connor@tirerack

I am placing these links up here to make some of the more commonly asked questions a little easier to find. As always if you have any questions feel free to either email or call and i would be happy to assist.


Tire Rack Home Page - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&url=index.jsp

Tires - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...ires/index.jsp

Wheels - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...eels/index.jsp

Suspension - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...sion/index.jsp

Brakes - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...akes/index.jsp

Other Products - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...ries/index.jsp

Tech Center - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...echcenter.html

Test Results - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...testSearch.jsp

Survey Results - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...ults/index.jsp

Winter - http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AC4&...nter/index.jsp

connor@tirerack

i get alot of question about the proper way to store tires and wheels. Whether you are storing your summer or winter wheels and tires the basic pricipals are the same.
1) You should always store the tire/wheel in some sort of sealed bag. i would recommend using a large heavy duty lawn trash bag. when the rubber in a tire is breaking down it shows in the form of very small cracks or "checking" that normally appear on the sidewalls of the tires. this is caused by the ozone in the air. it actually deteriorates the rubber when the tire holds one shape for a long period of time. this problem can be slowed extensive if the tires are stored in a sealed bag of some sort.
2) During storage i would recommend stacking the tires on their side on a piece of plywood. this will eliminate flat spotting. concrete tends to absorb and realease moisture depending on the temperature and humidity. the temperature and moisture content of the floor can cause mold to form in the tiny grooves and crevices on the tire and wheel. also, if you enjoy working in your garage you probably have some chemical residue on your garage floor from utility and garden equipment, cars, motorcycle, or cleaning products. if your garage floor were to ever have water leaks these chemicals get picked up by the water and get onto whatever they touch. When petroleum type oils come in contact with tire rubber and are allowed to "soak" in the tires and the rubber can become contaminated and you will see the rubber actually blister up. the end result...... the tire is ruined. another common problem is that since tires are made of a soft material they tend to take on the shape of whatever they are laying on. Cement and concrete floor surfaces can get porous when water pools in one place and soaks in. sometimes the top coat of the floor can stick to the tire when lifted up.

3) I would recommend storing the tires in a temperature controlled area. The tires can be stored at the standard air pressure that you drive them at. Tires will increase or decrease 1 psi for every 10 degrees of ambient air temperature difference they are exposed to As an example:

-The tire is stored with an air pressure of 32 psi and the temperature is 40 degrees (going into winter)
-when the ambient air temperatur reaches 0 degrees the tire pressure will drop to 28 psi
-In the spring when you get the tires out of storage and the temperature is hitting 70 degrees your tire pressure will be at 35 psi.

If you follow these simple storage guidelines your tires will always be in top condition and ready to use.

As always if i can be of any further assistance or you would like to place an order i can be reached through the phone number listed in my signature.