Tyres

By: Pat Clarke

Fig 8. These tyres are wrapped in polythene film to prevent them from picking up debris.
Teams use a variety of wraps to keep their tyres clean. Beware of using ‘shrink wrap’ polyethylene film on hot tyres. This film may bond with the hot tread rubber making it impossible to remove in places.

Tyres should be kept in a cool and dark place. A sealed garbage bin liner is an excellent for tyre storage. They should be deflated, and stacked in a manner that causes no distortion.
One final thing, ozone seems to chemically affect the rubber used in the tread area, so store the tyres away from electric motors and circuit breakers.

Fig 9 . These tyres have been incorrectly stored.
They have been demounted and put away without being cleaned. They have been stored in an area where they were exposed to excess heat or even direct sunshine. The ‘blue’ sheen on the tyres is evidence of the plasticizers leaching out of the rubber. These tyres could be reaped clean and used again, however, their best performance is behind them.

Fig 10 . This is what your tyres should look like!
The tread wear is even across the entire surface with no tearing, graining or glazing.

Pat Clarke
Sydney 2006

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