Just ordered a wall-mounted tire rack (build vs. buy)

Cobra4B · Oct 21, 2010

I was planning on building my own tire rack out of cast iron pipe and hangers like I've seen on here many times. However they always seem to cost about $90 in materials plus time/labor.

Searching for tire racks on here there is one main thread showing pics of tire racks and the one from Martin Industries caught my eye b/c it appears well made and it's red (my garage has a checkerboard and red accent theme going on).

This one:

I called the US distributor Ascot Tire Supply @ (770) 251-7330 and got a nice woman named Darlene to take my order (sad that someone with a pleasant attitude and firm grasp of the english language is a rarity these days). Surprisgly the cost was $123.** which is less that the $131.25 posted in the thread where I found out about them. I am unsure of shipping just yet.

Finally I can get some race tires up off my garage floor. IMO when it comes down to $90 vs. $120 I'll gladly pay the few extra bucks to save myself the trip to the store, time sourcing parts, etc. Plus, uless I took the time to paint it, a home-built one wouldn't be red!

:beer:

Brian

UPDATE 10/25/2010:

The tire rack was waiting for me at the front door when I got home from work this evening. After hitting the gym I got to work. The install was simple. Just took my time to double check my measurements and make sure I got the top part level. I then found all the studs and made sure I could get all 9 holes (5 accross the top and 2 more on each side). Fortunately the folks who framed the wall did a good job and the studs were on proper 16" centers. I pre-drilled then installed with 3" lag screws then installed the lower section and side supports. The mfg specs say it can support 200lbs.... I hope they published a lower-end estimate because each wheel/tire combo is 43.6lbs and the one new tire is 23.6 which puts me @ 198!

It would have taken me quite awhile to spec-out and build something this robust. I'm glad I went ahead and bought it since I'm supporting wheels/tires vs. tires-only.

scott37300 · Oct 21, 2010

Those look nice and the price is a very fair price. But it would only cost around 50 bucks in metal to make one of those. 24.5' of 2x2x1/8" angle plus a couple pieces of flat for the diagonal supports.

120 bucks is a good price but think I'm just cheap and like to build things myself! Could build three of them for the cost of one plus shipping.

CrashTestDummy · Oct 21, 2010

Pay close attention to the vertical spacing. The tire will need to come _up_ and out of the rack. Additionally, tires are different sizes, off the rim vs on the rim and flat vs. aired up. You also need to check clearance when there are tires in an upper rack, when rolling tires into lower levels.

I have a roll-around rack, and need to make some adjustments. :wtf:

Actually, I will be more careful with the next rack, as I'm full right now.

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Cobra4B · Oct 21, 2010

scott37300 said:
Those look nice and the price is a very fair price. But it would only cost around 50 bucks in metal to make one of those. 24.5' of 2x2x1/8" angle plus a couple pieces of flat for the diagonal supports.

120 bucks is a good price but think I'm just cheap and like to build things myself! Could build three of them for the cost of one plus shipping.

Yep.... but I don't have a drill press or a cut-off wheel. Plus it would cost extra to powdercoat it red

If I ever need another I'll probably copy the design in my buddy's shop, but for now I'd rather have a project I can complete in 2 hours vs. 2 days.

rmousir · Oct 21, 2010

any one ever make one of those out of wood? I have my good summer tires/rims that I will be taking off my '66 mustang while she sits for the winter. I have set of old tires and rims that she will rest on for the winter. For now I just stack them in the corner. I would love a good rack set up. Can you put aired up tires that are mounted on the rims in a rack like that? Would that be bad?

LEVE · Oct 21, 2010

Here's mine, made from wood and built over my workbench at about the 7 1/2 ft level. It easily holds 16 tires, either vertically or on their sides. It's made from 3/4" plywood and 2X6". I have it angled 1" lower in the back. It was built above my work bench, and I use an inexpensive HF winch to hoist the tires up and down. The underside of the rack houses lights for the workbench. Oh, and no, it's not bowing, nor is the shelf underneath it... that's the dang camera distorting the picture.

csp · Oct 21, 2010

scott37300 said:
But it would only cost around 50 bucks in metal to make one of those.

Even less with a couple of freebie bed frames off of craigslist.

Lots of holes are drilled in steel every day without a drill press anywhere in sight.

bb1970 · Oct 21, 2010

csp said:
Even less with a couple of freebie bed frames off of craigslist.

