Storage...

[MegaMang]

So here's a question for all of you bright lads and lasses...  When you store you car between races, should you put the car up on jack stands?  If so why?  What about the rear axle?  Should it be supported on jack stands too to relieve the stresses on the linkages?

If you don't do this, what is the result?

Thanks for your help?
Mike

[pegalis]

The stresses on the heims and the links of the suspension are little to none while the car is just sitting there.   The only reason to keep the car on jack stands during storage is to keep the tires from developing flat spots. Or, if you have really soft coils, to keep them from sagging.   Also, I suppose that if you have the fancy do'da hiems with the self lubricating teflon liners, then it might be in the cards to even remove the links to keep the oils from being pressed out of one spot on the liner. But, we cant use those, so...

[MegaMang]

Nope.  No fancy do da heims...

Thanks Pegalis!
Mike

[RickyBobby]

So to add to this.  Does anyone recommend where to put the jack stands?  I put mine at the back of the car and the other set just behond the motor but I found I had to move these and it looked like there was too much pressure from the motor on the front clip.  It was starting to sag a bit.

[MegaMang]

Good question.  I'd noticed that too and had my jack stands just behind the front wheels under the rails.

[pegalis]

Rear stands on the rear axle. The front clip needs a jack on the front suspension bar *one in the center* and two on the back of the clip where the front of the roll cage begins.  This will keep it all from sagging on'ya.  If you are really worried about sagging, simply store the car on bare wheels. No tires, just the bare rims.  Hell, then there are no flat spots to worry about and the weight is evenly distributed!

[IraceLegends77]

I put mine as far back on the front clip just to have more room to work. If your car is sagging deom having jack stands on the front I think that you have more problem than that. A car should not sag from being supported from its own weight if so what is going to happen on impact. I do us a block of wood on the right rear axle tube just to hold the drive shft off the frame rail and so I can spin the rear.

[thunder938]

You will  see the clip flex with the stands back, the clip will flex up with the stand up near the bumper ( where I see a lot of people put the stands) this has the weight of the car plus the leverage of being at the front of the frame 2 to 3 feet from the reinforcement of the firewall area.  The front clips on these this flex a lot in every direction up and down.  I put the stands on the lower frame rail under the firewall and on the rear rail just behind the axle.  By doing this I can get the car way up of the ground to change the gear.  I also block the axle housing..

I dont think that flat spotting these tires is a problem if the car is raced every weekend.  I would not store the car over the off season on the tires, but then I would be getting new ones for the next year.  These tires where made of a full size car, well compact car anyway.  I dont think that a week sitting on the ground with a 1100lbs on them will do much

[MegaMang]

I've noticed my car move a little when I move the jack stands around, but then again, if it doesn't flex a little it'll be to brittle.

Thanks guys,
Mike