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Different pin/hole size

cstooch
Explorer
Explorer
Hi all,

So I got a loaner bike rack to use for a trip through the mountains, and I have a concern about the rack and my hitch receiver tube.

The bike rack fits snugly into my hitch receiver. The problem though is that it has holes in it for a 1/2" pin only, and the holes on my hitch receiver for the pin are 5/8". So I'm wondering, if I just use the 1/2" pin that came with the bike rack, am I going to potentially do damage to anything... bend or shear the pin, for example?

This is just a loaner bike rack, should I try and find or buy a different one with the same pin size?
19 REPLIES 19

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
Old Biscuit is right again!
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

zigzagrv
Explorer
Explorer
For a quick temporary fix, cut a piece of 1/2" copper tubing that will act like bushings for each side of the receiver. OD is 5/8" and should fit snuggly inside receiver holes. Copper is soft, so I wouldn't use it as a permanent fix.

Ron



2003 Gulf Stream Ultra Supreme 33'
F53 Class A
2013 Ford Edge toad

cstooch
Explorer
Explorer
@Old-Biscuit: that's what I was figuring, that there probably isn't enough weight on that pin to really do much. Thank you

@bob213: Unless I'm misunderstanding here, that won't work because the diameter of the hole in the bike rack piece is only 1/2".

This is what I'm dealing with:


***Link Removed***

So if I used a 5/8" pin, it wouldn't make it into the bike rack. With the 1/2" pin, my rack wobbles, but I'm not sure if that's just the nature of this bike rack, or because of the size difference between the pin and the hitch receiver holes. And I'm a little newbie when it comes to bike racks, so not sure if I should care or if it's no big deal.

bob213
Explorer
Explorer
One of these should fix it.
adapter sleeve
You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality – Ayn Rand

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
Wouldn't use a 1/2" pin thru a 5/8" hole in receiver IF I was towing a trailer
BUT for a bike rack.......not a real concern
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31