The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Storage

Need advice as to how best to lift 52 1/2 ton pickup to place on floor jacks for winter storage. Still getting mixed advice. Where to place floor jacks for lifting front and rear and where to place jack stands.

Lift at the middle of the front axle.
Put two jack stands under the axle

Lift underneath the rear-end housing.
Put two jack stands under arms on the axle housing.

If it were me, I'd put the jack stands under the frame to take the weight off of the springs.

Mike B

“ . . . how best to lift 52 1/2 ton pickup to place on floor jacks . . . “

lift?

I agree about stands under the frame - if your stands can be places that high (maybe with wheels removed).

What surface does your storage area have? If it's dirt or gravel, fabricate some square pads from pressure treated lumber for the jack stands to sit on. I use 2 X 6's with a couple of cross braces made of 2 X 4's. Stand bases can penetrate into a soft surface and allow the vehicle to become unstable. Ditto on supporting the frame. Don't forget to seal off the intake and exhaust to keep humidity from getting to the cylinders through open valves and rusting the cylinder walls. Use fogging oil in the cylinders first.
Jerry

Excellent observation and suggestions, as usual, Jerry

When I only had dirt floors in my garage, I did the following before storing a truck on jack stands:

Place 6 mil or thicker plastic on the dirt/gravel floors, to stop moisture rising from below.
Spread the plastic with at least 1 foot outside the base/bottom-dimensions of the truck.

Get a 2” x 12” x 8’ long piece of pressure treated lumber - cut into 4, 2’ pieces.
Put those pieces under the jack stands.

This helps to decrease rusting from rising moisture, and it gives a steadier/stronger base for the stands (on dirt/gravel floors).

Thanks to all of you. Cement floor, Jerry. Just concerned mainly that the front straight axle not become damaged by lifting in the center with the floor jack. Also was told that it is not good to have suspension hanging with jack stands supports on frame. Good advice from all of you. Thank you. Chuck in Michigan

Chuck,

Is the ground beneath your cement floor dry (and, well drained)?
If not, moisture might "rise" through it.
Better safe than sorry . . .

these trucks (all vehicles for that matter) are made to sit with their weight on the suspension their entire life. I am not sure why one would put jack stands under the frame instead of under the axles. I would do exactly as Tim said in the 2nd post. If not on good solid concrete, do as Jerry said and make some squares for the jack stands to sit on so they don't sink.

Did they use a different type of concrete to make the Hoover Dam than what is used for garage floors?
I can understand moisture coming though cracks in the concrete floor.

Learn more about concrete.
https://www.baseconcrete.co.uk/different-types-of-concrete-grades-and-their-uses/

Warming and cooling in non temp controlled buildings will develop moisture.
Don

Thanks, Don

A little more information about the possibility of moisture rising through a concrete floor.

Carl, I know nothing about the type of concrete used in the Hoover Dam?
Are you sure that they did not put 6 mil plastic on the inner side (wet side) of the dam walls?

I'm with 69Cuda in needing some education on why you would want to have the truck sit for an extended time on anything other than its suspension/wheels and tires? The only reason I can think of is to prevent flat spots on the tires?

When I deployed to Okinawa for three years, I left my '70 Chevelle in Dad's barn (wood floor). I removed the expensive tires and the Corvette rally wheels (put each one in a large garbage bag and fogged it with tire preservative) and put the car on four old wheels and tires I got from the junk yard. After three years, put the good wheels and tires on and drove the car away (how I set up the engine and tranny for long-term storage is beyond the subject of this thread). No issues from sitting so long with stresses in places other than where they were designed to go.

I agree with John and 69cuda on this one.

Yup with John Milliman on this, especially if it's just for the winter months. Drive the darn thing! Yeah, very easy to say by a west coaster who drives year around with the windows down. But seriously for those who need to take this extra step, many of the suggestions above will get you thru the snowy months.

I would question the need to store on stands. Back in the day, tire flat spotting was a concern. Those flat spots were caused by nylon belts. Those “old tires” could permanently flat spot,

Any modern tire flat spot is not much of concern. Some high speed rated tires can have minor flat spotting. But when that tire is return to running temperature the flat spots go away.

As far the suspension springs being damaged or wear or spring taking a “set”.........absolutely no concerns.

If you take it to extremes.......would you loosen the valve adjustment on those valve springs under open pressure in the engine.


