Replacement Cradles for Rola TX Series Bike Racks that can be Used on a Different Bike Rack

Question:

We have an older bike carrier that mounts via a hitch to the back of our vehicle and carries 3 bikes, very similar to the Draw Tite Rola TX 3. I cant find any manufacturer/model information on our carrier. Due to age, the rubber straps and cradle need to be replaced. The diameter of the posts the cradles need to attach to is 1-1/4. The carriers in this model 59403 appear to fasten to the posts and tighten with screws. I think these might be a perfect fit. Weve tried several other cradles, but cant seem to fit them on the posts, even when they are supposed to fit a 1-1/4inch diameter post. They are rigidly formed, with no giveinch and we cant slide them on the posts. Theyve been off just a hair, so my hope is that the cradles from the 59403 model, which appear to fasten with screws will give us just the added giveinch we need to mount the cradles. So we just need three sets of cradles and straps, not the entire hitch. Attached photos show half our cradle missing and diameter of our current equipment 1-1/4, tightened w/ screw. Can you help?

asked by: Karla F

Expert Reply:

Cradles on bike racks are supposed to be a very tight fit. That is so the bikes don't slide forward and back while traveling. One thing that will help with that is to spray the arms of the bike rack with hairspray and then work the cradles on by twisting them back and forth while pushing at the same time. The hairspray will start out slippery but then get tacky as it dries which will help hold the cradles in place even better.

Replacement straps for Rola's TX-103 are available with # 59405 for 2. The anti-rattle part of the cradle and the cradle itself are not available.

expert reply by: Michael H