Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

On Apr 30, 6:08*pm, "Hugh - Was Invisible"
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

3 months is no problem


NT

"NT" wrote in message
...
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was Invisible"
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

3 months is no problem

---------------------------------------------------------

Is there a period thar is?

tim

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?

Sure, why not ? That's what almost all storage arrangements for cars have.

Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

What to you think the problem would be ?

On Apr 30, 6:08*pm, "Hugh - Was Invisible"
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

If it is a newish car the battery may be the problem.
If it goes completely flat, the computer loses it's memory.
So, make sure the battery is good.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:21:46 +0100, Rod Speed
wrote:

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?

Sure, why not ? That's what almost all storage arrangements for cars
have.

Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

What to you think the problem would be ?

Thought tyres were apt to perish if left on certain surfaces. But I
thought I heard that 40 pplus years ago since when a lot has changed.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:23:08 +0100, harry wrote:

On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was Invisible"
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

If it is a newish car the battery may be the problem.
If it goes completely flat, the computer loses it's memory.
So, make sure the battery is good.

Have got a battery conditioner that is supposed to be OK to be left on. If
left the alarm will flatten the battery and the memory on everything from
the windows onwards will disappear.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:07:51 +0100, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

If it is a newish car the battery may be the problem.
If it goes completely flat, the computer loses it's memory.

That's not so much of a problem it'll default to "limp home" and
relearn over the first hundred or so miles. What might be more of an
problem is the alarm/immobilsier/locking system. Flat battery, can't
get in to release bonnet to charge battery. The mechanical key lock
should work but I make sure it has one(!) and does work first. I have
never used the mechanical key lock on my current and previous cars...

Have got a battery conditioner that is supposed to be OK to be left on.

That is one way to do it or you could see if you can find the method
that the maker has for putting the car into "deep sleep" mode that is
used on the voyage halfway around the world and/or parked up in a
field awaiting purchase.

3 months stood shouldn't be a problem SWMBO'd car sat for about that
time this winter outside after she damaged her leg and couldn't
(didn't want to) drive. No problems with the electrics or starting,
most impressed. Getting the thing to move was another matter, hand
brake rusted on, both sides, very firmly. So release the handbrake
and chock/leave in gear.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:49:32 +0100, Dave Liquorice
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:07:51 +0100, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

If it is a newish car the battery may be the problem.
If it goes completely flat, the computer loses it's memory.

That's not so much of a problem it'll default to "limp home" and
relearn over the first hundred or so miles. What might be more of an
problem is the alarm/immobilsier/locking system. Flat battery, can't
get in to release bonnet to charge battery. The mechanical key lock
should work but I make sure it has one(!) and does work first. I have
never used the mechanical key lock on my current and previous cars...

Have got a battery conditioner that is supposed to be OK to be left on.

That is one way to do it or you could see if you can find the method
that the maker has for putting the car into "deep sleep" mode that is
used on the voyage halfway around the world and/or parked up in a
field awaiting purchase.

3 months stood shouldn't be a problem SWMBO'd car sat for about that
time this winter outside after she damaged her leg and couldn't
(didn't want to) drive. No problems with the electrics or starting,
most impressed. Getting the thing to move was another matter, hand
brake rusted on, both sides, very firmly. So release the handbrake
and chock/leave in gear.

Thanks for the advice. Regularly get a big clunk because the discs seem to
rust on after very short time in damp weather. Don't want to turn off the
alarm because the garage has a standard up and over door onto an unmade
byway.

On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

Colin Bignell

On 30/04/2012 18:08, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Up to three months, you don't need to do anything special for the tyres.
They should come off and be stored deflated if storing for much longer.
Tyres are degraded by oil, sunlight, heat and ozone while damp is not
going to be good for anything, so you need a well-ventilated, cool, dark
storage area. The mats are a good idea if the floor is likely to have
any oil on it. Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in
their own micro environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone
getting to them. Lift all wiper blades clear of the windows and don't
leave the handbrake on - chock the car if necessary.

Colin Bignell

"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres, which
accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 18:08, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Up to three months, you don't need to do anything special for the tyres.
They should come off and be stored deflated if storing for much longer.
Tyres are degraded by oil, sunlight, heat and ozone while damp is not
going to be good for anything, so you need a well-ventilated, cool, dark
storage area. The mats are a good idea if the floor is likely to have any
oil on it.

