Some tips for storing your tires

Motorists in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec are struggling with an unknown reality in most other countries, and even in other provinces even if we share the same climate: owning eight tires.

In fact, the law requires us to have winter tires between December 15th and March 15th, and after that the majority of consumers make the wise decision to install summer tires.

Between every season, we must store the tires that are not used. Bulky and heavy, tires are not always easy to store and forget. That said, we must still take some precautions when storing our tires if we want to make sure not to wear them out prematurely in order to maintain their quality and performance.

The following tips are brought to you by Pneus Touchette and TireLand and apply to both summer tires and winter tires.

Keep your tires away from humidity

First, it is important to store tires in a dry area. The humidity present in a garage or a basement, for example, can lead to premature wear. Ultimately, it is necessary that the storage area be protected from large temperature fluctuations. Ideally, our tires should be in a place where the temperature is between 10 and 25 degrees. The location must also be free of clutter in order to prevent the tires from being compressed in storage.

Make sure your tires are clean

Before storing the tires they should be cleaned, and it is wise to mark their placement on our car (front left, rear right, etc.) so that it is possible to rotate them at the next installation. Once our tires are clean, they should be protected with a plastic bag or a carrying bag designed for storage. This will protect your tires from sunlight and debris.

Also, make sure your tires are safe from chemicals such as solvents and various types of fuel that are sometimes found in sheds or garages. Moreover, make sure your tires are not in contact with your vehicle’s exhaust.

You can stack your tires, but some precautions should be taken

If the tires are mounted on rims, it is possible to stack them while making sure we change their position in the stack every four weeks or so. It’s also wise to deflate them by about 50 percent before storing them. That said, the best storage position for tires mounted on rims is vertical.

If we do not have rims for our tires, we must store them horizontally and avoid hanging them. Again, their position should be switched about every four weeks in order to avoid a constant pressure on one side of the rim.

As you can see, there are several considerations to take into account when storing tires. If you want peace of mind, perhaps it is wiser to choose to store your tires in a tire center. This will ensure optimal storage conditions for your tires, often at an affordable cost.

This article was written in collaboration with Pneus Touchette and TireLand. Come and have a chat with one of their specialists in one of the five locations in the greater Montreal area to discover the winter tire that best suits your needs and fits your budget. Find out more about their promotions on winter tires today, as well as their storage packages.