# 1upUSA rack sit even on your hitch?



## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

I finally got a chance to put my rack on my hitch today. I noticed that one of the trays sits a tad lower than the other one. My bumper is straight, so it's not a crooked bumper. Maybe I'm just being a little picky, but this bothers me.

I want to return it for an exchange, but this is actually an exchange rack because the first one had a defective locking lever (blue) and it rattled. But that rack at least sat even on my hitch, whether it was folded up or down. So I know it's not my hitch or car making the rack look uneven.

Need feedback from you guys. Is this normal?

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## briantortilla (Jun 18, 2009)

Take a picture for us please. Mine is straight as far as I can tell.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

briantortilla said:


> Take a picture for us please. Mine is straight as far as I can tell.


1st pic. This is the first rack, but the blue lever was rubbing the tray when locking it in place. Plus it was very tight. Returned for anonter rack. As you can see, it sits pretty even on the hitch.

2nd and 3rd pics. Here is the second rack folded up and down. Notice that the driver-side tray is lower.

This really irks me.










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## mbmb65 (Jan 13, 2004)

You can move the tray if you’d like. Now I have a question for you: why did you block your tag? I’ve always wondered why people do that. I mean, you drive around with it all day long, right? Why block it in a photograph? I’m genuinely curious. 


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

mbmb65 said:


> You can move the tray if you'd like. Now I have a question for you: why did you block your tag? I've always wondered why people do that. I mean, you drive around with it all day long, right? Why block it in a photograph? I'm genuinely curious.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


 you mean adjust the wheel trays? I tried that, but I think the unevenness is something that I really can't fix.

I dunno, everyone does it! I got nothing to hide 

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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

There's been at least one other post asking this question, so you're not the only one. Mine also tilts a bit. I assume it has to do with tolerances of how the ball-thingey interacts with the internal corner of the hitch tube.


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## sgtjim57 (Aug 14, 2009)

deleted


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## daseolhan (Apr 29, 2020)

djork said:


> 1st pic. This is the first rack, but the blue lever was rubbing the tray when locking it in place. Plus it was very tight. Returned for anonter rack. As you can see, it sits pretty even on the hitch.
> 
> 2nd and 3rd pics. Here is the second rack folded up and down. Notice that the driver-side tray is lower.
> 
> ...


What did you end up doing? Did you get a replacement? I have the same issue with my new 1UP Super Duty bike rack. It looks like the weld between the bar and the rack itself is misaligned.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Mine also sits a little cockeyed. I like symmetry so this misalignment bugs me but I seem to have come to live with it.


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## daseolhan (Apr 29, 2020)

Nat said:


> Mine also sits a little cockeyed. I like symmetry so this misalignment bugs me but I seem to have come to live with it.


I contacted 1UP. They said I could return it or they can send a replacement hitch bar. I went with the replacement hitch bar and they told me it should arrive in 5 business days.


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## mph65k (Nov 22, 2020)

I know this thread is old, but was wondering if you were able to get this resolved. Mine also has a crooked hitch bar. 1Up sent me a new one and it has the same issue, though maybe slightly less crooked. I knew it would be crooked just from looking at it though. Going to try again with 1up I guess since that tilt just bugs me. Hopefully they will verify before sending. Makes me wonder if this is a widespread issue, or people either don't notice or don't care.


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## tkblazer (Sep 18, 2005)

I usually will tightened the rack a little and then wiggle it real quick to make sure it sits square in the hitch and then proceed to tightened and lock the rack on. Works perfect every time. When I don’t make sure it’s square is when it sits crooked like that in both 2” or 1 1/4” receivers


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## Rackguy (Mar 23, 2011)

You also have to consider that hitches for cars a made to haul trailers and not bike racks, they don't have swiss watch precision. They are loaded into a jig by hand with enough tolerance for all the parts to fit easily. 1mm - 2mm of gap between parts along with the heat from welding will deform them just enough to be crooked and straightness really doesn't matter if you're towing a trailer.


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## jimglassford (Jun 17, 2018)

Rackguy, excellent point. My Thule rack sits on an angle in the hitch on my car and level in the hitch on my truck. If you think the rack was welded on an angle, put the rack on a few different vehicles.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Rackguy said:


> You also have to consider that hitches for cars a made to haul trailers and not bike racks, they don't have swiss watch precision. They are loaded into a jig by hand with enough tolerance for all the parts to fit easily. 1mm - 2mm of gap between parts along with the heat from welding will deform them just enough to be crooked and straightness really doesn't matter if you're towing a trailer.


And every single hitch I've installed has wiggle room on all the mounting bolts. Which is why my 1up sits cattywompus and the left side is closer to the bumper than the right.


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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

Since this post came back, I'll give an update to anyone interested or might have the same issue.

