Although the greatest impact on tyre condition is their exploitation, not storing, for your own safety and durability of your tyres, it is important to know how to store them. We should not put them away carelessly, only regarding amount of space they take.
If we store our tyres in warehouses and services, they have proper protection. This is why they retain their quality. But how to do that by ourselves if we don’t use such services?
When you choose the place to store tyres, you should remember:
– Not to put the tyres near sources of heat (heating systems, stoves) or electronic devices (rectifiers), because they may cause irreversible changes in the molecular structure of tyres.
– Not to put the tyres near devices which sparkle or may cause electrical discharges (e.g. transformers or welding machines), because they generate ozone, which accelerates tyre aging.
– To put them in a dry, cold, ventilated room without drafts, with temperature between -5 and 30 degrees of cel.
– The floor in the storing room must be clean, without traces of oil, gasoline, grease, hydrocarbons or any other chemicals, which may damage the structure of rubber; these are the recommendations from European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization
– Not to store them outside, even if they are covered, because they need to be protected from direct light, bad weather and humidity
– Proper tyre storage is crucial for their durability. Not all drivers are fully aware of this fact, so it is important to know that any negligence in this matter will have direct impact on our tyres – stresses Piotr Sarnecki, Director General of Polish Tyre Industry Association. – When they are properly stored, their aging process is almost unnoticeable, because physicochemical changes occur mainly during usage. This is because heating and tension are the factors which occur only when driving – adds Piotr Sarnecki.
How to prepare tyres for storage?
– Before removal of tyres, you should mark their current positions on axis (Left Front-Right Front, Left Back-Right Back, which allows to rotate their positions in the vehicle (from front axis to the back) to balance their usage
– The next step is to wash them with water and car shampoo using sponge (we should also wash rims if we remove the whole wheel). If you use pressure washer, remember to maintain at least 30 cm distance from the tyre not to damage it.
– After washing, it has to be properly dried to avoid corrosion.
– The last step is to look at the tread grooves and to remove all stones and other junk.
Pressure in stored wheels should be the same as when they are in use – this information is to be found in the car’s manual or on the bottom of middle post.
Storing tyres
Tyres can be stored in an upright position in a single layer on shelf racks. Tyres can also be stored interlaced (fishbone) as well as stacked horizontally (stovepipe) one on top of another but in this case the height of the stacks or interlacing should be limited to avoid permanent deformation of the tyres on the bottom layers as well as any stability issues.
When fitted on rims, tyres should be preferably stored inflated in an upright position or in a single layer on shelf racks. Tyres can be also stacked horizontally (stovepipe) one on top of the other, but in this case the height of the stacks should be limited to avoid any stability issues.
Source: PTIA, ETRTO