How to Assemble a Thule Bike Rack

Thule manufactures a variety of bike racks to meet the needs of people with different types of vehicles. Thule creates bike racks made for vehicles with rear mounted spare tires or vehicles with roof mounted racks to name just a few. This allows biking enthusiasts to easily mount bicycles to many different vehicle models and travel to their favorite biking trail. Nearly anyone can install a Thule bike rack on a vehicle in no time at all.

Things You'll Need

  • Lug nut wrench or tire iron
  • Allen wrench set
  • Flathead Screwdriver
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Instructions

  1. Rear Tire Mounted Bicycle Rack

    • 1

      Remove all lug nuts from the rear spare tire with the lug wrench and take the tire off the vehicle.

    • 2

      Place the mounting plate on the lug screws with the cut-out portion of the plate positioned at the top or bottom, but not the sides.

    • 3

      Place the spare tire back onto the lug screws before screwing the lug nuts tight with the lug wrench. The mounting plate tube should now be protruding from the center of the rear spare tire.

    • 4

      Slide the bicycle rack unit onto the mounting plate tube in the middle of the rear spare tire.

    • 5

      Screw the washer and the knob onto the mounting plate tube and tighten the knob.

    • 6

      Loosen the side knobs of the bicycle rack and extend the rack's arms out and parallel to the ground.

    • 7

      Tighten the side knobs heavily before loading your bicycles and securing them with the straps.

    Roof Mounted Bicycle Rack

    • 8

      Open the cover of the rack's locking mechanism.

    • 9

      Remove the lock plug from the locking mechanism with the flat-head screwdriver.

    • 10

      Insert the bicycle rack lock into the locking mechanism.

    • 11

      Place the two carriage bolts into the washer plate.

    • 12

      Slide the washer plate with the carriage bolts into the channel under the wheel tray of the bicycle carrier. The washer plate should slide into the end of the wheel tray opposite from the locking mechanism.

    • 13

      Slide the bicycle strap into the channel under the wheel tray behind the washer plate.

    • 14

      Raise the tab of the wheel tray end cap before sliding the end cap onto the wheel tray.

    • 15

      Attach the bicycle rack to the rear roof mount by screwing the other washer plate and knobs onto the bottom of the carriage bolts.

    • 16

      Tighten the u-bolt under the locking mechanism to the front roof mount with an Allen wrench. Remember to put the washers under the round nuts that the Allen wrench fits into inside the locking mechanism.