Bike Rack Problem

The clamp which goes round the top tube will not open when you turn the lock knob. One is fully closed, the other is open about an inch. It is over a year since we last used it. We have been using a tow bar rack, but are in the New Forest & have to transport our Granddaughter’s bike home & did not bring the tow bar rack.

audio2 said:

The clamp which goes round the top tube will not open when you turn the lock knob. One is fully closed, the other is open about an inch. It is over a year since we last used it. We have been using a tow bar rack, but are in the New Forest & have to transport our Granddaughter’s bike home & did not bring the tow bar rack.

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Most likely bolt has seized in the locked position. If the knob is locked, it should spin freely. If unlocked, you should feel resistance when trying to undo. You may need to apply some brute force and WD40 to free it up. To prevent this from happening in future it's a good idea to periodically grease the threads with anti-seize or copper grease.

The knob is unlocked & can be turned anti-clockwise relatively easily but the clamp stays in the same position even if you try to force it apart.

audio2 said:

The knob is unlocked & can be turned anti-clockwise relatively easily but the clamp stays in the same position even if you try to force it apart.

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Sounds like it is seized up you will have to break the knob off and get some mole grips to get the nut off.
New knobs are available from V W

audio2 said:

The knob is unlocked & can be turned anti-clockwise relatively easily but the clamp stays in the same position even if you try to force it apart.

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Are you certain that it's unlocked? Somewhat counter-intuitively, when locked, the knob will spin freely when turned clockwise our anticlockwise. If unlocked there should be resistance when turning anti-clockwise. The clamp is spring-loaded and is held in place by a nut that sits inside the locking knob. It's possible the nut has seized and the plastic locking knob is broken, in which case, you will need to pull the plastic knob off and remove the nut. You might need to purchase a new arm though, as this will likely damage the thread.

We had t

audio2 said:

The clamp which goes round the top tube will not open when you turn the lock knob. One is fully closed, the other is open about an inch. It is over a year since we last used it. We have been using a tow bar rack, but are in the New Forest & have to transport our Granddaughter’s bike home & did not bring the tow bar rack.

Click to expand...

We had the same problem but our van went in for it’s 90 day check and the garage sorted it as others have said think all they did was bang it hard to free it. Been fine since.

So many threads on this and nearly always the same issue and outcome. If the knob spins freely it's locked. If it doesn't move then it's unlocked but seized with rust/salt/corrosion. Get a vice or g clamp on the knob for extra leverage and use force. It'll be fine. I grease threads annually and it still seizes and a vice and a sharp tug always fixes it.