Lots of holes are drilled in steel every day without a drill press anywhere in sight.

My thoughts exacly. Some guys have more money than sense.

Brad54 · Oct 21, 2010

I've thought about racks like that---I'm curious about how tire mounted on rims getting flat spots or such from the upright metal flanges on the tires. Seems like it'd be better to support them through the hole in the center of the wheel, or lay them on their side.

But I'd REALLY like to hear from others on this.

-Brad
(I'm talking about storage of a couple years, not a couple months)

Jack Olsen · Oct 21, 2010

Sometimes the time involved in building your own isn't worth it. But in this case, you could have bought an angle grinder and a second-hand drill press with the money you saved. (Not that you would need a drill press for those holes.)

But everybody's got an opinion. I personally never liked having extra wheels and tires inside the garage. I got a cover for them and now they go outside.

But now that you've got me thinking about it, I could have sewn the tire cover myself and saved myself some cash.

rmousir · Oct 21, 2010

csp said:
Even less with a couple of freebie bed frames off of craigslist.

Lots of holes are drilled in steel every day without a drill press anywhere in sight.

I just happen to have a couple of bed frames laying around that I can use for scrap material.

How would I anchor that to my wall once I weld that up? If I get it done. lol I do have time this weekend to do it. I guess I will have to look at my wall space and see where I could stick one of these.

I really need to build a shed!

gordsgarage · Oct 21, 2010

I agree with Jack, sometimes the labor factor is not worth the effort. If I have no projects on the go I would build the tire racks. I have to ask myself wether I want to spend my time building racks or completeing other projects.

The amount of metal and paint on those racks are not $123.00 worth, however, they sound like they may be an ok deal considering your time might be spent better on other things.

Gord

Cobra4B · Oct 21, 2010

Again time = money and in this case the money saved doing it myself vs. the cost to purchse wasn't worth the DIY. I don't have any spare bed frames... I'd have to spend time searching goodwill or salvation army for them, then go get them, then go buy tools to cut the metal, then spend time planning/designing/fabbing.

I have multiple sets of race wheels/tires, a 20x20 2-car garage, and I don't like my $1200 Hoosiers and rare forged Z06 wheel sets sitting outside for someone to take and for the hot/cold fluctuations to deteriorate the rubber. Plus I don't like schlepping them into my back yard one at a time to put them in my shed.

As for projects... I have my track car to maintain prep vs. spend my time running around fabbing a tire rack... and a kitchen floor to finish tiling.

Maybe I should stop paying Hoosier and start growing rubber trees.... I mean how much do rubber tree seeds cost?

Brad54 · Oct 21, 2010

Well, only part of your argument makes sense. You really can't figure the cost of tools into a project--especially tools that you will find yourself using time and again in the future.

To be honest, I don't know how a car guy functions without a drill press.

-Brad

Cobra4B · Oct 21, 2010

Brad54 said:
To be honest, I don't know how a car guy functions without a drill press.

I have a C-man 20V lithium battery drill that has done the trick for the past 3-4 years. I don't really do any fab work in my garage, mostly car setup and maintenance/upkeep. I built the car I race now, but it didn't require any metal fab work. Going to take the roof off this winter to cut the oem b-pillar bar out and have a full cage put in.

Z06 TTA buld-up - http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=35493

nate379 · Oct 21, 2010

I would say sometimes it worth spending the $$ on something.

Couple weeks ago I paid an electrician $250 to wire in 2 outlets and pound in 2 ground rods.

I could have done it myself, but between 2 jobs, college and other projects, some I have started YEARS ago I knew it would have been easily a few months before I had a chance to do it.

bb1970 said:
My thoughts exacly. Some guys have more money than sense.

nate379 · Oct 21, 2010

I don't use mine very often, in fact I only unpacked it a few months ago after I had it in storage for a couple years. Was just a few times where the drill press would have make life a little bit easier than doing it with a hand drill.

Brad54 said:
To be honest, I don't know how a car guy functions without a drill press.

-Brad

srmofo · Oct 21, 2010

Ive always been told to keep my slicks on a 5 gal bucket supported in the center by the wheel. Eats up a ton of room, but they can be stacked if your careful around them.

