Cannot Loosen Knob on the Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike Rack Part # TH9027

Updated 11/17/2025 | Published 07/23/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Thule Apex Swing XT Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Swing Away

(218)

$699.95

Replacement Locking Anti-Rattle Knob for Thule Apex Bike Racks and Rain Gutter Foot Packs - Qty 1

(58)

$20.07

Question:

Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike Rack # TH9027 lock knob spins off. When locked it will tighten but it no longer loosens. It just simply spins off the spindle and now rack is stuckinch in receiver . Did I over tighten?

asked by: Ian

Expert Reply:

The locking knob on your Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike Rack part # TH9027XT will be loose while it is locked and tight when it is unlocked. By tight, I mean there is a considerable amount of force needed to turn it so do not be afraid to roll up the sleeves and give it a few good hard turns. With that being said I believe there is just a bit of confusion as to when the knob is locked or not so it appears everything is in order but if this is not correct then please get back to me and I will provide some troubleshooting advice.

If it turns out that the knob is indeed damaged then you can use the Replacement Locking Anti-Rattle Knob part # 753-0073 to replace it.

expert reply by: Conner L

Michael

11/15/2025

question...when i try to remove it from the hitch the entire centre screw comes out but the rack still cannot be removed from hitch

Jerred H.

11/17/2025

@Michael According to Thule, to remove a stuck Thule Apex Swing 4, you will want to first try wiggling the rack while turning the knob to loosen it. It sounds like you're having no issues getting the knob to turn or unscrew but it's not releasing. So now you'll want to try spraying in some lubricant and being more forceful with the side-to-side wiggling. If it's still stuck, you'll want to remove the tightening knob and then look for screws on the backside. This is going to allow you to access the internal mechanism that may be jammed. Once you get that released you should be able to remove it. If that doesn't work you'll need to cut it off.