Tires.....again

[Dale124]

Sorry to beat a dead horse guys, but I’m starting to get anxious about the impending winter temperatures and storing my car in an unheated garage. I have read that when the temps get low, do not move the car and the tires will be fine, but I have also read that they should not even be exposed to the low temperatures we get in winter here in Alberta, as it can cause damage and/ or flat spots.
I’m assuming that I am not the only one here that does not have a heated garage, so please, if you have some advice or thoughts on the matter, do share.
Thanks.
Dale.

 

[EJChevy]

Outside temperature vs tires

Hi guys. I was wondering what your thoughts are on how low the temperature can go before it becomes hazardous to the tires to be driven on. The reason I ask is that a few years ago,I was talking to a salesman about a Camaro I was looking at in the showroom on a chilly Edmonton fall day, and he...

canadiancorvetteforums.com

 

[pumpkinodin8844]

Sorry to beat a dead horse guys, but I’m starting to get anxious about the impending winter temperatures and storing my car in an unheated garage. I have read that when the temps get low, do not move the car and the tires will be fine, but I have also read that they should not even be exposed to the low temperatures we get in winter here in Alberta, as it can cause damage and/ or flat spots.
I’m assuming that I am not the only one here that does not have a heated garage, so please, if you have some advice or thoughts on the matter, do share.
Thanks.
Dale.

I'm in Manitoba and all I've done is take an old scrap carpet and cut it in 4 pieces, placed it on the garage floor and drove the car up on to them making sure all tires were on the carpet and left it alone for 6 months. Never had an issue with flat spots or cracking of any kind.

 

[Vanguard2001]

The tires won't crack by sitting in the cold. They will almost certainly crack if driven at temps below zero. At the time of storage pump them up to 40 lbs pressure so they won't drop below 30 when the outdoor temp drops to minus a gazillion.

 

[Dale124]

Thanks, guys. I’m feeling better already!
Dale

 

[81Wayne]

Sorry to beat a dead horse guys, but I’m starting to get anxious about the impending winter temperatures and storing my car in an unheated garage. I have read that when the temps get low, do not move the car and the tires will be fine, but I have also read that they should not even be exposed to the low temperatures we get in winter here in Alberta, as it can cause damage and/ or flat spots.
I’m assuming that I am not the only one here that does not have a heated garage, so please, if you have some advice or thoughts on the matter, do share.
Thanks.
Dale.

Hi what I've done for about the last 20 years is cut 4 squares of 1" thick dense blue or pink Styrofoam about 12" x 12". This will provide excellent insulation from the cold solid concrete surface and has enough give to prevent any potential flat spotting. Works like a charm and I can get 5 to 7 years out of the same squares.
I have also cut some 1" x 4" to put down done to prevent over squishing the leading edge of the Styrofoam.
Cheers Wayne

 

[07silvervette17]

Only applies to the sport cup 2 tires

 

[topfighter]

Sorry to beat a dead horse guys, but I’m starting to get anxious about the impending winter temperatures and storing my car in an unheated garage. I have read that when the temps get low, do not move the car and the tires will be fine, but I have also read that they should not even be exposed to the low temperatures we get in winter here in Alberta, as it can cause damage and/ or flat spots.
I’m assuming that I am not the only one here that does not have a heated garage, so please, if you have some advice or thoughts on the matter, do share.
Thanks.
Dale.

one of my friend's wife never drives in winter. he puts her car on jack stands so that the tires were above the ground

 

[hemicat]

I do something similar. I have 4 pieces of 1/2" plywood that I drove onto and then fill the tires to 40 psi.

I'm in Manitoba and all I've done is take an old scrap carpet and cut it in 4 pieces, placed it on the garage floor and drove the car up on to them making sure all tires were on the carpet and left it alone for 6 months. Never had an issue with flat spots or cracking of any kind.

 

[Rruuff Day]

I do something similar. I have 4 pieces of 1/2" plywood that I drove onto and then fill the tires to 40 psi.

Here's a look at mine from a thread a few weelks ago....

