I've tried searching for the information first but really haven't found a good answer yet. I would like to get a bike carrier for my outfitted Rubicon but am finding its pretty difficult. I had a JK Sahara with a Thule spare tire carrier that worked great, but when I bought my Rubicon that already had 35's on it, my Thule is finding a better home.

So I have a Rock Hard rear bumper with the tire carrier and need something to put a couple of heavier beach cruisers on. I also have some mountain bikes so it needs to be somewhat flexible in that I never really need to carry more than 2 bikes, but the clamps need to fit both sets of bikes. Here in SoCal, you can go to the desert and be at the beach in under 2 hours!! gotta switch equipment when doing so.

I hope to find another spare tire carrier, but if its not possible, maybe I need to go to a swing away model Thule or Yakima. The back of my tire from the receiver hitch has got to be about a 10" or so offset so I'm not sure what setup will work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in Advance.

 

Get a hitch rack. I love my Thule T2. It was a little spendy but I like it.

Do a search there are tons of threads and pics.

 

I also have a Thule hitch mount bike rack, but I had to get a 6 inch hitch extension. I got it from the local tractor supply store and it cost about $24. You can get the extensions in just about any length from 2" to 18".

 

I have a hitch mounted Softride rack. It folds down so that the rear gate opens and will fold up so the Jeep fits in the garage. It has an extension available if you are running wide wheels.

 

If you look carefully, using an extension with the Yakima and Thule racks voids their warranties. I recently bought a Saris bat wing. It works really well and looks great. I wanted something that would swing out with the tire so I wouldn't have to remove the bikes to get in the tailgate, and this is the best I've found. It's not terribly pricey, and it seems to be super stable. Good luck!!!

 

As others have stated, get a hitch extender for pretty cheap! THEN, go get yourself a Softride Access Dura bike rack! I work as a bike mechanic at a bike shop and I can tell you without a doubt that this is the stoutest rack on the market, period! It has a built in cable to lock the bikes onto the rack, as well as a lock on the hitch so the bikes can't be stolen from the rack and the rack can't be stolen from the Jeep! The arms also come off so you're not sticking out when you don't have the bikes on it. It is the only rack you'll ever have to buy. Check them out here: http://www.softride.com/rack-product...ions/dura_rack


Good luck on your search!

 

Thatnks for all the responses. I haven't decided as of yet, but to me, I think I need some sort of revolver. Here's a picture of my rear bumper with tire carrier. The back edge of the tire sticks out about 17" from where the 2" receiver tube sits. Even if I can get an extension (assuming 6" - 8"), do these bike racks extend out at least 12" to clear the tire??

 

Right now, I still have stock tires. But I am planning on going to 35s and have a Thule T2 bike rack.

Am I hearing I need a 6 inch extension to clear the 35s? Do you have any clearance issues with rear door? Has anyone tried a hitch extension with a drop?

I appreciate all your input in advance.

 

My Yakima wont even fit with the OE 32" tires and factory receiver. Havent gotten the extension yet.

 

I had to run an extension for my Yakima rack on my sahara with factory spare.