TIRES

Take Proper Care of your Tires
In many states that have dramatic seasonal changes, such as Michigan, it is common to have multiple sets wheels of for seasonal driving. These sets can include, winter and summer tires. Winter tires or snow tires are made with a special rubber, deep treads, and other unique features that make driving safer in slippery conditions. They are especially for the use in very cold temperatures. Summer tires on the other hand are ideal for well the summer. They have specialized rubber designed to to improve precision on the road. They were designed with less tread depth in order of give the vehicle better traction and grip.

Unfortunately, many drivers don’t know how to properly store their extra set of tires during the off-season,costing them a very large penny for a whole new set the following year when they could have just stored them properly. Understanding this dilemma, we wanted to provided a short educational segment on proper tire storage and care for your off-season wheels.

Lets just jump right into it!

1. The first step is you want to make sure your wheels and tires are clean.Road grime can degrade the finish on your wheels while they are in storage. We recommend that before you store them, clean the wheels with a mild detergent and make sure they are completely dry before you put them away for the season.
   
   
2. Tires are made of natural and synthetic rubbers that can dry rot and crack while they are in storage, making them very dangerous to drive on. It is important that after cleaning them, that you apply a silicon-based tire dressing spray to the rubber. This spray will soak into the rubber will keep your rubber supple and prevent it from dry rotting.
3. Next, make sure your tires are fully inflated. Under inflated tires can develop flat spots and cause a thumping noise while you are driving on the road. This noise is usually temporary but by keeping the tires properly inflated will help the rubber maintain its shape.
   
   After you inflate your tires, you should visually inspect everything. Check the tread, the bead and the sidewalls of your tires for any damage. If they are damaged, you have time to put together a plan for replacement instead of facing a larger expensive when you put them back on your vehicle.
   
   It is important to keep in mind that when an uneven tire has existing wear, you should have your local tire center check the suspension, alignment and wheel bearings. It is crucial to correct the problem before your swapped tires become the next victims due to your car. If this is a concern for you, we are more than happy to help you figure out the reasoning behind your existing wear at Alpine Pennzoil.
   
   
4. Now once you officially went through all the steps above as provided, it time to get your tires ready for their annual hibernation. Slide a heavy-duty lawn bag over each tire and seal them by rolling the opening and taping the bag shut. This will give you the opportunity to make sure that the air pressure is staying consistent and will keep the silicone tire dressing from evaporating out of the rubber. This cover will also help prevent dust and grime from getting on your tires and also allow you to periodically open up the bag.
   
   We do recommend that before you When the season is over and you want to swap out your tires once again, you need to know which tire goes where. To help your future self, make sure you tag each tire or tag each bad with an indication of which position your tire was on your vehicle. You want to make sure you put them back on the car where you removed them from so you don't mess up your rotation schedule. Messing up your rotation schedule can lead to unaligned car and uneven tires that can become potentially dangerous later on.
   
   
5. Last but not least, stack those babies flat. You don't ever want to store your tires standing up. This can create flat spots. Just place a piece of plywood or a couple of 2x4s on the floor, this will keep them off the ground and allow you to stack the tires horizontally.

Now for those who don't have the space to store their tires, or want to make sure the storage is being done properly, Apline Pennzoil. does store seasonal tires for our customers as well. Just give us a call to set up an appointment or ask us about our wheel storage program.