Most car owners suffer from lack of space in the garage. A small room does not even allow for proper storage of seasonal tires. But it is necessary not only to preserve it, but to do it correctly, otherwise even new tires can be ruined in just one season of improper conservation. A tire storage rack can be an excellent solution to the problem. Such a structure will not only significantly save space, but will also contribute to the harmless preservation of the wheels.
You can buy this design or make it yourself. If you have the finances and no time to prepare materials and assemble, then the easiest way is to purchase a rack in a specialized store. But if you have the time and desire to create a quality thing, then you need to boldly get down to business.
Rack for car wheels
Rules for storing car wheels
Not every car owner knows that they need to follow the rules for storing wheels, otherwise they quickly become unusable and can fail at the most inopportune moment. Different sets of tires have specific storage conditions, but general rules can also be identified, the observance of which will be relevant in any situation:
- Do not store wheels near heating or cooling devices. Significant temperature changes occur near them, which cause condensation to accumulate and deformation of the rubber.
- Make sure that the wheels are not exposed to moisture, oil or acidic liquids.
- Store tires in a cool, dry place.
- If the wheels are wrapped in film, do not forget to periodically remove and ventilate them. Otherwise, dampness will begin to accumulate inside, which will negatively affect the material in the future.
Now let's look at the individual storage features of different sets.
Summer tires
Summer tires are made from materials whose composition is different from winter tires, and accordingly, the storage conditions will be different. The peculiarity of storing summer tires is that the room temperature should be kept around 20 o, with a relative humidity level not exceeding 60%. Small deviations from these indicators are acceptable.
Winter tires
Winter tires do not tolerate high temperatures well. Therefore, beware of installing racks and fixtures for storing it in:
- rooms with high temperatures;
- places exposed to direct sunlight.
On disks
Storing wheels on disks adds additional nuances to the preservation process. The thing is that when stored vertically, the tires, under the influence of the weight of the rims, will begin to deform. This will reduce their quality of adhesion to the road surface, which can lead to an emergency situation.
It is recommended to store assembled tires in a horizontal position, on top of each other, or suspended on a rope that is threaded through the center of the disk.
Note! When storing tires for the winter, they must be well inflated. The pressure inside the wheels should be working or slightly below normal.
No disks
If you store tires separately from wheels, follow these rules:
- keep them upright;
- once a month, rotate the tire 20-180 o;
- It is allowed to store the wheels in a suspended state, stringing them on a rope or metal cable.
How to properly store tires on rims: standing or lying down
However, practical motorists have long realized that it is better to have both sets of tires, winter and summer, on rims. So that, when the time comes, you can simply swap one wheel for another and pump them up to the required pressure. Any male neighbor can do this. An essential point that makes the life of a car lady easier, by the way.
Useful advice Before the seasonal crowds in tire shops occur, it is more than advisable to check the wheels. It's worth taking the time to take a set of wheels there. An inspection, which includes checking for defects and balancing, will protect you from troubles on the road and save life and health.
We have already decided that assembled wheels are more convenient to use. This also applies to ease of storage.
- The wheels are laid one on top of the other on a flat floor, but no more than 4 pieces. High stacks that are stored for many months will destroy the lower tires.
- Or hung on wide, strong slings or ropes from hooks on the ceiling or metal rods on the walls. They are specially equipped with garages or sheds. Suitable for underground storage, where the temperature does not drop below zero degrees and there is no humidity.
Hanging car shoes on disks in a dry shed or garage is preferable. This prevents damage to the main material of the tire - rubber and ensures good ventilation. And the main weight of the wheel is taken by the metal disk.
Packaging should only be done in ventilated cases or cellophane with holes. Condensation, which inevitably forms in a dense bag, will cover the stamped discs with rust.
Please note: A metal garage is not the best place to store winter tires in summer. It heats up inside like an oven. Since winter tires are softer than summer tires, when heated above 50 degrees Celsius, they become completely unusable. There is a risk of losing your wheels completely or discovering that they are defective later, already on the track, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Design features
Diagrams and design drawings for tire maintenance can satisfy any requirements of the car owner. It can be:
- racks and shelves of various configurations;
- hooks and stands;
- specialized cabinets in which you can create your own microclimate, ideal for keeping a particular set of tires in the garage.
Some of them are universal and suitable for any tire, others are highly specialized and designed for special conditions.
Racks and shelves
A rack for storing wheels in a garage gives the owner the following advantages:
- the ability to equip a rack with wheels with additional shelves designed for various tools;
- depending on the size of the garage and the amount of free space, the size and shape of the stand can be easily adjusted during assembly;
- the design has a large margin of safety at a relatively low cost.
Hooks and stands
Convenient devices for storing wheels in the garage, with the following advantages:
- easily and quickly made independently;
- take up little space and can be placed in any free corner of the garage;
- the stand, unlike a shelf or rack, can be easily moved from place to place and, in case of repair, it does not need to be dismantled or disassembled;
- materials for their manufacture are readily available and relatively cheap.
Note! Wheel hooks can be made as permanent brackets that attach to the wall, or as a removable piece that can be hung from a metal cable or rope, which is very convenient.
