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Ca_in_CA_'s avatar
Ca_in_CA_
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013

Tire damage from cement driveway

Hope this is not a dumb question, but I have been told that the tires can be damaged from the heat from the driveway. I know that I should protect the side walls from the sun and weather, but I am being told to park on a piece of wood to protect the bottom of the tires.
Not sure~

10 Replies

  • The Concrete can suck out the moisture from the rubber causing them to age prematurely and become dry rotted. Plywood is a simple easy thing to prevent it as well as moving them every month etc. I park on Plywood and move it a foot back and forth every month to help.
  • It's really only for tires that sit for long periods without moving. That's why show cars, etc get put on stands with the tires off the ground when they are going to be stored for long periods. But I think it's more for a year or more rather than months.
  • I'm guessing it's more of an issue of the static load over a long period of time that causes the problem. Parked for months on end (possibly years) the deformed (flat) portion of the tire is under different stresses than the rest of it and therefore may degrade more quickly. Similar thing happens to bearings in motors that are not routinely rotated, it's called brinelling.
  • Thanks guys! My mother has an old beater truck that is parked for months at a time (like my trailer) and she claims that the tire shop told her to park on plywood to help protect the tires. I guess it couldn't hurt, but was not sure if it were necessary. Don't think I will waste my time.
  • Possibly, I had a travel trailer sitting on concrete unmoved for
    3 years. When I went to repack wheel bearings to ready her, I
    noticed the bottom of the tires (all 4) that were on the concrete
    were badly weather checked in the tread of the tires. No other part of the tire had this. So...
    I also bought 4 new tires. If they are moved a few times a year
    you most likely wouldn't have this problem. This is outside on concrete.

    Brian
  • No such thing as a dumb question, only the dumb answers we give back..

    Should be no problem from concrete on your tires.
  • That's a new on me. What about your car tires? Truck tires?