Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Spare Wheel Bike rack? Yakima or Thule

46K views 35 replies 28 participants last post by  flyfishnevada 
#1 ·
Which is the better and more stable bike rack for the spare wheel on a 2011 Wrangler Unlimited with the factory spare.

The Thule 963XTR or the Yakima SpareTime?

The 963 is wider and would appear to be more stable, but looking for experiences advise.

THule


Yak



Thx.
 
See less See more
2
#3 ·
Hmm... Yea the idea is to get a hitch if I get a motorcycle... thing is i am living in Cairo Egypt and its not easy to get the hitch or the motorcycle... If i am able to get the motorcycle I will bring the hitch over via sea freight with another shipment.

I think for now ill get a spare tire mounted one that can be brought on an airplane as luggage.

Between the two which is "more" stable.... :)

Thx
 
#4 ·
I have the Thule on my jeep. I love it! It only holds 2 bikes tho which in a way is good cuz it won't torque your tailgate. I also put the Thule ski rack on top of the Thule rack in the winter. I've had this set up running year around for 2 years and 0 complaints one thing to caution you about tho is don't open the tailgate door when bikes are on the back. This will put all the weight on the door hinges. I would delfinately get this rack if you want a tailgate rack. If you do go for a hitch one, be sure to get one that swings away sideways. They are a little more expensive but itll allow you to use the tailgate with the rack on
 
#5 ·
I have the Yakima on my Rubicon with 32" stock tires and I can't keep the rack from moving. Can't crank the rack down any harder on to the tire and I have used all the adapters. It is constantly moving and when not hauling bikes it still moves around back there and makes an annoying noise I can hear while driving.
 
#7 ·
Thule works great IMO the sweeds make some nice stuff .depending on your bike you might need the bar that allows girl bikes to sit straite .it attaches under the seat and handle bar easy to remove i think they are like thirty bucks.my bikes frame is thick and narrow so i use the bar to make it fit
 
#8 ·
I have the Yakima rack as well...it works well with one or two bikes on there...just be aware that the cradles where the bikes sit scratch the shizz out of your frames, i added some extra rubber and that eliviated the problem! Also the " security wire" that comes with it is useless as we discovered when someone cut right through it and stole our brand new kona hardtails!! maybe we shoulda went with the Thule......
 
#11 ·
I have the Thule 2" hitch mount swing type rack that holds 4 bikes and it performs very well. I would consider it the Cadillac of bike racks. If I had to go with a spare mount, I would stay with the Thule. For roof rack, I have a congo cage with Yakima attachment clamps and use that for skis and kayaks. The choice there has to do with the Yakima bars being round and Thule being square. For kayaks, being able to tilt the mounts in on the round bars to match the hull of the boat makes all the difference for not stressing the hull at one point. I would still stay with this choice. So, Yakima bars up top, Thule rack on the back.

Also, I don't care which rack system you get to put bicycles on, putting more than one bike on it will cause rubbing between the bikes and paint damage. If you are going to transport your bikes on a rack that brings them close together, get used to paint damage. I don't ride the paint on the bike, I ride the bike so the damage to the paint I don't care about. Also, I put the bikes in a covered trailer but tying them down results in the same type of damage to the paint. I've gotten used to it. When the bikes were new, I used to fret over it. The added benefit to the paint damage is that it makes their theft appeal a little less. <my glass is always half full>
 
#12 ·
If you want to get a bike rack that doesn't damage the paint on the bike, try the roof mount channel type rack that has the bike standing up and not touching anything else, especially another bike. That is if you are anal about scratches to the paint job on the bike.
 
#14 · (Edited)
With the bike rack experience I've had, four adult bikes, not light weight ones...I wouldn't trust my bikes on that rack. The Thule is built like a brick you know what house and priced like one too. I trust 4 adult heavy bikes on it that they will not collapse it. Five on that one? I wouldn't trust it.
 
#16 ·
Now the bottle openers could close the deal for a lot of jeepers! :D

You can't go wrong with either Yakima or Thule. They both make great products with very little differences....like round vs square bars on roof racks. When considering the application, round could be better...or square. Round was better for me.
 
#17 ·
so the Thule one? Will they both fit Jeeps with 35's? I have a 2010 2-door Rubicon hard top with stock wheels and tires. The plan is to move up to 35's eventually (within the next 6 months) and i'd like to be able to use the rack still once i upgrade. The Thule looks much more stable. But the Yakima looks clean. I just ned to know which will be best with an oversized tire. Thank you so much
 
#20 ·
i dont plan on doing any off-roading with the bikes. if i off road i will take the bike off. I just am curious if eitehr will fit an oversized tire. I've read that the Yakima one coumes with different length mounts to fit larger tires (12.5 is the largest i saw) i've heard the Thule one only fits stock size. Is this true? My jeep has stock wheels and tires now but not for long and i'd ratgehr be able to use the rack for a long time. Help!!!
 
#22 ·
We had a Thule 963XTR when we had a FJ and it worked very well. We are planning to get another very soon for our Wrangler. You may need to purchase a longer carriage bolt if I remember correctly but that's no big thing.
 
#23 ·
I opted for the Yakima Spare Time. I don't use it a bunch but am happy with it when I do.
The pictures are from when it was on my 08. I have not installed it on my 12 yet but I'm running the same rear bumper and tires so I see no problem.


 
#26 ·
I use my bike rack very frequently. Several times a week when the weather permits. I also use the tailgate area of my jeep as it is my main secured storage spot since I have a soft top, 2 door, and tuffy security trunk. So, a hitch rack was not an option since my bike rack is on nearly 100% of the time, and I require easy access to the tailgate area.

I went with the Yakima spare time and it is great. It even fits with my wheel/tire combo (15" MB 72 wheels, Goodyear Duratrack 33x12.5R15).

I was concerned about the weight on the tailgate so I did get an aftermarket bumper/tire carrier (Ace) but that was part of my plan from the get go. I feel that the whole setup is very secure, reliable, and meets my needs.
 
#27 ·
I would go with a hitch rack that holds the bike by the wheel. Both Thule and Yakima make one and if you really want to spend money there is kuat. The hitch mount gives you more options for different bikes and you never have to worry about a bike or some one else's bike fitting on. I have a mountain bike that can't fit on a rack that secures via the top tube so that is a factor for me also.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top