Storing dot tires

[n1gzd]

Is it ok to store my ra1 and nt01 tires in an unheated building or trailer? Should i reduce the air pressur? Are these types of tires any different in storage situation than say the dunlop street tires that my miata is currently sitting on in an unheated building? Im an trying to decide if i can put my tires in my tailer, leave them in my hangar which is crowded or put them in the very limited space where i live ( we only rent two rooms and would rather not br living with three sets of tires if it is not necessary.

Rebecca

[dradernh]

The living room is usually the best, but it doesn't sound like that will work in this case. For RA1 storage specifics, see http://marktg.toyotires.com/file/TireStorage.pdf. And for NT01s, http://www.nittotire.com/content/pdf/St ... nTires.pdf.

Because these sorts of tires can age just by sitting around in ambient conditions, it's a good idea to bag them in plastic over the winter using tire bags like the ones the tire stores use; for example, http://www.autoshopexpress.com/pltibag25.html. When I bought a roll from this outfit, I received white bags & not the clear shown on the web page - white is probably better as the goal is to protect the tires from oxygen, heat & light, especially sunlight.

You also want your tires protected from ozone as much as possible. DC electric motors produce ozone, but I don't know if AC motors do as well. I've assumed the plastic bags reduce whatever ozone exposure may be present in my basement, which is where my leftover rubber spends the winter. I double-bag as a precaution.

[brucesallen]

No, don't let them freeze. I bag them in big black garbage bags and put them in the cellar. If you put them in the cellar without bags the ozone from the furnace blower will make them hard as a rock.

[Mick]

For best results bring them inside out of the cold and UV. But... If they're just practice tires I personally wouldn't worry about it at all. For an RA1, the cold is not going to increase the risk of delamination or anything dangerous like that. I've left NT-01's on my car outdoors through the winter and they came back just fine after a few laps in the spring. Sure, they would have been better had they been tucked away in heated storage, but they were plenty good enough for lapping.

[WillM]

In addition to all of that, if the tires are mounted, I take the valve cores out to completely deflate them.

[SEISAN]

The only thing I have done ( last year ) is bring them in the house and smell rubber all winter.

It looks like I'll be pulling out stems, deflating them, and then bagging them.

Maybe I'll put on a red bow for good measure.

Thanks for all the information.

S n B

[TroyV]

All I've succeeded in accomplishing when deflating Hoosiers for storage, since I only have space to stack them, is to break the bead seals on the tires at the bottom of the stacks. I leave them inflated, and I only bag the Hoosiers. Everything else is just stacked neatly in the corner of the basement.