"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
. ..

The reason I did, was
my father (a mechanic engineer) told me to do it. He was emphatic that
the weight of the tires sitting on one section of the tire over the
winter, would cause the tire to become permanently unbalanced (I think
he said a "flat spot".


I think it really depends on the type of tire and it's construction. Not to
doubt your Dad, but your average, regular duty tires won't become
permanently "unbalanced" due to flat spots. Although they may take a small
temporary set, it's usually too little to notice and it goes away quickly
when driving.

High performance tires, like those on the Porsche, will develop flat spot
overnight sitting in the garage. It is very noticeable when you first start
driving and it takes several miles to "round out". These tires, unlike
regular tires, are very soft and "gummy" to permit high adhesion to the road
or track. They also don't last very long either ... 25K-30K miles is about
it.

Eisboch