Can't remove my bike rack!
03-09-16, 04:39 PM
#1
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Can't remove my bike rack!
Not a bicycle question but...
Our trailer mount bike rack is stuck. I kept it on this winter and it appears rusted in place. I greased it pretty good before hand but it is stuck in the receiver on our car. Made a hardwood block up to hammer it in from the front side. Well that is now stuck really well to! I have sprayed PD Blaster and will try that some more but am open to suggestions.
Thanks!
Our trailer mount bike rack is stuck. I kept it on this winter and it appears rusted in place. I greased it pretty good before hand but it is stuck in the receiver on our car. Made a hardwood block up to hammer it in from the front side. Well that is now stuck really well to! I have sprayed PD Blaster and will try that some more but am open to suggestions.
Thanks!
03-09-16, 05:19 PM
#2
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By July it should thaw out 
see if Kasich will come over and help next week, he needs votes.
Have you banged on it with a mallet or hammer?
see if Kasich will come over and help next week, he needs votes.
Have you banged on it with a mallet or hammer?
Last edited by fietsbob; 03-10-16 at 12:19 PM.
03-09-16, 05:33 PM
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Whatever you do, please video it...
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03-09-16, 05:59 PM
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03-09-16, 06:13 PM
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If you can gain enough access to the hitch from under the car so that you can hit it in the direction away from the car instead of towards the car, try that. Unless there is some reason you have to get the rack off the car in a hurry, you can try spraying the hitch receiver with a little WD40 on the inside of the hitch receiver through any holes and around the edges of the inserted rack mount every day and whack it a couple of times each day. It will probably come loose. If you're in a hurry and don't mind taking chances, you could put a chain as close to where the rack hitch insert goes into the receiver as possible and wrap the other end of the chain around a BIG tree. Then try to pull that sucker out of there. A series of light quick pulls might loosen the rack. Of course, if you're not careful (and maybe even if you are) there are a whole bunch of bad things that could happen like ruining the rack, pulling the tree down, ruining your transmission, breaking off the the entire trailer hitch. Stuff like that. Oh, and the tree might not just come down, it might land on you, your car and or someone else. So, there's that. Whatever you do, proceed with great caution and at your own risk.
Last edited by hollywoodeskimo; 03-09-16 at 06:23 PM.
03-09-16, 07:07 PM
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If you can gain enough access to the hitch from under the car so that you can hit it in the direction away from the car instead of towards the car, try that. Unless there is some reason you have to get the rack off the car in a hurry, you can try spraying the hitch receiver with a little WD40 on the inside of the hitch receiver through any holes and around the edges of the inserted rack mount every day and whack it a couple of times each day. It will probably come loose. If you're in a hurry and don't mind taking chances, you could put a chain as close to where the rack hitch insert goes into the receiver as possible and wrap the other end of the chain around a BIG tree. Then try to pull that sucker out of there. A series of light quick pulls might loosen the rack. Of course, if you're not careful (and maybe even if you are) there are a whole bunch of bad things that could happen like ruining the rack, pulling the tree down, ruining your transmission, breaking off the the entire trailer hitch. Stuff like that. Oh, and the tree might not just come down, it might land on you, your car and or someone else. So, there's that. Whatever you do, proceed with great caution and at your own risk...and video record it
03-09-16, 07:34 PM
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If you can gain enough access to the hitch from under the car so that you can hit it in the direction away from the car instead of towards the car, try that. Unless there is some reason you have to get the rack off the car in a hurry, you can try spraying the hitch receiver with a little WD40 on the inside of the hitch receiver through any holes and around the edges of the inserted rack mount every day and whack it a couple of times each day. It will probably come loose. If you're in a hurry and don't mind taking chances, you could put a chain as close to where the rack hitch insert goes into the receiver as possible and wrap the other end of the chain around a BIG tree. Then try to pull that sucker out of there. A series of light quick pulls might loosen the rack. Of course, if you're not careful (and maybe even if you are) there are a whole bunch of bad things that could happen like ruining the rack, pulling the tree down, ruining your transmission, breaking off the the entire trailer hitch. Stuff like that. Oh, and the tree might not just come down, it might land on you, your car and or someone else. So, there's that. Whatever you do, proceed with great caution and at your own risk.