Ive been wanting to make a setup for the wall similar to a spare tire rack on the back of suvs/jeeps, but that eats up even more wall space soooo.....there really is no perfect answer.

In the future consider buying the angle steel that has all the holes in it used for garage door track support. doesnt need welded and bolts together quickly in any size you need. .All of our racks at work are made of the stuff and although a little flimsy it could easily be beefed up with a few extra supports. Cheap too. Less than $10 for 10' at my local garage door place. HD/lowes well over $35iirc.

nate379 · Oct 22, 2010

I HATE that stuff! I actually ripped it all down from my garage door and welded up proper brackets with 1/4" angle iron. Door doesn't sound like it's going to fall down when opening and closing now.

srmofo · Oct 22, 2010

nate379 said:
I HATE that stuff! I actually ripped it all down from my garage door and welded up proper brackets with 1/4" angle iron. Door doesn't sound like it's going to fall down when opening and closing now.

well they do make it in different thicknesses. You might have had the cheap flimsy ****, especially if it was installed by a company. My doors hardly make a noise when opening/closing but they're not attached to the house either.

I should have specified that earlier :beer:

pfbz · Oct 22, 2010

Cobra4B said:
Again time = money and in this case the money saved doing it myself vs. the cost to purchse wasn't worth the DIY....

Absolutely... If you can buy ready made tire racks for $125 and don't like/have experience with metal fab, trying to save a few bucks by building them isn't really worth it.

Great looking Z06 by the way! Ever since they finished High Plains Raceway outside of Denver a couple of years ago, I've had the itch to get another track car, and the the C5 Z06's is at the top of the list!

mayday0017 · Oct 22, 2010

some cheap black pipe from your box store, couple feet of cable for a support in middle over the 16ft run & 34" of 2x4 and a couple screws.... Have had 40 motorcycle tires on it at same time and 2 sets of rims.... It doesn't even flinch... Think the whole thing cost about $25-30

Cobra4B · Oct 22, 2010

pfbz said:
the C5 Z06's is at the top of the list!

They're getting cheap... if you know your way around them and don't mind going through the car you can get a ton of car for < $15k.

I purchased this car for a little over $14 and built it to NASA TTA specs which is basically a SpecC5Z class. The car is mostly stock. For the suspension I updated the shocks to 2004 OEM units and run T1 racing bars. For power I updated the OEM airbox lid to the 02-04 design, the mid-pipe is from a 2003 and I put an ATI Superdamper on it. The 119k motor made 361 rwhp with a fat roadracing tune :bowdown:

Ran a 2:07.1 to finish 3rd out of 7 in my class at VIR a couple of weekends ago. There isn't anything you can buy that will turn those lap times for under $20k total invested.

This is a pretty entertaining video clip :beer:

pfbz · Oct 22, 2010

Nice Video...

I was wondering how that RX-7 was able to accelerate out of the corners like it was until I saw it had an LS1 in it. That must have taken some work...

STi seemed well set up (and well driven) too. Every one I've had on the track pushed like crazy, but he had no problem getting it to rotate!

Daniel Dudley · Oct 22, 2010

120 is a deal. Looks to be a bit heavier steel than bed frame as well.

This is a good heads up for people wanting a decent rack at a decent price. :thumbup:

Travisnd · Oct 22, 2010

Very nice Brian. It's funny you posted this as I've been looking at getting the one from Griots to hold my stock wheels/tires. The one from Griots is $129 and looks like this...

Cobra4B · Oct 22, 2010

Travisnd said:
Very nice Brian. It's funny you posted this as I've been looking at getting the one from Griots to hold my stock wheels/tires. The one from Griots is $129 and looks like this...

Hey Travis... I looked that one. Tirerack.com also sells it and the actual MFG is HyLoft if it's the exact same one :beer:

rmousir · Oct 22, 2010

Travisnd said:
Very nice Brian. It's funny you posted this as I've been looking at getting the one from Griots to hold my stock wheels/tires. The one from Griots is $129 and looks like this...

I like that. How does it mount to the wall?

Cobra4B · Oct 22, 2010

rmousir said:
I like that. How does it mount to the wall?

That main black "strip" scres/lags bolts to the studs, then the rest slides in and hangs.

Tylerb43 · Oct 22, 2010

Brian, If you're excited enough to post about it, then good for you and enjoy it!