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Lift all wiper blades clear of the windows and don't leave the handbrake
on - chock the car if necessary.

On 30/04/2012 23:57, Rod Speed wrote:


"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
....
Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will. Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close
when the car is driven. The ones that are open stay open when it is not,
giving those parts of the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any
ozone in it. It may not make a noticeable difference, but it would be
measurable and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it
happening.

Colin Bignell

On 30/04/2012 23:52, Rod Speed wrote:


"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right thing
to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to add
pressure at the beginning.

Colin Bignell

Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts of the
rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont be used
for 3 months.

Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation.

Immeasurably with 'at bit extra air in the tires'

The right thing to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage,
not to add pressure at the beginning.

It will in fact make no difference whatever whichever way you do it.

They sit in parks awaiting sale far longer than that quiteoften after all.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"NT" wrote in message
...
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was Invisible"
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

3 months is no problem


NT

On 01/05/2012 02:22, Rod Speed wrote:
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts of
the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out and
replaced before the end of their six year shelf life. That doesn't mean
it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres yourself.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre. Are you really claiming that 1/24
of that period will not produce a measurable change? According to a book
on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre manufacturers would not
agree with you.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont be
used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of decay.

Colin Bignell

Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts of
the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out and
replaced before the end of their six year shelf life.

And the reality is that most do replace their tires in that
sort of time just because they don't have enough tread
left, so there isnt any point at all in wrapping them in
plastic for the 3 months that's a trivial part of that.

No one with a clue even bothers to do that with vintage cars either.

That doesn't mean it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres
yourself.

Corse it does when 3 months is a tiny part of the time you will
have the tires for, and you don't see 3 months of life saved anyway.

You wouldn't even save a week.

Completely silly.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre.

But very very few tires are replaced because they
have degraded. They are replaced because there
isnt enough tread on them anymore.

Are you really claiming that 1/24 of that period will not produce a
measurable change?

Nope, that very few tires are replaced because
they have degraded. They are replaced because
they don't have enough tread left on them.

You wouldn't even save a week by wrapping
them in plastic, so it's a complete waste of time.

According to a book on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre
manufacturers would not agree with you.

Corse they do. They don't wrap them in plastic.

Neither does anyone else.

There's a reason for that.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont be
used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of
decay.

The fact is that even those who do understand the mechanism
of decay STILL don't wrap their tires in plastic either.

And they don't because tires are replaced when they don't
have enough tread left, not because they are too degraded.

On Tue, 01 May 2012 08:45:41 +0100, Rod Speed
wrote:

Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own
micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is
driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts
of the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out
and replaced before the end of their six year shelf life.

And the reality is that most do replace their tires in that
sort of time just because they don't have enough tread
left, so there isnt any point at all in wrapping them in
plastic for the 3 months that's a trivial part of that.

No one with a clue even bothers to do that with vintage cars either.

That doesn't mean it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres
yourself.

Corse it does when 3 months is a tiny part of the time you will
have the tires for, and you don't see 3 months of life saved anyway.

You wouldn't even save a week.

Completely silly.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre.

But very very few tires are replaced because they
have degraded. They are replaced because there
isnt enough tread on them anymore.

Are you really claiming that 1/24 of that period will not produce a
measurable change?

Nope, that very few tires are replaced because
they have degraded. They are replaced because
they don't have enough tread left on them.

You wouldn't even save a week by wrapping
them in plastic, so it's a complete waste of time.

According to a book on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre
manufacturers would not agree with you.

Corse they do. They don't wrap them in plastic.

Neither does anyone else.

There's a reason for that.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it
happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont be
used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of
decay.

The fact is that even those who do understand the mechanism
of decay STILL don't wrap their tires in plastic either.

And they don't because tires are replaced when they don't
have enough tread left, not because they are too degraded.

I am the OP.

The first tyres on the car lasted 5 years. When one got a puncture by the
sidewall all 4 were replaced and one was found to have a bad crack.

If we keep the car while we spend 9* months of the year abroad then age is
likely to be the determining factor in the life of the tyres.

*9 months abroad but in chunks no longer than 3 months.

On Tue, 01 May 2012 02:06:14 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 30/04/2012 23:52, Rod Speed wrote:


"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right thing
to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to add
pressure at the beginning.

