Storing Tires

Storing Tires

If you change from radials to snow tires in winter, switch back to radials in spring or just happen to have extra tires lying around, you face the problem of keeping the unused tires in tip-top condition. Proper storage will help them last longer and keep them rolling true. Follow these tips:
· Choose a cool, dry, dark spot. Sunlight, water, oil and grease can damage rubber compounds. Heat matters, too. Although you don't exactly have to treat tires like fine wine and keep them in a carefully controlled environment, you shouldn't bake them in a tin-roofed shed or other spot where the heat will rise more than 10 degrees above ambient temperature.
· Keep appliances and chemicals away. Electric motors, generators, heavy-duty meters and transformers produce ozone, a form of oxygen that deteriorates rubber over time. Don't store tires within 50 feet of such devices. Rubber can also absorb vapors from gasoline and volatile solvents (such as paint thinner), which will affect tire life.
· Use a pallet if possible. "If you can, store tires on their sides rather than standing upright," advises Dan Zielinski of the Rubber Manufacturers Association. "The best spot is off the floor, on a wooden pallet, for example, to allow air circulation."
· Prevent flat spots. If you must store the tires mounted on a vehicle for a long period of time, it's best to take the weight off. Ideally, you should put the vehicle on blocks to prevent the tires from settling out of round. Failing that, move the vehicle a few inches every month to prevent flat spots.
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