Thule 963PRO Spare Me 2 Bike Spare Tire Bike Carrier, One Color, One Size

Thule always tries to think of everything and they provided all the options I needed for this to be a simple and effecient installation.I have a jeep cherokee, it has a 31" spare tire on an after market tire swing that is offset to my passenger side. Using a hitch bike rack would prevent me from accessing the rear of my jeep so I researched this carrier.Thule knows that people have different tire sizes so they have options for us. Short, Med, Long. They provide 2 different sized brackets with additional thread extenders if needed for the main support bolt.They also took into consideration vehicles, like mine, that have offset tires. I was able center this carrier on my vehicle by simply installing the unit with an option explained in the instructions. Otherwise one of my bike tires would be over extending passed the width of my truck.THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE AWESOME. Take the time to read them especially if you have an oversized tire. There is a whole bunch of stuff in the box when you open it, so read the instructions and it will tell you what each parts purpose is.There are 2 locks INCLUDED in this kit, it not only locks the carrier to your tire but at the same time it is locking your tire to your vehicle. Extra security??? why not. There is also a lock that will lock your bikes to the carrier, really sleek design on this carrier, having that built in bike lock is really nice. I'll still be using my old lock because i like to thread it through my wheels too.The carrier does not move, I loaded 2 bikes onto it and strapped them down the way the book explains. I went with the extra support from 2 brackets that snap onto the carrier brackets. No sway, the bikes don't hit eachother, it's really nice.When i take the bikes off, the carrier fold up and sits flat, you tighten it up and it doesn't rattle. And my jeep is all over the road, i feel all the bumps and don't miss any chance at driving off-road.Only thing that I will suggest for small framed bikes, or women/kids bikes is a Frame adapter. My hardtail bike has a thick upper tube and it won't fit accross the bars properly so i use a frame adapter. It's a bar that goes from your bike seat post to your front post, giving you a horizontal bar to lay over the bike carrier.Thule doesn't dissapoint, once again they impressed me. Quality product, built to last.

I've owned Thule car rack products in the past and found them to be very well made, durable, and functional, so I had no problem ordering this unit over other cheaper products as I truly believe in the adage that one gets what one pays for.I mounted this rack on the back of a 2005 Jeep Wrangler and the install was straightforward and the instructions are fairly good. The package comes with the appropriate hardware to adjust to the width of different spare tires, but you'll likely need two or more installation attempts with different combinations of hardware to get the correct setup.The rack holds two bikes and has mounting cups with tracks to accommodate gear and brake cables, which is a very nice touch. This prevents the top tube from rubbing against cables obviating damage to the finish of the bicycle. The rubber straps which strap the bike to the rack are thick, of good quality, and held up under the stress of stretching them around the appropriate tube of the bicycle. Because the unit mounts to the spare tire, or more correctly, the spare tire rack, my rear gate is fully functional and can open through its full range of motion. (I did check out hitch receiver mounted bicycle racks, but I couldn't find any that allowed full use of the rear gate without at least partial disassembly or removal.)It also comes with a locking system to lock the unit to the spare tire and a cable lock system to secure the bikes to the rack. Both locks use the same key. However, the cable is only long enough to secure the frame and not not long enough to stretch through the wheels. If you're concerned about theft of quick release wheels, you'll need to purchase a second cable lock to secure them.The rack arms that extend outward to hold the bicycles flip downward when the rack is not in use. This is handy as the rack consumes less space in this orientation and is less likely to injure a klutz like me who'd otherwise walk into them. I haven't yet gotten the hang of flipping the arms into the storage position yet and they are hard to move out of the usage position. On the other hand, this bodes well for the unit remaining sturdy over long-term use.On the downside, the unit does have a bit of a rattle to it when in the storage position even though it's tight against the tire and the arms are securely locked. This won't be a big deal for anyone with a hard top or soft top on their vehicle, but since I run with only a safari top on my Wrangler, the rattle is a bit annoying as I can hear it while I drive.I give it 5 stars for being a well made and practical bicycle rack, minus 1 star for the annoying rattle. If I could rate the unit 4 1/2 stars, I would as this is a minor downside.

I decided on the Thule bike rack for my Jeep Wrangler based on good reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. The product looked sturdy and well constructed upon arrival. The ability to customize the rack to fit a wide variety of tire and wheel combos was important since I have a lift, oversize tires (31") and aftermarket wheels with more offset than stock.The test fit went fine until I tried to disassemble. The stand off bolt, a piece designed to extend the threads of the bracket that fits behind the spare tire, came loose before the bolt that held the rack in place. No big deal. I got a long socket, took it apart and during final installation, I wanted to make sure the stand off bolt was nice and tight. I applied moderate pressure with my ratchet and sheared off the bolt. Mind you, this is the piece that holds the rack on your vehicle. It doesn't support the weight of the rack and bikes but it does accept the bolt that holds the rack tight to your tire.If you can't tighten this bolt securely without shearing it off, it could rattle loose during transport and leave your bikes in the middle of the highway or come out of the mounting bracket before the bolt that holds the rack on. The latter isn't the end of the world but the former is. The stand off bolt looked like cheap cast metal. I do a lot of mechanical work and only cheap bolts and fasteners that aren't properly hardened or forged break this easily. There are cheaper racks on Amazon but I went with the name brand. I returned the rack, I flat don't trust it even with a replacement part, and will buy different brand now.