Bike Rack?

Robbrez · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:25 pm

anyone have a bike rack that they like? id like to be able to open up the tail gate with the rack on if that is possible
if you have a pic of a bike rack that you like could you please put it up it only needs to fit 2 or 3 bikes 2 is fine
ive been looking at the spare tire type not sure if thats the way to go..i BMX every day and im sick of putting bikes inside folding the seats down and messing up the interior

durangotang · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:37 pm

For a 20" the spare rack would be the way to go.

KJKev · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:20 pm

Where did you get the mesh for the grille?

Nice rig.

jeepskate · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:46 pm

I had the spare tire rack and it can be tricky to open and close the gate with bikes on it. The bikes I had, the glass would catch the handlebars when it popped open, so I'd have catch it on the way up so it didn't hit hard and crack. And to shut the gate and glass I had to bring the glass down almost all the way before shutting the gate, then shove the gate and glass shut simultaneously. It worked, but less than convenient. And some people swear you'll destroy your gate hanging the extra weight on there. I never had any problem with the gate.

Robbrez · **Posted:** Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:07 am

KJKev wrote:

Where did you get the mesh for the grille?

Nice rig.

had it laying around the house...just gutter mesh
could find it at a homedepot or some similar store

805gregg · **Posted:** Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:24 pm

I have a Thule 963 Spare Me bike rack. I works great, folds up when not used and stays on all the time plus you can open the rear gate with a bike on it and it locks the spare tire on also.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:59 pm

Don't buy mine. It had a recall because people were getting their fingers cut off as they lowered/raised it (has a swivel so it tilts down. Doesn't work with spare on the tailgate.

Old model though....Thule 4-bike carrier with swivel downpiece - hitch mount.

While they created a piece to attach to them. I am not too sure about it. I never got the recall and I am very carefull IF I ever get to lower it (spare is always on and lowering is meaningless (still can't open tailgate - bar in the way)

Article and model names listed here:
http://bicycling.about.com/od/recallinformation/a/thule_recall.htm

Robbrez · **Posted:** Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:13 pm

805gregg wrote:

I have a Thule 963 Spare Me bike rack. I works great, folds up when not used and stays on all the time plus you can open the rear gate with a bike on it and it locks the spare tire on also.

thats the one i was looking into getting

HoosierJeeper · **Joined:** Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:23 am **Posts:** 1218

Here's what I would do:

I'd remove the spare, and put it inside or on the roof...and if you have a hitch, just go get a conventional rack. No extra wear on the gate, less wear on the in side...

Rich · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:19 pm

I have had a number of bike racks in my time.

Zipping around town and using on my wife's wagon, we have a Saris Bones 2. I would say (and many others as well) the Saris Bones series is the BEST stap-on bike rack for a trunk/wagon rear. May not work well on the KJ though with the tire in the way.

I have used my Thule roof racks on other cars, but I wouldn't consider it on the KJ. It kills your mileage by adding drag to the vehicle. Also, if you get a bit absent minded you can easily shove your bike into a low object. I was waved into a parking garage by the parking attendant... pointed at the bikes, and he said no problem. I drove in and BLAM my not-so-cheap MTB was bouncing down the back of my car. Take that for what it is.

What I have now is a Yakima receiver mount. It is the wrong type for the KJ, as it swings straight back for full lift out rear hatch. They have some that swing with the door, but..... I bought mine Friday at a church "garage sale" I couldn't pass it up at $10, and will deal with climbing over the back seat to get into the rear area when the rack is on.

The rear type racks are much more stable, safer for your bikes, easier to use, and don't kill your mileage. Just make sure you lock your bikes to the rack, and lock your rack to the truck. Even with bikes locked to the car, my wife and I always have someone with the car when we are traveling.

Liberty for All · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:17 pm

The rear type racks are much more stable, safer for your bikes, easier to use, and don't kill your mileage. Just make sure you lock your bikes to the rack, and lock your rack to the truck. Even with bikes locked to the car, my wife and I always have someone with the car when we are traveling.

I have the Thule S M for my Mt. Bike and as long as you strap it down with bunges and lock the bike to the rack it is a good set up. I too have read that more than 50lbs weight on the door is not good.
But, two bikes can weigh 60 lbs easily. The Spare Me does lock and I can see my bike at all times while traveling. So, it works well for most of my concerns with bike transport and keeping the interior clean and less scratched up.

Ride for health and environment!

Robbrez · **Posted:** Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:03 pm

alright i think thats what im going to get
2 bmx bikes weighing 25 pounds each couldnt be that bad for the door and most of the time it would only be one bike anyway

Robbrez · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:51 pm

so i bought the thule spare me bike rack today from the local bike shop
went to go to put it on, took the spare off put the plate that goes behind the spare on put the spare back on
and go to put the rack onto the plate and it doesnt reach with the tires :roll:

so i went back to the bike shop and the owner/my friend wanted to try to
put it on also and it doesnt work wheel is too wide.
we also tried not taking the spare off and mounting the plate on the front of the wheel instead of the back, still didnt reach so i guess the
thule spare me is out of the question with my tires..any other options of racks? maybe the mopar spare rack has a longer reach for large tires?

Liberty for All · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:57 pm

I do not know the answer but recommend visiting the Thule website or call their customer service number to ask about wider tire applications.

jeepskate · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:13 pm

No, the Mopar spare-tire rack won't get you anywhere. When I went up to 245/75s, it didn't fit anymore. I could stuff it on, but the mount would just barely screw in, only a couple of turns, to the point where I didn't feel comfortable that it wasn't going to pop off. So I dumped it. With 265s I don't think there's any chance the mopar rack will work. I don't have a rack now, but if I get one it'll be a swing-away hitch rack. Pricey, though.

EDIT: I did also change wheels when I upsized the tires, to the Rubicon Moab wheels. So the different backspacing might have played a role there too in addition to tire width. But I still think you'd have a hard time stuffing the rack onto a 265.

Robbrez · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:55 pm

this is the response i just recieved from thule via e-mail

Quote:

Unfortunately, the 963 is the only spare tire mounted bike carrier we have. Our hitch racks probably will not clear the tire either. If you have raised side rails, there is a roof fit for the Liberty. Please contact us if you are interested, and we can go over options. 800 238 2388 between 8:30 and 6:00 EST, Tuesday - Friday.

Robbrez · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 6:07 pm

i just found a mopar rack on craigslist in a few towns over so im going to go check it out and see if it fits
only $100 :lol:

Robbrez · **Posted:** Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:32 pm

the mopar fits :lol:

..will post pics soon

jeepskate · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:35 pm

Sweet. Glad it worked out! Must be the backspacing on the Moab wheels that did me in.

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