Bike rack
This is going to be a shorter page but I’d like to catch up on all of the little things I’ve done to the car and not documented.
While I could carry a bike or two on the roof platform or roof cross bars, I find it’s pretty inconvenient to get them down. I elected for the Yakima DoubleDown Ace; in theory this allows for 4 bikes but I really wanted it for the weight capacity as sometimes I take my stupidly heavy fatbike around with the Jimny.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bikes_on_rack.jpg)
This is a hitch mounted bike rack. Using the Hayman Reese towbar I have it doesn’t quite sit far enough back to let the door fully open. I don’t mind this, I can just access stuff from the back via the front seats folded forwards.
Because the pin is quite small for retaining the rack, you can get it a long way back in the receiver to help though. With a stock tyre this probably would be sufficient.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/rack_all_the_way_back.jpg)
Here’s the clearance to the spare tyre – noting it’s larger than standard – with the rack as far backwards as I can make it work with the towbar on my car.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/door_clearance_1.jpg)
It clears fine even with a towbar that’s tucked right back against the bumper.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/door_clearance_2.jpg)
I do like the folding mechanism on this rack for opening the door.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/rack_folded_down.jpg)
With the rack folded down there is just not enough clearance to open the door, though. I thought I’d find this annoying but I tend to get things out of the back of the car via the front seats anyway.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/door_clearance_3.jpg)
I did buy the shortest hitch extension I could find just in case I want to fully open the door.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/10inch_hitch_extension.jpg)
Note: If you get a hitch extension, remember to get a locking hitch pin so people can’t flog your bike by taking the entire rack and the hitch extension with it!
Auxiliary numberplate mounting
One thing I did have to do is sort out a way to mount an auxiliary numberplate to the bike rack. Because there’s no ‘back’ to the arms and I didn’t want to make it more annoying to mount I ended up using rivnuts to mount it near the bottom. I need to make up a little numberplate light for this that plugs into the trailer harness but I’m yet to drive with the bike rack on at night so it’s not been a problem yet.
I first used self tapping tek screws to hold the plate on; they worked ok but I wanted something a bit more permanent feeling. I was very careful to mark these holes right in the middle of the frame of the bike rack when drilling these!
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/tek_screwed_numberplate.jpg)
These holes happened to be perfect pilot holes for the larger holes needed for rivnuts.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/pilot_holes.jpg)
I chose to use countersunk M5 rivnuts for this and a couple of allen headed M5 capscrews.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/rivnut_tools.jpg)
Drilled the holes out appropriately, then used a larger drillbit to get a bit of countersinking happening on the holes. Not the prettiest but it’ll all get covered up anyway.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/countersunk_rivnut_holes.jpg)
Then in go the rivnuts.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/in_go_the_rivnuts.jpg)
Bit of blue loctite so they don’t vibrate out and ping the plate off at someone.
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/blue_loctite.jpg)
Bolt on the plate and everything’s sorted!
![](https://teamghettoracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bolting_on_plate.jpg)