Bike Rack Solution that Allows for Rear Cargo Area Access Ford Bronco

Updated 08/16/2026 | Published 08/13/2026

Products Featured in This Question

Benton LittleShift Bike Rack for 1 Bike - 2" Hitches - Wheel or Frame Mount

(106)

$239.99

Swagman Swivel Hitch Extender - 2" Hitches - Dual Side - Swing-Away Hitch Adapter

(59)

$599.99

Question:

I have a Ford Bronco 2024 2 door and am considering installing this bike rack and leaving it in place all the time so I dont have to keep taking my hanging bike rack off and on. Also I have a carbon fiber bike which is suited more for a platform style rack. I would get the locking pin to keep it secure. I just want to make sure that when there is no bike on it that I will be able to open the back door of the Bronco with spare tire. Can you tell me how high above the hitch the top of it would be? Also I want to make sure it fits in my small garage. I think the video said the max length from the center of the hitch pin to the outer edge is 17 inches but please confirm. Thank you!

asked by: Denise D

Bronco Hitch
(click to enlarge)

Expert Reply:

Hey Denise, thanks for the pictures! Looking at the rear of your vehicle and pictures of the Benton Little Shift bike rack part # B54VR installed my first thought is that the wheel trays actually will be what would interfere with the rear door as they stick up higher than the rest of the bike rack. I think the spare would fit through the middle of the rack but the door will hit the wheel trays. I don't think you are going to find a similar single bike rack that sits low enough when not loaded to allow for rear cargo area access at all times unless you were to add a swing away adapter like the part # S86SR which will allow you to swing it all away and then access the rear hatch. What kind of bikes do you have and how often do you take them with you?

expert reply by: Jameson C

Swing Away Bike Rack
(click to enlarge)

Denise D.

8/13/2026

I have a triathlon racing bike - Quintana Roo X-PR and I use the Kuat hanging bike rack. I am riding more now and am trying to bring it every week so was hoping to find a solution where I could leave it on all the time and still open the Bronco back door. I don’t know if my car would fit in the garage with a swing away hitch and my existing hang rack because of extra clearance the swinging hitch would add. Do you have any other suggestions?

Jameson C.

8/13/2026

@DeniseD How much clearance do you have from your hitch pin hole to the garage door to clear and allow the door to shut?

Denise

8/14/2026

@JamesonC I have 18" from the center of the hitch pin to the garage door. Did some other measurements also. From center of hitch pin to bottom of spare tire is 6 inches. To the bottom of the cargo door is 10". I saw on a post online that someone with a Bronco installed a 4 1/2 drop hitch extension to add more clearance . Can you tell me the dimensions of the rack to see if that would work? Thanks again for your help.

Jenniet

8/14/2026

Yes, you will be able to open rear hatch when bike is off and should have room in garage. I put this rack on a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. It is lightweight and works great.

Denise D.

8/15/2026

@Jenniet Hi, thanks for jumping in. My car has a cargo door that opens from the side, with a spare tire that hangs down slightly below the bottom of the door. Would you be able to measure your bike rack from the center of its hitch pin to the top of the wheel cradles for me? I asked etrailer but they have not provided it.. It would help me confirm if there is enough clearance to open my door and if not how much of a drop hitch I need. Thank you so much!

Joe N.

8/14/2026

I have the Benton rack and I keep in on my 2018 Chevy Colorado 4X4. I leave it on all the time and have never had a problem with it. It folds flat and stays at the hitch level and no taller than the top of the bumper. It does not obstruct the tailgate, at all. When the tailgate is down it does not cause any issue whatsoever. I do not have a spare tire mounted off the back of my truck, but it stands off the hitch far enough that I do not believe it would be an issue for your spare tire. But, it probably would block your tail gate if you want to it swings open while it is on your vehicle. The rack measures about 18 inches from the hitch receiver to the outer bar when in the folded down position. With the leading edge of the rack at about 10 inches from the hitch receiver and the step plate at about 5 inches. As far as securing it, there several very good hitch locks on Amazon. Just make sure that they are made of high grade steel. You can also go with a 3/4" Grade 8 bolt, hex nut, flat washer and lock washer and tighten it down to about 75 foot pounds.

Denise D.

8/15/2026

@JoeN Hi, thanks for jumping in. My car (Bronco) has a cargo door that opens from the side, with a spare tire that hangs down slightly below the bottom of the door. Would you be able to measure your bike rack from the center of its hitch pin to the top of the wheel cradles for me? I asked etrailer but they have not provided it.. It would help me confirm if there is enough clearance to open my door and if not how much of a drop hitch I need. Thank you so much!

Josh

8/15/2026

Its not on my vehicle right now so I was having a tough time measuring. But its about an 8.5 inch rise from the top of the hitch post to the highest point on the tire cup. I think you might get lucky with the tire swinging Through the cups, but might be too high for the door. So basically agree with the etrailer dude. But! I will say this is a very nice, durable, stable, compact, light weight rack, that is very easy to install and remove. It literally takes 60 seconds. Best of luck with your research.

Denise D.

8/16/2026

@Josh Josh, thank you so much! With an 8 1/2 rise I should be able to install a 4" drop hitch and it will clear. I have 6 1/2 inches of clearance without the drop hitch, so I will have 10 1/2 inches with it. Thank you again, so awesome of you to get this info for me!