Specialized cabinets
If there is desire, time and money, the garage owner can equip the room with a special cabinet for storing wheels. Advantages of cabinets:
- the design does not spoil the appearance of the room;
- placed in any free space. It is not necessary to install it on the floor; you can make special fastenings and hang it on the wall;
- storing the wheels in a special cabinet will ensure that a jar of oil or other liquid that is in your garage will not accidentally be knocked over on them. This will significantly extend the life of the tires.
Is it possible to keep rubber in a metal structure?
It is also allowed to store tires not in permanent garages, but in metal and unheated structures. Only here you should monitor the temperature and humidity levels. If the garage is not heated and there is a constant temperature of -30 degrees, then there is a risk that the tires will deteriorate. The situation will be exactly the same if high humidity prevails in the room.
High humidity in the garage will be caused by a soil floor and poor ventilation.
The very principle of storing tires at least permanently. although in a metal garage they are no different from each other. Here you also need to comply with all norms and GOSTs, monitor sudden temperature changes, prevent tires from coming into contact with chemicals, and properly organize shelves, racks or hooks.
Making a wooden rack with your own hands
Despite the abundance of different designs or devices, not every vehicle owner has the opportunity to spend money on such purchases. The solution in this situation would be to build a wooden rack in the garage, which will require a minimum of costs and will last no worse than its metal counterpart.
Construction consists of the following stages:
- preparation of tools and materials;
- cutting material according to selected drawings;
- assembly and installation of the structure.
These simple steps will help you store wheels in your garage correctly, without damaging them or cluttering the room.
Preparatory work
Preparatory work before constructing the rack consists of the following steps:
- search for suitable drawings;
- preparing the required amount of materials for their implementation;
- preparation of tools. Among them must be: a hammer, a tape measure, a saw or a hacksaw, a level, a screwdriver or a screwdriver, a corner;
- preparing the site for the construction of the structure. It needs to be cleared of debris and filled with concrete if the floor in the garage is not level;
- It is advisable to treat the wood with chemical compounds that prevent rotting and mold formation.
Cutting material according to drawings
The cutting system depends on the complexity of the selected drawing. The number of steps required for cutting may vary.
The basic sequence of actions is as follows:
- We prepare the racks. For one section, the width of which is 1 meter, 4 racks are required. It is not recommended to build a rack whose width exceeds 1.5 meters. Wooden shelves will not be able to withstand the load and will begin to sag in the center. This will negatively affect both the durability of the structure and the condition of the stored wheels.
- We cut off the bars of the required length, which will act as a connecting element of the rack.
- Cut out the shelves. A 150 x 40 mm board or chipboard is suitable as a material for shelves.
Assembly and fastening of the frame
Assembly and fastening are carried out in accordance with the drawing. When assembling the structure, consider the following nuances:
- Assembling a permanent structure begins with attaching the racks to the rear wall of the garage.
- In some cases, the rear wall of the rack will be reinforced with special spacers.
- Elements of the rack that come into contact with the tires must not have corners or irregularities. Otherwise, they will deform the rubber, and you will have to purchase a new set.
Description
Designs that improve storage include wheel racks, shelves or wall hooks. All these devices are made of metal or wood, they are presented in the form of a solid base - a frame, and the device itself usually takes the form of a stationary rectangle of five frames connected to each other.
To avoid accidental falls of the structure, special fastening points are installed on the walls. The stand for wheels differs in that it is possible to move it around the room. Externally, they are very similar - the stand looks like a shelf with legs or like a metal stand.
When installing hanging shelves, much attention is paid to the supporting parts, because the weight of such a structure (together with tires) is very large. Car wheel hooks look like metal pins on the wall.
Many car owners who have free time and money install a specialized wheel cabinet in the garage. This design can be placed not only on the floor, but also on the wall, which will help to significantly save space. You can also create an optimal microclimate for rubber in the cabinet. The risk of dirt and dust getting in or an accidentally knocked over can of oil is minimized.
When choosing a way to store wheels, you need to consider whether they will be placed without rims or with rims.
Dimensions
Standard shelf dimensions for 4 rubber wheels:
The rack is installed from the wall surface at a distance of 10-20 centimeters - this is done so that the rubber does not touch the surface. Two parallel beams (metal or wood, it all depends on the material of manufacture) are mounted a meter from the floor - this is a shelf for tires. The upper and lower parts of the rack can be covered with any material - for example, wooden boards, plywood. These shelves are convenient for storing various tools or car parts. When installing the frame, you should remember that the wheels rest on the longitudinal beam during storage.
To prevent the tires from being deformed by the angle of the rack, it is installed so that the tire is in contact with a flat surface. Or a round metal profile is used as supports.
Overview of species
Depending on the installation method, there are 3 types of racks for storing rubber in the garage.
Depending on the tire placement option, there are:
Racks also differ in the material they are made of.
Metal
Such structures are installed in the garage, on the balcony or in any utility room. In addition to tires, you can place tools or car parts on a metal rack; this design is universal. Store-bought devices are very easy to assemble and adjust in height.
Wooden
Shelves made of wood are usually homemade structures. In the case of wooden models, you need to remember that wheels with discs are heavy, so the material must be strong enough. Wooden blocks can be purchased in the store, or you can take “abandoned” existing materials.
Tips for use
Any car enthusiast can assemble a wooden structure for storing rubber with his own hands. Especially if he is familiar with the work of a carpenter or knows how to use a hammer and saw. The cost of such a rack is much less than the factory one, and its assembly will take little time.
To learn how to make a rack for wheels with your own hands, see the following video.
