I want my bike rack to sit back a little more in the trailer hitch, would drilling a hole in my reciver totally detract from the integrity of the metal?
Is drilling another hole in a reciever hitch just a really bad stupid idea?
- Thread starter BigMike
- Start date
BigMike said:
I had the same problem once but I chose to saw off an inch of metal off of the rack instead.
Why do I get a visual of your bikes taking an unexpected extra vehicular excursion w/ lots of sparks on the 10th pot hole you hit? Or better yet, the image of your face when you realize the guy in the lane next to you going down the hi-way honking insanely at you to pull over because you've been dragging your bikes and the remaining part of your rack for the past 1/2 mile w/ a fountain of sparks shooting from said collection of metal and rubber.
How about spending $150 and buy a new hitch?
jesus man, are you rich? 150 is a lot to spend if it can be done for free, yeah just spend 150 dollars he sais,Brian HCM#1 said:
yeah, or spend 10x that amout replacing/repairing those bikes you drug (spelling?) for the past 1/2 mile.HTFR said:
Thank you sir.dexterq20 said:
I though this was gonna be another of those "Drilling holes in your (insert bike related thing here) does NOT make it lighter" threads
Sawing an inch off the rack won't help.
I just got a Sporworks T2, and the vertical stabilizer thingy doesnt go into the hitch. apparantly my hitch is just not long enough on the backside of the hole. I know that drilling a new hole won't matter for the bike rack, its not much strain, but i'm wondering about pulling a trailer.
and no, there is no reason that there should be bikes falling or sparks flying because of this project. and yes, drilling holes in things DOES make it lighter, becuase you are losing mass, and mass is directly proportional to weight. It just doesnt loose enough to matter
I just got a Sporworks T2, and the vertical stabilizer thingy doesnt go into the hitch. apparantly my hitch is just not long enough on the backside of the hole. I know that drilling a new hole won't matter for the bike rack, its not much strain, but i'm wondering about pulling a trailer.
and no, there is no reason that there should be bikes falling or sparks flying because of this project. and yes, drilling holes in things DOES make it lighter, becuase you are losing mass, and mass is directly proportional to weight. It just doesnt loose enough to matter
here, maybe this will help.
The little pin with the orange arrow is supposed to be inside the reciver as far as I can tell
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77145
I already emailed sportworks, and havent heard back form them. I'm going to wait until I do to do anythign to the reciever, but its definantly an option.
The little pin with the orange arrow is supposed to be inside the reciver as far as I can tell
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=77145
I already emailed sportworks, and havent heard back form them. I'm going to wait until I do to do anythign to the reciever, but its definantly an option.
Changleen said:
I won't dink with the hitch. If ever you use the hitch for something other than the rack, you could end up with a great story to tell about the time you lost the 10000 lb trailer on the highway.
Here, don't you have an Xterra?
http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp?model=Xterra&category=hitch&year=2000&make=Nissan&t1=&h=e
http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp?model=Xterra&category=hitch&year=2000&make=Nissan&t1=&h=e
Oh well.............same sh*t, different pile.Toshi said:
Yep, its a Pathy.
and....... I don't really want to spend the money on a new hitch, when I already have one. I'm just trying to come up with an alternaive to make this thing work. I'm still waiting to hear back from Sportworks.......
and....... I don't really want to spend the money on a new hitch, when I already have one. I'm just trying to come up with an alternaive to make this thing work. I'm still waiting to hear back from Sportworks.......
Can you move the anti sway thingy forward?
Brian HCM#1 said:
I dont think so...... its integrated into the rack
Obviously nobody knows how to use power tools in here.
One hole in either the rack or the reciever will not hurt anything.
The rack will not fall off.
The boat won't fall off.
The bumper won't fall off.
One hole in either the rack or the reciever will not hurt anything.
The rack will not fall off.
The boat won't fall off.
The bumper won't fall off.
It "probably" would be ok.
There is a safety factor of course. And the SF is there for when you bounce your boat over a curb, or a giant pothole or whatever. But drilling a 1/2" dia hole will eat into that SF. And so when you do bounce your boat over a curb, you're a little less safe. The SF is not there for you to drill holes in it.
Like I said, you'd probably be ok. And the "farmer engineers" would tell you "Bah! It's steel. It's strong as hell".... I have these arguments with our shop supervisor 5 days a week. Maybe he's right. It is a square tube. Then again....
Bottom line, I wouldn't do it.
There is a safety factor of course. And the SF is there for when you bounce your boat over a curb, or a giant pothole or whatever. But drilling a 1/2" dia hole will eat into that SF. And so when you do bounce your boat over a curb, you're a little less safe. The SF is not there for you to drill holes in it.
Like I said, you'd probably be ok. And the "farmer engineers" would tell you "Bah! It's steel. It's strong as hell".... I have these arguments with our shop supervisor 5 days a week. Maybe he's right. It is a square tube. Then again....
Bottom line, I wouldn't do it.
i still don't get it.... What's the purpose of the pin. Why is the bolt facing up/down when it's supposed to go side to side. Are you drilling a half inch hole to make room ofr the pin? Why not just lose the pin.... i don't even know why i respond to this, since my motivation is i'd like to help, but i don't even know what your really trying to do.BigMike said:
Skookum said:
The pin tightens against the top of the reciever, thus pushing the rack down and giving it vertical stability.
