Bike Rack

[GoingGreener]

Purchased mines from Bill, installation was easy, so far I loaded 3 bikes on a Thule bike rack , I tested the strength by hanging on it- im 200lbs, rack felt very solid.

Nice. Any pics with your Thule rack and 3 bikes on? We have a Thule rack and unless we cram the bikes on, we usually fit 2 bikes on comfortably and 3 if squeezing on. I wonder if there is a rack which fits 4 bikes well. Does the hitch & rack clear driveways ok? TIA

[hill]

My recumbent just barely fits in the Leaf. But recently we got a "Pedego" - an electric assist cruiser style bike. It'd definately require having the handle bars loosened up in order to fit. We may have to consider a hitch type setup. Bummer.
.

[elmobob]

Purchased mines from Bill, installation was easy, so far I loaded 3 bikes on a Thule bike rack , I tested the strength by hanging on it- im 200lbs, rack felt very solid.

Nice. Any pics with your Thule rack and 3 bikes on? We have a Thule rack and unless we cram the bikes on, we usually fit 2 bikes on comfortably and 3 if squeezing on. I wonder if there is a rack which fits 4 bikes well. Does the hitch & rack clear driveways ok? TIA

This Thule rack I got from Modells holds 4 bikes, it also gives me enough clearance to open the hatch, so far I've used it to carry around 3, although cramped it feels sturdy enough to carry a 4th bike.

[gbshaun]

That's a lot of bending on an 1-1/4" tube!

[GoingGreener]

Thanks Elmobob for posting your pics! Helps to see, and props to you... yes, you are brave! Happy trails!

[Electric4Me]

Purchased mines from Bill, installation was easy, so far I loaded 3 bikes on a Thule bike rack , I tested the strength by hanging on it- im 200lbs, rack felt very solid.

Nice. Any pics with your Thule rack and 3 bikes on? We have a Thule rack and unless we cram the bikes on, we usually fit 2 bikes on comfortably and 3 if squeezing on. I wonder if there is a rack which fits 4 bikes well. Does the hitch & rack clear driveways ok? TIA

Thule makes racks that can handle 4 bikes w/o issues. Since the Leaf's bumper isn't that low, I haven't heard of any issues with bike racks clearing driveways. There are several different styles so some might work better than others. I do sometimes scrape the back of my platform cargo rack when backing out though.

[cracovian]

I missed the boat on the latest batch in July but when is the next one coming? I so need the hitch now... I got the $129 5-bike carrier from Wally World and it works surprisingly well (on the Sienna at least) - very nice features and it's made in the USA too. They have a cheaper 4-bike version, I used it too and it was great.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Allen-Deluxe- ... s/13070209" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Electric4Me]

I missed the boat on the latest batch in July but when is the next one coming? I so need the hitch now...

It looks like about 3 weeks from today.
Bill

[elmobob]

That's a lot of bending on an 1-1/4" tube!

The hitch is a 2" the bike rack comes 1-1/4" with a 2" adapter.

[OldCoot]

Advice on torquing hitch nuts?

I picked up a hitch receiver at the Torklift store in Kent yesterday, installed it this morning. Overall, a piece of cake, except I'm slow. It helps to have four hands when lifting it into position - son #1 helped.

It's bolted to the frame with six bolts through existing holes. Specs call for 35 lb-ft of torque on the nuts. I got three of them up to 35; the other three would go only to 25. The problem is, the bolt is spinning. And since the head is inside the frame channel, I can't apply a counter force.

The configuration is bolt - lock washer - 1/4" steel plate - frame - flat washer - flat washer - lock washer - nut. I tried using a pneumatic wrench on a light setting (I don't have suitable sockets), but it just spun the bolt as well.

So - is 25 okay on those bolts? Or should I take it to a mechanic and have him tighten them to 35?