Can we fix a crappy bike rack?

just us said:

We bought this new honky dorry bike rack, blue and black, so easy to use -
you just plonk your bike on it and clamp it shut. (You know the one?)
Anyway it attaches to your car towball with the use of an Allen key. Only
trouble is that the rack keeps coming loose. It doesnt matter how tightly
you think you have done the Allen Key, you get 2kms down the street and the
bikes are starting to move sideways - not a good look I can tell you. Other
reason it isnt good is that it could scratch paint on the car.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any remedies?

You just bought it, take it back!

And, if it's clamping onto the towball, make sure the towball isn't
covered in grease (and if it is, by now, so is the inside clamping
surface of the rack). Clean it out with a good solvent maybe?

just us said:

We bought this new honky dorry bike rack, blue and black, so easy to use -
you just plonk your bike on it and clamp it shut. (You know the one?)
Anyway it attaches to your car towball with the use of an Allen key. Only
trouble is that the rack keeps coming loose.

1) Is there a lock nut under the allen key head?
2) Longer Allen Key?
3) Replace allen key bolt with another bolt and use spanner,

Terry Collins said:

just us said:

We bought this new honky dorry bike rack, blue and black, so easy to use -
you just plonk your bike on it and clamp it shut. (You know the one?)
Anyway it attaches to your car towball with the use of an Allen key. Only
trouble is that the rack keeps coming loose.

1) Is there a lock nut under the allen key head?
2) Longer Allen Key?
3) Replace allen key bolt with another bolt and use spanner,

Try and get a spring washer to put on before the nut.

andrew Gamlen said:

Quoted message said:

1) Is there a lock nut under the allen key head?
2) Longer Allen Key?
3) Replace allen key bolt with another bolt and use spanner,

Try and get a spring washer to put on before the nut.

That is it. Brain fart here.

"just us" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We bought this new honky dorry bike rack, blue and black, so easy to use -
you just plonk your bike on it and clamp it shut. (You know the one?)
Anyway it attaches to your car towball with the use of an Allen key. Only
trouble is that the rack keeps coming loose. It doesnt matter how tightly
you think you have done the Allen Key, you get 2kms down the street and
the bikes are starting to move sideways - not a good look I can tell you.
Other reason it isnt good is that it could scratch paint on the car.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any remedies?
Thanks Kathy and Steve.

If it's the sort I bought they recommend using your foot on a long allen key
to tighten it. Mine also has an allen key either side of the towball.
Another thought, maybe your towball diameter is too small for the clamp?

Adam

We have a similar rack, I find that it needs to be tightened enough to put a
definite dent in the towball otherwise it does rotate. I used my foot aginst
a long (about 25cm?) allen key. Also make sure the towball is very tight on
the bar. We now take the towball nut off and remove the rack and ball as one
piece, that way the ball stays well clamped to the bar in the one place,
locked to the dented ball. If you tow sometimes, get a spare ball to swap.

Another thing I recall is that some towballs have a flange or rim which is a
tight fit in the rack tube, the allen key seems tight but then the rack tube
creeps down over the flange a little more and the alllen bolt is no longer
tight.

best of luck
lefty

just us said:

We bought this new honky dorry bike rack, blue and black, so easy to use -
you just plonk your bike on it and clamp it shut. (You know the one?)
Anyway it attaches to your car towball with the use of an Allen key. Only
trouble is that the rack keeps coming loose. It doesnt matter how tightly
you think you have done the Allen Key, you get 2kms down the street and the
bikes are starting to move sideways - not a good look I can tell you. Other
reason it isnt good is that it could scratch paint on the car.
Has anyone else had this problem? Any remedies?
Thanks Kathy and Steve.

I think we have the same rack. I find that you have to tighten down the
bolt, give the rack a bit of a twist and jiggle, tighten again, repeat
a few more times until it doesn't feel loose after jiggling it.