How to Store Tires in the Garage

Someone commented on one of our promotional Facebook posts the other day, and it made me giggle… but also think… more than I normally do… which kinda hurts.

Tire Storage Fail

Storing tires in the garage can be a challenge. They’re big, bulky and roll. So, just for Joseph, we’ve got a few seemingly safe ways to store tires in a garage. Note that we’re not including the obvious: stacking them in a corner. Our goal is to get the tires out of the way when stored.


Sale
HyLoft 01031 Wall-Mounted Folding Tire Storage Loft Rack, 32 to 48 Inches Wide, Supports 300 Pounds...
  • CONVENIENT STORAGE SOLUTION: Make the most of your space with this wall-mounted tire rack-...
  • SMART, FLEXIBLE DESIGN: The Hyloft Folding Storage System has a unique design that allows...
  • FITS YOUR NEEDS: TireLoft can be adjustedfrom widths of 32 inches up to 28 inches, and...
  • ALL STEEL CONSTRUCTION: Made of durable all-steel, with a scratch resistant silver powder...
  • EASY INSTALL: Hardware is included and the shelves mount to finished or unfinished walls-...

This first hanging tire rack is our second favorite because we just prefer to build things ourselves. This HyLoft hangs like a shelf and folds up when not in use. It has telescoping steel tubes that adjust to accommodate between 32″ and 48″ tires. The somewhat downside is that this rack has a weight limit of 300lbs. For off-roaders with tire/wheel combos in the 100lb each range, that’d be an issue.

HyLoft Tire Storage

DIY Hanging Tire Rack ($7 + Scrap Wood)

An older 2011 post from the MR2 forums, user sbarc shows off his simple, yet very practical hanging tire rack. As simple as it is, this is probably our favorite because it’s built not bought, made from scrap wood, functional, and out of the way.

MR2 Forums DIY Tire Rack

DIY Wood Tire Rack w/ Plans (~$20-$30)

This DIY tire rack/shelf was built by a user on Instructables to accommodate three sets of 15″ tires but of course, you can easily modify the plans to suit bigger wheels. To allow the tires to sit naturally, the horizontal boards are angled slightly.

Instructables Tire Rack

If you’re not up for building your own tire rack (above), the other option is to buy one. The CHAMP Tire Rack measures 84″x 60″x 12″ and the adjustable shelves can accommodate a variety of tire sizes up to 24, depending on size. This rack has double rivet support beams with an open design that makes tires easily accessible from both sides and is easy to install.

CHAMP Tire Rack


There are several options from different brands for tire racks, but we liked these the most when it came down to pros and cons. For example, some of the hanging tire racks appeared to have very sharp or pointy ends—an eyeball incident just waiting to happen given the height most will mount such racks. You could also consider storing your wheels and tires overhead, using something like the myLifter we wrote about not too long ago, but that just makes me nervous.

Whether you build or buy, make sure you end up with a tire rack that will accommodate the size tires you need to store, and that they are secure.

Forty-something years later, Chad still doesn't' know what he wants to do if he grows up. Raised around cars and trained in diesel mechanics, Chad has owned a successful detail shop, developed and sold software, led a K-9 SAR team, ridden the dot-com wave as a marketing & PR executive, led digital strategy teams at both large and small agencies, and now this. He digs Jeeps, off-road racing, football, photography, writing, making EDM, cranking metal, PC gaming, and a plethora of other contradictory things.