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Reducing my 3" Super Duty hitch for a 2" bike rack without wobble

bike racks ford superduty

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#1 bikezest

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Posted 04 June 2020 - 11:15 PM

I have an F350 with the 3" hitch opening. I also have a Rocky Mounts Backstage swing away two bike hitch rack that is a thing of beauty. The issue is that the supplied bolt from Rocky Mounts is for a 2" receiver and doesn't reach far enough through the 3" hitch when using the Ford 2 step down reducers to get to the two-inch opening. You also cannot use a standard locking pin as the rack has an anti-wobble design that relies on a threaded bolt that snugs things tight.

 

I then ordered a 3" to 2" adapter that sticks out like four inches, so you have the 2" square that the hitch pin can go through. This contraption should work except for the insane about of slop! This a heavy rack with a swing-away contraption and I flat out hate slop and wiggle :-)

 

I have been searching for an anti hitch wobble device that is very common for just this type of application, but I cannot find one for the 3" hitch as that's what is wobbling so badly.

 

Anyone else solve this issue?

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

  • hitch reducer.png

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2020 Ford F350 6.7 & 2020 Hallmark Milner


#2 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 12:46 AM

On my F350, I replaced the stock hitch with a Class 4 Super Hitch.


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#3 lmwilco1

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 03:53 AM

On my F350 I made a custom reducer, it had a 3.5" 1//4" piece welded on the front so it would go into the receiver the same amount each time. The back of the adapter was closed with a 1/2" nut welded to it. This way I could insert it into the factory receiver and bolt it in tight. That removes all of the play in the mount. You can also use one of he anti wobble clamps but I am not sure how well they work.


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#4 fish more

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 04:04 AM

Ford dealer can sell you a adaptor that fits flush in the hitch receiver to reduce to 2". 


Edited by fish more, 05 June 2020 - 04:05 AM.

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#5 Beach

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 04:14 PM

I put a couple wraps of gorilla tape on the fwd end and rear of the insert temporarily while on a trip to solve the same issue but left it on permanently it worked so well. Also eliminated the rattle noise on washboard roads.


Edited by Beach, 05 June 2020 - 04:15 PM.

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#6 bikezest

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 09:51 PM

On my F350 I made a custom reducer, it had a 3.5" 1//4" piece welded on the front so it would go into the receiver the same amount each time. The back of the adapter was closed with a 1/2" nut welded to it. This way I could insert it into the factory receiver and bolt it in tight. That removes all of the play in the mount. You can also use one of he anti wobble clamps but I am not sure how well they work.

Man, I'd love to see a picture of this!


Edited by bikezest, 05 June 2020 - 09:52 PM.

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#7 lmwilco1

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Posted 05 June 2020 - 11:45 PM

Here are a couple of pictures, this is a 2.5 to 2 adapter. You can see the ring to keep the sleeve from pulling in to far and the back where there was a strap welded across with a nut so you can use a bolt to pull it all the way back and make it tight.

 
 
gallery_9945_1411_81178.jpg

 

 

 

gallery_9945_1411_132194.jpg


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#8 oldhotrod

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Posted 09 June 2020 - 04:46 AM

You could easily make your own anti wabble for the larger hitch...use a correct sized ubolt and a short piece of angle iron...https://images.app.g...vmahUymDZv7Ht37
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#9 Straitline

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Posted 11 June 2020 - 04:21 AM

I used this on my F350 hitch and works well.

Gekers 304 Stainless Steel Hitch... https://www.amazon.c...op_mob_ap_share
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#10 Mthomas

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Posted 07 July 2020 - 06:27 AM

If you know this is a permanent instal, consider welding the adaptor to the carrier. The weld should eliminate the wobble/play between multiple pieces of square tubing. In my experience, I could not eliminate the wobble between a 2 inch part, a 2-21/2 adaptor and the 2 1/2 receiver on my truck, just too much slop. It also became very challenging and cumbersome to remove carrier when I needed to.


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