Tire Rot. How long can you store tires? Can rot be prevented?

 

bagging tires in garbage bags and sealing them up helps prevent it.

It depends on the kind of tire a lot as to how long you can store them. Harder rubbers can be stored longer than others. For a high performance street tire, I would say you could store them, bagged, for a year or two without huge problems.

 

I work in a rubber related industry and read a lot of professional journals about rubber and plastics.

Generally all tire manufacturers suggest replacing tires after five or six years. You may not see visible deterioration on the outside of the tire but the polymers inside the tire can degrade and lose strength.

Will they sell more tires by suggesting replacement more often than necessary? Yes.

Is a five year interval reasonable? All polymers degrade whether it is natural rubber or synthetics. They just degrade differently. If I had a car that had five year old tires, I would replace them.

To maximize storage of tires, I would suggest keeping them in a cool, dark place away from light and moisture. Surface cracks are usually caused by ozone, which is generated from a number of sources, such as some electrical equipment. Clean them, put on some type of protectant, cover them, and keep them away from high temperatures and light.

 

Another concept I've heard discussed previously (and I am by no means an expert here) is that actually USING the tires some amount improves their longevity - by forcing plasticizers or other compounds mixed in the tire material to "flow" and help prevent dry-rot. Tires are designed and formulated to roll - not to sit still...

Any truth to this?

 

Another overlooked solution to aiding tire longevity is to have the tires inflated with nitrogen. Not all the time related damage to a tire happens from outside. The pressurized air inside puts a greater concentration of oxygen in contact with the inner carcass of the tire and accelerates oxidation-related damage from the inside out. Places like Costco as well as specialty tire shops have nitrogen inflation capabilities. Another bonus from this is the wheels are better protects, especially at the bead seating areas, and when in use, nitrogen inflated tires hold a more consistent pressure over varying temperatures and experience less leakdown.

Store tires sealed in plastic, away from sunlight, moisture and electrical appliances. Stack them with cardboard separating each tire and the tires from the floor (the cardboard circles that Tire Rack uses to ship tires are perfect for this. You usually get several per tire. Save and share them).