How to Remove Yakima Y02599 SpareTime Bike Rack From Spare Tire Mounting Bracket Once Rusted

Question:

I have remove bolt securing mast to bracket but the mast wont came free. My guess is corrosion has frozen it in place. It has never had to be removed since installation. Any suggestions?

asked by: Howard N

Expert Reply:

Your best bet would be to remove the spare temporarily from the vehicle, place the bracket flat on the ground so the shank is pointing upward and hit the bolt holes shown in the provided diagram with a spray lubricant like PB Blaster. Do this several times over the course of a few hours. Then, bolt the spare tire back on the vehicle with the bracket in place. Use a rubber mallet and tap all 4 sides of the mast sharply several times, working your way around. You'll want to hit it pretty hard, but not hard enough to damage anything.

Hopefully, between the spray lubricant and the shock from the mallet blows, the mast will come free from the bracket. If you can get the mast (or stem, as Yakima refers to it) off, you'll want to put a thin coating of grease on the inside of the stem to prevent this from occurring again.

If you can't get the stem free of the bracket, you can get replacement parts if need be:

- Small stem, part # 8890242
- Medium stem, part # 8890246
- Long stem, part # 8890241
- Backer plate, part # 8880578
- Adapter plate, part # 8890244