Hitch Receiver size

My 2008 Tacoma has its original stock hitch. When manually measuring the receivers width with a ruler, I measure 2 1/8 inches. I am not finding much online about that size of receiver. I am trying to mount a Yakima double down bike rack to my hitch, I have purchased the 2" hitch receiver adapter but it still does not fit my hitch well. Its loose and unstable swaying back and forth. Any suggestions?

 

Some people drill a hole in each side of the receiver, weld/braze a nut on, then tighten a bolt thru each side to hold device/draw bar in place.

 

There are two receiver sizes. 2" and 1 1/4". Our trucks come with 2". Mostly 1 1/4" receivers are for smaller cars. I had a 1 1/4" on my Matrix and used a Thule T2 bike rack on it. There was some flop. If there was a perfect mate between receiver and ball mount (or rack) it would be a pain to get it installed. So there's some play. Sounds like maybe you have a 2" adapter (which probably introduces some flop) and then a 1 1/4" hitch (with its flop).

If you have more than a foot of side-to-side, I might worry about it. I'd create some shims maybe, especially between the adapter and the truck's actual receiver. But if it's just flopping 6-8" I wouldn't worry about it. Once you're rolling down the road the wind will pretty much keep it behind you.

 

I think the comment above - about the oversize opening in the factory hitch (2-1/8) - is a valid statement. If I don't stick some rubber over the male insert (like a slice of bicycle inner tube) - it rattles like crazy.

 

A while back I had a Chevy Blazer with a 2" receiver hitch that was tight and I put a bike rack in it. Over a period of a year it metal welded together and when i went to sell it I couldn't get it out, and I tried everything including sledge hammers. My 2015 Tacoma hitch is loose with my Reese weight distributing hitch, but I can get it in and out without a struggle. I saw once upon a time one with a plastic sleeve on it, similar to the inner tube thing, you might try to find one of those.

 

You can buy a device that reduces the amount of rattle. You have a 2" receiver and they are all that size, a little bit loose- it's by design. With trailers it doesn't matter much but yes, with those receiver mount bike racks the play is annoying.
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Accessories-sf-Anti~Rattle.aspx

 

It's really a better idea to take stuff out of your receiver when you aren't using it. When I had a hitch rack I would put it on when I wanted to take bikes somewhere, and when I was done I spent the 90 seconds it took to remove and put in the shed. Rust happens. If it hadn't rusted into the receiver the rack itself could have gotten rusty.

I do not understand why people who only pull a trailer occasionally (or never) leave their ball mounts in the receiver. Recipe for smacking a shin really hard, and if you aren't using it you're just exposing it to the elements. Same with roof racks, except they are also impacting gas mileage (not so much on trucks). Here in CO people tend to buy a ski rack for their cars and then just leave them on there forever. Go skiing 10 or 15 times a year, the other 350 days you're getting as much as 2 mpg less than what the car is capable of. My roof rack took 5 minutes to install/remove. Can't understand why these folks don't just take them off when the season is over.

But that's just like, my opinion man.

 

Yeah, @ColoradoTom, you're right. But it's such a PITA pulling the rack out, finding someplace to set it that sticky fingers don't find it and just install it right back in the next day. Meh. Good thing the 1Up I run is all aluminum (which does /not/ like mag chloride, though).

 

Well if it's going to be used tomorrow, sure, that's different. But if it's February, it hasn't seen a bike since October, and it's not likely to see one until western slope trips start in April...

I live in a place where theft is an anomaly, and I have a locking garage. So it's easy for me to say. But still, my opinion stands.

 

Just yanking your chain, Tom. I actually do remove it if it's going to be more than a day or two. I did neglect it a year or two ago after spending the holidays in Arizona with her family and the mag-chloride started creating a super bond between the aluminum bar and steel in the receiver.

 

A HA! You are Dave A. Your sig gave it away. A Rhygin and a Gunnar? And a KLR? And you live in N CO though you once lived in Denver. I have cracked the code.

How's Kristen doing? Didn't know you got a REEB. Those are the bomb.

EDIT: I can't put my pedal bikes in the sig. Too many.

 

Yeah @ColoradoTom, we're just a couple of secret agents, aren't we?

I've been clearing out bike junk for a few years now, that's almost a complete list even. I need to streamline between the Rhygin/Gunnar/REEB triad and the obvious choice is the Rhygin, being 26", no discs and really quite small for me. But it's just so unique so it remains as a Frankentownie.

I'm a sucker for steel I guess.

 

I leave my 1" rise in from late winter to fall because I tow my boat often. In the fall I put in my 3-1/4' drop to pull my utility trailer and ATV and to protect my trailer light receptacle when running the ranch roads where I hunt. I use to always take it out until I busted the trailer light receptacle one weekend. Also protects me from a minor hit in the rear which happens on a regular basis around here. Other people (like ex wife) might bust their shin on it but I know it is there. I also use it to get in and out of the bed when I wash the roof. Plus I have a lock on it and it is a little bit of a pain to take it off. The whole trucks sits out in the elements. The hitch is my least concern about being in the elements.

 

Know several people that leave the shank/ball in place for a little extra protection if rear-ended. Have seen a couple of punctured radiators from this.

 

I hate the hitch receiver rattling around with the ball mount.
I used a plastic with adhesive on back side.
Picture frame shops use rubber bump-ons on the bottom corners of picture frames,
Keeps the picture from sliding around on the wall.
What's left over is a rubber sheet with holes in it, has adhesive on back.
The framers discard this portion as not useful....
It's a 1/16 inch thick and is perfect for wrapping around the receiver.
Snug fit and no more rattle!

 

I just wrapped my hitch in some electrical tape and it stopped the rattle. Takes some trial and error, but ended up getting it perfect.

 

Duct tape would be a go to....

 

i have a thule t2 rack i use on my truck, it sways around more than i would like it to. i was thinking of just drilling and tapping a spot for a bolt to basically act like a set screw for the extra slack in it.