Getting Rid of Movement of Thule Apex Swinging Bike Rack on a 2010 Honda Odyssey

Question:

I bought # 75270 hitch for the 2010 Honda Odyssey. I have Thule Apex 4 swing away TH9027 bike carrier. When I used it in my road trip, I see that even with properly tightening the anti-rattle knob, the carrier shakes a lot inside the hitch. It looks like the hole of the hitch is very big for the hitch pin of the carrier and because of that it shakes a lot on road bumps. Could I be doing something wrong? Can you please help how the shaking can be reduced? Any accessory?

asked by: Vishal G

Expert Reply:

Using the anti-rattle knob is sort of a science. The best tip I can offer is to tighten the knob like you normally would. Then give the rack a push up while turning the knob some more. You will find that there is still some space that can be taken up. Keep doing variations of this, moving the rack around while tightening the knob and it will get nice and snug and reduce the movement.

With any rack in any hitch with any type of anti-rattle device, there is going to be some movement. Following the technique described above will reduce it.

If you want even more peace of mind you can add a stabilization strap like # 18050. If you were to do this I recommend getting the rack as secure as possible first, then use the strap.

expert reply by: Michael H