Automotive tires represent a high cost for most people. Everyone wishes for safe tires that last a long time without degradation in performance or safety. Tires are often bought with meticulous care due to the real impact they have on our lives. They not only affect the comfort of our daily drives (especially in winter or challenging road conditions) but also our safety and peace of mind. The well-being of our children and our safety depends on well-maintained and properly cared for tires.
Everyone would like their automotive tires to last a long time to avoid frequently buying new ones. And everyone wants their tires to perform to the utmost on every drive, in every season. Tire care is an essential component of proper vehicle safety and maintenance.
Unfortunately, many people do not take the necessary steps to take care of their tires when they are removed to be replaced seasonally, or track them with tire inventory management. This is especially so in winter. Treating seasonal tire care as an afterthought is not a wise approach to maintaining their performance, safety, and longevity.
The following tips will help both individuals and tire shop owners to avoid the pitfalls of neglectful tire care and ensure these essential automotive components are maintained proficiently.
Clean the Tires
During the spring and summer, your tires will have gone through various terrains and weather. They will have picked up a lot of dust and grime. Some of this will stick to the rims and rubber and could become corrosive.
Therefore, it is important that you thoroughly clean out your tires after removing them from the wheels. Scrub both the rims and the rubber using soap and warm water. You can use a garden hose, spray washer, or a special hose attachment device called “foam cannons” to quickly clear the soapy water and get your tires shiny and bright.
After you have washed and cleaned your tires, it is a perfect opportunity to inspect them for any damage such as uneven tread wear, cracks, and bulges. If there is significant damage, perhaps it is time to buy new tires.
Carefully Choose Climate-Controlled Storage Space
Avoid storing tires outside as the elements, and constant, unpredictable temperature fluctuations can damage them over time. It is crucial to avoid temperature fluctuations because the expansion/contraction is unsuitable for the material and can crack it.
Covering a tire will not necessarily protect it from the elements outside. The best option is to store the tire inside in a climate-controlled environment such as a garage, basement, or shed.
Clear and Clean the Storage Space Before Storing Tires
Make sure that there is no mould in the area where you will be storing the tires (for obvious reasons). As well, ensure that there is no motor nearby your stored tires. Motors such as water heaters, sump pumps, and furnaces can produce ozone which can harm tires through a chemical reaction. Ozone harms tires by breaking up the molecules within rubber polymers and causing ruptures. The process is called “ozonolysis,” with “lysis” being the word for “rupture” or “separation.”
Protect Tires With Cover Material Before Storage
Tires should not be stored while exposed to the air and elements, even when kept indoors. Otherwise, they can get damaged by falling objects and things scraping against them. You can get tire storage bags from local automotive shops as well as e-commerce stores online, with prices ranging from $10 to over $50 per bag. Instead of tire storage bags, you can also use extra-thick (heavy-duty) garbage bags. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck out as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
Each tire should be stored in a separate bag that is completely dark, and that prevents air from entering by being sealed tight.
Stack Tires in a Specific Way
If your tires have rims, position them vertically next to each other so there is no load on the rims. If they do not have rims, lay them flat on the ground and stack them up on top of each other.
The exact configuration you end up with depends on whether your tires are on rims or not and how much space you have vertically and horizontally.
Rotate Tires Regularly
To ensure that there is no excess pressure placed on any particular spot on a tire or rims, rotate the tires into different positions every four weeks.
These simple and practical tips can be used as a checklist each time you rotate tires and store them away due to seasonal changes. Follow them, and you will improve the endurance and performance of your tires, with more peace of mind and greater safety for you and your passengers.
Need Seasonal Tire Storage Software to keep track of your customer’s tires? Contact us today to learn more about our software.