With the change in seasons, it’s important to think about changing your tyres. Whether you’re changing the tyres to winter tyres or summer tyres, it’s crucial to think about how you store the off-season set.
Tyres can be changed either yourself or by a professional, but what happens once you’ve taken them off? Knowing how to store your tyres once they’re removed from the vehicle is important. The reason being is that the quality and characteristics of the tyre will significantly change.
Storing tyres in a tyre hotel
If you live in places where winter tyres are essential, tyre hotels are usually easy to find. You can store your tyres here for a small fee during the off-season and can be taken out when the temperatures begin to drop.
How to store tyres at home
If you’re looking to save cash this season or if it’s too inconvenient to store your tyres away from home, why not try and store them at home instead? The only question would be, how do I store my tyres in the most effective way so that they’re in the most optimal condition when I need them again? Follow the steps below to keep your tyres in peak condition.
Step 1 – Clean them
Before you even think about storing away your tyres, its important that you clean them with detergent, water and a tyre brush. This will help you to remove any dirt, grime off of the tyres and brakes. Clean the wheels too and ensure that the tyres are completely dry before you follow step 2.
Step 2 – Bag them
Tyres often get cracking on the walls, this happens when they are left unused for a long period of time. When tyres are in use, anti-UV oxidisation chemicals keep tyres flexible. Thus when they aren’t being used, these same chemicals aren’t evenly distributed and will appear with dry patches. Likewise, UV rays from the sun’s heat can cause deterioration on rubber, so it’s important that you keep them out of direct sunlight.
To prevent tyres from being affected, get a large, airtight bag to fit each of the four tyres. You can buy large tyre protection bags from vehicle retailers or use black refuse bags. To ensure that your tyres are free of moisture, use a hoover to remove as much air as possible from the bags. You can then purchase a storage caddy or a tyre tote to keep the tyres safe and secure.
Step 3 – Choose an effective place to store
Regardless of what the weather is like, tyres should never be stored in the open. Find somewhere cool and ventilated (especially out of direct sunlight). A great place to store them could be the garage or a climate-controlled area of your home.
You can either store your tyres standing upright, on their sides or up on hooks or racks. As tyres age, you can extend their life by ensuring that they’re properly looked after when they’re on the off-season.
Step 4 – Avoid exposure chemicals
Always make sure that you check that your tyres are doing fine during the off-season. Exposure in any form (generators, hoovers, furnaces or switches) can cause damage to tyres. Therefore, ensure that your tyres are stored far away from chemicals.