Storing new tires, how long?
 

After a couple of post of tires, I checked into the tires I currently run on my 89 with 8 and 9 by 16 Fuchs and they have become very hard to locate. But I have and can still order them. I currently have at least a few years on my current set but was thinking of picking some extras now while I can. I have the perfect place to store them, a crawl space that is always cool, never sees any light and is usually around 60-65 deg year around. I'm thinking I wrap them up in some garbage bags and lay them on their side, they would be good for 5-10 years? No?

I'm no expert, but tires are not completely inert. Some deterioration has to occur. The thing I would worry about most is using the tires 5-10 years down the road. I'm sure they will be somewhat serviceable, but for how long and at what kind of use?

I don't worry about tires on my old truck so much because I don't carry much of a load at any time and I don't kick it up to past 100 now and then just for the hell of it.

If you do store tires and I wouldn't recomend it from what I've seen about it is do not store them near any electrical motors. Washing machines Driers etc. That and to seal them in black trash bags that are sealed as air tight as you can.


My Mustang ran 245/50/16 porsche spec Michelin pilot sport tires and that tire was discontinued.

There's a pretty hot 245/45/16 from Bridgestone RE11 I've got them on the Corvette and I thought that they might only last 20-25k miles. I've got 35k on them.

What happens to a tire when it gets old? Does the rubber deteriorate so that it will more likely blow, or does it mean it loses adhesion?

sulfide bonds in the rubber continue to cross-link over time - even if stored in the shade, in a nitrogen atmosphere, etc.

NEVER use tires older than 5-7 years, no matter what

so, no, storage does not help - sell them & buy new later on

I'm thinking in 5 to 7 years they will be nla

get a different set/ size of wheels,
that will increase the tire selection

RWebb summed it up nicely. Anything older than 6 -7 years cannot be used for spirited driving (which is the use you have in mind). Tires that old can only be used for an easy putt-putt to the grocery store and back. Not safe because the sidewall is not stable, and a blown-out sidewall at speed is-a no good, boss.

Always check the date of manufacture.

_

and.. that assumes no kid chases a ball out into the street on your easy putt putt!

the treads will be hard and not grip, besides the sidewall issues

No matter how you store them, tires more than 5 yrs old are crap. Buy only what you can use now. If you have to buy wheels later, it's still better than driving around on hockey pucks. :)

some govt. agency a few years ago was wanting to make tire swap outs mandatory every 5 years.

What about the synthetic compound tires?

Pretty sure that I read right here that all tires are synthetic now - have very little actual "rubber" in them - and that they just keep right on curing, that that's part of the problem.

What I can tell you from personal experience is that fresh extreme high performance summer tires are OK as winter tires the first season, even in frosty conditions with care (warm them up etc) - but get progressively worse (harder?) as they age. I ripped those suckers off for Conti WinterContacts in the fall of the third season - and the difference was night and day, no more white-knuckled commutes slithering around on greasy roads - and temperatures were nowhere near freezing...

Couple of years later, I've concluded that my fresh set of Z1 Star Specs make much better rain tires than my (now ageing) WinterContacts, even though the Contis still have good tread left. I'll be fitting another set of winter boots in a couple of months.