Can Swagman XC Bike Rack be Removed from Trailer Hitch if Adapter Screw is Removed

Updated 03/11/2014 | Published 03/10/2014

Question:

I have the swagman xc bike rack. I have the locking hitch pin to lock the rack to the receiver and a cable lock to lock the bike to the rack. However, the rack body attaches to the 2or 1 1/4 hitch mount using another pin. This means that if somebody simply unscrewed the two bolts and removed this pin, they could steal the bike and the body of the rack. As this pin is slightly thinner than the hitch pin, I dont think I can use just another locking hitch pin to solve my problem. Do you have any suggestions?

asked by: Brittany

Expert Reply:

If the allen key bolt head is sticking out enough for a thief to access it, the only thing they would get is an allen head screw. This is because it does not matter if they remove that screw because the hitch pin is still going through both the adapter and the bike rack shank so even if that screw was removed they could not take the rack out of the hitch.

expert reply by: Michael H