Storing Your Winter Tires | Car Tips

 

 

Two sets of tires are great for getting the best performance and safety from your vehicle as the seasons change but they do pose a dilemma when it comes to storing them for the off season. The main objective when storing tires is to keep them dry and away from environmental or chemical influences that can degrade the rubber compounds.

 

Location, Location, Location:

Keep tires out of direct sunlight and preferably in a cool dry location. While your basement or another climate controlled place is ideal, outdoor storage is fine as long as there aren’t wild fluctuations in temperature.

 

Clean is Good:

Brush off the excess dirt, brake dust and grime before giving the tires and wheels (if you also have seasonal rims) a thorough scrub. Remember to use an approved cleaner on your wheels. Make sure the tires are completely dry before moving onto the next step. Do NOT apply tire dressing.

 

Seal in the Freshness:

Place each tire in an airtight plastic bag, remove any excess air (some vacuum seal the bags) and seal it tightly. Tire totes are great for transporting your tires for their seasonal change but they aren’t airtight. It is fine to place the bagged tire in the totes for storage. It is also a good idea to label what position the tires was on the vehicle before they were removed. Using LF, RF, LR and RR works.

 

The Writing on the Sidewall:

If you choose to opt out of bagging your tires, special care should be taken when arranging tires with white lettering/stripes. Stack or store the tires white to white and black to black to avoid staining the white rubber with black rubber oils.

 

Something in the air:

Certain types of motors generate ozone, which can eat rubber. So, avoid storing your tires near furnaces, sump pumps and hot water systems.

 

Rack ’em or Stack ’em:

Resting an unused tire on its tread is harmful to the rubber. It is best to store them stacked on the sidewalls or in specially designed tire racks.

 

You can never have enough storage:

If you don’t have enough space at home to store your tires Boyer Chevrolet Buick GMC will do it for you. Prices vary, so give service a call to find out more.