DIY Tyre rack

[BYKer Will]

If anyone has seen me arriving at a trackday they will have seen I usually have two spares wheels/tyres lashed to the fia bar. This has worked fine as far as Spa and back but given I have some more wheels waiting for me and some slicks on order I need a way of carrying 4 spares and i don't want a trailer yet.

 

As I am too tight and disorganised to order one of those racks someone was having made I have been trying a few home brewed solutions and think I have now come up with a simple system that is free and simple to use and fit/remove.

 

This is not rocket science but it does work and looks OK.

 

Very simply I have a steel tube very simillar to an old petty strutt and simillar to the roll bar tube which is roughly as long as the rear boot basket is wide.

 

I have passed a long roof rack strap through this tube and tied off each end leaving about 50cm of spare strap one end and a simillar amount plus buckle on the other end.

 

 

With me so far?- Its a tube with a strap through it.

 

I then hang this tube horizontally resting against the rear of the fia diagonal supports about 3 inches up from the boot cover. I juggle the straps so they run directly forward to the widest part of the fia and then do up the buckle and tie off.

 

Thats its. A tube with a strap horizontally acroos the rear fia diagonal supports.

 

I can then fit 2 185's in the middle section and 1 205 in each outside area standing upright and strapped to the fia with a couple more long luggage straps.

 

I have padded the tube and can fit it in 60 secs and a few minutes for the wheels. I can also just carry 1 spare flat against the diagonals if I don't need 4 spares.

 

I can get to the boot cover but access is resticted but fine for me as I only need to push in a race suit,boots and squashy bags. I can also fit the half hood easily as usual.

 

I will try and take some photos if anyone interested.

 

Will

 

PS sorry if old news. Oh and I did start by thinking about clamping the bar to the fia with exhaust type clamps but the faff of nuts and bolts i think is unnecessary as the wheels are just resting on the tube

[Shaun_E]

Photos please.

I have borrowed one of the proper tyre racks and it is an excellent piece of kit but it does take a while to fit and remove. Your solution sounds perfect for the 2-3 times a year I would need it.

 

Yellow SL #32 - member of Drowned Rat Racing

[eoinmac]

Sounds a great idea 😬

It would be good if you could post some pictures as i have the sameproblem as yourself !

[Gavin H]

Also very interested to see pics please - have been mulling this over for a couple of weeks.

 

Anyone know who makes the rack that attaches to the roll bar? (I might fork out for one if it is good)

 

Cheers

[Ivaan]

Will,

 

Interesting solution. Would like to see some photo's. I assume this cuts off your rear view quiet a lot, but with good side mirrors it'll be okay.

 

Much better than running home on trackworn tyres.

 

Clive

[BYKer Will]

I tested it with one wheel today for 6 hours. Neil has some photos but I will take some tomorrow or weekend with 4 wheels to demo.

 

 

It will block rear view vision but I never bother with a centre mirrow anyway as the tillets and fia seem to block most of the view anyway.

 

W

[Sandy]

I have one of the recent tyre racks that were made by Dave Morris

They take about 20mins to fit and I have to say they are an excellent bit of kit. The last time I used it to get four wheels to and from Cadwell it pi$$ed down on the way home and it took an additional half an hour to improvise the half hood as the rack clamps to the FIA bar and fouls the hood.

I did it but my drive home was limited to 60mph as the hood flapped around alot not being secured properly.

So, yes please pics would be appreciated

Anyone going to volunteer to have a batch of tube cut and powder coated for a BB 🤔

[BYKer Will]

I hope I haven't got you all excited and then have to dissapoint with what is a tube and a strap and might not be to everyone taste.

 

For one picture have a look at the tread about blackbirds on the rolling road. neilg posted some pictures this morning and one is of mine L7 BYK from the rear with one wheel lashed to the fia.

 

Ignore the wheel and the blue straps but you will see the bar wrapped (temporarily) in some webbing siting on the fia horizontally. Now imagine 4 wheels standing upright and pointing forwards as they would be on the car. 2 go in the middle of the fia resting on the bar and the diagonals and two on the outside resting on the bar and the crossmember. On mine at least they do not touch the top bar of the fia and so the half hood works fine.

 

If you are not put off by the heath robinson element then I would suggest you try a mock up with any old tube or timber and see what you think. However tube works better than timber because it has a larger contact area with the profile of the tyre.

 

Personally I think if all powdercoated in roll bar colour and with neater black straps and end caps it will look relatively tidy and remember it is for taking 4 wheels to trackdays so you will look pretty special anyway 😬 and with 4 wheels upright you cannot see the bar.

 

For legal reasons this bar is not intended for highway use. Please ensure your load is safe and legal.Objects in your mirrors will soon appear smaller.

 

Will