Removing Cradle Straps for Thule Apex XT Bike Rack

Updated 04/30/2026 | Published 05/01/2019

Products Featured in This Question

Replacement HideAway Cradle Ratchet Straps for Thule Bike Racks - Qty 6

(71)

$26.95

Thule Apex XT Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting

(221)

$358.95

Question:

What is the easiest way to remove/replace the TH536 cradle ratchet strap from a Thule Apex XT bike rack. I inadvertently put one of the shorter cables where the longer cable goes and Id like to fix it. It doesnt seem to remove easily.

asked by: Scott B

Expert Reply:

The cradle ratchet straps for your Thule Apex XT Bike Rack like # TH9024XT should remove just as they were installed. It might take some force to pull the strap completely out of the cradle because of its ratchet design but this is the only way to accomplish this.

I did reach out to my contact at Thule just to see if they had any tips and unfortunately there was nothing specific she could offer. If you continue to have trouble please let me know and I will be happy to look into this further.

expert reply by: Chris R

Andy G.

11/12/2021

I had this issue on an XT5 today. I ended up threading one of my other straps through the end of the strap I was trying to remove. It was much easier to pull hard on both ends of the threaded strap than to pull directly on the one that was stuck.

Kevin L.

4/28/2026

I had the same issue of putting on the wrong strap. I tried the method Andy mentioned but is was hard to get the force needed to pull the strap using the two ends of my extra long strap. The rack wasn't on the car so that made the process a little more difficult. So, I used a screwdriver to wedge the strap out. It took a bit of force and wiggling, but then finally just popped out. I did this four times since I happened to use all the short straps on the top before realizing my mistake of using the small straps to hold the top instead of side (seat post). I had good success with a narrow flathead compared to a larger screwdriver.