Tractor Tires and Concrete Floors

[boovuc 1,090]

Hi Everyone,

 

Starting this post due to what an old-timer told me many years ago. I was heavy into mountain and road biking and he told me to make sure that I never ever store my bikes with the tires on a concrete floor. He said that all tires, cars, bikes, tractors, etc.....should be stored on a wooden board or plywood and off the concrete. He told me that parking rubber tire vehicles on concrete accelerates aging resulting in cracking and loss of plasticity.

Now I know from the chemical industry background I have that tires use many compounds and plasticizers in their manufacture and the loss of plasticizer is what causes our cracks and tears in old tractor seats and on car dashboards but I often wondered about tires.

I took it on his word but is this a wives tale? Anyone else ever hear this or is it from the old days of real rubber tires and not something that modern tires experience?

[Hodge71 664]

I have no clue Boov. I can tell you that my Dads 1973 12 Auto has been sitting on a concrete floor for 40 years now and doesn't have a single crack anywhere in the original tires. I highly doubt what he said could be true. 40 years is a long time and I would think if it was an issue they would be cracked after that long of a period. I have heard of storing batteries on wood and not concrete but never tires

[slufoot733 70]

Interesting question.....I don't have an answer for you. However, as the owner of a fifth wheel RV I have been told to park the tires on large wooden boards or cement pads when storing the trailer for long periods of time. Storing with thres in direct contact with the ground, ie. grass, dirt, small gravel, draws 'moisture' from the rubber. I don't know if that is true or not but I do park on 3" x 12" x 6' boards. I do know that keeping the tires covers so sunlight does not strike the tires helps prolong them. But for tractors stored in a garage the issue of sunlight may not be a problem.

[flyovrcntry 115]

I never heard of that,like Hodge I was always told by my dad not to leave a battery on concrete.Where is the squirrel,I'm sure he would know about the battery

[Wmanning416 9]

I've been in the tire business over 20 years. The secret to keeping them crack free is to keep them out of sunlight. Also keep them away from electrical devices such as fuse boxes and compressors. Electric fields can cause dry rot in the rubber by removing oils from the rubber just like uv rays. Most good quality tires have a uv protectant oil in the rubber that migrates to the surface as it rolls. Chinese brands tend to leave this step out of the manufacturing process due to cost. That's why many Chinese tires dry rot quickly. Sometimes a year or less. Rv tires dry rot because they sit for long periods without use. This causes the uv protectant oils to dry out on the surface causing the cracks in the rubber. Driving the rv and getting the tires hot will cause additional uv protectant oils to migrate to the surface thus protecting the tires. So keep them out of the sun away from electrical interferance and don't let them sit in one spot too long. One other thing all tire manufacturers warn against using armor all and tire shine products on their products. They say it draws oils out of the rubber causing the tires to crack.

[Save Old Iron 1,568]

I never heard of that,like Hodge I was always told by my dad not to leave a battery on concrete.Where is the squirrel,I'm sure he would know about the battery

 

Storing a battery on concrete usually means you are storing the battery "on the floor". The battery will take on the temperature of the floor and be more in sync with the slower temperature changes of the concrete than changes in air temperature.

 

A cold concrete floor will transfer the cold to the battery. If the air around the battery warms up, the water contained in the air will condense onto the colder battery case. Condensation and air contaminates will form a slightly conductive path between the battery terminals and slowly, but surely, discharge the battery.

 

As far as tires and electricity. tires will suffer from exposure to Ozone. Ozone is produced in electrical equipment due to sparking of motor commutators and relays / contactors opening and closing. I have never read about electrical or magnetic fields having any effect on rubber.

[Wmanning416 9]

You are right about Ozone. The word escaped my mind while I was typing.

[kaiser 100]

the only issue i've ever seen is just flat spotting from being parked to long, but only on radials not tractor tires.

[Wheel Horse Kid 105]

We have always had our tires on concrete and have never had any issues with accelerated cracking. We have only been into tractors for a few years now, so maybe that is not long enough to know for sure...

[AMC RULES 37,145]

 One other thing all tire manufacturers warn against using armor all and tire shine products on their products. They say it draws oils out of the rubber causing the tires to crack.

 Not to mention, it makes them look...just plain goofy. 

[KC9KAS 4,743]

Now I need to keep my GT's away from the circuit breaker box!

[boovuc 1,090]

I thought of what the old guy told me when I was putting my bikes away for the winter and thought it was worth bringing to the forum. The oldest set of tires that I know of their history are a set of ag's I bought in the early 90's for the C-175. From the day I brought them home to this date, they have always been on a concrete floor with extreme temperature swings and they haven't so much as developed crows feet on the sidewalls. (Wish I could say the same thing about my face)!

 

I heard about the effects of sunlight/UV on tires and I never knew about ozone effects. (No large scale electric motors or relays in my garage). I have always used ArmorAll Non-Gloss spray on my truck tires and dashboards, trim, etc and never had any crack but I think the vinyl used in todays cars are much better than those from the 60's and 70's. Our tractor seats crack from UV exposure most likely.  It may have been something from the oldest days of rubber tires. This was told to me in the 1970's and that gentleman was well into his 80's then. Nice guy!

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 137]

Given the number of concrete roads and garage floors that tires are exposed to daily it's unlikely concrete causes any issues.  

[Save Old Iron 1,568]

I think the vinyl used in todays cars are much better than those from the 60's and 70's. ....  It may have been something from the oldest days of rubber tires.

 

vinyl and rubber are two different compounds

 

look how PVC suffers from sunlight exposure and ABS does not simply because of UV stabilizers added that give it its characteristic black color

Edited November 9, 2013 by Save Old Iron