Show me your Hitch Racks

[wcnST]

Show me your hitch racks for your bikes if you ride. I mountain bike a lot and have a really nice hitch carrier that I am hoping will work out ok with the Fiesta ST.

 

[sonicmn]

Show me your hitch racks for your bikes if you ride. I mountain bike a lot and have a really nice hitch carrier that I am hoping will work out ok with the Fiesta ST.

I have a Saris Freedom Superclamp (an original one before they folded up) that I just put the longer beam on for my new bike. Since the wheelbase is 4 in longer than my older bikes. It's crazy how long trail bikes have gotten.

It's light, easy to setup, fast to throw bikes on, and quick to install.

My car is on Swift springs and B8 dampers, so about 1in lower than stock. I have very little issues with dragging on anything other than steep driveways if I don't turn 45 deg when meeting the road.

Sorry for the weird pics, I was fitting the bike in the garage before I got the longer beam for the rack.

Good luck with your setup!

 

[thecman02]

Thule t2 rack. I've used it for 8 years now on two different cars it works better on the fiesta than my other car. I can fold it up when the bike isn't on..

 

[SPhilli911]

Hitch is a Curt with 1.25" receiver and rack is RockyMounts MonoRail Solo (also have the version of the same rack that carries two bikes). Works great even with Cobb catback exhaust and the car is slightly lowered.

 

[wcnST]

So no one has had any weird problems or having to cut anything to install your hitch? I have a 1up rack and now need a hitch on my FIST.

 

[sonicmn]

So no one has had any weird problems or having to cut anything to install your hitch? I have a 1up rack and now need a hitch on my FIST.

The only issue I had was needing to change the rear 2 exhaust hangers to a more solid urethane option as the factory soft hangers allowed the muffler to bang into the portion of the hitch that goes up and over the exhaust at the back. Changing these keeps the rear of the exhaust more solidly located in the back and prevents it from wiggling to much.

I used Cobb hangers, but the Woosh ones should work as well. the factory ones do work, but I would hear a "dong dong dong" sound of the muffler hitting things as I went over bumps.

 

[SPhilli911]

So no one has had any weird problems or having to cut anything to install your hitch? I have a 1up rack and now need a hitch on my FIST.

No issues here, but I have a Cobb exhaust so may be different for OEM or other exhausts. I didn't have to cut or anything like that with my hitch. The hitch does fit very snuggly against one of the exhaust hangers (using Cobb hangers too), though, but makes no sounds whatsoever when driving.

 

[Joosshh]

Love seeing fellow MTB'rs who drive the Fiesta. I have the Curt Manufacturing 1 1/4" Trailer Hitch and paired it with a 1Up USA Quick Rack single. My bike has changed a bit since taking that photo. I need to get an updated one. I did install Cobb exhaust hangers to prevent the exhaust from moving around a bit. I also cut a section of the heat shield just to be safe.

Being able to use a hitch was one of the reasons why I chose the Fiesta. I was getting so tired of having to take the front wheel off the bike and either shoving it in the trunk of my old Honda Accord or using the Sea Sucker roof mount. So much better

 

[wcnST]

Perfect thank you everyone!

 

[Wiring3826]

Bumping this old thread instead of creating a new one. I'm a potential new ST owner and would reeeeaaally like to install a Class III 2" trailer hitch on this car to use with my 1up bike rack. Unfortunately all of my searching online leads me to believe that only 1.25" hitches are offered for this car.

Anybody here know of a 2" option? And can anyone comment as to the rigidity of the 1.25" option loaded with 2 MTBs?

I had a 1.25" hitch on our Impreza and it quite a bit with 2 bikes loaded up. Most of the motion came from the hitch itself swaying laterally due to the thin wall sections between the cross-tube and where it mounted to the frame. Looking at the only option on etrailer for the Fiesta hatch, it looks like it would exhibit the same exact problem.

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Ford/Fiesta/2016/C11067.html?VehicleID=2016304239

 

[sonicmn]

Bumping this old thread instead of creating a new one. I'm a potential new ST owner and would reeeeaaally like to install a Class III 2" trailer hitch on this car to use with my 1up bike rack. Unfortunately all of my searching online leads me to believe that only 1.25" hitches are offered for this car.

Anybody here know of a 2" option? And can anyone comment as to the rigidity of the 1.25" option loaded with 2 MTBs?

I had a 1.25" hitch on our Impreza and it quite a bit with 2 bikes loaded up. Most of the motion came from the hitch itself swaying laterally due to the thin wall sections between the cross-tube and where it mounted to the frame. Looking at the only option on etrailer for the Fiesta hatch, it looks like it would exhibit the same exact problem.