As far as ideal storage ...........climate controlled heated +50* and low humidity less than 50%.

Thank you for all the advice and suggestions. Had a second consideration: I understand that setting on cement does not harm radial tires but how about our old style wheel bearings during a six month winter storage?
Merry Christmas to all Stovebolters.
Chuck 52

If wheel bearings were that flimsy, they wouldn't have lasted a week, bouncing around on dirt or gravel roads, doing farm stuff. Back when these trucks were new, they worked for a living. The "Cowboy Cadillac" pickup didn't come into being until the 1990's or so.
Jerry

Funny thing Jerry, my “Cowboy Cadillac” is sitting out in the driveway and my “Farm Truck” is now sitting in a nice warm garage. It was not always that way though. Even after years of my truck sitting in the yard, the bearings still looked fine. Even the grease did not look too bad. (That is when I finally got the wheels off the truck due to frozen brakes and drums.) I’m not sure what the “Cowboy Cadillac” would look like after sixty-four years outside.

As for moisture and concrete, I think 2-Ton got it right with “Warming and cooling in non temp controlled buildings will develop moisture.” I live in an area with high humidity and I have actually had to sweep condensation off of a concrete slab under a covered porch.

I hope everyone doesn’t mind me chiming in on this since I actually had some of the same questions about storage and I also appreciate the information. This may be a little off topic, but here is a little interesting trivia about the Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam

Hi Hot Rod Lincoln and Smith Lake Chevy.
Sounds as if setting in one spot during the six months of winter here in Michigan should not harm the wheel bearings of our 1952 1/2 ton. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Chuck 52

Moisture (humidity) is the big problem in our area. A couple of weeks ago, I opened the garage door and in less than 5 minutes there was condensation all over the truck. My biggest concern was that the gauge clusters fogged up. Took it out and drove it around for a few miles - the cab got nice and toasty warm and the gauges cleared. I suppose the lesson here is don't open the garage door unless you are going to drive the truck.

Living in upstate New York (and I suspect Michigan has similar weather), I have been storing my wife's non-stovebolt convertible in a non heated garage for the past six years and this year my ‘52 Chevy 3100. Moisture during the winter has never been a issue. I place moisture absorbers inside the vehicle and they were never full when I opened the vehicle in the spring. Winter storage lasts from the first snow in November (so as to avoid the salt) thru mud season in April. The biggest issue with moisture, is in the spring when I open the garage door and every piece of metal, which is much cooler then the ambient air temperature, within minutes condensates. The cool concrete walls condensate puddles of water on the floor to the point I was positive that the contractor who built my garage didn’t seal the walls and floor properly. As long as the garage door was closed it wasn’t an issue.

The biggest issue I’ve encountered was a dead battery. In NY a dead battery in freezing temperatures cracks the battery. Since then, I place trickle chargers on all of my batteries. My preference is Battery Tenders by Deltran. I don’t disconnect the battery in my wife’s vehicle as it reset all the codes but I will disconnect the battery on my ‘52.

I have also learned my lesson with ethanol gas and I use nothing but non-ethanol gas. If your truck is a daily driver, you can use ethanol gas during the year but run the last tank or two with non-ethanol if available. I also treat my gas prior to storage with stabol.

When I lived in “upstate NY” for 35 years, before I had the 6” cement floors poured in the non-heated garage, I place two layers of 6 mil polyethylene over the gravel bed.

Winter truck procedure:

Fill the gas tank with regular (regular ethanol formula) fuel before hibernation and put gas treatment in the fuel tank.

After filling the tank and treating the gas, I ran the engine for 15 minutes.

I left the truck-radial tires on the truck, and the truck/tires on the floor.

The 6v battery was left in the truck, on a “controlled” trickle charge.
That Optima 6v battery is at least 15 years old.

There were never any problems after hibernation. All I had to do was:
- prime the carburetor with a little gas (with choke open)
- pump the gas pedal a few times
- pull the choke closed
- crank the engine
- and, finally, on the first indication of firing, I released the choke a little

Lots of similar discussions about winter storage on the motorcycle forums. Some guys go to extremes. All I ever did was be sure I had it parked in the garage where I wanted it to sit, and turn off the key. 😎. I never used a battery tender. Don’t own one. Bike never failed to start come spring. Sold it at 7 years old with the original battery. Your mileage may vary.