Nearly FREE Mountain Bike Truckrack

I recently saw a mountain bike mounted in the back of a Toyota Tacoma with a very simple bike rack. It looked very easy to build so I gave it a try. It works Great! Bikes stay vertical in the back of the truck and allows you to put other camping equipment in the back. I actually built two of these and have used them for a couple of years, all made from extra steel I had laying around in the garage.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Supplies

The materials include 1 inch bar stock (24 inches), rebar (5/16 inch by 12 inches), 1/4 x20 bolt (2), 1/4 x 20 threaded handle (2), 1 inch thick hard plastic (I had leftovers) but you could use wood or 3D print it (for the "cradle" to the bike, and two hard rubber bungee cords.

The main piece is a piece of 1 inch steel bar stock. I cut it into 4 pieces. 2 were 8 inches long, the other 2 were 2 inches long. The remaining piece I cut into a 1/2 inch by 2 inch long section. I also cut a 8 inch section of rebar. The materials are presented in photo 2. Additional materials are are displayed in the remaining photos. This will be everything required to build two pieces, which is required to hold 1 bicycle.

Step 1: Build the Main Vertical Piece

First step was to bend over the 8 inch section of bar stock. Not necessarily sure if this is absolutely required, but I wanted to stiffen the interface between the rebar and the bar stock so that it didn't twist from any torque from the bike. I didn't heat it, I just put it into the vice, used a cheater and bent it, then put the bend in the vice and closed it to finish the bend. There might have been a big hammer in there as well, just to close it up.

Step 2: Drill the Hole and Weld It Together

The first order of business was to drill a hole in the doubled over piece, big enough to fit the rebar through.

I did grind down the rebar with an angle grinder, and then finished it on a belt sander. The goal is to get one end to a semi point. You will see why a little bit later.

The set up of the parts should be evident in the third picture, and then weld them all together.

Step 3: Bike Interface

I had a block of plastic (I am not sure why I had it, but that is the benefit of being a hoarder :-) ) I cut it on the band saw so that it fit on the front fork. The other one is cut to fit on the downtube going to the rear wheel. It should fit the profile of those two tubes.

The 4th photo shows a 5/16 inch hole on the bottom of the vertical stock. This 1/2 inch piece will ride in the "track" of the Tacoma, and will be held in by the 1/4 inch bolt and knob.

Step 4: Final Assembly

Hopefully the pictures show what the final assembly looks like.

Take the hooks out of the bungee cord. Drill or punch holes at about 1 inch intervals from one end to about the midpoint. Take the factory end, and slide it over the long side of the rebar (photo 2).

Photo 3 shows how it connects to the vehicle. Slide the welded bolt down the track to a position perpendicular to the front fork, and the second to the down tube. Fit the remaining parts in the outside of the track, so the bolt goes through the 5/16 inch hole, and screw on the knob.

To secure the bike, place the bike against the plastic "cradles", wrap the bungees around the frame, and then pull it back to the pointed end of the rebar and work it through the holes that you punched through the bungee. This will secure the bike in place. The last photo shows what it should look like (minus the bike).

Now get out there and go ride!

Step 5: