What is the Purpose of M6 Screws for Thule Apex XT 4 Bike Rack

Updated 08/13/2025 | Published 06/28/2020

Question:

What is the purpose of the two M6 screws? Page 4, # 1 on the instructions The pdf instructions are not very clear, and I actually installed the rack without noticing that I had to attach the two screws, so added them after the fact. Can anyone confirm if these are needed, since my rack seemed to install and work okay without them initially? What do they do?

asked by: Andrew

Helpful Expert Reply:

When you receive the Thule Apex XT 4 Bike Rack # TH9025XT the shank is folded up against the main mast of the rack. Those two M6 x 25 mm screws are what help to keep the shank from folding up like that again. They are more or less a security measure to help keep the bike rack from coming into contact with your vehicle so yes, you will want to install them even though you can technically use the bike rack without installing them.

expert reply by: Jon G

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Michael

8/3/2025

Thanks for guidance...but when you install the m6 bolts, the mast won't fold away the rear door, which is the best feature of this rack. Is it just Thule covering its ass?

Jon G.

8/7/2025

@Michael That's not what the instructions show from Thule, and we've used this rack before and not had an issue with it tilting away from the vehicle. Did you tilt it up to where you heard the "click" noise prior to installing the M6 bolt?

Michael

8/10/2025

@JonG thanks for the quick reply. You're right! I installed them before and guess just didn't push hard enough. Still not sure what they do, but when they're installed the mast still folds away. Appreciate it!

Jon G.

8/11/2025

@Michael Happy to help out - glad to hear you got it working!

Tom

8/13/2025

Jon we have a Thule Apex XT and it is stuck in the up position and item A on your diagram will not release to lower the bike rack. It appears the latch inside is stuck and locked on the square 3-4" bar inside. any clue how to fix? Tom

Jon G.

8/13/2025

@Tom I reached out to my contact at Thule who said a great starting point is to hit it with some lubricant initially to see if that loosens things up and allows everything to freely move.