Trailer Hitch and Bike Rack Recommendation for 2025 Ford Bronc OBX w/Spare Tire

Updated 11/11/2026 | Published 11/05/2026

Products Featured in This Question

TowSmart Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

(46)

$196.22

Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Wheel Mount

(174)

$899.95

2 Bike Add-On for Thule T2 Pro XTB for 2" Hitches - Black

(7)

$649.95

Question:

I have a 2025 OBX 4 dr Bronco with spare and camera on the back. I wanted to get a hitch for a bike rack that can expand from 2 to 3 or 4. What are the best options for hitch and bike rack?

asked by: Peter L

Expert Reply:

Hi Peter,

For a trailer hitch, I definitely recommend going with the TowSmart 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver part # TS46VR. It'll bolt directly to the frame with no drilling involved, the only thing you may need to do is loosen the rear bumper bolts if your vehicle has an extra bracket to get enough clearance to remove them. The best part about this hitch though is that it was designed with the spare tire on the back in mind, the receiver tube is longer than the others to reach past the spare tire on the back without having to use an extension. This is super important because an extension cuts your tongue weight and towing capacity by 50%; your Bronco is rated for 350lbs of tongue weight and 3,500lbs towing. That would be reduced down to 175lbs if you needed an extension which would severely limit how many bikes and what type of bike you can carry. The hitch itself is rated for more than the Bronco, but you're limited by the Bronco's capacities and cannot exceed them for safety reasons.

For an expandable bike, I recommend getting the Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack part # TH83JV. It fits tires that are up to 5" wide, handles up to 60lbs per bike, and you'll have 16" to 18" of clearance from where it fits into the hitch to the first bike wheel tray. With the extra-long TowSmart receiver, that should be enough clearance to use the rack without needing an extension. The Thule T2 Pro XTR part # TH83JV is a two-bike rack and a two-bike extension, the 2-Bike Add-On for Thule T2 Pro XTB and XTR part # TH9036XT is also available so you can carry up to four bikes at a time. The Thule T2 Pro XTR weighs 52lbs and the add-on weighs 44lbs, bringing the total weight to 96lbs for the bike rack with 254lbs of weight still available to account for the bikes.

What kind of bikes are you planning on carrying?

expert reply by: Claire H

TowSmart Hitch TS46VR on Bronco w/Spare Tire
(click to enlarge)

Peter L.

11/6/2026

Just 2 adult bikes and 2 kids bikes, so I need a tray that can handle 20" tires. No e-bikes. How does the Thule pro compare to a less expensive rack like the Yakima hold-on ?

Claire H.

11/6/2026

@PeterL Both Thule and Yakima make excellent bike racks! I tend to lean towards to Thule because I like the features of it; it has wheels, so you don't have to carry it around, it has a tool-free AutoAttach system with a built-in anti-rattle, and fits longer wheelbases.

Peter L.

11/9/2026

Will the Thule T2 Pro and Yakima HoldOn clear my spare time with the TowSmart 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver?

Claire H.

11/10/2026

@PeterL You will need to take measurements to determine how much clearance you need for the tire. The TowSmart hitch by itself extends out 7 1/2" from the hitch pin hole to help get past the tire. But you'll need to know how far the spare tire sticks out to determine how much more distance you need from there. For the Thule T2 Pro, it's 20.5" from the hitch pin hole to the closest part of the rack. For the Yakima HoldUp, it's 12" from the hitch pin hole to the first bike rack tray. Based on that, the Thule T2 will give you more clearance, but you don't want the rack to extend out excessively if you don't need it to clear the spare tire.

Rob R.

11/9/2026

If you are still on the fence on this receiver hitch, I can tell you we have had iinstalled on two Broncos, a 2023 Big Bend and a 2026 Badlands. Used it with a Thule 2-bike rack and a Kuat 2-bike rack, carrying 2 e-bikes about 55 lbs each. No problems at all. The features we wanted were a good tongue weight capacity, and the length so it sticks out under the spare tire. Simple install, but I still had my guy at the trailer place do it. The one on the 2023 bronco went all lover the country towed behind our RV. If or when we upgrade from our 2026, we will put the same receiver on that also. We do not have any complaints at all. I'm sure I could put a bigger bike rack and 4 e-bikes on this, too.

Claire H.

11/10/2026

@RobR Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the hitch! It's good to hear that it for sure extends out past your spare tire so we know that others won't need to use an extension with this hitch. Does the Thule T2 give you plenty of clearance once it's in the hitch?

Rob R.

11/11/2026

@Claire We don't have the Thule anymore, but we don'thave any problem with the Kuat brand rack. The receiver protrudes out past the rear bumper, but not out past the spare tire. That makes it easy to secure a rack or draw bar to the receiver without having to reach under the car bumper.

Claire H.

11/11/2026

@RobR Even if the receiver tube doesn't totally clear the spare tire, I'm glad it's still out far enough you can use the bike rack without an extension. You're totally right that having a longer receiver makes it easier to get the bike rack installed and the hitch pin in too, I didn't think about that initially but it's a great feature too. Thank you so much for sharing your set up and experience with us! It helps a lot so I can help others in the same situation know what to expect.