We will be leaving the country for 9 months, and plan to leave a car (actually a pick-up truck) in the garage. Should the truck be put “on blocks,” and how do you do this?
[b]You’ll need four jackstands and a jack to raise the vehicle.
Raise the vehicle one corner at a time. On the front, raise it enough so a jackstand can be placed under the lower control arm so when lowered the tire is off the ground. On the rear, raise the vehicle enough so that the jackstands sit under the rear axle and when lowered the tires are off the ground.
Tester[/b]
I would actually do this a different way the previous but That way also works. and if you don’t have 4 jack stands you can use 4 cinder blocks too. I would raise it up so that the wheels are off the ground and place either the jack stands or blocks under the frame and let the suspension hang.I do this so that the suspension doesn’t get soft and spongy. It may ride like a brick for awhile after to get back but that will smooth out after a few weeks.
[b]Never, ever use cinder blocks to support a vehicle!
Cinder blocks aren’t designed to take the concentrated load that vehicle would impose on them, and can shatter without warning! Seen it too many times.
Only a fool uses cinder blocks to support the weight of a vehicle.
Tester[/b]
I agree, too many people have been injured doing this. Just buy jack stands, they are not expensive and they were designed for this purpose.
I aggree with Tester. Cinder blocks are NOT a safe way to support a vehicle. Use jack stands.
For only nine months you could let the truck sit on its tires if you don’t want to buy jack stands.
Inflate the tires a bit above normal pressure and they will be fine.
IMO, there’s no reason to lift the vehicle off its suspension during your absence. Radial tires will not develop flat spots and the suspension will not be harmed by 9 months or even years of supporting the vehicle in a static position. I have seen instances where jacking the car up DID cause problems when it was improperly leveled and the frame/unit body settled over time to the supports. The suspension insures that the vehicle is properly supported as it was designed to do.
It may not be safe if you just drop the car down but They make buildings that are much heavier then a vehicle that are still standing with cinder blocks so what is the difference. Now if you slowly lower the vehicle down and not just release the jack it should work. I have yet to have a car break a cinder block when I store them. As another not make sure that the vehicle is completely level that is why I recommend the frame not the suspension. Also radial tire do develop flat spots when stored I have many times found a car that was stored just sitting on the tires for over a year and they tires were flat spotted and egg shaped.
Also the point of my original post was the fact that to support the vehicle on the frame not suspension. and to each there own on cinder blocks.
I do not want to leave the OP with misinformation; it is not safe to support a vehicle on cinder blocks, the can and have failed (basically exploded) resulting in injury. Cinder blocks are designed for a uniform load, not a localized load. It is dangerous, do not do it!
It comes down to pounds per square inch. Sure a building is very heavy but its weight is distributed over many, many blocks. The orientation of the block is also crucial. In general, it’s a bad idea to store anything of appreciable weight on cinder blocks.
Our experiences differ when it comes to radial tires. I have yet to encounter a flat spot on a radial tire that was properly inflated and did not leak.
- Protect from rodents and vandals.
- Disconnect battery. *
- Visit car wash and allow to dry before storage.
- Don?t use a car cover; it traps moisture.
- Don?t have someone drive it, unless they are going to drive it a good distance at least once a week. Long enough to get it fully warmed up plus.
- Fill the fuel tank
- Don?t leave the parking brake on. Leave it in gear or block the tyres.
If over one month
- Arrange for battery charging or a new battery on return. A charger made for this or a charger on a timer is good.
- Change the oil if it is due
If over three months
- Use fuel stabilizer when you fill the tank.
- Change oil anyway
- It is best to remove the battery and bring it inside. Giving it a little charge every month and giving it a little charge every month is a great idea. Very few car thieves carry an assortment of batteries around with them so your car is a lot safer.
There is no need to put it on blocks. In the old days nylon tires would take a set if left in one place too long but tires today don’t do that. Concrete blocks should never be used. They can easily crack apart and crumble. Just take a chisel to one once and see how easily they crack.
A car on blocks is hard to move in case of a fire.
Craig is correct. Lots of people use cinder blocks, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. If you have to support a vehicle, jack stands or ramps are the only safe ways to do it.