Quick answer: Store tyres and wheels somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from direct sun and from ozone sources like electric motors. Stand unmounted tyres upright and rotate them occasionally; lay mounted wheels flat or hang them. Keep them off bare concrete, clean and bagged, and note the age before you trust them again.

Where should you store tyres in a garage?

The enemies of a stored tyre are heat, sunlight, ozone and moisture — and an Australian garage can serve up all four. Pick the coolest, driest, darkest corner you have, away from windows and roller doors that let the afternoon sun in. In our climate a colourbond shed can hit well over 50°C in summer, and sustained heat accelerates the same UV damage and dry rot that kills tyres on the road. If the only space you have bakes in summer, insulation, a cover or a cooler part of the house is worth the effort.

Why keep tyres away from electric motors?

Running electric motors — a battery charger, a fridge or freezer, a compressor, a generator — produce ozone, a reactive gas that attacks rubber and causes it to crack and perish faster. That is why tyre makers specifically warn against storing tyres next to motors. Keep your spare set at the other end of the garage from the beer fridge and the battery charger, not stacked on top of them.

Upright or stacked? Mounted vs unmounted

How you position a tyre depends on whether it is on a rim. Getting this wrong slowly deforms the tyre.

Type	Best position	Avoid
Unmounted tyres (no rim)	Stand upright, side by side; rotate a little every month or so	Stacking flat or hanging — the weight and bending deform the casing
Mounted wheels (tyre on rim)	Lay flat and stack, or hang on a wall rack	Standing upright long-term, which can flat-spot the loaded edge

The logic is simple: an unmounted tyre has no rim to hold its shape, so it needs to sit on its tread and be turned occasionally; a mounted wheel is held in shape by the rim and by its air pressure, so it is happiest lying flat where no single part carries the load. If you're storing a full matched set of wheels, our dedicated guide to storing spare wheel sets properly covers racking and stacking in more detail.

Why keep tyres off the concrete?

Bare concrete draws moisture, and a tyre left sitting directly on a slab for months can pick up damp and stain or perish where it contacts the floor. Put a piece of timber, a pallet, a rubber mat or a cardboard sheet underneath, or slip each tyre into a bag. Which brings us to bagging.

Should you bag stored tyres?

Bagging helps if you do it right. Before storage, clean each tyre with water (skip the tyre-shine dressings, which can contain oils), dry it completely, and pull any stones out of the tread. Then seal each tyre in a large opaque bag — a dedicated tyre bag or a heavy garden bag — squeezing out as much air as practical. The bag limits the oils evaporating out of the rubber and keeps moisture and ozone away. Don't seal a damp tyre in plastic, though; trapped moisture is worse than none.

How long can you store a spare before it's too old?

Even perfectly stored, rubber ages. A tyre that has never touched the road still hardens over the years as its oils break down. Before you fit a long-stored spare or swap back to a stored set, read the DOT date code to see how old it really is, and check our guidance on how old is too old for an unused spare tyre and whether tyres expire. Good storage buys you time; it does not stop the clock.

While the wheels are out, it's the ideal moment to check pressures and give alloys a clean. Set each stored tyre to a sensible pressure (and don't forget the spare's pressure), and see how to clean alloy wheels without damaging the finish before you put them away. If you've just pulled a car off the road for months, pair this with our guide to storing a car long-term without flat-spotting the tyres.

Frequently asked questions

Can I store tyres outside under a cover?

Only as a last resort and only for a few weeks. If you must, raise them off the ground, cover them with opaque waterproof material, and leave some ventilation so moisture doesn't build up underneath. Indoors, cool and dark, is always better.

Should I let air out of mounted wheels before storing them?

No — leave them inflated to a normal pressure so the tyre keeps its shape. You don't need full running pressure, but a flat or nearly flat tyre stored on a rim can distort at the bead. Check and top up before you refit.

Does tyre shine help protect stored tyres?

No. Many dressings are solvent- or petroleum-based and can actually dry the rubber over time. Clean tyres with plain water, dry them, and store them bare. Save the dressing for when they're back on the car.

Can I stack mounted and unmounted tyres together?

It's better not to. Mounted wheels are fine stacked flat; unmounted tyres should stand upright. Keep the two storage methods separate so the loose tyres aren't crushed under the weight of the wheels.

Bottom line

Cool, dry, dark and off the floor. Stand loose tyres upright and turn them now and then; lay mounted wheels flat or hang them; keep the whole lot away from the sun and from anything with an electric motor. Clean, dry and bag them, raise them off bare concrete — and always check the DOT date before you trust a stored tyre back on the road.

General guidance for Australian conditions, 2026. Storage slows ageing but doesn't stop it — have any older or long-stored tyre inspected by a qualified tyre fitter before use.