Colin Bignell

Depends a lot on the weather. Boyles Law as I recall.

On Apr 30, 11:09*pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:

On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels..

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

Colin Bignell

It's sunlight that degrades tyres. I only meant a few psi to
compensate for any leakage.

On 01/05/2012 08:56, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
On Tue, 01 May 2012 02:06:14 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 30/04/2012 23:52, Rod Speed wrote:


"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right
thing to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to
add pressure at the beginning.

Colin Bignell

Depends a lot on the weather. Boyles Law as I recall.
I heard that the tyres had chemicals that prevent the perishing of the
rubber but they are only released by use. ie a tyre left standing for 3
months will rot more than if it was in regular use.

Having said that spare tyres tend to survive OK and they are often
slung under a car in the damp and out of site for years.
3 months is not a long time but could you lend the car to someone to use
as an occasional runabout.

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.wdmdo8n0gtk8fg@hugh-lap...
On Tue, 01 May 2012 02:06:14 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 30/04/2012 23:52, Rod Speed wrote:


"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right thing
to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to add
pressure at the beginning.

Colin Bignell

Depends a lot on the weather. Boyles Law as I recall.

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own
micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is
driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts
of the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out and
replaced before the end of their six year shelf life.

And the reality is that most do replace their tires in that
sort of time just because they don't have enough tread
left, so there isnt any point at all in wrapping them in
plastic for the 3 months that's a trivial part of that.

No one with a clue even bothers to do that with vintage cars either.

That doesn't mean it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres
yourself.

Corse it does when 3 months is a tiny part of the time you will
have the tires for, and you don't see 3 months of life saved anyway.

You wouldn't even save a week.

Completely silly.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre.

But very very few tires are replaced because they
have degraded. They are replaced because there
isnt enough tread on them anymore.

Are you really claiming that 1/24 of that period will not produce a
measurable change?

Nope, that very few tires are replaced because
they have degraded. They are replaced because
they don't have enough tread left on them.

You wouldn't even save a week by wrapping
them in plastic, so it's a complete waste of time.

According to a book on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre
manufacturers would not agree with you.

Corse they do. They don't wrap them in plastic.

Neither does anyone else.

There's a reason for that.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it
happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont be
used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of
decay.

The fact is that even those who do understand the mechanism
of decay STILL don't wrap their tires in plastic either.

And they don't because tires are replaced when they don't
have enough tread left, not because they are too degraded.

I am the OP.

The first tyres on the car lasted 5 years.

Nope, you chose to change them then.

When one got a puncture by the sidewall all 4 were replaced

Mad.

and one was found to have a bad crack.

Just a manufacturing fault.

If we keep the car while we spend 9* months of the year abroad then age is
likely to be the determining factor in the life of the tyres.

Nope.

*9 months abroad but in chunks no longer than 3 months.

Makes no difference, there isnt any point in covering them with black bin
liners

Hugh - Was Invisible wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
harry wrote
Hugh - Was wrote

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right thing to
do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to add pressure
at the beginning.

Depends a lot on the weather.

Nope, the pressure has no real effect on the life of the tires.

The life of the tires is normally determined by how much tread is left.

Boyles Law as I recall.

Nope. It just says something about the relationship between pressure and
volume.

Gary wrote
Hugh - Was Invisible wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
harry wrote
Hugh - Was wrote

Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

No it doesn't compared with driving it around.

However, the car won't be driving around, so higher pressures will
increase the stress and hence the rate of degradation. The right thing
to do is to top up the tyres at the end of the storage, not to add
pressure at the beginning.


Depends a lot on the weather. Boyles Law as I recall.

I heard that the tyres had chemicals that prevent the perishing of the
rubber but they are only released by use. ie a tyre left standing for 3
months will rot more than if it was in regular use.

Fraid not.

Having said that spare tyres tend to survive OK and they are often slung
under a car in the damp and out of site for years.

And that's the proof that that claim is silly.

3 months is not a long time but could you lend the car to someone to use
as an occasional runabout.

That can be useful, but not for the life of the tires.

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:49:32 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:07:51 +0100, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

If it is a newish car the battery may be the problem.
If it goes completely flat, the computer loses it's memory.

