2 Bike Trailer Hitch Mount Platform and Spare Tire Bike Racks for a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

Question:

Hi there, Im looking for a 2 bike platform rack that will fit my 08 Sahara and it doesnt look like the Yakima standup or the Thule t2 will work. Do you have any other suggestions? I dont want to run the hitch extender. Thanks

asked by: Joe F

Expert Reply:

For your 2008 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, the concern is the clearance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the furthest point the spare tire sticks out. Other than the Kuat NV 2.0 # NV22G with 7 inches of clearance in the up position, one of the platform bike racks that offers the most distance is the Yakima HoldUp 2 Bike Hitch Mounted Folding Rack with Wheel Mount Cradles, # Y02443. The distance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the first bike tray is 12 inches. I have linked you to an FAQ article that shows how to measure the distance between your hitch pin hole and the furthest rearward point of your spare tire. The article also lists the hitch pin hole to closest portion of the rack dimension for many of our hitch mounted bike racks.

Another option is a spare tire mounted rack. We have two options here. First, is the Thule Spare Me 2 Bike Carrier Spare Tire Mounted Bike Rack, # TH963PRO. This rack will fit as long as the spare tire is the factory OEM original. Second, we have the Yakima SpareRide 2 Bike Carrier, # Y02599, which will work as long as your spare tire mount with an 8-hole bolt pattern or hole-pattern diameter greater than 5-1/2 inches. I have included videos review and instructions for these racks below.

Because using a hitch extender will reduce the hitch tongue weight capacity by 1/2, as well as causing considerable bounce, you are correct in wanting to avoid using one.

expert reply by: Michael H