Store Your Tires the Right Way with Jack Mobile

Fall has officially ended, which means it’s time to start considering when and how you’ll be switching your all-season tires over for winter tires. If you’re like most people, you haven’t really put much thought into tire storage. Why pay to put them somewhere when your garage is right there? You could always lean them up against that one wall in the backyard or stick them under some tools in the shed. You might even have a large enough trunk space to bury them somewhere in there. With Jack Mobile, we’re happy to store your tires somewhere safe and secure, so that you have more room in the places that matter.

“Why get winter tires to begin with?”

Winter tires, or snow tires, are important if you live anywhere that dips below 40 degrees for an extended period of time. If you’re a returning or prospective Jack Mobile customer, we’re willing to bet that you do. Although all-season tires are marketed as just that, all-season, the name is a little misleading. The rubber used for all-season tires stiffens up and loses pliability in the cold, leading to increased wear and problems with everything from fuel economy to braking. Winter tires, on the other hand, are made with rubber that stays soft in the cold and retains pliability even when it begins to warm up again. Their tread is made specifically to shovel snow through the tire, rather than under it, and keep your car sticking to the road so that you can keep a safe speed on the highway without having to worry about sliding into a snowbank. Although winter tires are good for most winter weather conditions, it’s important to note that you still need to drive carefully on wet or icy roads. 

“Okay, but why should I use a tire storage service?”

First and foremost, you’re saving space! Moving your tires out of your home and into a dedicated storage unit will clear up a lot of space you probably didn’t even remember that you had. It might be the garage, which can now fit all of those old Christmas decorations or even another car! Maybe it’s not the garage, but your shed, or the backyard, or the trunk of your car. Regardless, everyone deserves a little extra room here and there.

More importantly, however, you’ll be keeping your tires safe. Storing tires anywhere other than a dedicated storage space will open up the opportunity for harm. We know how much a new set of tires costs, and it’ll always be more than the amount you’ll pay to store them. At home, something could fall on them and dent or tear them (probably the kind of tear that you won’t notice until you’re losing air on the highway). They could even be stolen if the wrong person finds out you have tires laying around, ripe for the picking. You might not believe it, but there are more than a few people who make their money by flipping stolen tires.

Even if they don’t get stolen, tires that are left outside are vulnerable to environmental and UV damage. Direct sunlight can cause your tires to age prematurely, just like our own skin. The rubber heats up and dries out, which makes for extremely unsafe tires. It’s not just sunlight that you have to worry about, though. 

Tires stored in a shed or garage can be subject to intense changes in temperature. Rubber is especially sensitive to temperature, which you probably know if you already own a set of winter tires, and just because they aren’t on the road doesn’t mean they won’t be affected! Storage units are climate controlled, so you won’t have to worry anymore if your only open space is next to the water heater.

Before deciding to store your tires with Jack Mobile, you should make sure that the tires are thoroughly cleaned. It’s important to ensure that they’re completely free of debris and anything else they might have picked up along the way. Using a tire brush and a mild dish soap should be enough, but if you intend on using something a little harsher make sure it isn’t too abrasive. Let them dry completely and check each one for any cracks or damage. If you’d like, packing your tires in anything from specialty tire bags to simple tarps is a good way to protect them from potential damage.

When it’s time for you to take your tires out of storage, you’ll want to check them for the same things you checked for pre-storage. You can always take them into any Jack Williams location to get them checked by a professional, especially if you aren’t already familiar with tire rot and other common signs of damage or deterioration. Although they can last in storage for several years, tires are one of the most important components of safe driving, and it’s always better to double-check than to run into (and have to pay for) problems down the line.

If you want to start storing your tires the right way, go ahead and contact Jack Mobile to set up an appointment! We’re happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have. We also offer plenty of other tire services, like rotation and repair, so you can get everything done (in the comfort of your own home) before heading out on that holiday road trip.