What to do with tires when storing car for winter?

[JCWP]

Hello James,

Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.


In regards to the email you sent stating:
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I store my car for approx. 4 mth in my garage -attached to my house. Do I need to do anything to the tires other than make sure they are properly inflated? It is my understanding that tires now a days do not need to be off the concrete to prevent flat spots. I have been storing cars over the winter for 20 years and have never had a problem with my tires.

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I will be happy to assist you with your question regarding storage, James. What we recommend for tire storage is if the tires are not used for a prolonged period of time, remove the tires (mounted on their wheels) and reduce their pressure to half their normal value to store. Store tires in a clean, dry area, away from direct sunlight and above 0°C (32°F) in accordance with the information provided by Michelin in technical documentation or their website.Do Not use, store or handle the tires at ambient temperatures below -10°C (14°F). Under these conditions the tire components can degrade, resulting in reduced performance, and at low temperatures can lead to cracks in the tire compound and hence reduce potential in use.Never use a tire with cracks, breaks or damage to the sidewall or tread. I hope this was helpful!

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

It is our goal to ensure that your issue has been resolved or your question answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 1-888-871-4444 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Saturday.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Good bit of information. I did not know about lowering the air pressure to half. Mine are still sitting in the unheated garage but off the car. I have to get them in the heated basement before we get consistent cold temperatures.

Thank you.

 

[Rruuff Day]

Hello James,

Thank you for your email. We welcome the opportunity to serve you.


In regards to the email you sent stating:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I store my car for approx. 4 mth in my garage -attached to my house. Do I need to do anything to the tires other than make sure they are properly inflated? It is my understanding that tires now a days do not need to be off the concrete to prevent flat spots. I have been storing cars over the winter for 20 years and have never had a problem with my tires.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be happy to assist you with your question regarding storage, James. What we recommend for tire storage is if the tires are not used for a prolonged period of time, remove the tires (mounted on their wheels) and reduce their pressure to half their normal value to store. Store tires in a clean, dry area, away from direct sunlight and above 0°C (32°F) in accordance with the information provided by Michelin in technical documentation or their website.Do Not use, store or handle the tires at ambient temperatures below -10°C (14°F). Under these conditions the tire components can degrade, resulting in reduced performance, and at low temperatures can lead to cracks in the tire compound and hence reduce potential in use.Never use a tire with cracks, breaks or damage to the sidewall or tread. I hope this was helpful!

We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Michelin.

It is our goal to ensure that your issue has been resolved or your question answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you further, please respond to this email or call us at 1-888-871-4444 (toll free) between 8:00AM and 8:00PM Eastern Time Monday through Saturday.

Thanks James... Good post and good to know how Michelin stands on this.

Not that I have any plans to remover my wheels every fall though.
I feel driving the car up on the 2" thick Styrofoam insulation pads in my heated shop is sufficient for relieving stress and/or not creating flat spot memory on the bottom portion of the tires. Like your 20 years of experience, I also have never had problems with neither my C6 and my C7 over the years. I do somewhat agree with Michelin on relieving the weight and definitely not moving the car if the tires are going to be subject to extreme cold though. I guess it's each to their own as I'm pretty sure Michelin PR will preach the ideal storage so's not to take a chance with liability on their part.
And PS. My shop isn't a pig pen but I wouldn't necessarily call it "clean" either..... Wonder if that matters?

 

[JCWP]

Thanks James... Good post and good to know how Michelin stands on this.

Not that I have any plans to remover my wheels every fall though.
I feel driving the car up on the 2" thick Styrofoam insulation pads in my heated shop is sufficient for relieving stress and/or not creating flat spot memory on the bottom portion of the tires. Like your 20 years of experience, I also have never had problems with neither my C6 and my C7 over the years. I do somewhat agree with Michelin on relieving the weight and definitely not moving the car if the tires are going to be subject to extreme cold though. I guess it's each to their own as I'm pretty sure Michelin PR will preach the ideal storage so's not to take a chance with liability on their part.
And PS. My shop isn't a pig pen but I wouldn't necessarily call it "clean" either..... Wonder if that matters?

U R welcome! My garage does not get that cold- neither does the outside temp. usually - so, I like you, will continue to leave the feet on my beast for the winter. My wife did bring me home some disgarded styrofoam pads though from work which I will roll her up on.

