The arrival of summer reminds you that it’s time to rotate the tires on your car. Even though it is not against the law to drive on winter tires in the summer, it is not a good idea.
Tires designed for the particular season in question typically perform better in terms of mileage, handling, and fuel consumption.
The question then arises of properly storing winter tires so they can be used again during the following year’s winter.
The repercussions of poor inventory management
Tires are made of composite materials that are molded into shapes. They are made up of what is known as a carcass, which is a steel mesh, and are covered in a rubber compound mixture.
The coating method is referred to as the “vulcanization” process referred to here. “
The rubber is subjected to an intense heating process until it is melted to the point where it can completely cover the carcass.
This is of the utmost significance. The only condition under which the casing will continue to be firm and stable is if the metal does not rust. If air and moisture can get through the steel wires, the tire will quickly shred to pieces.
This is the issue with insufficient storage space. They must be stored in a way that prevents them from being subjected to any point loads.
Because it has been standing in the same spot for months, the housing has developed a permanent bend at a particular point, which can result in damage.
It is also possible for microcracks to appear at the point of most significant stress. The microcracks have the potential to become more prominent on subsequent trips, eventually allowing air to enter the casing.
This is especially disastrous for tires used in the winter: Corrosion of the carcass is exacerbated by salt and snow.
When storing, errors like the ones listed below are common:
– Storing standing
– Too much light in the storage area
– An area of storage that has an excessively high humidity
– Close to various chemicals
How to correctly and quickly put things away
It is essential to keep a tire in storage:
– lying or hanging
– in a dark
– dry
– well ventilated
In theory, you should be able to store them by arranging them so that they are stacked one on top of the other.
Nevertheless, you should not stack more than four tires at a time. When horizontal storage is used, the pressure is evenly distributed across the lateral surface.
However, it is the area that needs the most improvement. Because of this, a tire tower that is too high would result in long-term damage to the lowest level.
Because of this, the tire rack or another suitable wall hook is the perfect solution. The tire can remain completely unburdened and undamaged when these solutions are utilized because they allow it to be hung up.
It cannot be overstated how significant darkness is. The harsh ultraviolet light of the sun causes the rubber to age quickly and become brittle.
This is because the rubber is exposed to light. It is almost impossible to avoid prolonged damage, especially if the same spot is always illuminated. This makes it especially difficult.
Additionally harmful is moisture that has become stagnant and accumulated. Water can seep through the wall and collect there.
Water is not only harmful to the rubber, but it is also harmful to the vulcanized casing because it dissolves the rubber. For example, pallets are an excellent choice for stacking wheels when it comes to.
They keep sufficient ground clearance, so the wheel is protected from moisture even if water penetrates the tire.
Chemicals that contain solvents are especially hazardous to human health. These primarily consist of traditional gasoline and diesel fuel, among other examples.
Motor oil, brake cleaner, WD-40, and even soap and window cleaner are among the substances that, in addition to being able to damage the rubber coating of a tire, can also damage the tire itself. It is essential to guard tires against the effects of these substances.
Additionally, the absence of solvent vapor deposits is ensured by adequate ventilation in the room.
The systematic process of putting away tires
There are six stages of storage for tires:
1. Examine
2. Clean
3. Mark
4. Choose a storage place
5. Prepare storage location
6. Store
It is a waste of time and space to store tires that cannot be used during the current season. Therefore, it is essential to perform a comprehensive inspection on used tires before putting them away.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that the tread depth is adequate. It is sometimes helpful to have a depth gauge.
It is sufficient to have a profile that is 1.6 millimeters in height for summer tires. However, in order to provide an adequate level of safety, winter tires need to have a tread depth of four millimeters.
On the other hand, this does not imply that winter tires with the lowest possible profile should be stocked.
After all, this depth is the value at which the tires are going to be remounted and used during the subsequent winter season.
Because of this, winter tires with a profile of 6 millimeters should not be used anymore and should instead be replaced.
When checking the tire’s overall condition (in addition to the tread depth), an inspection is performed on the tread depth.
The presence of abrasion spots, smooth spots, cracks, or dents are all indicators that the item should not be used further.
In such a scenario, it ought to be modified. After all, there is a cap on the amount of time it can remain in service.
Maximum age of ten years is allowed for tires used on automobiles. After that point, they are no longer protected from harm.
The DOT number of a tire can be used to determine how old the tire is. This is a combination of four digits that can be found in the oval field that is located on the sidewall of the tire.
The week of production is indicated by the first digit, and the year is indicated by the second digit. The number “3214” refers to the 32nd week of the calendar year 2014.
However, once the tire has been in use for six years, it needs to be carefully examined before being put away. An authority in the field can be of assistance.
Only a tire that has been thoroughly cleaned can be considered safe. It is highly recommended that you use a high-pressure cleaner on it before putting it away for storage.
The dirt can then be cleaned off of the profile in this manner. Because the land also contains significant amounts of salt, this is of utmost significance for winter tires.
Before putting something away for storage, you should make sure that all such residues have been removed.
It is recommended to place abbreviations on the tires, such as the following examples:
FI = front left
FD stands for “front right.”
DI = rear left
DDD stands for the rear right
Although it is not required to mount them axle by axle in this specific order, doing so makes identification much simpler.
Changing the tires on each axle once a year is a strategy that makes the most sense. This ensures that the wear is distributed evenly.
In most cases, the front tires are the first to wear out, followed by the rear ones. In that spot, the automobile is subjected to a more significant load from the engine.
Additionally, the steering contributes to the quicker turning of the tires. Each year, the front and rear tires are switched out in order to prevent the constant need to purchase new tires in pairs.
The lateral order, on the other hand, should not be altered in any way. Mounting a wheel so that it faces in the direction of travel is an absolute necessity.
If you switch which is right and which is left, the wheels will move in the opposite direction almost permanently.
The driving characteristics are degraded, and wear is increased as a result. In the event that your behavior is observed during a check, you may be subject to a fine.
In the end, a storage location that is clean, dry, dark, and has adequate ventilation is selected. The Euro pallet offers the bare minimum of protection against moisture buildup in the container.
A tire and rim holder, on the other hand, is the best option. Even though holes will need to be drilled into the garage wall in order to install a wall mount, this is an excellent way to save space.
Therefore, please discuss this matter with your landlord in advance.
