Trunk Mounted Bike Rack Less Likely To Damage Or Scratch Paint  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Out of all of trunk mounted bike racks we have, the Thule OutWay 2-Bike Rack # TH45JV is the least likely to damage your vehicle while in transport. If I had a bike I would put this unit on my car based my experience with this product and based on customer interactions.

The OutWay features sleeves and pads to protect the trunk area (see picture). The Sure-Tight cables and hooks are coated with durable nylon, and the cables have movable sleeves that help protect your Mercedes-Benz C-Class's paint from scuffs and scratches. Its contoured pads on the rack's upper and lower bases grip your trunk or rear hatch to keep the rack firmly in place during transport.

This trunk-mounted bike rack has premium RDT anti-sway cradles, adjustable arms for level bike transport, and the patented FitDial system with ratcheting cables for easy setup on your vehicle. Integrated locks secure bike to rack and rack to car. The TPE cradle pads absorb road shock and minimize vibration to reduce stress on your bike frames during transport.

The Raceway uses Thule's patented FitDial system to ensure a snug fit on your Mercedes-Benz C-Class and to make the installation of your bike rack easy and as secure as possible.

Any time a product is in direct contact with the vehicle, there is always the potential for dents a scratches. The best practice to prevent this is to make sure the areas where the rack touches the care are routinely cleaned so dust, dirt and debris don't build up between them. That is what causes scratching. As far as denting and deformation are concerned, you will just want to be sure that you do not over tighten the rack to the car and make sure your bikes are within the 35 LB per bike weight limit of the rack.

If you'll be transporting women's bikes or bikes with sharply-angled top tubes, you might also consider a frame adapter bar like part # 64005.

expert reply by: Timothy G

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