block. In all reality I don't think my car has ever been put away longer than mid November through mid April which at most is 5 months. The battery has always started the car and the tires never seems to get a flat spot. So am I doing the car wrong by letting it run 15 - 30 minutes once or twice month?

jaunty75

I do more than that. Even though it's winter, there is still the occasional dry, sunny day, and I'll start it up, back it out of the driveway, and go for a spin at least until it reaches operating temperature.

442much

My car is covered and I don't open the doors, just the windows slightly. As for insects, there are NO insects around when my car goes into storage. Never had a mouse problem. My car cover covers the tailpipes. Never even found "mouse poop". They are not there, or they pick up after themselves.

442much

Lots of people run their car during winter. I don't because I pull the battery and store it in the house. My battery is guaranteed for as long as I own the car, (unless it freezes), so I pull it out of the car just to be sure. Besides, 6 months is not a long time to store a car.

Tedd Thompson

We never completely put our car away for the winter. We live in the mountains of northern California and have been known to take friends out for a jaunt in our '55 Olds convertible with the top down on a sunny winter day with snow on the ground. It wasn't exactly warm. In fact, I wore most all of my clothes (and some of my wife's).

We have also bundled up, armed ourselves with warm drinks from Starbucks and taken the Olds out (Top Down) to look at Christmas lights. We figure we have to enjoy it while we can. We're thankful they don't salt our roads.

The funniest thing about a convertible in the snow is the criticism one gets from snomobilers!....Tedd

Oldsguy

Sounds like you are a person that has learned to enjoy life Tedd. Good for you!

navvet

great ideas from everyone. I put down plastic on concrete, crack the windows and disconnect the battery. I place a box of baking soda in the car interior( to stop mildew odors) and believe it or not......
I place drier sheets in the engine compartment to keep out rodents...it works!! Last year my ride on mower which is stored in the same garage had rodents in the battery and air filter but my 88 (which had the drier sheets) did not. I also over inflate tires and check tire preasure once a month...if preasure drops I add a few lbs

jaunty75

I'm going to have to try this.

Aron Nance

We've been doing the "Christmas Lights" thing for several years, now. Juju gets to wear her fur coat, we turn the heater on HIGH, and usually a warm type toddy of some type. Fun to get another couple in the back; they have to really bundle up. Seems as if we always do it on the coldest Holiday evening, for some reason.

cutlassgal

I wish I had a driveway to the garage out back. Then I could get Teepo out and take her for a spin on the nice winter days with dry unsalted roads!

Before I put her away, I fill the tank, add Sta-bil, and have her oil changed. I park her on the tarp, clean her and cover her up. I put lots of Bounce dryer sheets in her - under the seats, dash, in the trunk, under the hood. I've never seen a mouse out there, but who knows?

I start her every 3 weeks or so and let her run about 25 minutes. I turn on the AC and the heat once in a while, and move her back and forth a little bit each time. I've never had flat spots on the tires. Now that I have the battery disconnect thing, I disconnect it when I shut her off. I'm in Cutlass withdrawl.

slowolds

My 2 cents on the fan. I think it makes a great deal of difference. I have a 70 year old unheated, uninsulated garage with rotten sills. I always had an exhaust fan but before I ran a floor fan the air was always stale and dank. It is much different with air movement.
The time that it most beneficial is the spring when the snow is melting and humidity is 100% but still cold. Moisture will form on all surfaces (tools, jacks, etc..) when I run the fan on high that moisture does not form like it does when there is no air movement.

I cannot explain this difference, I just know that is how it is a my house.
I will always have air moving around my cars.

bkeese

Know one has memtioned a stuck clutch after winter storage. That surprises me. In my old garage, I built it, my 62 vette's clutch would stick even after a few months of non-use. In my current garage, I built it also, I have never had a stuck clutch even after 2-3 years of inactivity. Difference, I put plastic under the concrete. A fellow vette guy told me about plastic under the concrete to prevent moisture. I suppose that painting the concrete would accomplish the same thing as plastic under the car, don't you think?

mauls

Unfortunately I only have room for 2 cars in my garage. I have my Riviera, and my challenger in there. I washed and waxed each of them before storing, I attached a battery tender to both, and drier sheets, left the windows cracked. The riviera is on wheel dollies and scooted over to the corner. The garage isn't heated, but I turn on a space heater when I'm in there working.

The olds stays at my moms house outside under a car port. It is 80% covered. I cover it with a breathable car cover, and connect it to a battery tender also.

cutlassgal

Well then, I think I'll try the fan this year!