Spares age whether they are used or not
A large OTR tire is too expensive and too slow to source for most operations to run without a spare or two. The spare is insurance, and it is easy to forget that insurance can quietly lapse while it sits in a corner of the yard.
Rubber ages from exposure as well as use. Three things do most of the damage to a tire in storage.
Sunlight. Ultraviolet light breaks down the surface of the rubber. A spare left out in the open for a few seasons, especially under high desert sun, can show fine surface cracking long before it has turned a single hour.
Ozone. Electric motors, welders and generators produce it, and a tire stored beside them ages faster than one stored away from them.
Its own weight. A tire left in one position for a long time can take a set where it rests on the ground.
Storing them so they are ready
Keep spares covered or indoors, out of direct sun and away from electrical equipment. Store them standing and turn them periodically, or lie them flat on a clean surface. Use the oldest spare first when a tire is needed, so no spare sits for years.
Mark each one with the date it arrived. When a spare finally goes on, that date is the difference between knowing what you fitted and guessing.
Fitting and repairs
When a spare goes on, or a damaged tire comes off, the work is OTR fitting and repair. A tire with a cut may be repairable, and the assessment decides it. A site wanting this managed as a program is mining fleet services, and the rims behind the tires are wheel refurbishing, both here.
The national OTR services page covers fitting, repair and supply in more detail.
Other stores nearby
About this store
The Reno store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Fred Sinfellow.
See the national OTR services page for all 41 locations.