How to mount a bike rack on your car

If you want to carry your bike along for those holidays or just a ride in the park you will need a bike rack that can be attached to your car. Read on for some tips on how to get that rack you bought on your car.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bicycle Rack/Carrier
• 3M clear tape

1. Buy the appropriate bike rack that fits your car type. Most racks allow fittings for compact, suv and trucks. Read the details on box or check with the store if in doubt. Remember most stores wont help you fit the rack to your car so select one that will be convenient for you to attach and detach to your car. Truck mounted bicycle racks/carriers are the most popular among most bike entusiasts.

2. 
   mounted angle of the 2 arms

   Assemble the rack to the proper angle:
   A truck mounted bicycle rack is easy to attach to your car. The first step is to adjust the upper and lower support arms. The smaller arm goes to the top and longer arm to the bottom. Make sure they are angled upward at approx 15-18 degrees. The idea is to have the arms angled to each other look like a wide V rather than a L. You can do this by first losening the knob on each side push the arms to form that angle and then tighten the knobs.

3. 
   Hook position

   Identify where hooks will make contact and stick tape:
   Now place the rack on the car trunk/hatch. The 2 upper belts with the hooks beside the smaller top arm will get hooked to the top or leading edge of the trunk/hatch such that they form a straight line. Similarly the 2 side hooks and 2 lower hooks should be hooked to the side and lower edge of the trunk/hatch. Identify the areas where the hooks will make contact with the trunk/hatch and cover that part with a clear 3M tape. This will prevent any scratches to your car paint.

4. Once you have the tape in place the hooks in the right positions and ticgten the belts. Note For the side hooks be careful not to place the hook on vinyl (back lights). If you cannot make the side hooks to clamp to the metal, you may want to tie the hooks on the inside of the trunk/hatch. If the hooks at the lower edge of the trunk wont clamp you may try to hook them to the lower part of your bumper. This would usually be the case for trucks or hatch backs.

5. Now that all the hooks are in place make sure all bets are tight and that the rack is sturdy. Try applying some pressure to the top of the rack and tighten the belts again to make sure you have a perfect assembly.
   
   It is also a good time to check the instruction manual that came along with the carrier to confirm the above assembly. The above instructions are for the most common bike carriers, but may not suit all types. Refering your instruction manual is a must before starting the assembly and making sure every part and belt is in the correct position.

Tips & Warnings

• Always make sure the belts are not touching any sharp objects that might cut the belts.
• Always check if the belts are worn out or any lose ends near the hooks.
• Always follow the instruction manual that came along with your bike carrier to make sure you have the correct assembly.