Will the Thule Swinging 4 Bike Rack Allow Rear Access with the Swing Out Spare on a Jeep

Question:

I asked about a bike rack that you had because i wanted access to the inside of my Jeep wrangler 2009 model. Someone responded with an alternative but wouldn`t allow me the access i wanted. This is more of what i have in mind but i want to make sure that the rack would clear the spare tire. Would this allow me to open the rear door while having bikes on it? Would it clear the spare tire?

asked by: pete G

Expert Reply:

The Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike Rack, item # TH9027XT, should work on your 2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and allow access to the rear of you vehicle, as long as you do not have an over sized spare tire mounted on the rear of your vehicle. You will need to measure to be absolutely sure the bike rack will fit though.

I like to take a long straight item such as a 2x4 or a yard stick and place it against the farthest out part of the rear of the vehicle. In your case the spare tire. Then you can easily measure straight out from the center of the hitch pin hole to the item used. If this measurement is less than 10 inches then the # TH9027XT will work on your Jeep.

If you decide to use the # TH9031XT bike rack you will need to be careful when swinging the spare tire out away from the vehicle, so that you do not make contact with the bike rack and damage either the bike rack or the spare tire carrier.

To see a product demonstration video showing the Vertex Swing 4 in action, click on the provided link.

expert reply by: Robert G