Avoiding flat spots during winter storage

[Go Fast For Life]

What is the best way to avoid flat spotting the tires during winter storage? The owners manual says to rap carpet around a piece of plywood and park the tires on this. Does this work?

 

[SylvanSRT]

put some extra air in, to tire max press. and roll the car to a different spot on the tires every now and again. or drive it

 

[Snake Bitten]

This must be your first winter...Well trust me, the flat spot thing is an old wives tale...It may have been true back in the dark ages of tire technology, but not with today's tires...I stored mine for one entire winter in Minnesota, without moving it at all...only had a battery tender on it...No flat spots at all...(one Minnesota winter = six months)

Now last winter I put it on stands, wheels and tires off, and hopped her up a bit...makes winter go by faster!

 

[SylvanSRT]

if they do flat spot a 15-20 min drive will fix it, if on stands for too long you can give unnatural wear to busings as the suspension droops, at least thats one of the down sides i've been told about being on stands.

 

[GTS Bruce]

Many of us pump up the tires to at least 45 lbs and drive it unto a short stack of carpet squares.Some like myself use cattle or stock pen mats.They are 4'x8'x3/4".Used on concrete floor barns to prevent animals from becoming lame.You buy two at your local feed store,horse store etc and cut them into quarters.Stack two of the quarters and you have 4 hard rubber pads 1&1/2" thick to let the car sit on. Bruce

 

[carguy07]

When people talk about flat spotting tires are they referring to a permanent spot or just a little thump that will go away for good once the tire is heated up?

 

[Nexus-6]

Like Snake Bitten, I've never had a flat spot issue with any of the cars...and they all sit while the cycled in car is being driven for a few weeks. They sit for 3 to 6 weeks at a time with nary a flat spot issue.

When I store them, I inflate to proper tire pressure, toss in some fuel stabilizer and throw on the trickle charger.

Not a single flat spot on any of them in 3 years of doing this round the clock with all the cars.

If they do "flat spot" it's so minor with modern tires that, as mentioned, it goes away within a day of driving or less. But I believe it doesn't happen at all period with modern tires - at least when immobile for a short amount of time. Store the car for a year vs a few weeks? Maybe...hard to say.

 

[OLXRAM]

Nexus and Snakebitten... I think the reason you guys dont get the flat spots on your tires is due to the climate you guys are in. Im in IL and the temps have been pretty crappy here. If the car sits in the garage for 2 or 3 days in 20 degrees or below I have a flat spot to work out but it comes out in 2 or 3 miles. Its raining this morning to finally get rid of the salt and suppose to be sunny and 50 out.......WOO HOO....maybe ill take the car around the block

 

[Snake Bitten]

So said OLXRAM

Nexus and Snakebitten... I think the reason you guys dont get the flat spots on your tires is due to the climate you guys are in.

I just moved out here to Kali...As you can see, I am still a Minnesota VCA member...I stored my RT two winters in Minnesota on the tires, one season on stands with the tires/wheels off, with nary a problem with the tires, or anything for that matter...granted the rears rarely last a season anyway. (Is it possible they are defective???)

 

[Go Fast For Life]

SylvanSRT
Snake Bitten
GTS Bruce and OLXRAM
Thanks for the information.

My car will be in storage for 4-5 months, depending on the weather. I also have a 95 vette which does exhibit flat spotting over the winter. This is my first year with the viper and just wanted to know what you guys did. Thanks again.

Fast

 

[ViperJoe]

50 psi while in storage

It's not a permanant flat spot. Mine, after a long sit in the <35 temps will smooth itself out after only about a mile.

 

[SylvanSRT]

i dont do anything my car was driven yesteday and will see occasional use in winter(need to get my fix). if roads are dry and no salt has been put down & after a long rain to wash the road. the car usually will sit not more than 6-8 weeks unused(almost daily use in good weather).

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

I have stored cars for almost 20 years. In the beginning, I blocked them up to get the tires up. For the last 15 or 16 years, all I've done was blow the tires up to around max pressure. The car sits on one of those blue tarps, nothing else under the tires, for 6 months during the winter. I have never had a problem with any flat spots on any vehicle I've stored this way. The temperature here is routinely well below zero, although I would guess the coldest the garage ever gets is around 20F.

It is the rubber compounds of yesterday which caused tires to flat spot if left sitting for extended periods of time. A little extra air is all that a tire today needs.

Steve

 

[Tomer]

Nexus-6, re the trickle charger, do you just connect it to the battery posts that are accessible under the hood, in front of the driver?

If I leave my snake for 3-4 weeks without driving it (I know, this is blastfamy), for the first 10 min or so of my first ride, she will stall as I come up to a stop, after I depress the clutch and get off the gas...After driving for 10-15 minutes, all is well...I am pretty sure it is just that the battery is getting down somewhat...Although it cranks fine...

Tomer

 

[Nexus-6]

Tomer -

You got it. Use the red positive remote post there in front of the cabin in the engine compartment and the black negative ground is straight down on the floor near the side sill.