Platform Bike Rack Solutions for a 2003 Toyota 4Runner to Clear Spare

Question:

Hello, I have 2003 Toyota 4 Runner SR 5 4X4. I purchased Yakima Hold Up 2 Bike Hitch mounted rack and unfortunately it did not fit my receiver. Tow receiver is 2x2 but the problem was that I could not align bike racks pin hole with receivers. It was short 0.5 inch. The bike rack when was hitting my spare tire which is located right behind tow hitch. This vehicle was purchesed brand new, one owner, and nothing was modified or changed. Please advise/help.

asked by: Alex

Expert Reply:

An ideal solution for you would be to use a hitch mounted bike rack on your 2003 Toyota 4Runner that has a longer shank, so that your Yakima Holdup Bike Rack part # Y02443 will clear the spare. Another solution you have would be to use a hitch extender like part # HE06. This will provide you with 7 additional inches of clearance so that your bike rack would clear. However, when using this extension the capacity of your hitch tongue weight is cut in half. Please make sure that you still have enough capacity to hold the weight of the carrier and the bikes.

expert reply by: Jameson C