Garage Tire Rack Wall Mount: How to Store Tires Vertically Without Wasting Floor Space
A wall-mounted tire rack lets you store a seasonal set of 4 tires completely off the floor, typically using a single 36-inch section of wall and holding tires stacked horizontally or vertically on steel arms extending from a wall bracket. Most wall-mount tire racks hold 4 passenger car tires in the 100-125 lb combined weight range, install with standard lag bolts into studs, and cost between $40 and $150 depending on the steel gauge and arm design.
If you're switching between summer and winter tires every season, wall mounting is the cleanest solution for your garage. Tires off the floor means you can use that floor space year-round, and a good wall rack keeps tires from deforming under their own weight when stored flat stacked on top of each other. This guide covers how wall-mount tire racks work, the different mounting styles, what to look for for build quality, and the installation process.
How Wall-Mounted Tire Racks Work
The basic design is a vertical wall bracket with horizontal extending arms. Tires rest on the arms in one of two orientations: horizontal (stacked like a layer cake) or angled (leaning against the wall at a slight angle on curved or angled arms).
Horizontal Stacked Style
The most common wall rack design. Arms extend straight out from the wall and tires are stacked horizontally, one on top of another. This style is compact front-to-back but requires enough wall height for 4 tires stacked at roughly 10-12 inches each (total height 40-48 inches off the floor).
Horizontal stacking works fine for passenger car tires. For SUV or truck tires at 275/65R18 or larger, horizontal stacking puts a lot of weight on the bottom tire over 6 months of storage.
Vertical Angled Style (Individual Cradle)
Some wall racks use individual curved or padded arms that cradle each tire at a slight angle, essentially storing tires in a vertical orientation leaning inward toward the wall. This distributes weight more evenly through the tire sidewall and is better for larger, heavier tires.
The tradeoff is that vertical-style racks need more wall width per tire. A 4-tire vertical cradle rack needs about 48-60 inches of wall width versus 18-24 inches for a horizontal stacked rack.
Ceiling Track Systems
A hybrid approach: ceiling-mounted tracks with drop arms. These use overhead space rather than wall space and work well in garages with limited wall height clearance but adequate ceiling height. This is more of a ceiling storage approach than a wall mount, and the Best Garage Top Storage guide covers ceiling-mounted options specifically.
What to Look for in a Wall Tire Rack
Weight Capacity
Check the rack's listed capacity against your actual tire weight. A standard passenger car tire weighs 20-25 lbs each, so four tires are 80-100 lbs. A set of truck tires at 40-50 lbs each hits 160-200 lbs for four. Make sure the rack is rated for your tire weight, not just generically rated for "4 tires."
Most consumer-grade wall racks rate at 200-400 lbs total. That covers most passenger and light truck applications.
Steel Construction
Look for at least 14-gauge steel on the wall bracket and 16-gauge or better on the arms. Racks built from 18-gauge or thinner will flex noticeably when fully loaded and are not appropriate for truck tires. The coating matters too: powder-coated steel resists moisture better than painted steel in a garage environment.
Mounting Style
Some racks mount with a single back plate, others use a top and bottom horizontal rail with arms connecting them. Single back-plate designs are faster to install but require the back plate to hit multiple studs. Rail designs give you more flexibility in arm spacing but require precise alignment during installation.
Arm Length and Spacing
Arms need to be long enough to support the tire across at least half its width when stacked horizontally. Most passenger car tires have a section width of 7-10 inches. Arms should extend at least 8-10 inches from the wall. If you're storing tires with rims on, the rim diameter adds to the overhang requirement.
Arm spacing on a stacked design determines how much vertical clearance you have between tires. Tighter spacing means a more compact footprint but less airflow around the tires.
Top Wall-Mount Tire Rack Options
For a horizontal stacked design that handles passenger car and small SUV tires, the RaceDeck Tire Rack and Gladiator GarageWorks wall mount options are popular choices with consistent reviews. You can browse these on Amazon to compare current pricing.
The STABILICraft wall tire rack is a specifically well-regarded option for heavier truck and SUV tires because of its 600-lb capacity rating and 16-gauge arm construction.
For those with a full Best Garage Storage system in mind, pairing a wall tire rack with overhead ceiling storage for seasonal bins creates a complete solution that keeps the floor entirely clear.
Installation Process
What You'll Need
- Stud finder
- Level
- 3/8-inch drill bit
- Socket wrench or drill driver
- 5/16-inch or 3/8-inch lag bolts (3 inches long), usually provided with better racks but worth buying quality versions
- A helper for the final positioning
Step 1: Locate Studs
Wall tire racks need to anchor into wall studs. The combined weight of four truck tires (160-200 lbs) is substantial, and drywall anchors alone will not hold. Locate studs using a stud finder and mark them clearly.
Standard stud spacing is 16 inches on center. A 36-inch-wide tire rack will span two or three studs depending on its mounting hole placement.
Step 2: Determine Mounting Height
Mounting the rack too high means you're lifting heavy tires overhead to load it. Too low means ground clearance issues. A standard approach is mounting the bottom arm about 18-24 inches off the floor, which puts the bottom tire at roughly knee height and the top tire at around shoulder height when all four are loaded.
Step 3: Pre-Drill and Mount
Use a 3/16-inch pilot hole to prevent the stud from splitting under the lag bolt. Drive lag bolts until the mounting bracket is tight against the wall with no flex or movement. Check level after the first bolt and adjust before driving the rest.
Step 4: Load Tires
Load heavier tires on the lower arms and lighter tires on top. If the tires are on rims, lay the rim flat on the arm (don't let the rim edge dig into the arm coating). If the rack came with rubber arm covers, use them to protect both the rack and the tire sidewall.
Protecting Tires During Storage
Wall mounting solves the physical storage problem. But tire condition when you bring them back out matters too.
Keep tires away from direct sunlight if the garage has windows. UV degrades rubber over months of storage.
Inflate tires to about 10 PSI lower than normal before storage. Tires stored at full pressure for 6 months develop flat spots less than fully deflated tires, but slight under-inflation is fine for wall-stored tires.
Clean tires before storing. Road grit and brake dust accelerate tire compound degradation over long storage periods. A simple soap-and-water wash followed by drying is enough.
FAQ
Can a wall-mount tire rack hold truck tires? It depends on the rack. Most budget wall racks are rated for 200-300 lbs total. A set of four truck tires at 40-50 lbs each hits 160-200 lbs. Check the specific rack's capacity rating against your actual tire weight. Racks rated at 400+ lbs are available specifically for trucks and SUVs.
How much wall space does a wall-mount tire rack need? Horizontal stacked designs need about 18-24 inches of width per rack but extend 10-14 inches out from the wall. Vertical cradle designs need 48-60 inches of wall width. Measure carefully before buying, especially if you have standard garage drywall with studs at 16 inches on center.
Do I need to store tires on rims or without rims? Either works on a wall rack. Tires on rims are slightly easier to handle because you have the rim edge as a grip point. Tires without rims need to be placed carefully to avoid kinking the sidewall on a narrow arm.
How do I know if my wall can hold a loaded tire rack? If you're anchoring into wood studs with appropriate lag bolts (5/16-inch or 3/8-inch diameter, 3 inches long), standard construction framing handles the load without issue. Problems arise when people anchor only into drywall without hitting studs. Find the studs and the installation is straightforward.
Wall-mounting your seasonal tires is one of those garage improvements that pays off immediately in reclaimed floor space. Get the weight capacity right for your specific tires, anchor into studs (not drywall), and mount at a height you can comfortably load without lifting tires above your shoulders.