What is the best way to store long term (drive 3-4 times per year) with tires on the car; car on jackstands, car on roller curverd stands conforming to tire under each tire, or---?
Thanks!
Steve
Thanks!
Steve
-
-
Re: Long Term Storage-Tires on Car
Steve;
A lot depends on where you are storing. In a detached garage where you don't have reason/need to move, perhaps jackstands are best. If you are like a lot of us and have your car in an attached garage, you will want to have the car movable. And, you will want to leave it in neutral with perhaps a wheel chock if necessary. Reason being, these old cars have vented fuel systems and a lot more potential for fires. If such a thing ever happens, God forbid, you want to be able to "yank" the car out of the garage in order to save the house and fight the fire. If stored on the tires, you will probably want to find a way to rotate them now and then, both for the sake of the tires and wheel bearings. If the tires are off the car, they should still be stored on end and not one atop the other (stacked).
Fortunately, I live in Florida so I can consider taking a drive year around on most any day, but I still observe the in attached garage safety concerns even though my car may only sit for a week or two at a time.
My big concern has been for heat soak in the summer after shut down. It used to be bad for fumes. I have solved say 50 to 70 % of the problem, but the rest my wife has to live with. Keeps her out of the garage (man's world!). -
Re: Long Term Storage-Tires on Car
It's very simple - just maintain the cold pressure at no less than 32 psi - check and adjust before every drive. It would be even better to inflate the tires to the maximum cold pressure placarded on the sidewall and bleed them down to normal driving cold pressure before the drive - then pump them back up to max after the drive.
Warm up the tires slowly by driving on surface streets for at least 10 minutes before you venture onto a freeway (assuming mild to hot ambient temperature - longer if it's cold), especially if the tires include any nylon plys.
Nylon cord tends to "cold set" during periods of non use in cold weather, but they should retake their original form after being warmed up. (An exception would be letting the tire go flat and sitting for a long time in a flat state with the weight of the car severely deforming the carcass.) This would apply to H and above speed rated radial tires with nylon cap plys or nylon cord bias play tires, which are rare.
Rayon and polyester cords are much less affected by temporary cold flat-spotting.
DukeComment
-
Re: Long Term Storage-Tires on Car
Thanks guys! I used to use jack stands but fearful of a fire I am not so "hot" on that idea anymore. My concern is mainly for steel radials but I have some mounted radials and non-mounted non-radial rayons that I stacked decades ago. I will never use them but will store them vertically.
SteveComment
Comment