Tips Storing Your Vehicle's Tires

People put a lot of effort and time when storing away things that they do not need. For example, as the summer season is going to be ending soon, people will store away their light clothes in suitcases. Likewise, they will take out their warmer clothes. Similarly, people store away household items into storage rooms when there is no use for them at the moment.

There are countless other similar examples of people investing time and effort to store away their items properly. Not only is it a great thing to do, but it also shows that you know how to value the things which you own. However, there is one particular item that people do not pay much attention to. That item is your vehicle’s tyres.

Many people do not understand the importance of properly storing their tyres. Like any other item, tyres also need to be stored properly. Otherwise, they will be damaged and rendered useless. Before you get confused about why anyone would need to store their tyres, let us discuss the various instances in which you would need to store tires.

Examples of When You Would Need to Store Tyres

The first example is applicable for people living in areas where the temperature goes down 7°C during the winter months. In such regions, drivers keep two types of tyres – winter and non-winter tyres. The non-winter tyres, as the name suggests, are used to drive in non-winter months. On the other hand, winter tires are used in winter months.

When the winter season starts, people will uninstall their non-winter tyres and equip their vehicles with the winter tires. It is done to ensure excellent grip on ice or snow. Moreover, non-winter tyres are not designed for use in temperatures below 7°C. The use of non-winter tyres in winter tyres is also a punishable offence in most countries.

Therefore, they need to store away their non-winter tyres properly. Likewise, they will need to store away their winter tyres when the winter season is ending. Let us consider another example. Off-road driving in the UAE is widespread. Tourists and locals are very fond of driving in the desert. Therefore, many people keep two sets of tyres – one for regular use and the other for off-road conditions.

Likewise, track racing is gaining a lot of prominence among owners of high-end cars in the UAE. Owner of high-end cares are also likely to keep two sets of tyres – one for regular use and one for track racing. There are various other instances in which you would need two sets of tyres. However, discussing all of them is not required and does fall into the scope of this article.

Effects of Improper Storage

When the tyres are improperly stored, they begin to lose their durability. It means that the overall life of the tyres begins to deteriorate. Therefore, you will have tyres that failed to realize their maximum durability despite paying the full amount for them.

Moreover, when improperly stored, the components and chemicals used in the tyres start to fade away. This can drastically reduce the performance of the tyres and lead to safety issues as well. There are various other impacts such as the cracking of the rubber from the inside.

Now, let us discuss the various tips for proper storage of tyres.

Tips for Storing Tires

• Never store tires in direct sunlight. If you are exposing your tires to direct sunlight throughout the day, you are irreversibly damaging your tires. The heat from the sun and the ultraviolet rays cause tremendous damage to the rubber. Another reason that the tyres should not be placed in direct sunlight is the black colour of the tyres. As the black colour absorbs heat, the tyres can be damaged from overheating.
• Therefore, find a suitable place to store your tyres. The prerequisite is that the place must be dry and cool. A basement is the best option. If a basement is not available, try ensuring that your chosen area stays dry and cool by taking extra measures.
• Over time, tyres contract dust and other dirt. This causes the tyre to wear out quickly. That is why professionals recommend getting your tyres cleaned regularly. The same rule applies when you are storing tyres. Thoroughly clean them using a quality tire cleaner.
• Once properly cleaned, put the tyre into a dark, airtight plastic bag. Repeat the process for the other tyres too. Shut the plastic bag with tape or any other material to make them genuinely airtight. If you want to ensure maximum safety, use a vacuum cleaner to suck out any air inside the bag.
• The next step is to find a piece of wood that can accommodate the tyres. The tires should never be placed on the ground directly. The wood must be able to stand the combined weight of the tyres and must be adequately thick.
• The next tip is to stack tyres vertically instead of horizontally. Piling the tires horizontally will put unjust pressure on them and cause them damage. In case you have storage issues, and there is no option but to store horizontally, follow the next tip.
• For horizontal stacking, stack them white to white” and “black to black”. It will help ensure that the materials are not negatively impacted. Moreover, this is done because the white and black rubber are made differently, and you do not want them to mix with each other.
• Lastly, never store tyres near products or equipment which produces ozone gases. For example, electric motors, vacuums, heaters should not be placed near the tyres.