kawaray

I just stripped the components off of my 10-year-old, steel frame to have it repainted. Upon a quick inspection, I noticed that the top tube of this frame was ever so slightly bent. I have not had any "accidents" on this frame, and there were no signs of dents whatsoever. Instead, it appears that it was bent very gently by soft, but heavy objects exerting some force.

Only thing that I can suspect is the frame arm of the hitch rack that I use to transport my bikes: I use Swagman's Current. I was aware of some concerns that this type of mounting mechanism has on carbon bikes, but I had never thought it could exert enough force to bent a steel frame.

I am wondering if anyone has any tips on protecting frames when using this type of mounting mechanism on the hitch rack. I have been using Thule's frame adapter that wraps around the frame to protect the tube from scratching (and maybe distribute the force?). One thing I am thinking about trying is to make sure that the arm would come down on the lug at the seat tube in the future (I am thinking this would be the toughest part of the top tube).

I never had any concerns/complaints against the rack I use until now, so I am very much hoping that I can continue to use it after I get the issue sorted out on my frame (it is currently at a frame builder; if the worst comes the worst, I will have the top tube replaced, I think...). I will appreciate any tips/insights/suggestions.