 

[Pep]

I wouldn't recommend removing tires from your car unless you have a way to support the suspension in a close to normal position. If you unload the suspension of a street car for multiple months without doing anything for the suspension you unload the bushings in the position they are used to and it is NOT good for them at all to have the weight of the suspension putting load on the bushings essentially 180 deg from where the norm is. This is from two different mechanic friends of mine that I talked to before wintering my Camaro for the first time. I had planned to put the car up on jack stands and just let the suspension hang and they clued me in pretty quickly about doing that long term.

 

[JCWP]

I wouldn't recommend removing tires from your car unless you have a way to support the suspension in a close to normal position. If you unload the suspension of a street car for multiple months without doing anything for the suspension you unload the bushings in the position they are used to and it is NOT good for them at all to have the weight of the suspension putting load on the bushings essentially 180 deg from where the norm is. This is from two different mechanic friends of mine that I talked to before wintering my Camaro for the first time. I had planned to put the car up on jack stands and just let the suspension hang and they clued me in pretty quickly about doing that long term.

This makes a lot of sense me. Like I said before, I have had 3 other vettes and a a shelby GT500 and never ever had a problem with my tires when storing for the winter. I suspect as per another CCF member's comments, Michelin is covering their you know what?

 

[Rruuff Day]

I wouldn't recommend removing tires from your car unless you have a way to support the suspension in a close to normal position. If you unload the suspension of a street car for multiple months without doing anything for the suspension you unload the bushings in the position they are used to and it is NOT good for them at all to have the weight of the suspension putting load on the bushings essentially 180 deg from where the norm is. This is from two different mechanic friends of mine that I talked to before wintering my Camaro for the first time. I had planned to put the car up on jack stands and just let the suspension hang and they clued me in pretty quickly about doing that long term.

Agreed Randy.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

If you blocked the car under the "A" arms would that replicate the car sitting on the tires?

Lots of good information in this thread.

 

[Elf]

With the exception of up here north of Canada concrete floors in an unheated garage do not get below freezing .This is because the thermal mass below the slab does not freeze .As a test this winter place a thermometer directly on the slab overnight .

 

[Jeffer2013]

I wouldn't recommend removing tires from your car unless you have a way to support the suspension in a close to normal position. If you unload the suspension of a street car for multiple months without doing anything for the suspension you unload the bushings in the position they are used to and it is NOT good for them at all to have the weight of the suspension putting load on the bushings essentially 180 deg from where the norm is. This is from two different mechanic friends of mine that I talked to before wintering my Camaro for the first time. I had planned to put the car up on jack stands and just let the suspension hang and they clued me in pretty quickly about doing that long term.

Edmonton west end dealer has half a dozen corvettes up on let’s call them blocks but rather chunks of wood out in the cold and snow unsupported

mmmmm. Jeff

 

[Pep]

Edmonton west end dealer has half a dozen corvettes up on let’s call them blocks but rather chunks of wood out in the cold and snow unsupported
mmmmm. Jeff

I wouldn't be buying from any dealer that stores a vette outside in our winter here no matter how they do it.

 

[Riley P]

With the exception of up here north of Canada concrete floors in an unheated garage do not get below freezing .This is because the thermal mass below the slab does not freeze .As a test this winter place a thermometer directly on the slab overnight .

I checked the pad of our garage on out attached house. We just got into the winter and the pad is already sitting at 34 F. I’m certain she’ll freeze this winter. Once I insulated our garage, that will help for future years.

 

[ddgermann]

Edmonton west end dealer has half a dozen corvettes up on let’s call them blocks but rather chunks of wood out in the cold and snow unsupported

mmmmm. Jeff

I wouldn't be buying from any dealer that stores a vette outside in our winter here no matter how they do it.

There are at least a couple dealers in the Edmonton area who have heated underground storage (parking lot) below the main building. The corvettes are winter stored there. The one I bought mine from for instance is one of them. Agreed not to buy a 75 - 140K car from someone who is willing to let it sit outside all winter. Says a lot about the general "Corvette" attitude of dealer and how they view their high end customers.
Personally I feel not every Chevy dealer should be allowed to sell "Corvette" to keep the dealers motivated to look after cars and customers...So many horror stories about bad sales people right through to un-knowledgeable service experiences. On the other hand there are very good dealerships out there with excellent sales and service staff who appreciate the investment customers are making in their Corvette. Both financially and emotionally.

