Here is my problem...

 

I want to put a tow hitch on my outback so I can tow my dirtbike.

 

The only available hitches for the legacy outback are Class 2, 3000 pound tow limit and 300 pound tongue weight and has a 1 1/4in reciever.

 

I would like to get a dirtbike rack which weighs about 25 pounds but it requires a class 3 hitch with a 2inx2in reciever hole.

 

Now my dirtbike weight 190 pounds, would it be safe to get an adapter for the hitch from 1 1/4in (class 2) to the 2inx2in (class 3)? I'd really rather a rack instead of a trailer. I would be well under the tongue limit for the hitch rating.

 

The rack basically looks like a platform perpendicular to the car with a square tube the plugs into the hitch.

 

Thanks,

 

edit- well i just checked the owners manual and it said the tongue weight limit was 165 pounds, even though the u haul hitch i'm getting is rated to 3000 trailer weight/300 tongue weight... So I guess there is no safe way to put my bike on a rack?

Will

Here is my problem...

 

I want to put a tow hitch on my outback so I can tow my dirtbike.

 

The only available hitches for the legacy outback are Class 2, 3000 pound tow limit and 300 pound tongue weight and has a 1 1/4in reciever.

 

I would like to get a dirtbike rack which weighs about 25 pounds but it requires a class 3 hitch with a 2inx2in reciever hole.

 

Now my dirtbike weight 190 pounds, would it be safe to get an adapter for the hitch from 1 1/4in (class 2) to the 2inx2in (class 3)? I'd really rather a rack instead of a trailer. I would be well under the tongue limit for the hitch rating.

 

The rack basically looks like a platform perpendicular to the car with a square tube the plugs into the hitch.

 

Thanks,

Will

 

I've got a bicycle rack that's the same way, 2" x 2" "tongue". I'm going to cut the 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 receiver off the hitch I'll eventually get and weld (or have welded) on a 2 x 2 receiver.

 

You can check the math on the tongue weight to be sure:

Assume a ball is about 6" away from the rear of the receiver opening, 300lbs x 6" = 1800 in-lbs of torque on the hitch. Now take the weight of the tray/rack plus the weight of the bike, measure the distance from the rear of the receiver opening to where the bike sits and do the math. Example:

Bike and rack, 200 lbs

Distance from receiver to bike tires, 18"

 

200lbs x 18" = 3600 in-lbs, twice what the hitch is rated for.

 

Or you can go backwards and figure out how much weight you can handle if you know the distance:

1800 in-lbs/18" = 100lbs You could only put 100 lbs 18" out from the receiver and be at the rating for tongue weight. That's not much. Might need to figure out a way to beef up the hitch. I might have to just for my bike rack after doing this math.

 

Monte