Selecting a 2-Bike Rack for a 2003 Land Rover Discovery II SUV
Question:
I have a 2003 Landrover Discovery II suv with a spare tire on the back. I have a 2 inch hitch on the back and would either like to get a 2 bike rack that fits on the spare or in the hitch. I found that several hitch racks are not long enough to clear the tire and not sure if an extension would be better or a spare tire bike carrier. I need your advice. Thanks!
asked by: John
Expert Reply:
I recommend trying to find a bike rack with a long enough shank to clear your spare tire. To find out how much clearance you need, take a tape measure and find the distance from the center of the pin hole on your hitch to a point past your spare tire. I have included a link to a page with all our 2 inch hitch mounted 2-bike racks. The shank length, center of pin hole to back of upright bar, is listed in the descriptions on each of the bike racks.
If you cannot find one with a long enough clearance, I would go with the spare tire rack instead of using an extender. Using a hitch extender would reduce the tongue weight capacity on your hitch by 50%. You will also need to be aware of a similar clearance problem with spare tire racks. The distance from the mounting plate to the back of the bike rack must be long enough to clear the width of the wheel and tire. Again this measurement is listed in the product description and I will provide links to the page with our 2-bike spare tire racks.Please let me know what clearance you need and I would be glad to make a suggestion for you.