Jacking pucks

Oh geez. This is news to me! Thank you EJ, Axe. .... I am leaning towards Rruuff's solution.... :Cheers2: Tip if you do Dik. Nice slow taper for the entry ramp and glue or staple that non-slip liner material to the bottom to keep them from sliding forward as you drive up to them. First time...

canadiancorvetteforums.com

 

[Vanguard2001]

one of my friend's wife never drives in winter. he puts her car on jack stands so that the tires were above the ground

Not necessary and potentially harmful to the cars suspension. All vehicles are engineered to remain on their wheels at all times, even in long term storage. Does Jay Leno raise the tires of every car in his collection? Not a chance. Carpet or styrofoam is helpful for the Michelin Corvette tires to help reduce flat spots however they will roll out after a few miles. No need to overthink the tire aspect of winter storage. Pumping up the pressure to 40 PSI is the one thing that is a must.

 

[Tourmax]

Not necessary and potentially harmful to the cars suspension. All vehicles are engineered to remain on their wheels at all times, even in long term storage. Does Jay Leno raise the tires of every car in his collection? Not a chance. Carpet or styrofoam is helpful for the Michelin Corvette tires to help reduce flat spots however they will roll out after a few miles. No need to overthink the tire aspect of winter storage. Pumping up the pressure to 40 PSI is the one thing that is a must.

I put cardboard under my tires for winter storage. It's got nothing to do with protecting the tires, but keeping them from taking a "bond" to the floor epoxy and potentially lifting it off the concrete when moved.

Cars on jack stands are not a bad thing, for long term storage. It is, however, more applicable to "steel sprung" vehicles. The issues is that steel springs "sack" over time. It's a result of the stress of the weight of the vehicle and dealing with road surfaces. By getting the vehicle weight off the steel spring, you are helping to stave off "sag". The spring steel used in coils and leafs resists the force of the car weight trying to crush them flat. Over time, they loose the battle. Even when sitting still.The "SAG" they experience is actually the steel forming a new "memory" as the weight crushes them. Once they take that new set, they sag and that's their new height.We think there's no forces or strains on a car while it's just sitting still, but gravity is always waging it's war to pull things to the center of the earth and the steel springs in a car are the first line of defense to this constant force. Even sitting still, they will eventually loose this battle and sag. getting hte weight off them (ie: jack stands) helps them fight the battle. It's a small difference, but it is a difference. The average guy probably won't own a car long enough to worry about it though. Takes decades to ruin a set of springs....

Also of note is most Vettes are suspended by fiberglass springs. Fiberglass does not experience "sag" like steel springs do, fatigue brings fiberglass to a failure point before it sags (although given enough time and use, even fiberglass looses the suspension forces battle and will flatten out some). So no real need need to put the fiberglass sprung Vettes on jackstands, unless you're worried about the various rubber bushes taking a sag while sitting.....or you want to make sure your teen/pre-teen can't get it out of the garage when you're not looking!

LOL!


Oh, the "Jay Leno" thing: I wouldn't reference anything a millionaire/billionaire does with their vehicles for an "average joe". He's got more money than Switzerland and he actually has mechanics on staff maintaining his vehicles. He doesn't give a damn if they sag on their springs or not because it's fixed before he even knows about it. All he wants to do is buy them, show them off, turn the key and enjoy the ride now. Having a couple hundred cars on jacks and not available at a moments notice is probably not what he wants to see.....

 

[Vegas1500]

Run flats won’t “flat spot”. No need to air them up more than required psi.

 

[Rruuff Day]

Right or wrong, I'm just not comfortable seeing my suspension parts at full extension for 6 months straight. I will continue to leave mine on the tire pads.

