Removing Cradles of Thule Bike Rack with Riveted Arms

Published 06/27/2019

Question:

my thule bike rack does not have an end piece on the arm that is held in place with a screw. It appears to be held in place with a rivet. How can I replace the old cradles with new ones if I cannot get the end piece off?

asked by: Pat R

Expert Reply:

At the ends of the arms on Thule bike racks that take the Hold Fast cradle # 7521513002 there are end caps that usually have to be removed in order to remove the old cradles and put on the new ones.

These caps can either have a screw holding them on or a rivet. If there is a rivet it will have to be drilled out (a screw can be used in place of the rivet once installation is complete). So you'll need a drill and a small drill bit to drill the rivets out so they can be removed. This is the only way to remove the cradles.

To work the cradles off and on it helps to twist the cradle side to side while simultaneously pushing the cradle on (or pulling the old one off).

expert reply by: Jameson C