Car tires require appropriate storage conditions, as well as special places indoors. Otherwise, the rubber may lose elasticity, crack and deform. And this directly affects safety - the risk that the tire will not withstand the load in this condition increases. In addition, due to improper storage of tires, the latter have worse grip on the road, and deformed ones also constantly deflate. We will describe below how to store wheels in the garage.
Preparing the tire for storage
Before storing wheels in the garage, they must be properly prepared for storage. The minimum preparation is that you can thoroughly rinse the tires, especially winter tires, since during the cold season they are in daily contact with aggressive reagents.
Next, they must be dried and packaged in special cases for storage. Some stores even sell boxes for storing wheels, and some drivers prefer to store them in regular opaque bags if there is room indoors. Here are some nuances of storage conditions:
- The bags should not be hermetically sealed if you store rubber on rims. In this case, condensation will not appear during temperature changes.
- Do not store winter tires in closed boxes. In summer, the temperature in them reaches high values (in some cases up to 70 degrees), which has an extremely negative effect on soft winter tires.
Moreover, covers may not be used at all if the wheels are stored in a garage, where it is dark around the clock. But if the motorist does not have a garage and places the tires on the balcony, especially an open one, it is necessary to at least cover them with a dense material that completely insulates from light and precipitation. The sun's rays have a negative effect on any rubber product, so tires that last an average of five years should be protected from ultraviolet radiation during the non-operational period.
In addition, after cleaning and drying, you can treat the tires with special silicone-based compounds that are absorbed into microcracks in the material and displace any remaining water. It is clear that this treatment is especially relevant before preservation for the winter.
How to prepare tires for storage in the garage
Before storing tires in the garage, you need to carefully prepare them. To begin with, the tires need to be thoroughly washed, and even more attention should be paid to winter wheels, since during the cold season they come into contact with reagents on the road.
If the tires are not very dirty, then before washing it would be good to treat them with a special alkaline solvent and carefully brush them. As a result of the chemical reaction, foam will begin to appear. You need to wash the wheels until the foam stops being colored. At this stage, the solvent must be thoroughly rinsed off with plenty of water and the rubber thoroughly dried.
After drying the tires, they need to be packed. There are different options for this. Tires can be stored in special covers and boxes. There are drivers who use ordinary opaque plastic bags for storage in the garage.
Polyethylene is a synthetic material. Therefore, there are different opinions about its safety. It is not so much this material that is dangerous for rubber, but the condensation that forms inside the bag. If you store tires in a garage like this, condensation will negatively affect them. If there are no other options, but you need to save money, then you should know how to properly store tires in the garage in the following packaging:
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- The main mistake when using bags is that the tires are sealed for the entire season. To store them properly in the garage, the bag should not be tightly closed, but should be left with room for air circulation. If there are no conditions for air exchange inside the bag, then when it gets cold, due to the temperature difference, the steam will turn into a liquid state - condensation.
- If the bag with tires inside is already tightly tied and there is no way to untie it without damaging it, then make the required number of small holes evenly over the entire surface of the polyethylene. Circulating air will help to properly store tires in the garage, even in such packaging.
You can store tires without covers if the garage is always dark and dry. It’s another matter if the car owner plans to store tires on the balcony. Especially if it is not glazed. In this case, the tires must be covered with a durable material that will help protect them from light and moisture. Wheels need protection from ultraviolet radiation when they are “resting” until the next season. Like condensation, UV radiation can have a negative effect on rubber, even if stored in a garage.
But just the right packaging is not enough to store tires efficiently and safely in the garage. There are special products that help preserve and extend the life of tires. Most often, such compositions are made on the basis of silicone oils. These products create a protective layer on the surface of the tire and also prevent tanning (that is, the rubber remains flexible and soft).
It is especially recommended to use such products for old or worn tires. Then their resource will increase for some time. It is worth noting that such compositions based on silicone oils can and even should be used to properly store any tires: summer, winter, studded, with treads of different shapes and depths, and, of course, the diameter of the wheels does not matter.
All wheel products are used differently. Tire cleaners, for example, should never be applied to the tread. But silicone preservative can and should be applied to the entire outer surface of the tire, including the area that comes into contact with the road surface.
You can also use a special product that is absorbed into microcracks in the wheel material and pushes out remaining moisture. This product is also made on the basis of silicone and is used after cleaning and drying the tires.
The rubber preservative is produced and sold in an aerosol can, which is very convenient for use. The preservative must be sprayed onto the tire in an even layer.
The procedure for using special products for wheels is as follows: first of all, you need to thoroughly clean the rubber from dirt with water and a brush (a Karcher machine or something similar is an excellent assistant for this). Wheel rims should also be washed. After this, the tires are thoroughly dried. Then a special product is applied to the prepared tires. If you neglect cleaning and drying the tires, the effect of the preservative will approach zero.
