Every year, drivers are haunted by the same problem. In October and around Easter, the obligatory winter/summer tire changes are carried out and suddenly you are standing there with four tires and do not know where to put them.
In many cases, the garage is not big enough, you do not want to store the monsters in the house, and you also do not want to disgrace the garden with the rubber giants. Nothing defaces the landscape as clearly as tires that are dumped arbitrarily.
So you look around for tire storage options elsewhere, and Selfstorage offers the obvious solution here.
Before you load your tires into the car in order to get them out of sight by renting Selfstorage, you should be clear about some important points regarding tire storage. Certain preparations must be made in order to ensure safe storage over several months.
The following guide is intended to give you pointers for the correct storage of tires.
What you must pay attention to before storage
Before you put your tires into storage until the next season, you should create a checklist that takes all precautionary measures for correct storage into account.
The checklist should include the following measures:
- Immediately after the change, note the position of the tires so that at the next change you know where they were in the previous season. Mark the position with common abbreviations such as VR (front right), HL (rear left), etc.
- Clean your tires thoroughly before putting them into storage.
- Already during cleaning, inspect the tires for possible damage such as cracks, holes, or scratches. Take a closer look at the tread to find out how worn it already is.
- If you store the complete wheel, do not forget to also clean the rims and check their condition. Pay particular attention to dents and radial runout.
- Inflate the tires with air.
- Ask at your workshop or your tire manufacturer about the correct storage position of the tires. As a rule, tires must be stored upright, i.e. standing, in order to avoid damage during storage. tire racks intended specifically for this, which can be set up in the cellar, in the garage, or in the Selfstorage, are available in most hardware stores, car workshops, and online.
Check the condition and tread depth
Before you even begin checking the condition of your tires, you should determine the expiration date of your tires. Each individual tire has a so called DOT number on the side. More on this below.
If all four tires are within the expiration date, you can begin the actual tire inspection:
- Look on the rubber for cracks, holes, uneven or worn spots, stones stuck in the tread, and general abrasion, also on the sides.
- Inspect the metal edge of the tires for bulges, dents, and rust.
- Measure the tire tread on each individual tire using a tread depth gauge or a 1 euro coin. Insert the coin into a groove of the tire tread, preferably in the middle of the tire. If the gold rim of the coin is no longer visible, you still have enough tread. Note that tires wear differently and that you therefore must check each tire individually.
- If you store complete wheels, you must also inspect the rims for corrosion damage, rust, dents, scratches, and cracks.
Clean tires and rims properly
When you receive your tires after the change, they have already been through at least one season of heavy use. Road dirt and dust have accumulated in the tread and on the surface and can impair durability and the driving experience in the next season.
When changing from winter tires to summer tires, the additional strain of salt is added, which eats away at the materials if cleaning is inadequate.
Therefore you should definitely clean your tires and/or rims before you put them into storage.
Follow the steps below when cleaning the tires:
- Start with a rough wash of the tires. A bucket of water with a small amount of dishwashing liquid is sufficient for this. Use a coarse brush to remove embedded mud and dirt.
- Then apply a special tire and rim cleaner. Please note that tires must not be treated with agents that contain oil or solvents, as these can affect the rubber and change the driving behaviour of the tires. Special tire cleaners give your tires a deep clean that also removes oil residues, brake pad traces, and heavy soiling.
- Then dry your tires thoroughly with a terry towel to avoid moisture accumulation and the associated rust during storage.
For storage, it is also recommended to wax the tires in order to protect them from dust, moisture, and other environmental influences during the storage period.
Make sure that your tires and rims are kept in a dry and clean room.
If you use a high pressure cleaner, keep it at least 50 centimeters away from the tires so as not to stress or damage the surface.
Increase the air pressure before storage
Many vehicle owners openly admit that they check the air pressure of their tires too rarely and often also do not know how many bar their vehicle should actually have. According to the ADAC, 10 000 accidents per year could be avoided if all drivers checked and adjusted their tire pressure regularly.
When you store your tires, they are not exposed to road traffic and its dangers, but correct storage with the right air pressure could not only considerably extend the life of your tires, but also prevent dangerous situations.
To determine the current tire pressure of your vehicle, you can with the greatest probability use your local petrol station. Many petrol stations offer tire pressure gauges and compressors for filling air free of charge or for a small fee in the 1 to 2 euro region. In addition, for your own convenience you can buy a tire pressure gauge from around 20 euro in the hardware store, supermarket, or discounter.
