With the onset of cold weather, car owners change the shoes of their vehicle, and the question arises, how to properly store summer tires in winter? Rubber itself is considered a material with high elasticity, which is the main property for tires along with wear resistance. The problem is that over time, elasticity deteriorates even when the rubber product is not in use. And if the storage of summer tires in winter was not organized correctly, the likelihood of even deformation of the tires increases, which is especially undesirable for tubeless tires.
The best way out of this situation would be to decide to take the tires for storage to a repair service that offers similar services. They know how to properly store wheels in winter and guarantee the preservation of their properties. For this purpose, the service has special rooms with optimal temperature conditions and structures for storing tires. The problem is that not every city offers such services and, naturally, they are paid. The monthly payment is insignificant, but taking into account the fact that you need to use such a service for 6 months, many try to independently create conditions for storing summer tires at home.
Storage conditions for summer tires
It is recommended to use a garage, preferably a heated one, or a shed as a storage room for these products. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to store summer tires on the balcony, which is explained by the lack of a garage. The balcony can be used if it is glazed. Regardless of which storage location you decide to choose, it must meet a number of requirements.
At what temperature should summer tires be stored?
Of course, with a stable one, so that its differences are insignificant and do not affect the physical condition of the tires. The temperature in the tire storage room should not exceed + 25°C and fall below zero. Therefore, to the question of whether it is possible to store summer tires in the cold, the answer is obvious, it is impossible.
How to store tires and rims in winter, room features
The main requirement for the room is that it be dry and well ventilated. Such conditions are necessary to create an optimal humidity level in the range of 50-80%. Storing summer wheels in winter at such humidity is considered optimal for their condition.
Storing tires in winter, taking into account negative factors
In addition to creating optimal storage conditions, it is necessary to ensure that there are no negative factors that could affect the condition of tires. If you need good summer tires in the spring, they should be stored away from heating appliances. In addition, sunlight and engine oil should not come into contact with the surface of the tires.
How to store summer tires
The best option for storing summer tires is to use covers and a box. The covers are made of a special material that will ensure the safety of the tires and will not be exposed to direct sunlight. Such covers are individual for each tire. To prevent them from deforming, a special box is used, which is designed for one set.
Preparation for storage
Choosing a location and creating optimal conditions is not everything; you should properly prepare the tire for storage. To do this, first of all, you should wash and dry it so that the tire enters hibernation in perfect condition. To ensure correct installation of tires next season, it is worth making marks on them where each one was. Then it won’t hurt to treat it with a special preservative, which can be found in every car store. Among such products, it is worth highlighting preservatives from ATL, Hi-Gear, Xado, Sonax. Then you need to immediately pack the tires in the covers that have already been mentioned and, if available, in a special box.
Provided you follow all the above recommendations, you don’t have to worry about the safety of summer tires even in the most severe frosts. The conditions presented above are an ideal option, you will have to work hard to achieve them, but it will be much cheaper than purchasing a new set.
How to properly store summer tires with and without rims
You can store tires either with rims, if you have a second set, or without them. Let's look at how to properly store wheels on rims in winter, when the above conditions are met. They can be hung using hooks, which is not particularly convenient, because such devices need to be built on the ceiling. The best option is to stack the wheels on top of each other on a wooden pallet. Holding them vertically is contraindicated, since the weight of the disk can deform the stationary tires.
Storing summer tires without rims, on the contrary, is only possible vertically, since nothing affects them and deformation is impossible. When tires are suspended, a load is generated at the toe points. When stacked on top of each other, tires do not have rigidity due to the lack of disks, and therefore the upper ones will put pressure on the lower ones with their mass, and such storage of wheels in winter also contributes to their deformation.
In what position are tires and rims allowed to be stored?
Tires on rims are stored the same way both in summer and winter. It is strictly forbidden to store them vertically, since due to the additional weight of the disk, they will be severely deformed at the point of support. Experts, of course, advise rotating them every 2-3 weeks to change the load location, but it’s better not to risk it and store a set of car wheels correctly. Let's look at the main ways to help maintain the original quality of your tires.
- In limbo. This method is only suitable for tires on rims. You hang each wheel by a rope a short distance apart. The rope is well fixed to the metal disc, thereby removing the load from the rubber, as could be the case with tires without discs. Very often you can see how car owners install brackets and hang seasonal wheels on them.
- Stack. This is the most convenient and common method of how to properly store wheels. It can be used in any room by placing tires in a stack, one on top of the other. Thanks to the presence of a metal disk, the inner edges of the rubber are prevented from bending under the weight of those on top. However, I would like to immediately warn you that it is best to place tires on two wheels in a stack, and so that they do not rot or deteriorate, they must be moved once a month.
- Special shelf. Instead of installing brackets, they often resort to placing a special shelf or rack, which involves placing each tire separately, thereby automatically eliminating its deformation. This method is very convenient, especially when the shelf is placed at the top, above the ceiling and does not use up the required space below.
It is very important, before placing the tires in the room of your choice, to check the pressure with a car pressure gauge. Tire manufacturers set such conditions in order to minimize the risk of rubber deformation during storage.
Regardless of the brand and cost of winter tires, they have a certain shelf life, which in no way relates to the life of the car with the tires installed. As a rule, seasonal storage means no more than 6 months, and the full service life of rubber is up to 5-6 years. Therefore, take this point into account, since after the warranty period expires, the rubber may simply become unusable. And this happens as a result of the loss of initial softness, which is why the tire actively cracks and drys out. Since rubber is coated with special chemical softeners during production, winter tires are especially actively treated, but such softeners only work when installed on a car, that is, when the wheels are in direct motion. Therefore, if you know in advance that you will have to store the second set of wheels for a long time, buy a special aerosol from a car store that will extend the shelf life of the rubber.
