Compatibility of Yakima RidgeBack # Y02458 4-Bike Rack with 2003 Subaru Forester  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

If your Forester has a Class II or III hitch, the Yakima # Y02458 RidgeBack 4 Bike rack will work great for you. Your hitch should have a sticker on it that lists the capacity and class of the hitch.

If your hitch is a Class I, you'll need to use a Class I compatible bike rack which will limit you to carrying only two bikes. A Class I hitch has a limited capacity, and any additional bikes added after the first two will place the load too far away from the rear of the vehicle, which applies a great deal of leverage to the hitch. This can damage the hitch or its attachment points to the vehicle. Which would be bad.

If you have a Class I hitch, the best course of action would be to replace the hitch with a Class II like part # 36311. The Class I and II use the same size receiver opening, but the Class II has a higher capacity, and would allow you to use the KingPin bike rack and carry 4 bikes.

expert reply by: Mike L

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