How to store tires correctly: winter and summer

Before storing tires in a garage or any other place, you need to know that their main components (rubber, metal) are exposed to temperature, humidity, sunlight, chemical reagents, pressure, etc. If you store tires incorrectly, they can lose their shape, elasticity, color. In addition, cracks, corrosion, mold and other defects can appear on them. All this reduces the service life of tires and worsens their characteristics: grip, control, braking distance, etc. To extend the life of tires and maintain their quality, you need to know how to store car tires correctly.

Before storing tires in winter, it is necessary:

1. 1. Mark each tire. To install the tires correctly next season and avoid uneven tread wear, you should mark which wheel it was on. You can use a marker, chalk, stickers, or special covers with marks for this.
   2. Clean the rubber from dirt. Salt, stones and other foreign objects stuck in the tread can damage the rubber and accelerate its aging. Therefore, you should take a coarse brush and wash off the entire contaminated surface with soap and water or another alkaline agent. At the same time, you need to inspect the tires for cuts, cracks, screws, nails, etc. After washing, you need to dry the tires so that all the moisture evaporates. Otherwise, mold may appear on the rubber, and corrosion on the disks. If the marks were washed off during washing, they need to be restored.
   3. Treat the tires with a special agent. To protect the rubber from drying out, cracks, ultraviolet radiation and ozone, you can use special care liquids. They not only give the rubber a beautiful appearance, but also increase its elasticity and service life. Before storing winter tires, you need to study the instructions for using the selected product and apply it evenly to the rubber surface.
   4. Place tires in covers. To isolate tires from the effects of the external environment, it is advisable to pack them in covers. These can be special textile covers that provide air circulation, as well as regular plastic bags or cling film. In the latter case, it is necessary to leave small holes for ventilation to avoid moisture condensation. Covers help protect rubber from sunlight, dust, dirt, oil, gasoline and other aggressive substances.

Now the wheels are ready to calmly wait for the next season. You can start preparing the storage place.

Before storing tires on or without disks, you need to take care of choosing an appropriate place. According to GOST, the room temperature should be from -30 to +35 °C, and humidity – from 50 to 60%. Direct sunlight should be excluded, as well as the presence of heating devices, flammable and lubricating materials and devices that emit ozone.

In domestic conditions, the best option would be a garage. If there is good ventilation, a basement will do. A balcony is the least preferable. But if there is no other way out, then you need to know how to store tires on a balcony. In this situation, you should reliably protect the rubber from the sun and moisture. It is not recommended to store tires in an apartment, as they can emit harmful substances that negatively affect health.

Before storing tires in the summer, you need to know that winter tires have some special features. For example, winter tires with studs should be stored vertically so as not to deform the studs and not to upset the balance of the wheels. Tires should be turned over every 2-3 weeks so that there is no skewing.

Winter tires without studs can be stored both vertically and horizontally. In the first case, you should turn the tires over every 2-3 weeks, and in the second case, stack them in a pile of no more than 4 pieces and change the order every month.

When approaching the question of how to properly store tires in winter, it should be said that summer tires have harder rubber and tread. Therefore, advice on storing tires in winter will differ.

Summer tires should be stored in a cool, dark place because they are more sensitive to high temperatures and ultraviolet light. These factors can cause the rubber to overheat, dry out, become dull, and reduce its service life.

It is also necessary to know how to properly store tires without rims. “Naked” tires should be stored horizontally, stacking them in a pile of no more than 8 pieces. In this case, the order of the tires should be changed every month to avoid deformation.

Tires with disks can also be stored on special hanging brackets or racks that are attached to the wall or ceiling. In this case, it is necessary to ensure an even distribution of the load on the wheel and avoid skewing.

Having figured out how to best store tires, we need to talk about the most common mistakes that car owners make. You should know that you cannot store tires:

1. 1. On disks standing. This leads to deformation of tires and disks, as well as to imbalance of wheels.
   2. In the open air. The result will be overheating, drying out, dulling and cracking of the rubber, as well as corrosion of the disks.
   3. Near sources of heat, light, moisture, ozone or chemical reagents. This leads to accelerated aging, oxidation, cracking and destruction of rubber, as well as corrosion of disks.

You should not place tires in your apartment or on the landing. This may lead to conflict with neighbors or household members who do not want to inhale the smell of rubber.

If it is impossible to store wheels at home or store tires properly in a heated garage, they can be given for storage to specialized organizations. Such organizations have several advantages:

• Availability of special premises that meet the requirements.
• Ventilation works well in such a room.
• The storage area is under video surveillance.
• The experts here know how to store tires in summer and winter.
• No need to take up space in your apartment or garage.

The cost of such a service will vary depending on the region and will average about 200 rubles per month. In return, the owner of the tire set will solve the issue of its storage.