A winter or summer set spends half the year off the car, and how it is stored decides what condition it is in when it goes back on. Done right, a stored set comes out next season as good as it went away; done carelessly, it can age or distort in a corner of the garage.
Clean and label first
Two quick jobs before anything is put away:
- Clean and dry each tyre, so road grime and brake dust are not left to sit on the rubber for months, the method is in the tyre-cleaning guide
- Label each one's position: front-left, rear-right and so on, so it goes back in the right place and keeps its rotation pattern
A chalk mark or a sticky label is all it takes, and it saves guesswork at fitting time.
The right conditions
Rubber keeps best somewhere cool, dark, dry and ventilated. The things to keep tyres away from are the things that age them:
- Sunlight, whose UV hardens and cracks the rubber
- Heat sources, which dry it out
- Ozone, given off by running electric motors and generators, so not next to the freezer or a battery charger
- Petrol, oil and solvents, which attack rubber on contact
A garage or shed away from direct sun is ideal. Each tyre bagged keeps dust off and slows drying out.
On the rim or off?
This is the part most people get wrong, and the rule flips depending on whether the tyres are still on their wheels:
- Off the rim (just the tyre): store upright, standing on the tread, and turn them now and then. Do not hang unmounted tyres, as hanging distorts them.
- On the rim (a wheel-and-tyre set): stack them flat in a pile, or hang them on sturdy hooks. Do not stand mounted wheels upright for months, as the weight can flat-spot and distort the tyre.
Getting this the right way round is what stops a set developing flat spots or distortion over a long winter or summer in storage.
Pressure and time
Mounted sets can be left at their normal pressure; there is no need to deflate them. Over a long store they may lose a little air, which is simply topped back up to the recommended figure before they go back on. And while storage protects a tyre, it does not stop the clock; a set still ages with the years, so a very old seasonal set is worth checking on date as well as tread.
From the workshop: the classic mistake is standing a set of alloys with tyres in the corner of the garage all winter, leaning on each other. Come spring they've taken a set and there's a thump until they warm up. Wheels get stacked or hung, bare tyres stand up. Easy to remember once you know.
Sources and accuracy. The storage guidance here reflects manufacturer and TyreSafe advice at the time of writing. If anything here looks wrong, get in touch and we will check it and put it right.
Common questions
How should I store tyres over the summer or winter?+
Clean and dry them, label each one's position, and keep them somewhere cool, dark, dry and ventilated, away from sunlight, heat and chemicals. Bag them to keep oils in and dust out. Stored well, a seasonal set stays ready for next year.
Should tyres be stored upright or stacked?+
It depends. Tyres off their rims should stand upright and be turned occasionally. Tyres still on their wheels should be stacked flat or hung on hooks, not stood upright for months, as the weight can distort them over time.
Where is the best place to store tyres?+
Somewhere cool, dark, dry and ventilated, a garage or shed away from direct sun and damp. Keep them clear of electric motors and generators, which give off ozone that ages rubber, and away from petrol, oil and solvents.
Do I need to do anything to tyres before storing them?+
Clean off the road grime and let them dry, then label each tyre's position so it can go back in the right place and keep its rotation. Bagging each one limits drying out and keeps dust off.