That's not so much of a problem it'll default to "limp home" and
relearn over the first hundred or so miles. What might be more of an
problem is the alarm/immobilsier/locking system. Flat battery, can't
get in to release bonnet to charge battery. The mechanical key lock
should work but I make sure it has one(!) and does work first. I have
never used the mechanical key lock on my current and previous cars...

It is a problem. Car batteries are not designed to be deep cycled and
doing so will significantly shorten their life.

--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

On 01/05/2012 08:45, Rod Speed wrote:
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own
micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts
of the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out
and replaced before the end of their six year shelf life.

And the reality is that most do replace their tires in that
sort of time just because they don't have enough tread
left, so there isnt any point at all in wrapping them in
plastic for the 3 months that's a trivial part of that.

No one with a clue even bothers to do that with vintage cars either.

That doesn't mean it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres
yourself.

Corse it does when 3 months is a tiny part of the time you will
have the tires for, and you don't see 3 months of life saved anyway.

You wouldn't even save a week.

Completely silly.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre.

But very very few tires are replaced because they
have degraded. They are replaced because there
isnt enough tread on them anymore.

Are you really claiming that 1/24 of that period will not produce a
measurable change?

Nope, that very few tires are replaced because
they have degraded. They are replaced because
they don't have enough tread left on them.

You wouldn't even save a week by wrapping
them in plastic, so it's a complete waste of time.

According to a book on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre
manufacturers would not agree with you.

Corse they do. They don't wrap them in plastic.

Neither does anyone else.

There's a reason for that.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it
happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont
be used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of
decay.

The fact is that even those who do understand the mechanism
of decay STILL don't wrap their tires in plastic either.

And they don't because tires are replaced when they don't
have enough tread left, not because they are too degraded.

Well, I have given Hugh the benefit of a tyre manufacturer's
recommendation (although they suggested proper wheel covers rather than
bin liners). You have given him the benefit of your opinion. He can
choose which advice he prefers to follow.

Colin Bignell

On 01/05/2012 09:42, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 11:09 pm,
wrote:
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:

On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

Colin Bignell

It's sunlight that degrades tyres.

Sunlight is one factor, but not the only one. Stress increases the
effects of any of them. It used to be recommended that tyres be partly
deflated before going into medium term storage, but I suspect that was
discontinued because too many people forgot to reflate them after.

I only meant a few psi to
compensate for any leakage.

It is better to check the inflation before putting the car back on the
road. That way the tyres get the right amount of air at the time they
need it.

Colin Bignell

On Tue, 01 May 2012 14:35:04 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 01/05/2012 08:45, Rod Speed wrote:
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Nightjar wrote

Cover the tyres with black bin liners, to keep them in their own
micro
environment, which will reduce the amount of ozone getting to them.

No point in doing that for 3 months, they wont degrade any faster
than they would have if the car had been used for 3 months instead.

Actually, they will.

Nope.

Microscopic cracks in the rubber open and close when the car is
driven.

And that isnt what determines how long the tire will last for.

The ones that are open stay open when it is not, giving those parts
of the rubber greater exposure to the air and to any ozone in it.

Fantasy with 3 months. That isnt done with new cars, for a reason.

Indeed - cost and the fact that they expect the tyres to be worn out
and replaced before the end of their six year shelf life.

And the reality is that most do replace their tires in that
sort of time just because they don't have enough tread
left, so there isnt any point at all in wrapping them in
plastic for the 3 months that's a trivial part of that.

No one with a clue even bothers to do that with vintage cars either.

That doesn't mean it is not worth doing when you are storing the tyres
yourself.

Corse it does when 3 months is a tiny part of the time you will
have the tires for, and you don't see 3 months of life saved anyway.

You wouldn't even save a week.

Completely silly.

It may not make a noticeable difference,

Corse it wont.

but it would be measurable

Nope.

Degradation is more or less linear over the six years that the British
Standard sets for the life of a tyre.

But very very few tires are replaced because they
have degraded. They are replaced because there
isnt enough tread on them anymore.

Are you really claiming that 1/24 of that period will not produce a
measurable change?

Nope, that very few tires are replaced because
they have degraded. They are replaced because
they don't have enough tread left on them.

You wouldn't even save a week by wrapping
them in plastic, so it's a complete waste of time.

