Rear tire bike rack.... questions

[broncocoy]

Hey folks, I am looking at bike rack options for my base bronco. I was ready to say yes to this but then thought about those running 37" tires who are enforcing their trunk doors.... My bike is 35lbs plus a few pounds for the rack itself. I have a base tire back there.... Is this a horrible idea to run this? I should add the bike can only be on there when the door is closed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXT576...otive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

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[BlueBronco]

Tailgate is rated for 133lbs.

 

[Doc TOC]

Your bike will not weigh 35 lbs. By extending it outwards with the rack (leverage), the sheer weight of the bike at the tire (where it supports itself on the backside) is about 42 lbs. So, your 37" tire & wheel at about 70lbs, rack at 10lbs, and the one bike at 42lbs puts you near the load limit of the tire mount for street driving.

If you off-road with it, the forces go up. Are you still probably okay, considering Ford has probably done a 2X force rating, yeah. But that rack doesn't look that stable to handle off road trails.

Why not consider a hitch mount or bumper mount bike rack?

 

[Durangatan]

Your bike will not weigh 35 lbs.

An e-bike will.

 

[Sloth]

I prefer hitch mount tray racks. Especially with heavier bikes. I’ve had bad experiences with tire and trunk mount racks.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

Thanks for the link to the bike carrier that I've sort of been looking for ever since I got my 2021 Bronco. I may have to buy one.

I wouldn't worry about bike weight if driving on smoother roads. I would worry about it off road, though. If I get one of those racks, I will only use it to drive across town where there are better bike paths than where I live.

 

[lakesinai]

Hey folks, I am looking at bike rack options for my base bronco. I was ready to say yes to this but then thought about those running 37" tires who are enforcing their trunk doors.... My bike is 35lbs plus a few pounds for the rack itself. I have a base tire back there.... Is this a horrible idea to run this? I should add the bike can only be on there when the door is closed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXT576...otive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

Don't understand the question. Do you have 37's or a "Base" tire? Reinforced or not? The Kuat Pivot with a Kuat or similar rack is preferred bike mount. There are many threads on this including mine. If you choose one of the tailgate reinforcement systems, you have to check their specs for weight. I use the Hammerbuilt to carry extra gas, so one tire mounted bike could be equivalent . . . Upgraded hinges add even more capavity.

 

[bjpatten]

Hey folks, I am looking at bike rack options for my base bronco. I was ready to say yes to this but then thought about those running 37" tires who are enforcing their trunk doors.... My bike is 35lbs plus a few pounds for the rack itself. I have a base tire back there.... Is this a horrible idea to run this? I should add the bike can only be on there when the door is closed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXT576...otive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

Just buy an extension for your tow hitch if you have one. If not I would invest in one. I don't load anything else on my tailgate already. I know the hitch bike racks are expensive but I feel its more secure and less weight on my rear door. This is an older pix because I got rid of that crappy bike rack and bought a Yakima bike rack.

 

[Mudfish]

Don't understand the question. Do you have 37's or a "Base" tire? Reinforced or not? The Kuat Pivot with a Kuat or similar rack is preferred bike mount. There are many threads on this including mine. If you choose one of the tailgate reinforcement systems, you have to check their specs for weight. I use the Hammerbuilt to carry extra gas, so one tire mounted bike could be equivalent . . . Upgraded hinges add even more capavity.

Can confirm the Kuat with the pivot is expensive but amazing. Plus I had to install the receiver. Worth it.

 

[88 FoxBody]

I purchased a Quadratec spare tire bike carrier. It was designed for a jeep so I had to modify the arms that hook on the back. The Bronco spare sits much closer to the tailgate compared to the jeep so I cut them down and put a slash cut for a little extra space. it hooks on the spare and one strap goes around on the tread and another through the wheel at the bottom. it's very secure and the rack is very light. My son and I both have Racing BMX bikes, so I throw both on and I have had no problems. we have been on 6 hour road trips with zero issues. like others said, I wouldn't be comfortable going off road with it but running around town its fine. sorry the only pic I have is with my kids micro mini on there, I'll try to take another pic from the side tomorrow.

 

[GroovyGeek]

The absolute top of the line are 1up
https://1up-usa.com/product-category/bike-racks/

Obscenely expensive but built like a rock. Good to take off-road on trails. The track swings away from the tailgate with a locking mechanism.

I use mine with a Kuat HiLo hitch extension
https://a.co/d/elM78Nj

It folds up very compact and snugs up right against the spare.

Kuat makes a similar rack that is similarly priced but I don't like it's looks. I personally don't like swing-away racks. Sure, they give you fully open access to the tailgate but the one I owned a few years ago took a minute to extend due to multiple safety pins and screws, which is an incredible hassle when you leave the rack on for the entire summer and have to deal with it several times a day.

 

[paleh0rse]

Learned this lesson a while ago with Jeeps. Hitch-mounting with a Kuat or 1up rack is the best answer.

Like @GroovyGeek , I personally use a 1up rack with just a basic extension (cheap one from Amazon). You can also use the Kuat Pivot v2 swing-away carrier with the 1up or Kuat racks, but it's much more expensive. If you do go that route, I recommend the "Driver-side" version of the swing away, as it allows you to swing the bike in the opposite direction from the tailgate. (makes it much easier to open the tailgate)

 

[GroovyGeek]

Learned this lesson a while ago with Jeeps. Hitch-mounting with a Kuat or 1up rack is the best answer.

Like @GroovyGeek , I personally use a 1up rack with just a basic extension (cheap one from Amazon). You can also use the Kuat Pivot v2 swing-away carrier with the 1up or Kuat racks, but it's much more expensive. If you do go that route, I recommend the "Driver-side" version of the swing away, as it allows you to swing the bike in the opposite direction from the tailgate. (makes it much easier to open the tailgate)

Does your spare clear the 1up rack without a HiLo type extension? Mine would not do it with 33s, even when the rack is fully tilted down past the horizontal notch position.

 

[paleh0rse]

Does your spare clear the 1up rack without a HiLo type extension? Mine would not do it with 33s, even when the rack is fully tilted down past the horizontal notch position.

No, I definitely had to add an extension to clear my 35" spare. I used one that is similar to the Kuat you have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BWTW341N/

I then added one of these to tighten it up:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0942DHZ4P/

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