Bike rack material?

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I want to make a 2" hitch-mount bike rack for three bikes (figure around 100 pounds)Would steel or aluminum square tube be a better choice?  What gauge steel or aluminum?I have a 240v mig welder, 220a AC arc welder and a torch.Chris
Reply:Chris it depends on the design. I have a four bike rack and it's 16 gauge 2" square steel tube. The hanger the bikes hang on are 1/2" or 5/8" plastic coated steel rod. I'm not sure on the aluminum square tube going into the hitch may have problems with that. If you use aluminum on that part?Waldo
Reply:steel is fine or AL if that's the look your after. AL, in my opinion, is best joined by bolting.
Reply:Go with steel. It seems like every single hitch mount rack on the market is steel. Some other style racks (like strap-on racks) are made of aluminum, but the ones that are don't hold up. You have to factor in some physics here. You may only be holding 100 pounds, but its levered off the rear of your vehicle, which basically pivots even further forward. The result is when you drive down the road at 70mph and hit dips or bumps the forces on the rack are huge. Go to a bike shop and take a look at some of the racks in person to get an idea of how heavy duty they really are.Also the next most critical thing is to figure out how you will hang the bikes. If its a bunch of cheap bikes or kids bikes just make two bars that go strait back, like the first picture. This allows you to fit many different bikes in different positions. (kids bikes go on this system great upside down, for example). However if you plan on carrying nicer bikes you may want a design that does not support the bike by its frame. Like the second picture. This will also allow you to carry different shaped frames likes full suspension mountain bikes with no issues.Edit: opps pics got reversed but you get the idea. Attached ImagesLast edited by slagmatic; 05-15-2008 at 03:01 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by qaqcsteel is fine or AL if that's the look your after. AL, in my opinion, is best joined by bolting.