03-09-16, 07:34 PM
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If you're in a hurry and don't mind taking chances, you could put a chain as close to where the rack hitch insert goes into the receiver as possible and wrap the other end of the chain around a BIG tree. Then try to pull that sucker out of there. A series of light quick pulls might loosen the rack. Of course, if you're not careful (and maybe even if you are) there are a whole bunch of bad things that could happen like ruining the rack, pulling the tree down, ruining your transmission, breaking off the the entire trailer hitch. Stuff like that. Oh, and the tree might not just come down, it might land on you, your car and or someone else. So, there's that. Whatever you do, proceed with great caution and at your own risk.
03-09-16, 09:30 PM
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All these posts go to show that leaving a hitch rack on your car when you are not using it is a very bad idea. The only time when my rack was on the car was when I was using it. Installation and removal took very little time.The consequences of not taking that time can be hours of hard labour. Moral of all this is don't leave any sort of rack on your car unless you are using it
03-10-16, 12:27 AM
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Had a guy come into the shop for a new hitch rack to replace his old one - which was still on the car. It took four of us, a cold chisel, a small sledge hammer, and a lot of pounding from the backside of the hitch to get it out. Absolutely grease the hitch when you install it, and never leave it on over the winter!
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03-10-16, 07:03 AM
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Had a guy come into the shop for a new hitch rack to replace his old one - which was still on the car. It took four of us, a cold chisel, a small sledge hammer, and a lot of pounding from the backside of the hitch to get it out. Absolutely grease the hitch when you install it, and never leave it on over the winter!
03-10-16, 07:41 AM
#13
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I have a trailer hitch, but don't use a hitch mounted bike rack. However, depending on your setup, if space permits, you might be able to get the trailer towing tongue in the opposite side and pound against it to get the bike rack out.
Dan
Dan
03-10-16, 10:06 AM
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03-10-16, 11:39 AM
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If that's an aluminum rack in a mild-steel receiver that's had a nice salt water bath all winter, the rack is likely done for. The galvanic corrosion has probably already eaten halfway through the rack tubing. And unlike a stuck seatpost, you can't even apply leverage to torque it loose. You have nothing to lose trying other suggestions (except maybe flames near the gas tank), but I'm afraid it may be hacksaw time.
03-10-16, 12:29 PM
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I think I have come up with a plan. I am going to drill a hole through the square tubing close to the hitch. Then insert a bolt. I will then attach a length of chain and attach it to the hicth on my truck. With my wife in the car I will have her apply just a bit of tension and I will keep tapping the area with a hammer. Hopefully it with break loose. If not out comes the Sawzall.
03-10-16, 01:35 PM
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I think I have come up with a plan. I am going to drill a hole through the square tubing close to the hitch. Then insert a bolt. I will then attach a length of chain and attach it to the hicth on my truck. With my wife in the car I will have her apply just a bit of tension and I will keep tapping the area with a hammer. Hopefully it with break loose. If not out comes the Sawzall.
Can you take the hitch off, it might be easier to work on(hit it with a BFH) when it's off the car.
03-10-16, 01:39 PM
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Able to fit a small, scissors type car jack in there somehow. In between the bumper and the vertical of the bike rack?
03-10-16, 04:43 PM
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freeze off is even better than PB blaster
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03-10-16, 07:17 PM
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The last insert I fought with had been in for years (used car I acquired). Soaked it everyday in Kroil for a week. Heating and beating from the front of it with a piece of square stock and a 3# hammer took me two weeks to get out. Once it started moving I beat it in both directions to work it loose.
03-11-16, 06:01 AM
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I left my rack on my Jeep year-round and never had any issues removing it. Then again, I greased the hell out of the receiver before installing the rack.
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03-11-16, 07:18 AM
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03-11-16, 07:22 AM
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03-11-16, 07:26 AM
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I think I have come up with a plan. I am going to drill a hole through the square tubing close to the hitch. Then insert a bolt. I will then attach a length of chain and attach it to the hicth on my truck. With my wife in the car I will have her apply just a bit of tension and I will keep tapping the area with a hammer. Hopefully it with break loose. If not out comes the Sawzall.
03-12-16, 06:58 AM
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Success! I had a tow strap that I attached to the truck hitch and then after drilling and inserting a bolt I attached to the rack. Had my wife put some tension on it and I tap it with a hammer and after a few seconds it "popped"! Now I will clean , sand, prime, & paint then grease the receiver.
Sorry no pics of the event!
Sorry no pics of the event!