Winter tire storage

I store winter and all-season tire sets flat on wheels out of the sun. I rotate these sets twice per year (sometime in the Spring and sometime in the Fall) ... Keeping It Simple & Stupid (KISS)
My boat trailer tires stay on the trailer and look like hell while stored in direct sunlight but they are hanging in there quite well along with a good cleaning once in a while.

Corvette Rubber stored on the cars inside on plywood squares similar to @MikeysZ06 above (between them and the concrete) and not moved at all when below freezing.
The fourth year coming up in a few months and so far so good. Keeping it as Simple & Stupid as possible.

If I had the Z06 rubber, I would likely do no different ... but I don't have that so I can't specifically say much for that tire spec (other than not moving them at all when below zero or even perhaps even a few degrees above that)
 
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I'm guessing the unmounted "tires stored flat" is done for space efficiency, not necessarily for the best conditions for a tire. Stack 'em on their side and you can store 6 tires in about 6 square feet, where that would only store about 2 or 3 tires if stored vertically. In a warehouse... space is money.
That Michelin guideline seems to be intended for individual owners, not necessarily at warehousers or major retailers.
 
On any given weekend in the indycar series you’ll see this. Albeit summertime when and where these guys drive.

79D98545-9ABD-4E56-A46B-0E89AF8705CB.jpeg
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AxeZ06 said:
Now that we've cut away from actual tire storage, this is how tires came into the factory quite often, when crates were not available. One person (me sometimes) had 8hrs to unload a 53ft'r and load them into crates:
View attachment 31325
Click to expand...
I’ve seen the Kal tire truck arrive just like that. I believe that’s so they don’t shift in transit,is it not ?

Kudos to you for having to unload something like that solo !!
 
I think it was also the most efficient way to use sq footage. We piled them in crates the same way (sometimes).
 
canuckguy said:
Not trying to pick a fight. Been to Michelin/Firestone warehouses, many others and was GM at a large one. All tires (not mounted) are stored flat. Check out your local Costco even. Stored flat on bare concrete. Just sayen.
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Not picking a fight either. In fact it is a good thing to get the ball kicked around, or the tire rotated.
Personally I will go with Michelin. On the rim store them flat, off the rim store them upright.
Maybe it is much more convenient to store them flat for warehouses. They won't roll away. Just conjecture on my part though.
Just to satisfy myself I checked out the date on the Michelin site. It is copywrited for 2019 - bottom of the home page.
 
AxeZ06 said:
Now that we've cut away from actual tire storage, this is how tires came into the factory quite often, when crates were not available. One person (me sometimes) had 8hrs to unload a 53ft'r and load them into crates:
View attachment 31325
Click to expand...

It's called lacing as is the most efficient and safe way to transport tires no matter the container, even a pick up bed.
Good on you Axez06 for having what it takes to unload extended trailers of rubber.
I've helped with that many years ago and it's unbelievably tough backbreaking work.
 
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Back to the topic of storing tires in the winter with them on the vehicle. I have been doing this for over 15 years on my SSR and my old classic Oldsmobile both of which are stored in unheated garage. I add a bit more air to the tires and get them up to about 35psi. and park on pieces of cardboard, throw on the battery tender and let them sleep all winter. Should also mention that I change the oil, fill the fuel tank and add fuel stabilizer just before putting them to bed. Have never had a problem with starting them in the spring. Over 6 months of storage the tires do lose a little bit of air but not much maybe 2-3lbs. During the first few miles of driving in the spring the tires are a little lumpy but again it is not real bad and after a few miles and they get warmed up the lumpy goes away. As for storing tires/wheels off a vehicle I put them up on a tire rack just to get them out of the way. But it is a major PITA to get them on and off the tire rack and is a 2 person job. I must admit that I have the occasional nightmare that the bolts holding the tire rack on the wall might fail and drop 600lbs of wheels and tires on the hood of one of my babies:Cryin:
 
canuckguy said:
Not trying to pick a fight. Been to Michelin/Firestone warehouses, many others and was GM at a large one. All tires (not mounted) are stored flat. Check out your local Costco even. Stored flat on bare concrete. Just sayen.
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I worked for Good Year for 5 Yrs building tires always stored flat on pallet ?
 
My "high tech" tire storage routine. Tires on the car at normal pressure sitting on rubber and do not move until spring. The ones on the bench stored in the same unheated garage in this sophisticated way. There's another one sitting on the bench behind the hummer on the left. Hummer sits on the concrete and by spring has about 10 PSI left in the 40" Toyo MT tires due to the famous CTIS system leaks these trucks are prone to. 4 years....no issues. A flick of a switch and 20 minutes with the onboard air compressor running while it warms up and I'm back on the road every spring.

As far a Corvette (C7) factory Michelin's... there certainly is a few definite cold weather and winter "don'ts" but they store well in cold weather. Long term storage? Who has an unmounted set sitting for more than a year? Not many I suspect.

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Since 2010, I've kept my tires on my garagedeck tiles without any flatspot issues. I pump the tire pressure to 40 psi for the hibernation period, and check the pressure weekly.
 
When I bought my car in 2013 I went out and bought 4 horse stall mats that are 4' X 6' and 3/4" thick, keeping the rubber on the rubber all winter long. Never had any problems with my tires in 6 years.
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I found after awhile the mats would move forward, so I lagged them to the floor.
 
Z16Jim said:
When I bought my car in 2013 I went out and bought 4 horse stall mats that are 4' X 6' and 3/4" thick, keeping the rubber on the rubber all winter long. Never had any problems with my tires in 6 years.View attachment 31803
I found after awhile the mats would move forward, so I lagged them to the floor.
Click to expand...


Likely the 50 to 0 garage stops you are doing Jim. 😂

Nice looking cave by the way
 
Z16Jim said:
When I bought my car in 2013 I went out and bought 4 horse stall mats that are 4' X 6' and 3/4" thick, keeping the rubber on the rubber all winter long. Never had any problems with my tires in 6 years.View attachment 31803
I found after awhile the mats would move forward, so I lagged them to the floor.
Click to expand...
I used cow mats of the same dimensions and probably material.
Guess it depends on what you keep in the stable/barn. lol
 
I just park the car and turn off the lights. I will usually slip something under them like a piece of cardboard or a rubber mud flap, but that's more about keeping the tires from "bonding" to the floor and lifting bits of concrete or (if painted) paint/epoxy.

Tires off the vehicles go up into the tire racks I have on the walls.

What I will say is to make sure you don't park the car (or store tires) next to or close by an electric motor that runs fairly often. For example: a well pump. Electric motors produce ozone as they operate and ozone breaks rubber down. It will cause rubber tires to check and crack if exposed to the ozone for too long.
 
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One last car show for us here in Toronto - October 6 at Embassy suites. Four large car clubs putting it on for mental health awareness. Then I put her to sleep with thick rubber under the wheels - already getting dark her around 7 pm. Cooler today 13 c outside.
 

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