what you are allowed to store in your storage unit

Protect The Longevity Of Your Tires With These Storage Tips

by Virgil Hopkins

If your family has multiple vehicles and you alternate between summer and winter tires on each, your available storage space in your garage, basement or shed has to be substantial enough to keep several sets of tires throughout the year. When you don't have much storage space, you might be thinking about storing the tires off-site. While many automotive centers will store tires for customers, a better solution is to rent a storage unit nearby, as you'll have space for storing any other seldom-used things beyond your tires. To ensure that your tires stay in good shape during storage, make sure to follow these tips.

Remove Any Foreign Elements

Either before you transport your extra tires to the self-storage facility or once you arrive, it's a good idea to pick out any foreign elements that have become wedged in the tire treads. Small rocks are the most common culprit, and leaving them in for several months at a time during storage has the potential to damage the rubber by stretching it and eventually cracking it. Provided that you work gently, a slotted screwdriver is a suitable tool for easily lifting the rocks out.

Bag 'Em Up

It's worthwhile to buy a set of tire bags for each set of tires that you need to store. Tire bags are advantageous for multiple reasons. First, they make handling the tires a cleaner job, which is ideal because you may be transporting them in the back seat of your vehicle in addition to the trunk. Additionally, tire bags can actually improve the longevity of the tires. Sitting in storage for months at a time, the tires are subjected to elements in the air, such as ozone, that can contribute to wearing out the rubber. The use of bags means you won't have to worry about this issue.

Store Them Upright

While it's easy to store the tires in your storage unit by stacking them on each other, this isn't the best way to leave the tires. Tires are designed to be kept so that the pressure is on the treads, not on the sidewalls. By stacking tires, you're putting considerable weight and pressure on the tires toward the bottom of the stack, which can compromise their integrity. Make sure that you're always storing tires standing up properly. You don't necessarily need to buy a rack; simply standing them in a row against the back wall of your storage unit should suffice.

For more tips about keeping your tires safe, contact a company like Stevens Creek Storage.

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