I would be drilling a hole in the side to make room for the hitch pin to move the rack back another inch or so
Ok i'm still pretty much lost, i don't have a SW hitch mount rather i have a roof rack, but i do have a Thule which just has a bolt and does just fine...BigMike said:
But at any rate, i am gonna have to add my vote with the farmers saying that a half inch hole drilled into a reciever hitch, which is essentially thick tube steel isn't gonna compromise the strength. Just doesn't seem to be enough to worry about.
OK skooks, check it out:
One of the marketing things for this rack is its anti sway. Ya know how sometimes your going down a dirt road or somthing and your rack bounces around? This rack is supposed to elimate that. There are two bolts on it. The first one is the regualr hitch bolt. That keeps the rack from swaying side to side. Then there is the other bolt that you can see in my picture. when you tighten that, a pin raises up and puts pressure against the inside of the reciever to stabilze the rack from vertical movement. On my reciever, when the hitch bolt is in, the pin does not insert into the reciver, it sits on the outside rendering it completely useless. I need to figure out a way to make it so that the rack sits further back into the reciever when the hitch bolt is tightened so that the pin will sit inside the reciever.
That is about the best I can explain it, if you don't understand whats going on by now, you should go kill yourself
One of the marketing things for this rack is its anti sway. Ya know how sometimes your going down a dirt road or somthing and your rack bounces around? This rack is supposed to elimate that. There are two bolts on it. The first one is the regualr hitch bolt. That keeps the rack from swaying side to side. Then there is the other bolt that you can see in my picture. when you tighten that, a pin raises up and puts pressure against the inside of the reciever to stabilze the rack from vertical movement. On my reciever, when the hitch bolt is in, the pin does not insert into the reciver, it sits on the outside rendering it completely useless. I need to figure out a way to make it so that the rack sits further back into the reciever when the hitch bolt is tightened so that the pin will sit inside the reciever.
That is about the best I can explain it, if you don't understand whats going on by now, you should go kill yourself
i get it now, doesn't or shouldn't change my opinion though. drill away.BigMike said:OK skooks, check it out:
One of the marketing things for this rack is its anti sway. Ya know how sometimes your going down a dirt road or somthing and your rack bounces around? This rack is supposed to elimate that. There are two bolts on it. The first one is the regualr hitch bolt. That keeps the rack from swaying side to side. Then there is the other bolt that you can see in my picture. when you tighten that, a pin raises up and puts pressure against the inside of the reciever to stabilze the rack from vertical movement. On my reciever, when the hitch bolt is in, the pin does not insert into the reciver, it sits on the outside rendering it completely useless. I need to figure out a way to make it so that the rack sits further back into the reciever when the hitch bolt is tightened so that the pin will sit inside the reciever.
That is about the best I can explain it, if you don't understand whats going on by now, you should go kill yourself
Something just occurred to me while in the shower...(go ahead...savour the mental image)
I retract my reservations. As long as when you pull a trailer, you use the original hole for the hitch, it will be like you never did anything to it. The new hole will be aft of the original hole. All the stress when towing is forward of that. So no worries.
go for it.
Of course that will be a bitch of a project in itself... drilling that by hand... and keeping the drill straight won't be easy............THPBPBBPPBPBTH...
I retract my reservations. As long as when you pull a trailer, you use the original hole for the hitch, it will be like you never did anything to it. The new hole will be aft of the original hole. All the stress when towing is forward of that. So no worries.
go for it.
Of course that will be a bitch of a project in itself... drilling that by hand... and keeping the drill straight won't be easy............THPBPBBPPBPBTH...
Shouldn't be too hard he's not drilling completely thru the bar, just thru one side. Also he's not tap drilling so it's not THAT important to be "laser beam" straight.MMike said:
A plug in power drill with a new solid bit, some cutting oil, probably take all but around 5 minutes.
i just spent around a week doing some mechanical work, i drilled more holes thru steel in that week than i ever will in the rest of my life.
And how much are your bikes worth. As a metal fabricator I would say yes it's a bad idea. Unless the bike rack is the only thing being put on it. My wife works as a fabricator for Burning Man and just a few years ago and someone died because someone did this to a hitch. Even though flash tubing (no seam on the inside) is quite thick, drilling a hole will just be another stress riser.HTFR said:
I thought he had to move the whole thing aft. In which case he would have to drill through the whole thing. The pin goes all the way through on a trailer hitch.Skookum said:
Whatever. At this point, j'men fous...
Finally someone halfway qualified..... Remember i'm in with the "Farmer" constituency.dhtahoe said:
My sentiments exactly, i think....MMike said:
Funny how a fabricator is more qualified than and engineer who designs welded structures made out of steel tubing....hmmm..... 
Attachments
Hmmm...I have the Sportworks Freerider/DH rack and my after market installed hitch is too far in for me to attach JUST the rack...I had to get one of these doohickeys...
it was fitty bucks and it sticks out hella far, but I didn't have to do any of the whacky modifications the tools at the rack store suggested...also, you drill into your rack and god forbid something happen...SW will say, so sorry too bad...
it was fitty bucks and it sticks out hella far, but I didn't have to do any of the whacky modifications the tools at the rack store suggested...also, you drill into your rack and god forbid something happen...SW will say, so sorry too bad...
Again my sentiments exactly.MMike said:Funny how a fabricator is more qualified than and engineer who designs welded structures made out of steel tubing....hmmm.....