Jack stands

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

In Michigan it's almost car storage time. Does anybody else use jack stands under their cars?

I've got it down to a science as far as placing them under the cars, but I sure get dirty placing those things no matter how many times I sweep the floor.

Over the years I've collected enough of them to place under all my cars---just takes some effort.

Tom

[Barney Eaton]

There are ongoing "theories" about storing the car "off the ground" and where to place the jack stands.

The 3 most popular are

(1) Do nothing. the minus is the weight is on the tires in one place all winter.

(2) Put it on jack stands.... with the stands under the "A" arms to mimic the ride location

(3) put the jack stands under the front and rear so all compression is off the springs. (what does this do to the shocks?)

I am a #1 person as winter here is about 10 days. Some of my cars move less in the summer than winter and so far there are no know problems with my version of storage.

[DAVES89]

I use wheel dollies. It gives you a lot more flexibility in moving the "stored" car around. Also the tire "foot print" is larger.

[NCReatta]

The only reason my cars are taken off the road during the winter is for that occasional snow ( 1/2" tops) that might happen once a year. As long as they don't salt the roads, mine go all winter.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

What is winter?

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

Once Labor Day weekend is over the boats start to come out, cottages get closed, and the days keep getting shorter. I will still keep one Reatta on the road because some days the weather is awesome even into late October.

In Michigan a lot of time, effort and $$$ is spent properly storing things from cold winter weather. As a lifelong Michigan resident I cannot imagine no leaf raking or cold, frosty fall mornings.

Tom

[Guest my3buicks]

Winter is to short of period to worry about jack stands, that's an item for long term storage.

[padgett]

Winter is "that period when your utility bills go up and you do not go outside unless you have to." Usually about 100 days from the start of June to mid-September. We are having a mild "winter" this year.

Only perfect weather I know is in Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey but are too many people there.

[dship]

I store 3 of my cars in the winter, 1 in an unheated garage and 2 in individual igloos. I store them usually from mid month November thru mid month April. I do not use jack stands and have never had a problem with tires or suspension.

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

This year is different from some past falls.

All four of my Buicks have almost new tires. HAS ANYONE ELSE NOTICED THE PRICES OF NEW TIRES????

I was at Discount Tire ten days ago getting a flat repaired when a young lady got a price quote of about $605.00 for a set of tires, I believe it was for a Jetta or a Passat. Not sure what all was included (warranty, balancing etc.) but she left saying she had to talk to her dad.

Tom

[Machiner 55]

"that period when your utility bills go up and you do not go outside unless you have to."

This is what I call Summer. As those who attended the gathering in South Bend, IN. can attest. It can be down right brutal with both high heat and humidity here in the God-forsaken land known as Northwest Indiana.

I'm on vacation this week. The lawn needs mowed but it aint hap'nin Cap'n. Not until a cold front sweeps these parts. I've got a bazillion BTU AC unit mounted in the wall of the garage. It's 72* in there with 90*+ OAT. That's where you'll find me this week.

I'm with Tom on this one. Bring on the light jacket weather!

Re. the jack-stands. This will be the first time in my whole life where this is something I'll have to consider. My first thought would be to put my '90 on stands but, I'd like to be able to, without too much trouble, move the car away from the wall to be able to work on it some cold dark winter night. (got heat in the garage too) So, the wheel dollies would be the way to go. On the other hand... If Santa is going to be nice to me (and I don't see any good reason he shouldn't be) I'd considered doing what Mr. Furman did with his wheels and get them machined and refinished at that place near Nashville, TN. I would really hope that there would be a shop somewhere in the Chicagoland area that could do the same thing just as well but have yet to find one. (haven't really looked).

If that is the case, then jack-stands it is. In my head, I came up with an idea to make a frame that would hold the car up as though it were on jack-stands and could be moved around as with the dollies but, for the lack of time and money, it will continue to have to live there.

Re., the $ of tires. YES! The last time I bought tires (about a year ago) I purchased Altimax RT's, size P215/65-R15 made in the USA by General Tire. Damned nicest tires I've ever owned. They ride really nice. Got lotsa "Gription", and are very quiet. Most expensive tires I ever bought. Bought them online through WalMart and had them shipped to the local store where they were mounted, balanced, etc. I believe it came to a tad over $550.00. A guy I work with had mentioned that he paid almost $800.00 for tires on his wife's van. I asked him what the h*ll they were made of. In typical Hoosier fashion he said. "Rubber".

"Rubber is very expensive these days". Indeed. (Tires were installed on my '89)

Well... back to the garage >>>>>>>>>>>

On my '90, I changed the Balancer and CPS, oil & filter. Cleaned around the grease fittings and added a few shots of grease.

I am noticing a " woob-woob" sound at speed so I'm crawling around on the cool garage floor (made cooler still by the output of the gazillion BTU AC units' air being pushed down by the big freak'in ugly ceiling fan I installed there after removing it from the kitchen after we bought this house 20 years ago) (big breath here) with a stethoscope, with the car up on jack-stands, with the engine running and Tx engaged, (parking brake set and wheels chocked, of course) to try and locate said noise. No luck so far. Now, I'm going to take the wheels/tires outside and try to remove the 1/8" thick buildup on the interior of the two front rims. Don't know what the heck the crap is. I bought the car that way. Once cleaned, I'll have them re-balanced and see if the "woob-woob" goes away.

The reason I've changed the HB and CPS will have to be addressed in another post. Even though I used jack-stands somewhere in the process, the topic sill deserves it's own space.

John F.

PS.

I did go outside once today already. That was to change out the nectar solution in the Hummingbird feeder.

Broke a sweat just doing that.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Machiner 55 (see edit history)

[padgett]

Lessee, In closed garage with a/c. Engine running. On floor. Isn't cooled CO heavier than air ?

[johnemac]

I have not put a car on jacks for an extended time but would think of doing it just because of mice and what they have done in a short period of time as a vehicle sat.

[Machiner 55]

Padgett,

Ohhhhh... Mae Bee thhatszz Y ie hAv ya hedd-ake.

Where in the text of my post, pray-tell, does it mention that the garage door is down whilst I perform those tasks. Ahrrrrr.

Me thinks ye made the assumption. Ahrrrr, Matey.

John F.

[farnelle]

For those of you who store cars and are concerned about mice, there is a great product out there called Fresh Cab. It comes in individual pouches and is made of all natural products. It has a fairly pleasant smell (unlike mothballs) and will last for the winter season. It will absolutely deter mice from getting near your car. A couple of pouches in the car, one on the engine and one in the trunk will do the trick. Also place a couple near the doors of the garage. The product was developed by a farmer in one of the Dakotas after he could not keep mice from eating the wires on his farm equipment stored in the winters. (I thought mice would freeze to death in the Dakotas in the winter)

You use to have to buy the product on the internet, but now it is available at Tractor Supply and maybe other outlets.

[Guest my3buicks]

I have not put a car on jacks for an extended time but would think of doing it just because of mice and what they have done in a short period of time as a vehicle sat.

A jack stand will not keep mice out of your car

[manikmekanik]

What is winter?

Winter - a very small town in Wisconsin, birthplace of Panikmekanik. It's soooo far north, they just call it winter year 'round up 'dere. We drove Black Beauty all the way up 'dere ONCE, an 8-hour drive, never leaving Wisconsin. We arrived in mid-September, stayed 1 night, nearly collided with a deer, woke to a frosty convertible, drove back down south. Frost reached the farm 2 months later. Beauty had never been frosted before, and not since.