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Ford/Fiesta/2016/C11067.html?VehicleID=2016304239

I don't know that the "frame" of the car is stiff enough to put a class III 2" hitch on it. I have the setup seen above with the molten orange car and the blue Trek (1.25" Curt hitch).

With a single bike there is very little "wobble" however when you add a second bike it does increase, and the rack more noticeably bounces when going down the freeway due to both wind and cracks/bumps in the road which can lead to a resonant bounce if it all is timed just right where the car will have a noticeable bounce for a short duration until it is deadened, often by speeding up/slowing down slightly.

I really don't think that a 4 bike rack work well on the car due to the low ride height and lack of rigidity (I don't think that's what you are looking for however, but I don't see it mentioned, usually 4 bike racks use a 2" hitch)

 

[Wiring3826]

I don't know that the "frame" of the car is stiff enough to put a class III 2" hitch on it. I have the setup seen above with the molten orange car and the blue Trek (1.25" Curt hitch).

With a single bike there is very little "wobble" however when you add a second bike it does increase, and the rack more noticeably bounces when going down the freeway due to both wind and cracks/bumps in the road which can lead to a resonant bounce if it all is timed just right where the car will have a noticeable bounce for a short duration until it is deadened, often by speeding up/slowing down slightly.

I really don't think that a 4 bike rack work well on the car due to the low ride height and lack of rigidity (I don't think that's what you are looking for however, but I don't see it mentioned, usually 4 bike racks use a 2" hitch)

Appreciate the insight. There's no way I'd try to load 4 bikes on the Fiesta, I just like the extra rigidity provided by a 2" hitch and rack.

I may also look into a roof-mounted solution. A couple of 1-up roof rack trays + rhino rack might be decent, though obviously at the expense of gas mileage and ease of loading.

 

[sonicmn]

Appreciate the insight. There's no way I'd try to load 4 bikes on the Fiesta, I just like the extra rigidity provided by a 2" hitch and rack.

I may also look into a roof-mounted solution. A couple of 1-up roof rack trays + rhino rack might be decent, though obviously at the expense of gas mileage and ease of loading.

Yea the loading is more challenging with a roof rack, the biggest thing I've seen with bikes on the roof is people forgetting and driving in to the garage and wrecking the bike, rack, and car roof depending on the speed.

 

[rallytaff]

I have a Saris Freedom Superclamp (an original one before they folded up) that I just put the longer beam on for my new bike. Since the wheelbase is 4 in longer than my older bikes. It's crazy how long trail bikes have gotten.

It's light, easy to setup, fast to throw bikes on, and quick to install.

My car is on Swift springs and B8 dampers, so about 1in lower than stock. I have very little issues with dragging on anything other than steep driveways if I don't turn 45 deg when meeting the road.

Sorry for the weird pics, I was fitting the bike in the garage before I got the longer beam for the rack.

Good luck with your setup! View attachment 54171 View attachment 54172 View attachment 54173 View attachment 54174

Don't go down any narrow one lane roads!

 

[rallytaff]

I found it easier, quicker, cheaper and safer to take the front wheel off and put everything inside the car!

 

[Wiring3826]

Yea the loading is more challenging with a roof rack, the biggest thing I've seen with bikes on the roof is people forgetting and driving in to the garage and wrecking the bike, rack, and car roof depending on the speed.

Yep, I briefly had a roof rack solution and was very cognizant of driving into the garage with the bikes still up there!

I found it easier, quicker, cheaper and safer to take the front wheel off and put everything inside the car!

Hah, that's fair. There are times when my wife and I want to ride together, and/or we need to travel with 2 bikes + kiddo in the backseat, so not always a viable solution. But definitely something to keep in mind for the single bike days.

 

[rallytaff]

Something I didn't have to worry about, kids and and a wife that can't ride a bike!

 

[wcnST]

I have the 1up rack and just use an enlarger to go from the small hitch to the 2". Works fine.

 

[Intuit]

I'd like to have a hitch installed but are worried about introducing more avenues for rust on the Fiesta frame/body.

Have you all done anything special, regarding rust prevention?

 

[Wiring3826]

I'd like to have a hitch installed but are worried about introducing more avenues for rust on the Fiesta frame/body.

Have you all done anything special, regarding rust prevention?

Are you worried about the hitch rubbing on the frame/body where it mounts, and exposing bare metal? Or the hitch itself rusting?

For the former, I've used fluid film or wool wax spray to protect from rust on my vehicles. It can seep into all the nooks and crannies, and as long as it doesn't get constantly blasted by road grime (e.g. wheel wells) or pressure washed, it lasts for many years.

For the latter, I also spray down any non-touch surfaces of my hitches with fluid film. Inside the receiver tube also helps prevent bike tracks or tow balls from getting stuck. But in the end the hitch receiver rusting is kind of inevitable IMO. The paint/powdercoat on those always seems to flake off eventually.