If there are reasons why there is no desire or opportunity to buy specially developed products for tire preservation, then you can replace them with more economical analogues. To prepare rubber for long-term storage, you can use regular silicone grease. Finding this product on sale is not difficult. It is used to treat a wide variety of surfaces, as it is quite universal in its composition.
Silicone grease, as well as a special preservative for rubber, is sold in cans. But sometimes you can see this product in liquid form on store shelves. This lubricant can be used in two ways. First, you can spread the product over the entire surface of the tire using a rag or napkin. But this method will take a lot of time and effort. Therefore, you can use the second method: pour the lubricant into a spray bottle and apply the product to the tires in the same way as if it were a factory can.
But it’s worth knowing one nuance: not every lubricant can be used this way. If it is too thick and/or sticky, you will not be able to spray because the membrane of the spray bottle will become clogged. The best solution would be to buy a special product in an aerosol can. Now the range of such products is quite large, and the prices for aerosols are affordable.
In addition to silicone, the factory preservative also contains a solvent, but in small quantities. Some car owners believe that this composition harms the tires of their car. It is a myth. The solvent is needed so that the lubricant can be easily sprayed and evenly applied to the surface. This component evaporates within half an hour after applying the lubricant to the tire, so it does not have time to cause any harm.
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Sometimes car owners treat tires with tire black instead of silicone grease. In the instructions you can read about how to use the product correctly. Before applying the ink, the rubber must be thoroughly washed and dried. But only that part can be treated with an alkaline solvent: everything except the surface that is in contact with the road surface, since the grip properties of the tires may deteriorate. There is no point in recommending any particular brand or manufacturer of ink, since the range is so wide that everyone can find what they need.
How to store tires in winter and summer
In addition to the mandatory condition of protection from precipitation and ultraviolet radiation, when storing wheels in a garage, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of their deformation. Some storage features are associated with this. There are general rules on this matter:
- tires can only be kept on a flat surface if there is sufficient space;
- they must not be loaded with anything from above, crushed or pressed down (when trying to push them, for example, into a tight corner);
- It is also prohibited to rest hard and especially sharp objects against the wheels when placing them.
All these recommendations are designed to protect the tire material from static deformation that occurs over a long period. In this case, over time, the given shape is “memorized”, and after removing the load on the rubber, the latter only partially restores its previous state.
Hanging for storage
Deformations are especially dangerous for the landing seal. Due to the resulting curvature of the tires, the latter usually seals much less well on the disk, as a result of which the wheel will quickly lose pressure. The described situation will occur if a tire without a rim is hung for the winter or summer.
This should absolutely not be done, but on the contrary, it is recommended to hang wheels on rims. It is even preferable to keep them in this position, for example, in a garage or other room, if, of course, their size allows for hanging space.
There are other recommendations when preserving wheels:
- After hanging the wheels, reduce the pressure in them by half.
- Under no circumstances should tires be stored near heating appliances in the garage.
It is very important to adhere to the last requirement, because if the rubber is constantly exposed to temperatures above 30 degrees, it will soften. This leads to deformation over time.
Features of wheel stacking
There are also some rules for stacking tires with or without rims:
- Tires without rims should be stored in an upright position. It is advisable to turn it a quarter turn about once a month to prevent deformation.
- Wheels on rims are stacked. There is no need to rotate them throughout the entire period of seasonal tire storage.
But frankly speaking, there is no need to get hung up on these rules. You can hardly store tires with any profile in the garage while standing, even on rims. Wheels with a profile width of more than 215 mm will also remain intact if they are stacked horizontally.
How to store wheels: 5 best garage ideas
Reading time:
5 minutes Contents of the article:
- Introduction
- Tire storage rules
- Options for storing tires without rims
- Options for storing tires and rims
How long will the wheels last?
If all storage requirements are met, rubber will last about 10 years.
But if you store the wheels haphazardly, the service life of the tires will rapidly decrease to 5 years. This means that by taking care of organizing the storage location just once, over 10 years you will save
an amount equal to the cost of a full set of tires!
How much is this in money?
The cost of a complete set, for example, Continental ContiEcoContact summer tires, is 28,000 rubles.
With this money you can do a lot of nice things, including setting up the garage of your dreams
.
Therefore, storing tires correctly is beneficial
.
Tire storage rules
How do you know if your garage is suitable for storing tires?
If it is comfortable for a person to be in it, then the room will be suitable for car wheels.
But if you are in doubt, it is easy to check whether your garage meets the required conditions. 1. Air humidity - 50-80% .
If this indicator is below 50%, then there is a risk of microcracks.
If it is above 80%, then water can penetrate the internal pores of the rubber and destroy the binding fibers. 2. The air temperature
for summer tires is from 0 to +35 degrees, for winter tires no more than 35 degrees.
