What is a WheelWally made of?
It’s made of 3/4″ thick HDPE plastic, corrosion resistant hardware, and tough nylon Omni strap material. It is extremely durable and was designed for full-time outdoor use.
What’s an “Off-road kit”?
The “Off-road kit” (O.R.K.) was originally designed for mountain bikers headed out to the backcountry but it is equally effective when hauling bikes on paved city streets. The O.R.K. resists lateral bike movement. It keeps your bike fixed in place, whether you’re navigating rough fire roads or traversing speed bumps and curb cuts.
The O.R.K. connects your bike’s saddle rail to the side rail of your truck. (Your saddle rail must be made of metal, not carbon fiber, and must have a round cross section that is about 7mm or 1/4″ in diameter.) Overall O.R.K. length can easily be adjusted to fit just about any bike/truck combination. Simple design. Quality construction. Please see the homepage images, installation instructions, Short Video, and F.A.Q. “Is there a bike weight limit?”.
What’s a “Rear wheel tie down kit”?
The “Rear wheel tie down kit” (R.W.T.D.K.) is a small, block-shaped, device that prevents your rear wheel from jumping sideways or “endo-ing” over your WheelWally. It keeps your rear wheel planted to the truck bed.
However, the R.W.T.D.K. does not provide any lateral stability for your bike. On rough sections of road or when turning sharply, you will notice some side-to-side bike sway. This is one reason why we recommend that you upgrade to the “Off-road kit”. Another reason is that some truck beds may be too short to effectively use a R.W.T.D.K. Please see the homepage images, installation instructions, Short Video, and F.A.Q. “Is there a bike weight limit?”.
What are H.B.A.’s and T.B.A.’s?
H.B.A.’s are “head bolt assemblies” or “head bolts”. T.B.A.’s are “toe bolt assemblies” or “toe bolts”.
Is there a bike weight limit?
Yes, there is. For bikes weighing up to 25 pounds, use the “Off-road kit” or the “Rear wheel tie down kit” in combination with your WheelWally. (We highly recommend choosing the Off-road kit since it resists lateral bike movement during transport.)
For bikes weighing between 25 and 50 pounds, you are required to use the Off-road kit in combination with your WheelWally. (This setup provides superior lateral stability.)
WheelWally products should not be used to transport any bike that weighs more than 50 pounds.
Is the WheelWally compatible with “track systems”?
Yes, it is. When you order your WheelWally there is an option to choose hardware for various “track systems”. Please contact us if your track system is not shown.
Does installation require drilling?
It depends. Your WheelWally is attached to the front rail of your truck (with hba’s) and to the bed of your truck (with tba’s). If you have a front rail “track”, no hba drilling is required. If you have a bed track (typically a Nissan utili-track), no tba drilling is required. If you don’t have any tracks, you’ll need to drill two 1/4″ dia. holes for your hba’s and two 1/4″ dia. holes for your tba’s.
Your WheelWally is used in combination with either an “Off-road kit” or a “Rear wheel tie down kit”. If you have a side rail track, no O.R.K. drilling is needed. If you have a bed track (typically a Nissan utili-track), no R.W.T.D.K. drilling is needed. If you don’t have any tracks, you’ll need to drill one 1/4″ dia. hole for your “Off-road kit” or one 3/16″ dia. hole for your “Rear wheel tie down kit”.
Don’t worry! We’ll review all these details with you before building your order!
Does it work with short bed trucks?
That depends on your bike and the length of your truck bed. If your truck has an 8′ bed, your bike will fit. For beds that are shorter, make sure that your “bike length plus 2 1/2 inches” is less than your “useable bed length”. See figures 3, 4, and 5 on the WheelWally Installation page.
If your truck bed is too short, consider purchasing a truck bed “extender”. This is a great option and should give you plenty of extra space. Do the math. Make sure an extender will work for your situation. Verify with the manufacturer that the truck bed extender will remain solidly fixed in place and that it will secure the contents of your bed.
If you decide to open your tailgate (or remove it completely) to create extra space for your bike, make sure you’re not carrying any loose items that could fall out of the bed. Also, keep in mind that open tailgates can sometimes bounce around (or even become detached) during transport on rough roads.
Do not install your bike “backwards”. In other words, do not attach the rear wheel of your bike to the WheelWally and angle the front wheel against the tailgate. This configuration is not very stable and it won’t work with your “Off-road kit” or your “Rear wheel tie down kit”.
For more information, please refer to our Compatibility Checklist and Installation Instructions.
Does it work with tall trucks?
If you can comfortably reach over the side walls of your truck and touch the bed, then bike attachment to your WheelWally is simple and can be done from outside the truck. Modern trucks, however, are bigger and burlier than ever before. Beds are higher off the ground and side walls are taller. Climbing into the bed and attaching your bike (to the inside of the wheel-board) takes effort and makes installing a second bike difficult.
If your truck is too tall, consider purchasing side steps. This is a great option and should allow for easy bike attachment while standing outside of the truck bed. Several different designs are available including: running boards, nerf bars, flip steps, and hoops. Choose a design that will give you easy access to the front of your truck bed.
What makes the WheelWally truck mounted bike rack different?
