Welding question - trailer hitch for bike rack

[outback97]

Hey guys, I have a welding question I wanted to throw at you. We have a Yakima hitch mount bike rack that we use for our Electra cruisers, and though the rack is designed for four bikes, we've never put more than 2 on there since they're around 40-45 pounds. My car has a Class II hitch but my wife's car is limited to only Class I hitches available.

Our bike rack is the Yakima Double Down, here's a somewhat relevant discussion but the rack and hitch do mate together.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Yakima-Doubl ... automotive

I bought a Class I hitch for her car but haven't installed it yet. The receiver tube is just welded to the square bar hitch with no bracing, gusseting or anything to reinforce it. Just the flat surfaces of the two square tubes welded together at a 90 deg angle. I was wondering if it would work to weld a small length of angle iron or square tubing into that joint to reinforce it, and if then it might be strong enough to safely transport the rack plus two bikes. The rack itself weighs about 30 pounds.

I don't know how to weld myself but have a friend who does. Just wanted to get a few opinions on this, thanks!

 

[outskirtscustoms]

According to the rating of the hitch you should be safe at 50lbs per bike and the rack's weight. I wouldn't trust it to haul 4 bikes though. Personally I'd see how much work it would be to upgrade it to a class 2 just to be safe. Also if you can brace it I would, I could see it now a BMW with a BMX in the windsheild.

Class I Hitches
A Class 1 trailer hitch can handle a gross trailer weight (GTW) of up to 2,000 lbs., and a maximum tongue weight of 200 lbs. The hitch may be a simple drawbar-type hitch or step bumper-type hitch. Other hitches may have a crossbar with a small one-inch or 1-1/2-inch square receiver, or a small 2-inch by 5/8-inch receiver. This type of hitch is often used on smaller cars, smaller pickups and smaller vans (minivans) for bicycle racks, camping racks, and light-duty towing. We sell many fine class 1 hitches as well as an economical, easy to install (do-it-yourself) Class 1 trailer hitch.

Class II Hitches

Class II hitches are for loads of up to 3,500 lbs. GTW and 300 lbs. tongue weight such as a small boat trailer, snowmobile trailer, motorcycle trailer or camper. This type of trailer hitch is appropriate for larger cars, full-size vans, full-size pickups and SUVs. Many of our class II hitches are designed specifically for your vehicle, and we have some universal class II trailer hitches as well.

As quoted from: http://hitches4less.com/trailer-hitch-classes.html

 

[scrumblero]

if you keep it below say 180 pounds you should have no issues.. :roll:

 

[outback97]

Thanks guys. I'm not worried about the static weight so much as the leverage, with two heavy bikes bouncing up and down as we drive down the road.

This is pretty much what our hitch looks like, minus the small piece of angle iron above the receiver.

That's what I'm proposing doing, adding something like that in there or a piece of square tubing. Because my hitch doesn't have that, it just looks really vulnerable to twisting down from the leverage of the rack.

If anyone made a Class 2 for her car, I would have just bought that. But I haven't been able to find anything out there. The one I did get was purchased used for $50, so even if I have to spend some time improving it, it's still a good deal as long as it's safe!

 

[Walker]

When I built a hitch for my Honda Civic Wagon AWD (RIP) i added a piece of heavy plate that ran from the underside of the receiver, forward to the spare tire well to help counter the torque of tongue weight. seemed to work pretty well.

 

[jerrykr]

My PT cruiser can only take a class 1 receiver hitch. I bought it installed at a U-Haul place. (About $200)

I have a Thule 2 bike rack, and never had a problem. We haul 2 bikes all the time.

Extra strength however can never be a bad thing.