Buy tires now or later?

[Motorhead350]

I'm going to put the car in storage for the winter in the next week or so. I need new rear tires really badly, but what should I do about them? I know our stock tires are back on the market or soon will be. Do I buy the tires and install them next spring? Do I buy and install them and let the car sit all winter or do I buy them next spring? I think I should get them now before they go out of production again, but will flat spots be an issue? I have never really had problems with flat spots after storage, but I always changed the tires right after spring had begun. Any thoughts?

[jgc61sr2002]

I would buy them in the spring. Tires do have a shelf life.

[KillJoy]

Wait.

KillJoy

[Blackmobile]

I would buy them in the spring. Tires do have a shelf life.

Yeah, and prices go up on occasion too. Get um now, they're not like bananas. I agree they can go bad but not over a winter season.

Hey, somebody has to be the devil's advocate.

[Motorhead350]

Wait.

KillJoy

Wait to buy or wait to install? I think you meant wait to buy.

[RF Overlord]

Dom, DO NOT wait to buy them. They will never get any less expensive and BFG may run out (AGAIN!) before the spring. Properly stored, they won't deteriorate over one winter, and on YOUR car they won't last past next summer anyway... :D

[MERCMAN]

^^^^^^^^listen to the man behind the curtain :up:

[FastMerc]

It really doesnt matter I have wheels and tires mounted and stored as long as they are not in direct heat,or outside they will be fine.

[KillJoy]

Wait.

Buy different tires if they are no longer available.

Why buy them to NOT use them for 3+ months????

KillJoy

[Motorhead350]

The reason being they are sometimes out of production and hard to get from time to time as we all know.

[fastblackmerc]

It really doesnt matter I have wheels and tires mounted and stored as long as they are not in direct heat,or outside they will be fine.

Keep tires away from electric motors also.


Storing Tires

Since heat and exposure to the elements are the primary factors that influence a tire's aging process, drivers can prolong their tire's life by minimizing their impact. Here are some tips for storing tires that will not be used continuously.
• Don't store a vehicle with weight on its tires for extended periods of time. Long-term inactivity is more harmful to tires than short weekly drives that flex the tires and help maintain oil dispersion within the rubber compounds.
• DO NOT APPLY ANY TIRE DRESSINGS. Tire compounds are formulated to resist ozone cracking or weather checking.
• Keep the tires out of direct sunlight. The sun's ultraviolet rays and radiant heat are detrimental to rubber. We have used a pyrometer to measure tires that were simply sitting in direct sunlight on a parked vehicle. Surprisingly those tires' temperatures were 135° Fahrenheit on their surface.
• Place each tire in its own large, opaque, airtight plastic bag (such as lawn and garden bags) for storing. Avoid allowing any moisture and remove as much air as practical (some drivers even use a vacuum cleaner to draw out as much as possible). Close the bag tightly and tape it shut. This places the tire in its own personal mini-atmosphere to help reduce oil evaporation.
• If you choose not to store white letter or white stripe tires in plastic bags, it is important they be stored or stacked "white-to-white" and "black-to-black" to prevent staining the white rubber. The black rubbers used on the inside and outside sidewalls of white letter and white stripe tires are compounded differently. The black sidewall uses standard rubber, while the tire's "white" side uses a top layer of non-staining black rubber over the white to prevent oils in the tire from migrating into the exposed white rubber and discoloring it. Stacking all tires "white sidewall up" will allow the oils from the black sidewall to migrate into the white rubber.
• Place the tires in a cool, dry location. It is better to place tires in a dry basement than outdoors or in a hot garage or attic. The basement temperatures will tend to remain cooler and more stable, while outdoor, garage and attic temperatures will often become hot and face daily fluctuations in temperature.
• Keep the tires away from sources of ozone. Electric motors that use contact brushes generate ozone. Keep your tires away from the furnace, sump pump, etc.

While tires will age somewhat regardless of what precautions are taken, these procedures will help slow the process compared to not doing anything.

[Motorhead350]

Wow thank you for all of the advice!

[kayzap]

Buy em now while you can and when Spring comes your baby will have new shoes to run in.

[SID210SA]

I bought mine almost 2 months ago....and am storing them in plastic bags, and am storing them inside on their sides stacked ontop of each other.

[BruteForce]

Wait. Save your $$ over the winter and get widened rear rims & Nittos all around in the Spring.