How to Store Tyres - 7 Essential Tips

Proper Tyre Storage Minimises Degredation

There are many good reasons to have a spare set of car tyres: winter tyres for icy conditions, summer tyres for off-road adventures, performance tyres for motor sport. However, the problem is that even unused tyres degrade over time. This blog explains why it's important to store tyres correctly and the best way to store them so as to slow degradation and avoid shortening the life of your investment.

Unused Tyres Can Crack and Distort out of Shape

Tyres have UV protection chemicals built into their rubber compounds. These protective oils get evenly distributed over the surface of the tyre, when they are in use, to keep the tyre flexible and in good condition. The problem is that this protection becomes patchy when the tyres are not used for long periods. The patchiness results in the black rubber, tyre compound stiffening and losing its flexibility. This hastens the ageing process and makes the tyres prone to surface cracks, which if bad enough can increase the risk of a blow out.

The above process of degradation can be hastened by exposure to: UV rays, oxygen, ozone (an oxidising agent), moisture, oils and solvents.

In addition, tyres that are not stored properly can become distorted and warped due to the uneven pressure loads that they are subject to. All these factors can significantly reduce the life of a tyre.

Following the 7 tips below for proper storage can help minimise these problems and enable you to get the maximum life from your tyres.

1. Locate a Suitable Dry Environment

Look for a tyre storage area that is:

• Cool, clean and dry
• Not in direct sunlight with minimal exposure to UV light
• Away from heat sources like heaters, fridges, freezers, electric motors and air-conditioners
• Moderately ventilated
• Not subject to high temperature and high humidity levels/ fluctuations
• Not exposed to the fumes from solvents, fuels and lubricants
• Not exposed to ozone producing equipment such as: arc welders, generators or compressors

2. Clean Your Tyres Prior to Storage

Tyre manufacturers recommend that you clean your spare tyres properly before storage. Use a tyre brush to remove caked-on dirt and brake dust and pick out any stones caught in the grooves. Then wash the tyres with a mild soapy detergent and water. Rinse well with water afterwards. Do not apply any dressing, such as tyre conditioners or gloss, to the tyres.

Dry the Tyres Completely

Dry the tyres completely before they go into storage. Any retained moisture may hasten degradation.

3. Ideally Seal the Tyres in Airtight Bags

Tyres can be stored for short periods as they are in the open air +/- tyre totes, but for best results over a longer period it is best to place them in an airtight plastic bag.

Source some large, opaque plastic bags, such as garden cleanup bags, and ensure the interior of the bag is completely dry.

Place each tyre in a bag and expel as much air as you can – using a vacuum cleaner will help. Removing the air reduces the evaporation and degradation of the protective oils. Tape the bag shut to seal out the air.

Tip - mark each tyre with the position it occupied on the car (e.g. left front) before bagging. This will allow you to properly rotate the wheels when you put them back on the car.

Once bagged the proper way to store your tyres will depend on whether they have rims or not.

4. How to Store Tyres That Are On a Rim

If your are storing tyres that are mounted on a rim, then inflate them to the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. Following this you can either stack them or hang them. It’s best not to store tyres that are on a rim in the upright position, as they may become distorted.

Stack Tyres Vertically

Store tyres that are on a rim in a stack, sidewall-to-sidewall. It is recommended that the stack be kept under about 1.2 metres high, in order to avoid distortion and tipping.

Use a pallet or some sort of insulation to keep the stack off the floor and away from any dampness.

It is recommended that the order of the tyres in the stack be reversed every month or so to help prevent distortion.

Hang Them from Tyre Racks or on a Hook

Rimmed tyres can also be stored up and out of the way by hanging them from tyre racks or suspending them on a hook through the rim. 

It is important that hooks do not damage the rims and that the weight of the wheel is taken by the rim only, so there is no pressure on the tyre wall.

5. How to Store Tyres Without Rims

Store tyres that are rimless without any pressure or tension to avoid distortion. This is best accomplished by raising them off the ground and setting them standing upright, sidewall-to-sidewall/ white to white on a shelf or in a tyre storage rack.

Rotate the tyres a part turn every month to minimise distortion.

Never hang unmounted tyres, as this can lead to damage and distortion.

6. What if the Tyres are on a Vehicle that is being Parked Long-Term?

It’s best to remove the wheels from a vehicle that is not going to be used for a long period, in order to avoid flat-spotting your normal tyres and fostering uneven wear.

If that's not possible, try and reduce the forces on the tyres by jacking the vehicle up on blocks or at least unloading it.

Ideally have the vehicle garaged.

7. Tyre Maintenance Before Using the Stored Tyres Again

Before putting your tyres back on the vehicle, check to see if there are any cracks or distortion.

Inflate the air pressure in the tyres to the manufacturer’s specification, so that they wear evenly.

Rotate the tyres, when you put them back on the vehicle, so as to balance out their wear profile.

If the tyres have been stored for an extended period of time, then consider having them checked by a tyre professional before remounting them. Manufacturers generally recommend changing tyres every 5-6 years regardless of how many kilometres they have travelled.