According to a book on tyre technology I have from Dunlop, the tyre
manufacturers would not agree with you.

Corse they do. They don't wrap them in plastic.

Neither does anyone else.

There's a reason for that.

and I don't see any reason not to take precautions against it
happening.

More fool you.. There's a reason no one bothers with cars that wont
be used for 3 months.

The fact that the average person does not understand the mechanism of
decay.

The fact is that even those who do understand the mechanism
of decay STILL don't wrap their tires in plastic either.

And they don't because tires are replaced when they don't
have enough tread left, not because they are too degraded.

Well, I have given Hugh the benefit of a tyre manufacturer's
recommendation (although they suggested proper wheel covers rather than
bin liners). You have given him the benefit of your opinion. He can
choose which advice he prefers to follow.

Colin Bignell

I am the OP and was just starting to wonder from other posts whether Rod
Speed was in fact a pseudonym of Dennis.

On Tue, 01 May 2012 14:41:05 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 01/05/2012 09:42, harry wrote:
On Apr 30, 11:09 pm,
wrote:
On 30/04/2012 20:23, harry wrote:

On Apr 30, 6:08 pm, "Hugh - Was
wrote:
Our garage has a roughish concrete floor dating back about 50 years.

Is it OK to park the car on concrete for up to 3 months at a time?
Otherwise I have a few polypropylene mats I could put under the
wheels.

Cannot get all round the car in the garage to jack it off the floor.

Put a bit of extra air in the tyres.

Exactly the wrong thing to do. It increases the stress on the tyres,
which accelerates degradation.

Colin Bignell

It's sunlight that degrades tyres.

Sunlight is one factor, but not the only one. Stress increases the
effects of any of them. It used to be recommended that tyres be partly
deflated before going into medium term storage, but I suspect that was
discontinued because too many people forgot to reflate them after.

I only meant a few psi to
compensate for any leakage.

It is better to check the inflation before putting the car back on the
road. That way the tyres get the right amount of air at the time they
need it.

Colin Bignell

I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and levels
regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak before it brings
you to a halt.

On 01/05/2012 19:10, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
....
I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and levels
regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak before it brings
you to a halt.

I can't say I see many other drivers take a quick look around their car
before getting in, as I always do, either. It must be decades since I
found anything wrong doing that, but it is a habit I grew up with, as is
checking lights in reflections while driving, even though, headlights
apart, these days they are all multiple LEDs.

Colin Bignell

On 01/05/2012 19:08, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
....

I am the OP and was just starting to wonder from other posts whether Rod
Speed was in fact a pseudonym of Dennis.

;-)

Colin Bignell

Nightjar wrote:
On 01/05/2012 19:10, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:
...
I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and
levels regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak
before it brings you to a halt.

I can't say I see many other drivers take a quick look around their
car before getting in, as I always do, either. It must be decades
since I found anything wrong doing that, but it is a habit I grew up
with, as is checking lights in reflections while driving, even
though, headlights apart, these days they are all multiple LEDs.


I always walk around the van in a morning before getting into it and check
for flat tyres.

--
Adam

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.wdm531mzgtk8fg@hugh-lap...

I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and levels
regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak before it brings
you to a halt.

The computer does them on my car.
It also checks the pressure suits the load.
You get a warning if the pressure differential is too much.

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.wdm50llrgtk8fg@hugh-lap...


I am the OP and was just starting to wonder from other posts whether Rod
Speed was in fact a pseudonym of Dennis.

Don't be stupid, rod is an Australian.

dennis@home wrote:
"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote in message
newsp.wdm531mzgtk8fg@hugh-lap...

I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and
levels regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak
before it brings you to a halt.

The computer does them on my car.
It also checks the pressure suits the load.
You get a warning if the pressure differential is too much.

That's because you are too ****ing stupid to do it yourself and such a ****
driver that you would never notice an underflated tyre whilst driving.

--
Adam

dennis@home wrote:

"Hugh - Was Invisible" wrote:

I am one of the very few people I know who checks pressures and levels
regularly. Always handy to find a slow puncture or leak before it
brings you to a halt.

The computer does them on my car. It also checks the pressure suits
the load. You get a warning if the pressure differential is too
much.

Does it do it by measuring the actual pressure, or monitoring for wheel
speed differences (and hence differing diameters from different pressures)?