 

[Vanguard2001]

Letting the wheels hang puts stress on parts that were not intended to be in that position. Once upon a time ... I put a 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood into storage for what was supposed to be 2 years while I went to work overseas. 2 became 4 and 4 became 8. Before storage, every bit of expert advice I received (without the benefit of Google) was consistent - do not jack the car - just put a tarp under it, a bit more air in the tires, remove the battery and dump a box of moth balls in the engine space and another in the passenger area. Also put a cotton car cover on it. I was told that the jacks exert stress in places not intended to bear that weight for long periods. After 8 years and almost an hour to remove the cotton come 1 inch cardboard cover, installed a new battery and some instant start down the throat of the 4 barrel carb - away it went and I kept that big boat for another 6 years. The brakes squealed for a few kms and many vacuum hoses had dried up making the HVAC a total mess but the suspension was never an issue. It floated like a big Caddy should and just like before it went into storage. I am no expert in suspension engineering but I would recommend doing some solid research before putting any car up on jack stands for more than a couple of weeks.

 

[Vanguard2001]

Run flats won’t “flat spot”. No need to air them up more than required psi.

Now that is a bit of good news. My concern has been that with the usual 30 PSI in the Michelin tires and when the temperature drops to -30, the volume of air will decrease significantly and then the weight of the car will be sitting on the sidewalls for an extended period of time. But if run flats can take that kind of pressure for several months, then no need to worry. What do the manufacturers of these tires say? I don't know but want to, so ... I'm off to see the wizard (Google).

 

[CorvetteRon]

Right or wrong, I've read both, but I have stored my '76 on jack stands in a garage for the winter since it was new.
No oiling the cylinders, covers, moth balls, cold weather starting, or anything.
I've had no adverse reactions to this method yet.

 

[YFCvii]

Too bad we were not closer to sit and enjoy a coffee over this. On my 4th year of hibernation in an unheated garage with 2 C7 3LT Rays and zero anxiety.
All i do is find an easy way to separate the tire from the ice-cold mass of the concrete underneath it. So many ways to do it. Then turn the 4ft tall hourglass over for Spring. Yes my vettes are tendered 24/7 during this time with a device that “tenders/maintains” and not just “charges”.
During winter, enjoy a drive south and i can show you a dealership that does absolutely nothing. New corvettes blanketed with snow outside with tires on ... but never moved.
No sooner I write this it snows here in YYC today ....

Anxiety Remedy = Red,White,Hard and Beer - I find they all work. All four at the same time only when needed

I will let you know when I next travel to YEG @Dale124 for an opportunity to meet with you. I actually have a few others I need to say Bonjour/Hi to as well.

 

[Dale124]

Too bad we were not closer to sit and enjoy a coffee over this. On my 4th year of hibernation in an unheated garage with 2 C7 3LT Rays and zero anxiety.
All i do is find an easy way to separate the tire from the ice-cold mass of the concrete underneath it. So many ways to do it. Then turn the 4ft tall hourglass over for Spring. Yes my vettes are tendered 24/7 during this time with a device that “tenders/maintains” and not just “charges”.
During winter, enjoy a drive south and i can show you a dealership that does absolutely nothing. New corvettes blanketed with snow outside with tires on ... but never moved.
No sooner I write this it snows here in YYC today ....

Anxiety Remedy = Red,White,Hard and Beer - I find they all work. All four at the same time only when needed
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I will let you know when I next travel to YEG @Dale124 for an opportunity to meet with you. I actually have a few others I need to say Bonjour/Hi to as well.

A meet up would be awesome!
Thanks, Dale.

 

[Vanguard2001]

I solved the question of winter storage for my Stingray. No storage required! Weathertech floor liners installed, Michelin Alpin tires on Braelin wheels and I removed the splitter to gain 2 inches of front end clearance. My Vette will be used on any day when the road conditions in the Ottawa area are decent. That means it will be out 4 or 5 times before April . It took me a long time to buy this great machine and it drove me nuts last winter to have it unavailable for 5 months. At the ripe age of 73 I don't know how many years remain for Corvette driving so I need to get in as much wheel time as possible every year. When asked a specific question regarding winter driving, the advice of the instructors at Spring Mountain was clear; C7 Corvettes were tested extensively in winter conditions including in Canada. They also stated that many Spring Mountain customers living in the snow belt drive their car all winter. There is a driving mode for Weather. I am sure there will be some unexpected challenges but as the winter progresses, I will report to the forum on impressions and surprises. Many friends and colleagues have declared me an official nut case and they are right.