Troubleshooting Yakima ForkChop Fit with Rola Sport GTX Roof Rack on a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Question:

Hi Jon, Thank you again for all your help. I've been researching the alternative bike rack you recommended, however I have a concern that it wont work either. My 2011 Grand Cherokee is the Overland model which has a spoiler at the top of the rear hatch. When I open the rear hatch there is only about 47 inches of distance between the mid point of the front cross bar and the spoiler/hatch door. I see the overall length of the forklift is almost 54 inches. I am open to fork mount, wheel mount, frame mount, roof basket mount alternatives. I am also open to any brand rack as long as it locks to cross bars and to bike. I appreciate your further guidance. Thank you.

asked by: Michael C

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the pictures that you sent in.

It looks like your bike is actually too big for this application and the Yakima ForkChop Y02117 is prying on the Rola Sport GTX Series Roof Rack 59967 which is causing your mounting issues. For your bike to fit properly on the ForkChop you need to make sure that the wheelbase of your bike is within (plus or minus) 10" of your crossbar spread. Since your crossbar spread should be 32" for this roof rack on your 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee your bike can't have a wheelbase larger than 42".

Because of this you will need to use a different bike rack. I recommend going with the Yakima ForkLift # Y02098 which is a fork mount bike rack like the ForkChop except that it has a rail that the bike sits on so you can have a larger wheelbase than 42". You can use the same SKS Cores # Y07202 to lock this bike rack that you would use for the ForkChop.

expert reply by: Jon G

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Michael C.

4/8/2019

Jon G.

4/8/2019

Thank you for the extra info! I apologized that I failed to mention you can actually use the Yakima ForkLift # Y02098 in the opposite position so that your bike is facing the rear of your vehicle. If you were carrying multiple bikes on your roof then alternating which way they are facing is the only way to get them to all fit. If you would rather stick with a bike rack that allows you to face your bike forward then we have a bike rack that fits your application perfectly with the RockyMounts TomaHawk # RKY1222. I measured from the front mounting point to the furthest rearmost part of the tray to be 38-1/4" (this does not include the end cap as it was boxed but that shouldn't be more than about 1") so you can easily fit this on your roof rack. The TomaHawk fits bikes with 20" - 29" wheels, includes wheel strap extensions for 5" wide fat bike tires, and features a wheel mount design so you don't have to remove your front wheel when loading up your bike. It can accommodate bikes weighing up to 45 lbs, comes with a limited lifetime warranty, and can be upgraded to include locks with the part # RKY0332. I have attached a review fideo for this rack that you can check out.