Different pin/hole size

[cstooch]

Hi all,

So I got a loaner bike rack to use for a trip through the mountains, and I have a concern about the rack and my hitch receiver tube.

The bike rack fits snugly into my hitch receiver. The problem though is that it has holes in it for a 1/2" pin only, and the holes on my hitch receiver for the pin are 5/8". So I'm wondering, if I just use the 1/2" pin that came with the bike rack, am I going to potentially do damage to anything... bend or shear the pin, for example?

This is just a loaner bike rack, should I try and find or buy a different one with the same pin size?

[ajriding]

You could almost get away with running a zip-tie through the hole for a bike rack. Stick a screw driver in and bend it. some rope. so certainly a ½ inch pin will be fine. couple that with anti-rattle and you are set, esp since you are just borrowing it for a one time trip.

I once drove 120 miles having forgot to put the bike rack pin in at all.
At 121 miles the rack slipped out softly, some sparks flew at 50mph, and it came to rest gently on the side of the road… No damage.

[cstooch]

wnjj wrote:

cstooch wrote:
First off, thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. And yes, the 1/2" bolt is threaded on my bike rack, for those that commented on that.
@wnjj: Thanks, that bushing looks like it would work quite well to fix the gap between my 5/8" receiver hole and the 1/2" bike rack hole, agreed. Assuming my bolt will still thread in fine, I'll give that a go for a little extra piece of mind.

I think the question was whether there is a welded nut inside the bike rack tube along one wall. If so, you just stick the bolt through the receiver from the opposite side and crank it tight with a wrench. Add an external nut if you want extra insurance. Is that what you mean by the "bolt is threaded"? If the rack tube is threaded, then the sleeve will actually work against you. You want the bolt head to lay flat against the outside of the receiver and the threads will draw the rack tube up tight against the inside. There will be no movement so the bolt fitting "loose" through the receiver hole won't be an issue.

The sleeve I suggested will work only if the bike rack simply has a smooth through hole. It will accomplish the same thing as described above by pushing the tube toward the nut using the sleeve and bolt head.

First off, yeah, the bolt has threads on it towards the head, and it will thread into the bike rack tube so it can be tightened down.

Secondly, oy, am I a dummy. LOL I am now thinking that it was having some wiggle to it because I don't think I used any tools to tighten down the bolt the one and only time I put the rack on. I'm used to my boat trailer on there (also fairly new at that) that has the matching 5/8", so the pin is unthreaded and just slides in there loosely on the ends, so I wasn't thinking that this one would need to be all the way tight.

I just went outside now and put the rack on again and tightened it down good with a wrench, and there is no play there now.

Thank you for all the help, and jeesh, sorry to those that offered a variety of advice to a guy that was just not thinking. Thanks also to opnspaces for that answer earlier up.

[wnjj]

cstooch wrote:
First off, thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. And yes, the 1/2" bolt is threaded on my bike rack, for those that commented on that.
@wnjj: Thanks, that bushing looks like it would work quite well to fix the gap between my 5/8" receiver hole and the 1/2" bike rack hole, agreed. Assuming my bolt will still thread in fine, I'll give that a go for a little extra piece of mind.

I think the question was whether there is a welded nut inside the bike rack tube along one wall. If so, you just stick the bolt through the receiver from the opposite side and crank it tight with a wrench. Add an external nut if you want extra insurance. Is that what you mean by the "bolt is threaded"? If the rack tube is threaded, then the sleeve will actually work against you. You want the bolt head to lay flat against the outside of the receiver and the threads will draw the rack tube up tight against the inside. There will be no movement so the bolt fitting "loose" through the receiver hole won't be an issue.

The sleeve I suggested will work only if the bike rack simply has a smooth through hole. It will accomplish the same thing as described above by pushing the tube toward the nut using the sleeve and bolt head.

[mich800]

cstooch wrote:

wnjj wrote:

opnspaces wrote:
All the 1/2 inch pins I've seen have been threaded into the rack. If yours is the same then just tighten it down tight and move on.

This. ^

It’s probably not supposed to be a normal pin. There was either something threaded into the rack tube or a bolt with a shoulder that goes into the 5/8” hole and presses against the side of the rack tube with a nut on the opposite side. Bike racks wobble too much without something like that.

As was mentioned, a sleeve can work but use steel. Something only 1/4” tall by 5/8” diameter that a 1/2” bolt fits through will work.

