BIKE RACKS AND CARRIERS FOR CARS MEGATHREAD - all questions asked and answered here

SF Trailboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Do the home built jobies need any engineering certification for insurance purposes? I’d imagine insurance companies would have a field day in any event associated with home made stuff on your vehicle.

i have the shingleback 5 and I also have a Ford factory tow bar. The horrible set up of the receiver on ford utes contributes to rack wobble.

i like my shingle back but would of strongly considered the single trail had it been available at the time.

With said ubolt and a bolt in the receiver I still get more wobble than I would like... I will be going to a fully threaded pin and internal Nut shortly to help.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Do the home built jobies need any engineering certification for insurance purposes? I’d imagine insurance companies would have a field day in any event associated with home made stuff on your vehicle.

I will be going to a fully threaded pin and internal Nut shortly to help.
The nut-plate welded to the inside of the hitch eliminates all wobble, its 100% tight. I have it on my ISI... definitely recommended for any bike rack.

I fabricated every rack I had up until I bought the ISI, then I made up 2 extensions to fit on the ISI, one gave me a 3rd bike holder, the other gave me a 3rd and 4th.
I did think about what would happen if the home-fab'd extension snapped and dropped a bike and broken rack in front of a car behind me :rolleyes:

As life get busier and spare time gets sparse, spending 2 days or more buying steel, cutting, bending, welding and powdercoating/zinc plating the finished rack is just too hard these days. If it was something that was not available, yes... but a product thats available AND Aussie made, sign me up.
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Looks great !

The hoops look very central, Do you have more bike overhang on one side ?

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D01

Likes Dirt
It's all evenly spaced, I just showed part of it for detail.

As life get busier and spare time gets sparse, spending 2 days or more buying steel, cutting, bending, welding and powdercoating/zinc plating the finished rack is just too hard these days. If it was something that was not available, yes... but a product thats available AND Aussie made, sign me up.
You're right, I agree for most people it's the best way to go.
 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
Quick update.

I got in touch with Mitch from Currie engineering, super nice bloke. He was coming out my way on the weekend gone so he actually brought one out & some new prototype hitch/swing units to show us.

Awesome rack, solid as a rock and all modular so you can add/upgrade as he develops new stuff. Plating is the way to go too, his demo rack has been in the great outdoors it's whole life and no signs of weathering.

I'll have one soonish, he's a bit busy at the moment so it won't be made up straight away but yeah, shuttle rack will be hanging off my van in short order.

Also might be a shop in se suburbs stocking them soon too. Kickass

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rstim

Likes Dirt
Ordered a Single trail rack with the promo on the weekend, had a call from Mitch today to discuss his new tie down setup. I got the option to get the rack with the current bungy tie down prior to Christmas or wait and get the new setup. I choose to go the new setup, Mitch seemed like a great bloke who is looking to innovate in the vertical rack market.


http://instagr.am/p/B5ujilAHH7V/
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
I choose to go the new setup, Mitch seemed like a great bloke who is looking to innovate in the vertical rack market.
He is a great bloke ! So many smart things going on with his racks. He took his test rack down to Toyota and worked out what length tongue I needed to be able to open the tailgate before I even committed to buy. Then sent me all the pictures of the clearance.

The new tie down looks nice... he'll sell it as an upgrade, will be interested to see what you think when you get it.
 

slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I'm in the market to upgrade my ISI 2 bike carrier to something that can do at least 4. Those ones above look pretty cool but one thing I like about my current one is I can pivot it down with two bikes on it and it allows me to fully open my Prado rear door. Is there any vertical mount systems out there that have the ability to fold out of the way fully?

Not mine but you see the conundrum.

 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
I'm in the market to upgrade my ISI 2 bike carrier to something that can do at least 4. Those ones above look pretty cool but one thing I like about my current one is I can pivot it down with two bikes on it and it allows me to fully open my Prado rear door. Is there any vertical mount systems out there that have the ability to fold out of the way fully?

Not mine but you see the conundrum.

Shingleback has an add on that allows you to swing it out of the way completely. Single trail racks are getting this as an option instead of swing down very shortly (I saw the prototype, expect the real deal early in the new year).



Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk
 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
Ordered a Single trail rack with the promo on the weekend, had a call from Mitch today to discuss his new tie down setup. I got the option to get the rack with the current bungy tie down prior to Christmas or wait and get the new setup. I choose to go the new setup, Mitch seemed like a great bloke who is looking to innovate in the vertical rack market.


http://instagr.am/p/B5ujilAHH7V/
Yeah, I sent an email saying I was interested, then got a phone call and he even brought one out to show me. Also showed me the prototypes and ideas for going forward. Definitely strikes me as a bloke that isn't going to sit on a decent product, wants to make it the best product. Also love that these options can be upgraded later, basically everything is able to be bolted off and on. Ripper product!

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slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Shingleback has an add on that allows you to swing it out of the way completely. Single trail racks are getting this as an option instead of swing down very shortly (I saw the prototype, expect the real deal early in the new year).



Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk
Awesome, will do some research on both!
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Those ones above look pretty cool but one thing I like about my current one is I can pivot it down with two bikes on it and it allows me to fully open my Prado rear door. Is there any vertical mount systems out there that have the ability to fold out of the way fully?
Yo Phil, my missus was bequeathed my old Prado, so I have fitted up the rack and took some pics for you. Excuse the filth of her car.

3 things...
I have slid the rack back into the standard position (the hole to put the hitch pin in is -25mm) as my tongue "hole' was extended by 25mm further back to allow me to open the tailgate on my vehicle.

Second, my Prado towbar was a custom 'bumper cut' job, all Prados now have the large bar that hangs down below the bumper so I would say your clearance is much more than I have, check your hitch height, it should be way lower than mine, check with the ruler picture, mine is ~145mm from top of hitch to rear step level.

Third, its got a Kaymar wheel spacer on the door, this spaces the spare wheel out 70mm further from standard so you will probably be able to keep your spare tyre case in place.

The door misses the top of the pivot assembly when dropped by about 40mm so you have loads of room.

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slider_phil

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yo Phil, my missus was bequeathed my old Prado, so I have fitted up the rack and took some pics for you. Excuse the filth of her car.

3 things...
I have slid the rack back into the standard position (the hole to put the hitch pin in is -25mm) as my tongue "hole' was extended by 25mm further back to allow me to open the tailgate on my vehicle.

Second, my Prado towbar was a custom 'bumper cut' job, all Prados now have the large bar that hangs down below the bumper so I would say your clearance is much more than I have, check your hitch height, it should be way lower than mine, check with the ruler picture, mine is ~145mm from top of hitch to rear step level.

Third, its got a Kaymar wheel spacer on the door, this spaces the spare wheel out 70mm further from standard so you will probably be able to keep your spare tyre case in place.

The door misses the top of the pivot assembly when dropped by about 40mm so you have loads of room.

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Thanks for the pics! Next question, can you still do it if there's bikes on the back? I'd like to still have access to the fridge in the back plus luggage on trips away with the bikes. Otherwise, that new swing away design might be the solution to all my problems regardless!
 

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
Thanks for the pics! Next question, can you still do it if there's bikes on the back? I'd like to still have access to the fridge in the back plus luggage on trips away with the bikes. Otherwise, that new swing away design might be the solution to all my problems regardless!
I would say no.

My idea was to be able to access the back with no bikes, it takes 30 seconds to lift all bikes down.

My vehicle is a full sized Landcruiser, I needed access to the drawers in the back with no bikes and not have the tailgate hit the pivot.
 
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