Subzero temperatures make for good tire business

Jack Flatt is in the tire business. And right now, business is good.

The combination of subzero temperatures and rough driving conditions has certainly plagued Eastern Iowa drivers, but the winter weather is doing more damage to their tires.

“Once the winter weather hit we saw a 70-percent bump in business,” said Flatt, the manager at Five Seasons Tire on First Avenue in Cedar Rapids. “The tires we've been taking off have been pretty scary.”

Cold air causes air to contract, even the air in your tires. This makes the rubber more stiff and ruines the “banding” between the tire and the rim. The rims themselves, mostly aluminum, can oxidize and get corroded by the amounts of salt on the road, making a bad situation for tires even worse.

Linder Tires manager, Paul Morano, said that his business has seen on average three or four cars getting towed to his Iowa City business a day. He advises that putting air back in those tires is also problematic in such temperatures.

“The cold can cause the valve stem in your tire to not fully retract,” said Morano. “That will contribute even more to your leak.”

Moreno says that motorists who've waited until now to put air in their tires will have a rough go of it, because the moisture in the air used to fill tires at many gas stations freezes when it gets this cold.

“If you're going to put air in your tires, wait until it gets closer to 32 degrees, or do it indoors,” Moreno said.