I'm definitly a DIY guy, mostly because I don't trust that a lot of people would take the time to do something as well if it's for someone besides themselves.

But my time is the most valuable thing I have right now, so sometimes it just make sense to me to buy it instead of build it. Heck, you just helped someone else (hopefully American) with their small business.

Some guys enjoy building hot rods, some guys just enjoy driving them. To each their own I say. :beer:

Dewaynep · Oct 22, 2010

I agree, time is money. That could have easily taken several hours to source, cut and assemble it yourself out of scrap metal. Technically speaking, anything you purchase, if it was made by human hands, could be made yourself. Is it worth it, not usually. A simple comparison is frozen dinners or canned soup. Why do people by that stuff? Because it's easier for them and they don't have to spend the time making it from scratch. You could probably make 20 cans of soup for a couple bucks but people would rather spend a buck a can because of the convenience.

csp · Oct 22, 2010

Dewaynep said:
Is it worth it, not usually.

Obviously you don't enjoy building anything. Some of us do. To each their own. :beer:

ADaughen · Oct 22, 2010

rmousir said:
any one ever make one of those out of wood? I have my good summer tires/rims that I will be taking off my '66 mustang while she sits for the winter. I have set of old tires and rims that she will rest on for the winter. For now I just stack them in the corner. I would love a good rack set up. Can you put aired up tires that are mounted on the rims in a rack like that? Would that be bad?

I made one out of scrap wood from prior projects and some left from a previous owner (3 - 2"x8"x14' boards).

Based on this design:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Tire-Rack/

Adjust for your own tire widths and depths. My Blazer has 28", Mustang 26" and Mazda 22" tire depth. Widths averaged 235mm(9.25"). I made my frames 48" external width, 22" external depth. If you have enough wheels/tires you could stair step the depths (putting the smaller rims on the higher levels). Height between levels was 32" IIRC.

I put the base right on the ground ~4" from the wall. Stacked the second level on top, placed two 2x4 spacers behind the second level and deck screwed it into place.

I was quite hesitant to suspend it from the wall above the car. Each wheel/tire is 45-50 lbs x 10 wheels+tires... so this works for me. :thumbup:

Varkwso · Oct 22, 2010

Nice score on the racks. Anyone who has ever looked at your build thread on the ZO6 does not doubt your attention to detail and skills with tools.

You ready to get spanked at Road Atlanta :thumbup:

sberry · Oct 22, 2010

We built a couple of racks, sometimes it may be worth it top buy though, as one guy said, 50$ in iron only,,,,, plus paint, cutting supplies, etc so it leaves about 50 for the fab work, in the grand scheme of things not a lot to be saved.

Cobra4B · Oct 22, 2010

Varkwso said:
You ready to get spanked at Road Atlanta

Almost

Waiting for my motive to come in to bleed the brakes and then the car will be ready to run. Decided to get it realy early in case I decided to run Summit Point in a couple weeks, but not sure I can swing that and RA.

Need to start watching RA track videos to reacquaint myself. Never been on it in a fast car with race tires. The Panoz school back in 2003 was in stock 5.0 powered school cars and street tires.

Varkwso · Oct 22, 2010

Cobra4B said:
Almost Waiting for my motive to come in to bleed the brakes and then the car will be ready to run. Decided to get it realy early in case I decided to run Summit Point in a couple weeks, but not sure I can swing that and RA.

Need to start watching RA track videos to reacquaint myself. Never been on it in a fast car with race tires. The Panoz school back in 2003 was in stock 5.0 powered school cars and street tires.

Now that my pit crew is off at school I need a Motive also.

Rd ATL can hit kill you speeds in a C5Z - but it is a blast!

rmousir · Oct 22, 2010

I'm going to build one. I have all the material. Going to start tonight! Maybe I will even have enough red paint to make it look pretty.

Cobra4B · Oct 22, 2010

Varkwso said:
Now that my pit crew is off at school I need a Motive also.

Rd ATL can hit kill you speeds in a C5Z - but it is a blast!

Motive came in today.... works fantastically as expected, wish I had bought one years ago.

Varkwso · Oct 24, 2010

Cobra4B said:
Motive came in today.... works fantastically as expected, wish I had bought one years ago.

Mine will be in next week...

Just ordered a wall-mounted tire rack (build vs. buy)

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