Anti-rattle Devices for Use With 1-1/4-Inch to 2-Inch Hitch Adapter on Curt Hitch # C11681  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Thank you for your recent purchase from etrailer.com. All of the hitches offered for your 2014 Honda Accord, including the Curt # C11681 you chose, are light-duty Class I types that have a maximum bike carrying capacity of 2 bikes - even if the carrier itself can hold 3. You might care to refer to the linked article on hitch classes.

A further complication in your situation is that use of a hitch adapter - any adapter or extender - will have the unavoidable side-effect of reducing the hitch's capacity by 50-percent. In the same way that slipping a length of pipe over a tire iron gives you more leverage to loosen a stubborn lug nut, adapters increase the forces applied to a hitch. Adapters also introduce much more opportunity for random motion and rattle due to there now being two connection points.

You first need to ensure that the combined weight of your bike rack and bikes does not exceed the reduced capacity of your Curt hitch, which is now at 100-lbs tongue weight maximum due to the adapter.

Most anti-rattle devices do require a hollow shank, as you note, but we do offer one that might help you. Part # RM-061-125 installs on your hitch tube and applies pressure to the hitch pin to provide a measure of anti-rattle control. This may help a bit but this is not an ideal solution.

The best solution is a new Class I bike rack that has a 1-1/4-inch shank. This will allow you to retain the full capacity of the hitch, eliminate one connection point and avoid some of the need for the anti-rattle device. The link provided will show you all 2-bike Class I racks that will fit your Curt hitch and the linked article on hitch racks will show you the simple measurement needed to confirm compatibility of any given carrier with your vehicle and bikes.

expert reply by: Adam R

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