funz06

I am curious how folks made out last winter with their tires remaining on the car, in an unheated garage, where temperatures fell into single digits, and the teens and twenties was common for extended spells...like we have in NE.

Did you have issues with the cracking? Did you over inflate the tires a little before putting the car away for the winter? With my prior corvettes I would always put an extra 5 psi or so in the tires over the recommended amount for winter storage-----------and then come Spring the psi was always right around the recommended amount, maybe 1 or 2 tires would be 1-2 psi over.

In reading the other posts about these tires and the cold weather storage, it sounds like the less pressure on the tires the better (some say they don't take the tires off, but they put the car on jacks). This got me thinking, am I doing more harm than good by inflating the tires to 34-35 psi versus the recommended 30 psi?

Thanks for your feedback.

vetteb_96C

I'm going into my second winter storage with cup tires on my ZR1. I have an unheated garage here in Michigan. It get's cold here. I was worried but I didn't have any issues. I have carpeted plywood squares under each tire to keep them off of the cement. I did not move the car in cold temps and I put in a few extra PSI.

funz06

vetteb 96c,

Thanks.........your response was very reassuring...I am going to look into the plywood and carpet too.......thanks again.

CaryBob

The Michelin and GM information suggests that it isn't low temperatures per se that are the issue. It is driving on the tires that can cause cracking. Or so they say.

SMFCPACFP

We had snow here yesterday and I was going to take my 2014 Silverado into town for an appointment. I hopped in the truck and tried to start it, and nothing, absolutely no power. since I was cutting it close I hopped in the Vette and went to town, did my errand.

On my way home I realized that I had forgot that the minimum temperature for driving these tires was 40, and it was 33 all day. Anyway it doesn't look like they were damaged, but I won't do that again.

I spoke to a guy in Canada who lives in a brutally cold climate like mine and his tires survived the winter in a cold climate by not moving the car when it was below 40. I plan on leaving mine on the car all winter.

funz06

I have to ask......how did the vette do in that snow? It looks like it would be fun try it, but I don't know..........I lose traction when the pavement is just wet............

SMFCPACFP

The above picture was taken during the winter a few years ago. It was snowing yesterday and sticking in the grass, but not on the roadway, thankfully. The roads were wet so I put it in the W mode. I once got stuck in snowy condition in my 2001 Z06 and it was traumatic. Never again I said. I would never consider driving it in conditions like the above picture. Instead I drive the vehicle which has dedicated snow tires.





2014 Chevy Silverado Crew cab. this is actually my family car

VERT07

According to a Michelin rep., when the temps go below 40 degrees F, the PSS tires begin to lose traction and grip. The tires can still be driven, but gingerly. Michelin says, below 20 degrees F do not move the car until the tires have been in 40 degrees F or higher for 24 hours or more.
This rules out a drive on a nice winter day if the temps in your garage have been under 20 degrees F unless they have been in 40 degrees for more than 24 hours.