You can find the exact inflation value for the tire pressure on your vehicle in the glove compartment, on the open driver or passenger door, or on the flap of the fuel cap. In addition, the tire pressure can also be found in your vehicle manual, the operating instructions, and on the internet.
As already mentioned, before storage you should always inflate up to 0,5 bar more air than specified by the manufacturer. This compensates for the loss during storage. However, make sure that the sidewall of the tires is not overloaded.
Now is also a good time to check the tire valves and possibly buy new caps if these have either been lost or broken. You can get valve caps at petrol stations, in the hardware store, or in car parts shops.
How do you store tires without rims?
In principle, there is only one single way you can store tires without rims: vertically and upright. tires without rims should never be stored lying down, and certainly not stacked.
The method of simply hanging tires without rims on the wall to get them out of the way in the garage or in the cellar can also put a lot of strain on the quality of the tires. More on this below.
To ensure that the tires remain stable even in a standing position, you should get a tire rack or a tire stand. These can even be made to measure, or bought for about € 35 to € 50 in the hardware store or from the car parts dealer.
Why tires without rims are stored upright
Vertical storage of the tires serves first and foremost to keep the rubber in its natural position. If you keep the tires upright and at a little distance from one another, they cannot exert pressure on one another and strain one another.
The unnatural stress that arises when stacking deforms the tires and causes faster wear. When they are used again in the next season, this could lead to unpleasant surprises because they cannot be mounted again without further effort.
tires without rims that are hung up also lose their natural shape during storage over several months. In addition, the hooks press the tire edge together and deform the casing. Their own weight, and the natural attraction of the earth, pull the tires downward and strain the rubber to the utmost.
However, for very short term storage, such as during transport to a storage facility, there is nothing to prevent a lying position. But make sure that after delivery the tires assume a standing position again.
How often you should rotate the tires during storage
Even standing tires without rims can be exposed to certain stresses during long term storage over several months. To avoid tires being stressed on one side and developing pressure points, which could also have an adverse effect on the tread, you should rotate the tires regularly.
Therefore visit your tires every 4 to 6 weeks and rotate each individual one by about a quarter in order to distribute the pressure evenly across the tires. Only in this way can you avoid pressure points and ensure that the rubber retains its shape even after storage.
Meanwhile, several car workshops and specialised Selfstorage landlords offer a professional tire storage service. In doing so, car mechanics take over correct storage on tire racks intended specifically for this, and the regular rotation of the tires.
Professional tire storage generally costs between € 20 and € 60 per season. If you have the tires changed at the same workshop where you also store them, the price generally becomes cheaper. Additional costs for cleaning, inspection and repair, as well as correct balancing, could also arise, but you save yourself a lot of hassle and have the certainty that your tires are safe when they are used again.
How do you store complete wheels?
While tires without rims must be stored exclusively standing, tires with rims should either be stored lying down or hung up. In contrast to changing tires, where only the rubber part of a wheel is replaced, when changing wheels you remove both the rubber and the rim.
Rims weigh between 6 and over 10 kilograms and the weight could heavily strain the rubber during vertical storage over a long period, even with regular rotation. At the same time, rims keep the rubber casing in its proper shape during storage and there is nothing to prevent storing wheels lying down.
There are also special storage racks for complete wheels, but these cost far more than conventional tire racks with a starting price of about € 100. In addition, wheels can be hung on rim trees and wall mounts.
Although stacking complete wheels lying down does not have the same harmful effect on the rubber as with tires without rims, this storage method is not recommended. Not only could the rims get scratched when lying on top of one another, but they could also collect moisture and rust.
How should wheels be correctly stacked or hung?
Correct storage of tires after the seasonal change begins with cleaning. If you have ensured that your tires, with or without rims, are dry, you might want to invest in so called tire bags or sacks. These breathable covers protect the tires from dust and keep them separate from one another during storage on racks, without accumulating moisture.
If you want to install proper wall mounts for tires with rims, make sure that both the wall and the frame can bear the weight. Four complete wheels weigh about 100 to 120 kilograms. To avoid rust, racks, mounts and rim trees should be made of galvanized steel.
If the wall mount for the tires with rims is to be used with hooks, make sure that these are rounded and have no sharp edges that could damage the tires or rims.
How do you avoid damage and scratches?
