Storing my blazer for two Months?

enilly · #1 05-09-2006, 04:49 PM

I plan on storing my Blazer outdoors for two months from Mid june to mid august in central PA. It will be hot and humid and I'm wondering how I can store it with the least amount of weather/idle damage. I can store it in a backyard (gravel with some grass, secluded), or an asphalt parking lot (high traffic). What is my best bet for minimal cost?
Ethan

Ultrashock · #2 05-09-2006, 04:56 PM

If I were you I would buy a car cover off of ebay or something. I would also put it in the backyard on the gravel where its not on the hot blacktop and its in the shade. The sun and heat can really screw up your interior. I store my blazer every year during the summer for about 2 1/2 months when I go on vacation. I live in similar conditions but it is in a garage. Starts up fine and runs perfectly when I get back

BlazerLT · #3 05-09-2006, 04:58 PM

Pavement.

Anything with grass will introduce moisture to the undercarraige.

old_master · #4 05-09-2006, 06:58 PM

Cover it with a good car cover, inside a garage would be best, if one is not available, most definitely store it on pavement. After you park it, spray both sides of the brake rotors with a light coating of penetrating oil, (not WD40) to protect them from rust. After storage and before driving, spray the rotors with brake clean to remove the penetrating oil residue.

BlazerLT · #5 05-09-2006, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old_master

Cover it with a good car cover, inside a garage would be best, if one is not available, most definitely store it on pavement. After you park it, spray both sides of the brake rotors with a light coating of penetrating oil, (not WD40) to protect them from rust. After storage and before driving, spray the rotors with brake clean to remove the penetrating oil residue.

No offense, but you don't spray any oil on your rotors. They will rust in minutes after a drive and it is only surface rust which will be removed within a few miles of use.

Anyone using an oil on their rotors is just asking for an accident.

old_master · #6 05-09-2006, 10:46 PM

I have stored customers vehicles for up to 5 years at a time using this technique without so much as a hint of rust or a problem braking. When brake rotors are manufactured and packaged for shipping, they are coated with a light film of oil. This prevents rust until it’s time to install the rotors. It may be weeks, months, or even years from the time they are manufactured until they are installed. Standard procedure when replacing rotors is to clean them before installing them. Agreed, surface rust will appear very rapidly if raw iron is left unprotected from moisture. And yes, it will wear off after a few brake applications without incident. However; when storing a vehicle for an extended period of time without protection, the surfaces of the rotors will become extremely rough with rust. This will cause unnecessary excessive wear on the pads, not to mention the noise, while driving after they are taken out of storage. This same technique holds true when storing an engine. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lawnmower, snow blower, motorcycle, or a vehicle engine. Squirt some oil into each spark plug hole, then manually turn the crankshaft a few revolutions to coat the cylinder walls, and then reinstall the spark plugs.

BlazerLT · #7 05-09-2006, 11:35 PM

This is true, but as you said, you clean the new rotors before installation.

Are people supposed to take brake clean to their rotors after the storage period to remove the oil?

OverBoardProject · #8 05-10-2006, 12:00 AM

Personally I wouldn't coat my brakes in any oil while storing my vehicles for only a few short months.

However what I would do ahead of time is wax your Blazer, treat the tires and interior with protectant (armor all type thing, but use another brand for the interior)
You have to remember that new car dealers in your area have cars outside for longer than that without any anything protecting them from the elements.

AlmostStock · #9 05-10-2006, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enilly

I plan on storing my Blazer outdoors for two months from Mid june to mid august in central PA. It will be hot and humid and I'm wondering how I can store it with the least amount of weather/idle damage. I can store it in a backyard (gravel with some grass, secluded), or an asphalt parking lot (high traffic). What is my best bet for minimal cost?
Ethan

For me this is a no brainer. Go with the secluded backyard. Since the asphalt parking lot is "high traffic", you can easily end up with door dings or worse. I'd gladly chance any moisture from the grass before that! Yes, get a cover made for outdoors if you can, and don't worry about coating your rotors with anything for such a short period.

BlazerLT · #10 05-10-2006, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlmostStock

For me this is a no brainer. Go with the secluded backyard. Since the asphalt parking lot is "high traffic", you can easily end up with door dings or worse. I'd gladly chance any moisture from the grass before that! Yes, get a cover made for outdoors if you can, and don't worry about coating your rotors with anything for such a short period.

One thing you can do to counteract the moistures is lay a cheap tarp on the ground and park the truck on top of it.

Tarps are so chep AND you will be able to see whether or not your truck is leaking anything during its stay there.

OverBoardProject · #11 05-10-2006, 01:37 AM

Give who ever cuts the lawn (or someone close by that you trust) a copy of the keys with the understanding that they'll only move it to cut the lawn. Then the grass won't grow long enough to worry about and the lawn looks better when you get back.

BlazerLT · #12 05-10-2006, 01:43 AM

Actually, grass will cause corrosion rather quickly seeing the undercarraige will be subjected to moisture around the clock.

That is why I never buy a car that has been sitting on a lawn for an extended period of time.

The tarp will fix that though and I saw a couple of guys doing that to stop the moisture from the ground rusting the underbody.

OverBoardProject · #13 05-10-2006, 01:49 AM

The grass in the Okanagan where I'll be living again in 2 weeks or so doesn't get a chance to grow that tall. It's too dry there.
Which is why some of the cleanest cars in Canada come from there.

This car is 79 years old now, and spent most of it's time outside in a farmers field.
It's the origional paint, and the origional wood wheels.

It spent it's entire life in the Okanagan

old_master · #14 05-10-2006, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

This is true, but as you said, you clean the new rotors before installation.

Are people supposed to take brake clean to their rotors after the storage period to remove the oil?

The oil must be removed after storage. As I mentioned in post #4, clean them with brake cleaner before driving.

LS19962DRBLAZER4X4 · #15 05-10-2006, 11:20 AM

If you are to store the Blazer you should store it in a garage. Keeps
the insects out. Some Storage Companys will lease them to allow you
to store the vehicle for a short period of time. It also not a good idea to
leave the truck alone in the back yard on asphalt during the hot summer.
Also turn the engine twice a week when possible..

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