Going beyond the range threatens premature aging of the rubber. 3. Wheels also don’t like to sunbathe in the sun. At all. Ultraviolet light
is another harmful factor that destroys rubber. Therefore, if your garage gets a lot of sunlight, then you need to pack each wheel in a cloth bag. We do not use polyethylene - it causes condensation to form.
Also, when storing tires, it is important to avoid their deformation, otherwise there is a risk of loss of maneuverability on the road.
Therefore, we follow a simple rule: we store tires without rims vertically, with rims - horizontally or suspended: You can organize proper storage of tires and wheels in the garage using various devices.
Options for storing tires without rims
1. Storing tires without rims on a wooden or metal rack. The design of the wooden rack is simple and consists of vertical posts and horizontal beams. When making a rack for storing tires without rims with your own hands, you can use available materials, for example, pallets.
If desired, such a design can be easily made independently. But a wooden rack has a significant disadvantage - fragility. Therefore, a metal rack will be a more reliable alternative. It can always be ordered from Real Steel in individual sizes. Here are examples of our work:
You can find even more examples of completed work on the complex arrangement of private workshops and garages on our website in the “Projects” section. For example, take a look at what a Harley Davidson-style garage might look like.
2. Storing tires without rims on a hanging shelf is an ideal solution for saving space in the garage and a great way to optimize space. You can purchase such a shelf at almost any auto store or make an analogue with your own hands.
The proposed devices will help to correctly distribute the pressure on the tire and save it from deformation. However, when storing tires assembled, the load on the wheel is distributed differently. What methods of storing tires would be correct to use in this case - see below.
Options for storing tires and rims
3. Storage of wheels on special brackets.
Simple, inexpensive and convenient. Finding such brackets in a car store is not difficult, but it is also easy to make them yourself using scrap materials. What else can you use to hang wheels on the wall in your garage? For example, for strong belts, which will become an alternative to storing rubber on brackets:
4. Storing wheels on a rack. The good thing about racks is that, if necessary, they can be easily moved to any corner of your garage and free up space for work. You can make such a rack yourself, or order it from Real Steel.
5. Storing wheels on a hanging shelf. The design of such a shelf is simple and consists of a strong sheet of plywood with fastenings to the wall or ceiling, so if you have the time and tools, you can easily assemble it yourself. It is also always possible to purchase in a specialized store.
All of the listed wheel storage devices can also be installed in a garage pit if the temperature and humidity in it are suitable for storing rubber.
The proposed options will help you carefully preserve your wheels until the next season, as well as use the available space with maximum benefit. Choose the appropriate option and store your tires correctly. Real Steel will help you with the implementation of any idea. Contact us !
We are also ready to make for you any structures for storing tools, taking into account all the rules.
Specialized storage
Many tire centers today provide specialized seasonal storage of tires. These organizations charge several thousand rubles to host tires for several months. There is an additional charge for storing a set of wheels on rims.
In rare cases, such centers have warehouses heated at a constant temperature (which can usually be read about in advertisements), but wheels are almost always stored in ordinary covered hangars with racks. But frankly speaking, this is enough - they do not require any heating in the room. The main thing is that they are not kept on the street, piled in a heap.
It should be understood that the essence of this service is not to create ideal conditions for maintaining tires, but to free the car owner from searching for a place to attach the existing set. This is true if there is no extra space in the garage and you have a small apartment.
Often it takes several days to arrange to get the wheels back. The reason is that warehouses are usually located on the outskirts, and for each client it is expensive to “drive” a car to the warehouse.
GOST requirements for seasonal storage of tires
Many motorists do not suspect that the regime and rules for storing wheels in winter or summer, including on rims, are already defined in the domestic GOST R 54266-2010. Let us immediately make a reservation that the European rules differ slightly from the provisions prescribed in it. The basic requirements are as follows:
- Permissible temperature fluctuations in the garage when storing a tire range from -30 degrees to +35.
- If tires were stored at low temperatures, they must be kept to above-zero temperatures before use.
- Tires and tubes can be stored at a distance of more than 1 m from heating devices.
- Wheels should be stored on the floor, on pallets or racks. The surface should not have sharp edges and be smooth.
- Summer and winter tires, including those on wheels with a profile of up to 205 mm or less, are stored horizontally one on top of the other in stacks, the height of which should not exceed two meters.
- Tires with a profile of 215 mm or more must be stored vertically in a maximum of 4 rows. If the wheels are on disks and large, then they need to be stored horizontally correctly, the internal pressure must be reduced to 0.8-1.0 Atm.
- It is recommended to turn the wheels every three months to change the fulcrum.
- Tubeless tires should be stored in a garage so that deformation of the side walls and beads is prevented.
It is also stated in GOST, as has already been said earlier. In particular, it is said that it is prohibited to store wheels outdoors for more than a month, and they must first be cleaned and protected from moisture and sunlight.