If you decide against buying tire bags in order to save costs, you can protect your tires and rims from scratches or dents with simple and cheaper methods.
Place cardboard discs or pieces of foam wrap between the tires to prevent them from rubbing against one another. In addition, old blankets or bed covers that you place over the tires could protect their surface from dust and dirt.
Also make sure that the hubcaps and wheel bolts are removed before storage and kept in a safe place where they can be found again.
How long can tires be stored?
In principle, tires should not be stored longer than one season. You will also find that most Selfstorage landlords that specialise in tire storage prescribe a maximum storage time of 6 months per tire set.
If you want to store your tires longer, you should note that rubber and other tire materials have only a limited service life, even if they are not used.
Environmental influences such as moisture, temperature fluctuations, light and even oxygen lead to chemical reactions and contribute to the rubber on the tires slowly deteriorating. The result is small cracks, deformations and other damage to the tread that you often cannot perceive with the naked eye, but that can lead to life threatening situations in road traffic.
As a rule, tires do not last longer than five to six years, even with low use, before the rubber material has degraded to unusability. Fortunately, tires sold in Germany have their expiration date embossed.
How do you read the DOT marking?
While tire manufacturers are legally obliged under the ECE-Prüfzeichen-Regelung to mark tires with the date of manufacture, there is no mandatory regulation for tire distributors to sell only truly new tires. Sometimes tires sit in storage for years before they find a buyer.
That is why it is worth finding out the production date using the DOT number when you buy new tires.
The DOT number is located on the side of the tires and consists of a series of numbers and letters that, in addition to the production date, also indicate the size and the tire type.
The date consists of four numbers that are embossed in an oval frame. The first two numbers represent the week in which the tires were manufactured, the last two the year, e.g. 2425: week 24 in the year 2025.
tires generally have a shelf life of a maximum of six years, even if they have been stored, and should be disposed of after this time has passed. Note that the police are also aware of this and will check the tire DOT number during inspections.
How much does tire storage cost?
The price for storing your tires depends on the services that you use in addition to storage. Many car workshops offer tire storage starting at € 20 per season. But note that cheap does not necessarily mean good.
tires must be kept in dry, well ventilated and climate controlled premises in order to avoid wear during storage. Therefore make sure that your tire storage offers these amenities.
At the same time, according to the manufacturer’s instructions they must be kept in racks and stands intended specifically for this purpose and rotated regularly. If you yourself take care of proper storage measures such as racks etc., and the rotation of the tires, you can be satisfied with a cheaper rent, but you must plan for further costs and a considerable expenditure of time.
Full Service tire storage offer an excellent alternative to conventional workshops. Not only are your tires stored professionally in dark and well climate controlled storage facilities, but Full Service providers such as BOXIE24 even collect them from you and bring them back again, in most cases even free of charge.
Common mistakes in tire storage
Regardless of whether you keep the tires at home or put them into storage: mistakes occur again and again. Here are some of the most common:
- Too warm/too cold: tires must be stored at a temperature between 10°C and 25°C. Large temperature fluctuations impair the service life.
- Too bright: rubber should never be exposed to direct sunlight, as the UV rays make the material brittle.
- Too much humidity: tires must be stored dry to prevent the moisture from affecting the rubber.
- Wrong position: tires without rims must be stored standing to avoid deformations. Complete wheels must be stored lying down and/or kept on wall mounts or rim trees intended specifically for this purpose.
Where is the best place to store tires?
After changing tires, most people probably first think of keeping their tires at home. This may seem like the cheapest and most convenient solution, but the additional expenses for, among other things, climate control, room insulation, buying racks etc. are often forgotten.
Car workshops usually offer cheap tire storage per season. In most cases, however, this type of storage is limited to only a few months. In addition, the rent may be low, but car workshops get the money back through other mandatory services, including changing tires, balancing, cleaning etc. If you do not need these services, as a rule you also do not get cheap storage.
Full Service tire storage, such as BOXIE24, offer the best Selfstorage alternative here. Your tires are stored professionally on appropriate racks and stands under optimal conditions. In addition, specially trained drivers collect your tires from your home, transport them to the storage facility and bring them back to you again. In doing so, your tires are not only stored properly, but are also insured for the entire period.
The price for a Full Service tire storage is generally about € 8 per week, depending on your location, the expected storage time and whether you want to store other items besides the tires.
For a non binding quote for your tire storage, contact BOXIE24 via our website, or by phone: 0800-4030-180