How to store summer tires in winter: preparation
When you have decided where to store summer tires, you need to prepare and preserve them. First you need to clean the tires from dirt, or better yet, wash them if possible. Then the wheels need to be wiped dry and oil stains removed, if any. For better preservation conditions, it is recommended to apply a thin layer of lithol, grease or graphite grease. This can be done regardless of where summer tires are stored in winter, and in spring these lubricants can be easily removed from the surface of the rubber.
What are the dangers of improper storage?
Seasonal tires are made from different types of rubber: summer tires are made from harder rubber with a low tread, winter tires are made from soft and elastic rubber with a deep pattern. However, both require optimal storage conditions during the off-season. Otherwise, if the requirements for the place and method of storage are not met or if there is no pre-treatment, the risk of rubber damage increases significantly.
Dirt that remains on tires (especially in tread patterns, Velcro) contributes to the rapid aging of rubber. In addition, small sharp objects may remain in it, which, if stored improperly, will contribute to cracking of the material.
Temperatures that are too low (for summer tires) and too high (for winter tires) contribute to the destruction of the rubber structure and its further cracking. When exposed to direct sunlight, rubber ages, dries out, loses elasticity and, as a result, begins to crack.
Too high humidity in the storage room also negatively affects the quality of the material. The rubber structure loses its elasticity under the influence of humidity, water penetrates into the pores and undermines the binding fibers.
Any type of heater that dries out the air will not help, but will only worsen the situation. Damaged tires not only complicate the process of driving a car, but also significantly increase the risk of accidents.
Where to store tires in winter
If you have several places at your disposal where storing summer tires in winter will preserve their properties, you should choose the most optimal one. Wheels should not interfere, and therefore preference should be given to either a spacious room or one that is not used. Therefore, you can store summer tires on the balcony, carefully covering them from the sun, or in the pantry, because they are rarely used. But if there is no free space in the garage, it would be irrational to add four wheels there. They will always get in the way.
Anyone who knows how to store summer tires does not recommend doing it in the basement. With rare exceptions, it is dry, and in general, basements are characterized by air of high humidity, which negatively affects rubber products when they are stored in such conditions. That's probably all. We looked at how to store rubber in winter so that it does not lose its properties. By following these recommendations, you can extend the life of your tires. This is especially important for low-quality rubber, which, even if storage rules are observed, is not durable. It is important to remember that you should absolutely not store summer tires in the cold.
Storage rules
When dismantling tires, a mark is made on which wheel they were removed from, for example, the left front “LP” and so on, so that after winter they can be installed in the same positions. If the tread is worn out, the wheels are reinstalled in a cross pattern.
The ideal way to store tires is under pressure, without removing them from the rims; in this case, they are not damaged and will most easily withstand winter downtime. If you don’t have extra rims, you must follow certain rules for storing summer tires. This is due to the fact that they should not be allowed to deform. Any dent will not be corrected when inflated, the frame will be damaged and the rubber may have to be thrown away.
Removed tires must be installed on the tread, a flat surface. You must not squeeze them from the sides, for example, trying to squeeze them between the walls; you must not place any objects on them. Rubber subjected to deformation for a long time will change its shape, which cannot be straightened after mounting on disks and inflating. Changing the geometric shape will lead to the fact that it will not adhere to the disk, losing pressure, the appearance of irregularities and damage to the cord.
One of the most common mistakes when storing summer tires without rims is hanging them up. They need to be placed vertically on the protector, without pinching the side walls, preferably on racks. To prevent tires from taking on an elliptical shape, they need to be rotated 90º 3-4 times during storage, on average every 2 months.
Wheels stored on disks, on the contrary, are better to hang, if possible, in a garage or any other household space. In order not to overload the rubber, the pressure is released by 50%, but in no case completely. In this form, tires can be stored on their sides in piles, but no more than four in height. Otherwise, the protector will lose its profile and take on a rounded shape. This deformation will not correct itself once the tire is reinflated to service pressure.
The sun's rays hitting the rubber even in cold weather dry it out, causing it to crack. Therefore, storing tires on balconies or in the open air is allowed for no more than one month. If it is not possible to place them indoors, the tires are covered with a thick dark film.
It is very important to prevent chemically active substances such as gasoline, diesel fuel, oils, and paint from coming into contact with the rubber. Detergents and other household chemicals, dust and small debris will be harmful to tires. Therefore, for storing tires, it is better to cover them with covers or any other opaque dust- and moisture-proof material.
It should be noted that the rules for storing summer tires in the autumn-winter period are simple and clear. But it happens that a car enthusiast does not have a place to store tires, especially for residents of large cities who store their cars in paid parking lots. In this case, it is better to take the tires for storage to specialized companies or car services. Despite the fact that you will have to pay a certain amount for this, the client receives a guarantee that the summer tires will be returned to the owner in perfect condition. It will cost much less than purchasing a new kit for safe driving in the warm season.
Storage space
In order for tires to remain in good condition, rubber treatment is not enough. You need to find a suitable room that will meet the following conditions:
- good ventilation, dry and clean;
- lack of direct sunlight: it is recommended to choose a dark room that does not heat up;
- optimal humidity level: humidity must be maintained at a constant average level of 55 to 65%;
- optimal temperature: be sure to take into account the seasonality of tires and store them in accordance with the temperature limits of the season. At the same time, critically low or high temperatures should not be allowed.
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The method of storing tires is also important. Tires without rims may only be stored in a vertical position. Rubber, stacked on top of each other in a horizontal position, or suspended, is easily deformed.