I was able to fix the "tilt" by using a shim I made. I went to Hobby Lobby and got an aluminum sheet .016" in thickness. You might need a thicker sheet depending on your hitch. The sheet is 4in x 10in in size, and using an exacto knife I cut strips of 4" x 1" and at one end I bent 4mm 90-deg. The 1 inch width is measured from the inside of my Draw-Tite 1 1/4 hitch receiver to make it fit perfectly inside.

If you want to be precise or OCD about things, first insert the 1up into the hitch and as you slowly tighten the rack on the hitch watch where it shifts (to the left or right?) to help you determine which side you should place the shim inside the receiver.

This resolved the tilt of my 1up on my hitch. I only use one shim. But you might need to use 2, or use a thicker metal sheet. The shims are so easy to make that I made a couple more in case the one I have installed flattens or wears out from repeated insertion of the rack into the hitch. If you leave your rack on your car on an almost permanent basis, then there's no need to worry about the shim wearing out or being bent by accident.

I have to give props to 1up for stellar customer service. When I had issue with the first rack, which sat even on my hitch but one of the locking blue lever was stuck, they exchanged it promptly. When I got the second rack, it sat tilted and I explained the issue. Again, they exchanged it with no hassle. With the third rack, the tilt was there, and although I felt like I was pestering them by now, I had to get this resolved. This time they wouldn't accept an exchange after looking into the matter. They explained it was probably my hitch. As one of the posters mentioned, hitches aren't really made with the precision that a 1up rack might require. They were polite but would not do a third exchange since they found nothing wrong with the 2nd rack I had returned due to a "tilt."

Anyway, I kept the 3rd rack and corrected the slight tilt with a shim so that it sits even or very close to it. I think the tilt is just the nature of the hitch receiver and not the 1up rack. Their racks are really top notch, and I usually recommend it to fellow bikers.










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## djork (Nov 8, 2004)

tkblazer said:


> I usually will tightened the rack a little and then wiggle it real quick to make sure it sits square in the hitch and then proceed to tightened and lock the rack on. Works perfect every time. When I don't make sure it's square is when it sits crooked like that in both 2" or 1 1/4" receivers


That's a smart idea. You're referring to the ball inside the rack stem (not sure what you call it) that presses against the inside of the hitch receiver, correct?

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## SDM44 (Apr 17, 2015)

My 2" Super Duty Double rack just shipped today (scheduled delivery for this Saturday), and it's a new Nov 2020 build as I placed the order back on Nov 1. I'll see how it aligns on my 2012 Honda Pilot factory hitch.

My old Thule Apex XT rack always lined up perfectly and perpendicular with the rear tailgate & bumper. Never once had an issue of it sitting or looking crooked on the car, and it uses a similar hitch mounting system like the 1UP (Thule uses an expander plate for their anti-rattle device, while 1UP uses a ball). I'll use that to gauge just how straight the current 1UP rack mounts to my truck.

Finally, I can now get rid of this thing!


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## jgdblue (Apr 24, 2015)

I think my 1up has a slight tilt, but it honestly does not bother me a bit. I think it has to do with tightening the little ball after it's slid into the hitch, and the fact that the hitch opening is a bit bigger, which it obviously has to be.

I have literally put thousands of miles on my rack on many different vehicles over the last couple of years, and I absolutely love it. Any little bit of tilt is of no issue whatsoever to me.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

A slight tilt only bothers me slightly. Having the rack constantly loosen up at the hitch on rough roads annoys me greatly.


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## SDM44 (Apr 17, 2015)

Got my 1UP Super Duty Double rack earlier this week but finally had time to unbox it this weekend and try it out.

It sits level on my Honda Pilot and looks perfect. I took it on & off a few times and made sure that was the case. Like my Thule rack, I just slightly wiggle the rack while I'm tightening the ball so it locks up evenly and tight.


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

SDM44 said:


> Got my 1UP Super Duty Double rack earlier this week but finally had time to unbox it this weekend and try it out.
> 
> It sits level on my Honda Pilot and looks perfect. I took it on & off a few times and made sure that was the case. Like my Thule rack, I just slightly wiggle the rack while I'm tightening the ball so it locks up evenly and tight.


Nice rig. I drove an Odyssey when my CR-V was in the shop and was _very_ impressed, especially at the acceleration!

What kind of mileage per gallon are you getting?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

SDM44 said:


> Like my Thule rack, I just slightly wiggle the rack while I'm tightening the ball so it locks up evenly and tight.


I do that maneuver too but my rack loosens after awhile, especially if I drive on a rough road. Washboard roads will loosen mine after only a couple of miles. I found a shim attachment online that I might buy next summer. Let me know if yours holds tight even after driving on rough roads.


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