Hey everyone,
I about to store my truck in a garage for the winter (about 4 to 6 months) and wondering if there is something i should do to help protect it for the cold winter here in Michigan. The only thing i can think of is put stable in the gas. any help will be appreciated.

 

When I had my 03 GT I stored it every winter .. this is what I did.

Put a tarp down on the concrete floor of my garage, I had done a bunch of research a read a lot about concrete floors and moisture problems. Filled the gas tank with as much fuel as I could push in then dumped in Stabil. Disconnected the negative from the battery. Jacked the car up and put it on jack stands with a lot of the weight off the tires, but not all of it. Was trying to prevent flat spots on the tires and metal fatigue in the suspension. I also treated the leather, vinyl and all rubber seals.

Then just let it sit and waited for the warmer weather.

 

why would u wanna store a 2006 ford truck...? its a truck...

 

That's what I was thinking, I can see storing a Vette, or an old Muscle Car, but a truck?

If you store your truck, what do you travel in during winter?

Or do you hibernate?

 

sometimes i wish i could hibernate. haha

 

All of the above plus change the oil and filter, the old oil has acids in it that will damage the internals as it sits. Put 1 or 2 boxes of baking soda inside to absorb moisture and help to prevent that musty smell when the weather starts to warm up. Make sure the tires are at the recommended pressure to prevent the rubber from cracking, then treat them with a good quality tire dressing.

 

and put out recon / mousetraps... unless you don't forsee that being an issue

 

Won't see me storing my truck! I bought it to work the crap out of it! I'm actually praying that we get hit with seveal Blizzards this winter, so I can play with her, & the new BFG's 285's...............

 

I agree with everyone else...........storing a truck for the winter seems pretty silly

 

The question was, how to store your truck in the winter, so whether you think it's a good idea or not has nothing to do with the actual question.

With the Mustang I do pretty much what Fordsforme and Tbird stated. Fuel stabilizer in full, or close to full tank of gas, park the wheels on carpet and change the oil/filter on the day it's being stored. That's it.

Oh, people will argue against doing this for various reasons, but, I also like to start it up and get it good and hot once every month or so. I make sure I let it run for a good 20 minutes to half an hour with some gentle throttle every now and again so it's not just idling. I've tried leaving it all winter without startup but found that letting it sit creates a small leak ( around rear main seal, and it's new) because seals dry up. By starting it up and letting it get hot the seals are freshened up and there are no leaks found underneath it in the spring.

 

I did it with my Mustang also, filled the tank and every month I drove it around the neigbhood. There is always a day during the winter when it is nice out.

 

You need to use some Engine Fogging Oil. The fogging oil will form a barrier that will prevent surface corrosion on cylinder liners, piston rings, and bearings .

 

I start my old Tbird once a week/every other week. Let it fully warm up, run the tranny through the gears and exercise the accessories (like power windows) to make sure nothing starts to stick or seize over the winter.

 

Well i don't want to store my truck but i can't take it with me so this is my only option. What do you recommend to eliminate rats? and moisture?

 

There's not much you can do for rats other than making sure windows and doors are fully closed (obviously), put a plastic bag over the tailpipe and secure it with a rubber band. This well prevent any critters from making a home in the exhaust. Put a couple boxes of baking soda inside to absorb moisture and prevent that "musty" smell.