Storing Car on Blocks is Not Done Now?

[Vettevrooom]

I thought I read back in the fall where someone explained why you should not put a car on blocks, that it is an old theory and it ruins the car or tires? Does anyone remember that or know the theory for why it shouldn't be done? Thank you much!

 

[y2khardtop]

I've been inside and out of the C5, and see no reason not to put it on blocks. Today's tires may not need it, but the chassis and suspension will not care one way or the other.

Dave

 

[Vettevrooom]

Cool car!! Love the color LOL! Lucky you, that must be a thrilling sport!!

Thank you for the reply. Didn't think it would make a difference what type of car, but maybe it does. My son has a '91 MR2 Toyota modified in & out & with turbos and is planning to buy the necessary equipment to store it off the tires because he always heard you were supposed to for the winter. If that is no longer true it will save him some expense & time. He does have new tires on it. He's going to wait for me to try & find the article or theory.

 

[Ken]

Ya know Dave, I never thought of it before, probably because I never saw a shot that depicted it so clearly, but do you think the exhaust heat emanating from the pipes have any effect on the air entering the brake cooling ducts ahead of the rear wheels? My guess is that there isn't much effect or else why wouldn't all of the race teams do something about it.

 

[yellow_2002_germany]

The theory in the past was the blocks lifting the car off of the ground kept the tires from flat spotting. You just have to make sure the blocks are positioned under the car to load the suspension.

 

[corvettecrazy]

just a question: why do you want the suspension loaded???

I know RC cars and real cars are alot different but for RC car you aren't supposed to load the suspension(the weight of the car shouldbe supported with the chassis plate)

what makes it so real car's suspension need the weight on them??

 

[yellow_2002_germany]

I read that somewhere but can't remember the reason. It seemed to have something to do with potential shock absorber damage.

 

[Ken]

In the old days, if your let your tires sit on cold concrete for months at a time, they would develop flatspots. Today they are virtually unheard of.

Also, you want to keep a load on your suspension components. After all, the parts are designed and engineered to be used under load at all times, taking the weight off springs and shocks (or struts) is usually worse than leaving weight on them. The suspension of the car should remain compressed as well to avoid the onset of rust. Springs can take a set, but not as much as years ago; the steels that are used today are far superior and unless the time span is long, blocking to save the suspension and springs is probably not necessary for the couple of months of the winter.

Of course, we who have the fiberglass springs don't have that concern in the first place.

Suspending the car to take the weight off is more a consideration of the bearings. This can be avoided by simply rolling the car back and forth a few times a month.

As for the reasoning behind keeping the load off of a radio-controlled car... It's beyond me - never raced 'em.

 

[tankman]

I get flat spots on my Impala. Granted it's a '96 but the tires are new BFG's. Only takes about 10-14 days to get them.

 

[Vettevrooom]

"As for the reasoning behind keeping the load off of a radio-controlled car... It's beyond me - never raced 'em."

Ken, how did we get off topic to radio controlled & real cars?? I'm referring to a real car.

 

[Ken]

I got the idea from this:

... I know RC cars and real cars are alot different but for RC car you aren't supposed to load the suspension(the weight of the car shouldbe supported with the chassis plate)

Are you telling me now that "RC" doesn't stand for "Radio Controlled"? :L

 

[Vettevrooom]

I have no idea how that got started. I'm referring to my son's MR2! LOL

 

[corvettecrazy]

sorry to get you off the cut path but that was the only other suspension thing I have ever heard of. I know RC(remote controlled) cars aren't supposed to have a loaded suspension but i related it to real cars. Sorry to confuse you.


onto the topic again: it looks like the general opinion is that the suspension needs to be loaded and storing on blocks isn't but but also isn't really necessary.