Winter Storage--Car in the air or on the ground?

[apex1]

Winter is coming here in Ohio and I will be storing my FiST. I have a question whether it's better to store it for 4 months on jackstands, or with the wheels on the ground? It's probably better for the tires to be off the ground, but does that put undue stress on the dampers? With the car elevated the dampers will be fully extended and I don't know if the weight on them is bad for months on end. And yes I know most people here think the solution is just to keep driving it, but I don't want to have it roughed up by the unbelieveable amount of brine and salt they use here.

 

[ZREXER]

I faced the same dilemma and ultimately elected to leave it on the ground. I pumped the tires up to around 45 lbs to help prevent flat spotting of the tires. I find the stock tires take a 'set' if I don't drive it even for a few days as it is. I also have the tires sitting on a few sheets of cardboard to keep them off the concrete in my garage (not sure this makes any difference) Fresh oil change and Stabil in the gas. I don't start my stored cars in the winter. Put them away hot in the fall after a long drive. I think starting over the winter just adds moisture to the oil, and exhaust system as you can't get it hot enough just idling. I have a battery tender attached.

Every now and then I sit in it and make engine sounds during the long winter...

Happy to have a winter beater, which in my case is a 2006 Ford Fusion, base with 5 speed standard. The 2.3 L engine and transmission are Mazda sourced, essentially car is a stretched Mazda 6 with a Ford body. Got it a few years back with super low mileage.

 

[Alkoran]

Let it sit on the ground: the bushings are not designed to have the suspension hanging and on many car they are "preloaded", meaning the suspension bolts are torqued down when the car is on the ground. Not sure it's the case with the FiST though.

Just inflate your tire a little more. I never had a problem of flat spotting. Anyway tires now have a much more rigid sidewall than years ago so flatspotting is less relevant today.

 

[PearlGreenNMean]

It's not a street or dirt bike. Leave it on the ground. Fill up with nitrogen before hand so they don't fluctuate from the temp changes. Every 10*F is 1 psi I believe. 4 months isn't long enough to flat spot tires out of the conditions.

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