The job is done and you are back on the road. A few minutes of follow-up keeps your tires safe and your off-season set in good shape for next time.
1. Re-check your lug nuts after 50 to 100 km
Wheels can settle slightly against the hub in the first stretch of driving, especially alloy wheels and wheels that were swapped on. Most tire shops recommend checking lug nut torque after the first 50 to 100 km.
- Use a torque wrench set to your vehicle's specification (in your owner's manual).
- Tighten in a star pattern, not in a circle.
If you ever hear a clicking or feel a new wobble after a tire change, pull over safely and check right away.
2. Set your pressure, and check it when it gets cold
- Use the pressure on your door-jamb placard, not the maximum printed on the tire.
- Check pressure cold, before driving, or after the car has sat for a few hours.
- Tire pressure drops as the temperature falls, roughly 1 psi for every 5 to 6°C. A tire set to spec on a 15°C afternoon in October can be noticeably low on a -25°C Edmonton morning in January.
- Check monthly through the winter, and after any big cold snap.
Low pressure wears the tire edges, hurts fuel economy and handling, and is the most common reason a TPMS light comes on in winter.
3. Store your off-season set properly
Rubber ages faster with heat, sunlight and ozone. Where and how you store your tires makes a real difference to how many seasons you get.
Before storing:
- Wash off road salt and dirt, and let them dry.
- Mark each tire's position (FL, FR, RL, RR) with chalk or a paint pen so you can rotate them next season.
- Check for damage now, so you are not surprised in six months.
Where:
- Cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.
- Away from furnaces, water heaters, electric motors and generators, which produce ozone and heat.
- Off a bare concrete floor if you can, on a shelf, rack or a piece of wood.
- Tire storage bags help keep them clean and out of the light.
How:
- On rims: stack them flat (up to four high) or hang them by the rim.
- Without rims: store them standing upright and turn them every few weeks so one spot does not flatten.
Next season
When the next swap comes around, pull your stored set out a week early and look them over: tread, sidewalls and the date code. If anything looks off, mention it when you book your swap at our garage in Laurel, South Edmonton. See When to put on winter tires in Edmonton for timing.