If you swap between winter and summer or all-season tires, one set is always sitting around waiting. How you store it matters. Heat, sunlight and the wrong position can dry out rubber, cause cracks or leave flat spots. Here’s how to do it right.
Step 1: Clean them first
Wash off road salt, brake dust and dirt with soap and water, then let the tires dry fully. Salt left on wheels over the summer can eat into the finish. Skip tire shine products before storage. Some contain solvents that aren’t good for rubber long term.
Step 2: Mark where each tire goes
Use chalk or tape to mark each tire: FL, FR, RL, RR (front left, front right, and so on). Next season, you or your shop can rotate them so they wear evenly. More on why tire rotation matters.
Step 3: Bag them
Put each tire in a tire bag or a large, dark plastic bag. This keeps out dust and slows the rubber from drying out. Don’t seal them totally airtight if they’re even a little damp, since trapped moisture can cause problems.
Step 4: Stack or stand them the right way
- Tires on rims: stack them flat on top of each other (no more than four high), or hang them on a wall rack by the rim.
- Tires without rims: stand them upright, side by side. Turn them a little every month or so to prevent flat spots. Don’t hang them by the tire itself or stack them high, since that can bend the bead.
Step 5: Pick the right spot
The ideal place is cool, dry, dark and clean. A basement or a climate-controlled room works well. Keep tires away from:
- Direct sunlight and windows
- Furnaces, water heaters, sump pumps and other electric motors, which give off ozone that cracks rubber
- Gasoline, oil, solvents and chemicals
- Bare concrete floors that stay damp. Put a piece of wood or cardboard underneath.
An uninsulated garage or shed is okay in a pinch, but big temperature swings between an Ontario summer and winter are hard on rubber.
Step 6: Check them before they go back on
Before the next swap, look for cracks, bulges and tread depth. Then set the pressure to the number on your driver’s door sticker once they’re back on the car. Tires lose air in storage.
No room? Let us store them
Four tires on rims take up a lot of space and are heavy to carry. President Tire & Wheels at 632 Colby Drive, Waterloo, offers tire storage, so your tires stay clean and dry and are ready at your next swap. See our tire storage page and seasonal tire swaps, or call (226) 698-1667.
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