Edit: Here’s one. Put this onto a bolt, then put it through with a nut on the other side and crank it down: ***Link Removed***. This forces the tube tight against one side.

First off, thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. And yes, the 1/2" bolt is threaded on my bike rack, for those that commented on that.

@wnjj: Thanks, that bushing looks like it would work quite well to fix the gap between my 5/8" receiver hole and the 1/2" bike rack hole, agreed. Assuming my bolt will still thread in fine, I'll give that a go for a little extra piece of mind.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have had several brands with similar set ups and never an issue.

[cstooch]

wnjj wrote:

opnspaces wrote:
All the 1/2 inch pins I've seen have been threaded into the rack. If yours is the same then just tighten it down tight and move on.

This. ^

It’s probably not supposed to be a normal pin. There was either something threaded into the rack tube or a bolt with a shoulder that goes into the 5/8” hole and presses against the side of the rack tube with a nut on the opposite side. Bike racks wobble too much without something like that.

As was mentioned, a sleeve can work but use steel. Something only 1/4” tall by 5/8” diameter that a 1/2” bolt fits through will work.

Edit: Here’s one. Put this onto a bolt, then put it through with a nut on the other side and crank it down: ***Link Removed***. This forces the tube tight against one side.

First off, thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. And yes, the 1/2" bolt is threaded on my bike rack, for those that commented on that.

@wnjj: Thanks, that bushing looks like it would work quite well to fix the gap between my 5/8" receiver hole and the 1/2" bike rack hole, agreed. Assuming my bolt will still thread in fine, I'll give that a go for a little extra piece of mind.

[Bumpyroad]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Wouldn't use a 1/2" pin thru a 5/8" hole in receiver IF I was towing a trailer
BUT for a bike rack.......not a real concern

yep, no big deal
bumpy

[wnjj]

opnspaces wrote:
All the 1/2 inch pins I've seen have been threaded into the rack. If yours is the same then just tighten it down tight and move on.

This. ^

It’s probably not supposed to be a normal pin. There was either something threaded into the rack tube or a bolt with a shoulder that goes into the 5/8” hole and presses against the side of the rack tube with a nut on the opposite side. Bike racks wobble too much without something like that.

As was mentioned, a sleeve can work but use steel. Something only 1/4” tall by 5/8” diameter that a 1/2” bolt fits through will work.

Edit: Here’s one. Put this onto a bolt, then put it through with a nut on the other side and crank it down: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/phoenix-5-8-in-to-1-2-in-steel-sleeve-bushing. This forces the tube tight against one side.

[Grit_dog]

How about see how much it slops around with a 1/2+ pin in it. May not be any more than with a 5/8 pin or bushings added.
Couple u bolts and a piece of wood would suck the slop out of a bike rack too.

[JRscooby]

I think I would cut a short piece of copper, or more likely because I have on hand, plastic air line, to slide over a half inch bolt. Nut and washer would clamp the rack in tight...

[opnspaces]

All the 1/2 inch pins I've seen have been threaded into the rack. If yours is the same then just tighten it down tight and move on.

[IAMICHABOD]

BarneyS wrote:
This Hitch-Vise will solve your problem. I have one and it is by far the best device I have found to cure the movement of the bike rack in the hitch. I use one all the time. I agree with the other posters that say to go ahead and don't worry about the difference in hole size.
Barney

X2
You need a good anti rattle device so you don't get so much play in the receiver,thus magnifying the movement and doing more damage to the bike rack.

I have tried almost every Anti Rattle device on the market, most have been no good or so complicated and cumbersome that they are useless. Including the Roadmaster type,totally useless.

Until I found the one at Hitch Rider.

Their Hitch Vice is the best and easiest one I have come across and it really works.

[BarneyS]

This Hitch-Vise will solve your problem. I have one and it is by far the best device I have found to cure the movement of the bike rack in the hitch. I use one all the time. I agree with the other posters that say to go ahead and don't worry about the difference in hole size.
Barney

[cstooch]

zigzagrv wrote:
For a quick temporary fix, cut a piece of 1/2" copper tubing that will act like bushings for each side of the receiver. OD is 5/8" and should fit snuggly inside receiver holes. Copper is soft, so I wouldn't use it as a permanent fix.

Thanks, I'll give that a go!

[Grit_dog]

^ Great idea and it'll hold up for a while to help keep the bike rack from wobbling even more than they usually do.