Installation of Thule Apex XT Bike Rack in Hitch Receiver

Updated 05/04/2020 | Published 04/30/2020

Question:

I have a Thule Apex XT4 bike rack. The arm pin does not go all the way into the hole in the receiver. Is this normal or should the arm pin go into the hole, etc? Thanks for your help!

asked by: Brad

Helpful Expert Reply:

On your Thule Apex XT 4 Bike # TH9025XT, the pin should go into your trailer hitch receiver hole and into the rack shank on the one side only. It won't go all the way through to the other side but will solidify the rack in place and then you will adjust the anti-rattle to make sure it stays secure. I've attached a video to assist. You can see specifically at just after the 9 minute mark the installation into the hitch receiver.

If the rack does not do this correctly as shown in the video then you will not have a secure fit. The only issue I'm aware of is on hitch pin holes that are less than 1-1/2 inches from the end of the receiver tube like on some factory Subaru models. I've attached a photo to show this.

expert reply by: Jason S