A picture is worth a thousand words! Please watch the Short Video.
You can safely and easily carry just about any kind of bike. Carbon fiber road bikes, fat tire mountain bikes, and solid axle cruisers will all fit.
We require you to secure “both ends” of your bike. First attach your front wheel to the WheelWally then connect your “Rear wheel tie down kit” or your “Off-road kit”.
The WheelWally is positively attached to your truck with “head bolts” and “toe bolts”. (Some other rack systems use compression bars or clamps.)
Using a WheelWally, heavy e-bikes can be loaded (and unloaded) pretty easily by lifting the front wheel onto the tailgate, rolling forward, then lifting the rear wheel. Tailgate pads require you to pick up the whole bike and lift it over the tailgate. Ouch!
The WheelWally does not contact your bike frame or fork and Omni straps won’t harm your alloy or carbon fiber rims. This keeps your bike from being scratched or dented during transport. (Tailgate pads make direct contact with your bike frame.)
Your tailgate remains operational as long as your bike fits in the bed with the tailgate closed. (Hitch-mounted racks, tailgate pads, and other racks that attach to your tailgate, prevent the use of your tailgate while your bike is attached.)
Our truck bed bicycle rack helps stabilize your bike by centering it in the bed. (Bikes connected to the rear of the truck, with hitch-mounted racks or tailgate pads, tend to bounce around more.)
Your bike is well protected. (Bikes connected to hitch-mounted racks or tailgate pads are more susceptible to damage from road debris and fender-bender accidents.)
Hitch-mounted racks make your truck very long. This makes parking and maneuvering more difficult. WheelWally installations (even those with bed extenders) are more compact.
Transport stresses go into your WheelWally, not your bike. (Fork mounted racks concentrate stresses at the ends of your bicycle fork.)
You don’t have to worry about what type of axle is on your bike. (Fork mounted racks are often axle-specific or require shims.)
You can transport your bike without removing the wheel. (Fork mounted racks require you to remove, store, and re-install your wheel for every ride.)
Does the WheelWally have a locking feature?
No, it does not. The WheelWally does not lock to your truck and your bike does not lock to the WheelWally. Use a high quality cable (not included) to lock your WheelWally and your bike. Run the cable through a strong tie-down point in your truck bed, through your WheelWally wheel-board, and through your bike frame and wheels.
What are Omni straps?
Omni straps are made of all-in-one velcro that attaches to itself. They’re thin and flexible yet strong and durable. They’re vibration resistant, infinitely adjustable, and have incredible holding power. If your straps ever become worn or frayed, contact us and we’ll send you a new set, free of charge.
What is a “full-time” installation?
Some WheelWally installations are “pinned” to the bed (with toe bolts). This allows you to install or remove your WheelWally quickly as demonstrated in the Long Video. However, if you ride often and will rarely need to remove your WheelWally, consider adding washers and wing nuts to the toe bolt threads that project under the bed. This is called a “full-time” installation. It’s awesome!
Can I install a WheelWally over my drop-in bed liner?
We don’t recommend it. “Standard” (non-track) installations for metal, spray-on, or composite (plastic) truck beds typically require drilling 2 – 1/4″ dia. holes in the front rail and 2 -1/4″ dia. holes in the bed. “Head bolts” are then bolted to the front rail and “toe bolts” are pinned or bolted to the bed.
Having a bed liner complicates things. Plastic bed liners will not adequately support toe bolts (or “rear wheel tie down kits”) and drilling through a bed liner promotes water intrusion and rust. (Interestingly, your bed liner may already have penetrations, at tie-down locations for example, and may already be trapping grit and moisture against the bed.)
Consider removing your bed liner completely (assuming it comes out easily) or consider removing it and converting to a spray-on coating.
How long does it take to assemble, install, and attach?
Assembling the three WheelWally boards takes about 15 minutes. Installation takes about an hour depending on what type of truck you have. The time-consuming part of installation is called layout. Layout is finding the exact location for your WheelWally, the hba’s, and the tba’s. Spend as much time as you need to make sure your layout (both above and below the truck bed) works well! Bike attachment takes less than a minute. Watch the Short Video.
What colors are available?
The WheelWally is currently available in the following colors: Black.
How many bikes does it hold?
Your WheelWally can hold one bike. Your truck bed can hold one, or two, WheelWallies.
My bike has fenders. Is that ok?
Fenders are usually not a problem but if they extend too far around the wheel, they interfere with the connection between the bike wheel and the WheelWally. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail.
Where are WheelWallies made?
WheelWally truck bicycle racks are made in the U.S.A. All materials are ordered from companies located in the U.S.A. All fabrication and pre-assembly is done in the U.S.A.
Will my truck bed rust if I drill holes in it?
Truck beds rust (unless they’re made of plastic or wood). They rust a little faster when they are drilled, dented, scratched, clamped with accessories, modified with parts that trap water, or exposed to the elements.
Can I get replacement WheelWally hardware?
Absolutely. Please contact us so we can provide you with the hardware you need.
Can I get a plain toe-board, without the 8 pre-drilled holes?
Yes. We have plain toe-boards in stock. Please contact us!