Here's to the good dealers out there...

 

[Pep]

There are at least a couple dealers in the Edmonton area who have heated underground storage (parking lot) below the main building. The corvettes are winter stored there. The one I bought mine from for instance is one of them. Agreed not to buy a 75 - 140K car from someone who is willing to let it sit outside all winter. Says a lot about the general "Corvette" attitude of dealer and how they view their high end customers.
Personally I feel not every Chevy dealer should be allowed to sell "Corvette" to keep the dealers motivated to look after cars and customers...So many horror stories about bad sales people right through to un-knowledgeable service experiences. On the other hand there are very good dealerships out there with excellent sales and service staff who appreciate the investment customers are making in their Corvette. Both financially and emotionally.
Here's to the good dealers out there...

^^^^^^^ This

 

[Rruuff Day]

I checked the pad of our garage on out attached house. We just got into the winter and the pad is already sitting at 34 F. I’m certain she’ll freeze this winter. Once I insulated our garage, that will help for future years.

You are correct Riley. The ground beneath your unheated garage's concrete slab will indeed freeze, albeit the depth of frost penetration in the underlying soils will be less than the area without a concrete slab. Although the thermal mass of concrete is significant, it and the soil below is not nearly sufficient enough to store enough heat energy to overcome more than a short period of subzero temperatures. Unfortunately during our prairie winters, which often see extended periods of -20 to -30 to - 40, there is also little heat in the sun and little opportunity for thermal heat recharge to occur.


Now. That being said, if you were to run a Herman Nelson in there for a few hours a day................

 

[ddgermann]

You are correct Riley. The ground beneath your unheated garage's concrete slab will indeed freeze, albeit the depth of frost penetration in the underlying soils will be less than the area without a concrete slab. Although the thermal mass of concrete is significant, it and the soil below is not nearly sufficient enough to store enough heat energy to overcome more than a short period of subzero temperatures. Unfortunately during our prairie winters, which often see extended periods of -20 to -30 to - 40, there is also little heat in the sun and little opportunity for thermal heat recharge to occur.


Now. That being said, if you were to run a Herman Nelson in there for a few hours a day................

A freestanding Insulated garage will let heat transfer up out of the floor quickly agreed.
A attached insulated garage (like we have) will remain above 0 even on the coldest days of winter. Ours is surrounded on 3 sides plus the ceiling with heated live spaces so no problem with it ever freezing in there.
A proper Herman that uses a heat exchanger and ducts in a garage yes (dry air)... a fake one with direct fired heating... no for a garage heat source. These things will have moisture and frost cycling all through the garage and everything in it... Corvette meet wet.
made all these discoveries over the years.. lots of experience with winter cold garage dirt floor mechanical magic. Back when I was young and invincible. Well poor and dumb anyway.

 

[Rruuff Day]

Agreed Derek. Insulated and attached three sides and ceiling, it will never freeze..Especially if you run a bit of pipe and tee into a heat duct or two ...lol .. Last post I saw of Riley's garage was without insulation and not sure if it had more than one attached side. I assumed when he said the temp was already down to 34 F this year that it is still uninsulated. My previous house with a detached uninsulated garage only averaged about 10 degrees warmer than the outside air temp.... Of course pulling a diesel truck in every night with 14 litres of hot oil and 27 litres of hot antifreeze in it, and then plugging the block heater in probably accounts for a little too.... still use to be damn cold in there come morning.... lol.....

 

[Elf]

Now I'm in a position that I have to take some photos in late January .I assume if I'm correct some of you non believers will buy me a beer .

 

[ddgermann]

Now I'm in a position that I have to take some photos in late January .I assume if I'm correct some of you non believers will buy me a beer .

Gladly

 

[Rruuff Day]

Now I'm in a position that I have to take some photos in late January .I assume if I'm correct some of you non believers will buy me a beer .

I will gladly buy you a beer Elf ... right or not and just for the halibut.... but have to know the details first.... Where is your uninsulated, unheated garage that never freezes.......