Driving to an event with tires on roof rack?

[JeremyE30autox]

How many of you guys in here have roof racks that you use to carry tires to the track? I have been thinking about it lately because I will need more room for some extra stuff I will be bringing to events now.

So what are your guys thoughts?
You like it? You hate it?

Good things/ bad things? Gas mileage issues?

Pictures of tires on the rack would be awesome.

I have searched but did not come up with much.

Help me out guys :)

[dirk619]

I fit a whole set of 14' bottlecaps on my roof rack, it was a little hard to tie down but I was driving about an hour with no problems at all. Sorry I don't have a picture of it, but I carry odd things then just tires and wheels...a propane grill bought from home depot already assembled, 6ft cooler, luggage, and a ping pong table LOL.

I have a Thule 300 rain gutter foot pack, 50' load bars, Yakima basketcase.

[bmwguy325is]

I have a Yakima rack. I have put 4 275/35/15s on the roof by puttung the bars close enough they straddled the tires.
In milage terms it killed me. Side note was I had a 50kt head wind and I had to downshift to fourth just to maintain speed.
I can squeeze all four tires in the back seat and fill the trunk with the other stuff.

[JeremyE30autox]

I'm at the point right now where I'm bringing enough stuff with me to the track, especially the 2 day events that I need more room. Only problem now I guess is which roof rack will be the cheapest and most functional for me?

[nrubenstein]

Get a hitch and pull a trailer. Your back will thank you.

[dirk619]

Get a hitch and pull a trailer. Your back will thank you.

Especially if it's a 2 day event, I think this is the smarter route.

[Emre]

I'm at the point right now where I'm bringing enough stuff with me to the track, especially the 2 day events that I need more room.

Sounds like you're bringing too much stuff with you. I've got a weld-in roll bar in the back of my E30 coupe. Here's what I bring to the track:

• 4x tires (225/45-R15) on 15x7" wheels
• Track toolbox
• Aluminum race jack
• 2x jack stands
• 2x 5-gallon fuel jugs
• 2x folding chairs
• Small pup tent (to keep my gear dry in case of rain)
• Milk crate loaded up with various tools, spares, and fluids
• Backpack with my personal stuff
• Helmet bag
• Video camera bag

Everything fits in the trunk, except for the wheels/tires. Those go in the backseat area behind the rollbar; we made the harness bar removable so you can slide tires back there.



The only spares I carry are a set of pads and a handful of wheel studs. Those go in the bottom of my track toolbox. There is some oil, brake fluid, and a brake bleeder in the milk crate. Besides that, I've got cash, credit cards, and AAA Plus card in my wallet.

After doing track stuff for over 10 years, I've realized that I never need any more than that. No point in carrying every tool and spare you have in your garage with you to the track.

[JeremyE30autox]

^ Thats everything I carry. Plus I have a cooler with me to save some money. Thats the only thing I cant fit as of right now.

Most likely what I would do if I got the roof rack was put the cooler on top of the car.

Do not want to get a trailer and hitch.

[lgb240]

Do the roof rack ...

[dirk619]

If you want a budget roof rack, http://www.rampconnection.com/Gutter...k-RB-4205.html ...

If you're just going to carry the cooler on top then if you know how to tie pretty well, use rope and have it rest on the bars.

[robgoesvroom]

Not my car, just something I came across online.



Sorry to threadjack a little bit...

Emre - do you have any more pictures of your roll bar? VSR? PM me if you can

Sounds like you're bringing too much stuff with you. I've got a weld-in roll bar in the back of my E30 coupe. Here's what I bring to the track:

• 4x tires (225/45-R15) on 15x7" wheels
• Track toolbox
• Aluminum race jack
• 2x jack stands
• 2x 5-gallon fuel jugs
• 2x folding chairs
• Small pup tent (to keep my gear dry in case of rain)
• Milk crate loaded up with various tools, spares, and fluids
• Backpack with my personal stuff
• Helmet bag
• Video camera bag

Everything fits in the trunk, except for the wheels/tires. Those go in the backseat area behind the rollbar; we made the harness bar removable so you can slide tires back there.



The only spares I carry are a set of pads and a handful of wheel studs. Those go in the bottom of my track toolbox. There is some oil, brake fluid, and a brake bleeder in the milk crate. Besides that, I've got cash, credit cards, and AAA Plus card in my wallet.

After doing track stuff for over 10 years, I've realized that I never need any more than that. No point in carrying every tool and spare you have in your garage with you to the track.

[Emre]

Emre - do you have any more pictures of your roll bar? VSR? PM me if you can

It's a custom job done by a local shop in Montreal that has since gone out of business.





We specifically designed the roll bar for HPDE use, meaning you can fold the driver's seat down and squeeze 4 tires in the back. To make that work, we moved the upper mounting point for the diagonal further towards the middle of the car, as well as made the harness bar removable:





As you can see, we made sure not to interfere with the stock seat belts. It's a compromise design. We use Recaro SRD seats, which are not as safe as fixed-back race buckets. And we use formula-style belts (6-point Willans cam locks) in which the crotch straps wrap around the thighs like a climbing harness.

Safety-wise, it's somewhere between a stock street car and a real track set-up. But it's safe and comfortable to drive to the track without needing a trailer.

[leegf]

:threadjack:

any more exterior shots of this car?

[irish44j]

Not my car, just something I came across online.



Sorry to threadjack a little bit...

Emre - do you have any more pictures of your roll bar? VSR? PM me if you can

I've seen a similar setup, except instead of that big top frame he just had a steel pole running through the wheel hubs, and then bolted down at either end to the lower bar. A bit less weight up top and works just as well.