Yakima  FullSwing 4-Bike Hitch Rack

I've had this rack for about a year now.... The good: - Swing mechanism is nice - secures to car well - no tools needed The bad: - For the family, we have 2 29ers, 1 24" mtb, and 1 20" mtb. It's like a jigsaw puzzle figuring out how they can all fit onto the rack. As such, I'm now up to needing a Top Tube Adapter for ALL FOUR Bikes (read: Add $150ish to rack price). - Even with the Top Tube Adapters, the bikes rub against each other. I'd, without a doubt, move to a tray rack next time. For the price of this, especially with the additional costs of the top tube adapters, I think I could do better with the tray and protect the bikes better.

I liked my previous Yakima bike rack so much that I bought the same one when the old one got totaled in a car wreck. I have had the new one for six months. At around month three, the swinging arm stopped lining up with the stationary part. It no longer clicks into place. So every time I need to open and close it, I have to unscrew and then re-screw the bolt in the back. This never happened in the 10 year I had the other one. The straps that hold down your bikes are very cheap and get stuck. The newer ratchet button-thingies are at really awkward angles now. I am looking at Kuat bike racks now. Done with Yakima and Thule.

Made for bikes from the 80's. If you have a newer (non metal top tube) bike you will have to purchase the top tube adapters at another $40 each. They are garbage and bend/break very easy. There is also nothing preventing the bikes from swinging into each other and up into the rack. Bouncing up into the rack is how the frame on my new ibis got cracked. The plastic nob for tightening the rack to the car is at the bottom and back most point of the car. It is also completely unprotected from dragging. That is how it got broken off. It is great that it swings away so you can get in your car. There is a screw to securely keep if from swinging away while you are driving; for some reason they placed it on the car side of the rack where it is difficult to access. There is a bottle opener. It won't work with short stubby bottles.

Purchased this bad boy so my fiancé and I could get her bike to her 1/2 iron man race. The drive was 12 hours and had no trouble the entire way. Assembly is pretty straight forward but is heavy so might want to get some help. It comes with a wrench but not another tool to hold the other side of the screw for tightening. Pliers might work. I used a piece of metal to wedge in between the plastic and top of the screw to prevent it from twisting. Easy to load on and off of the rack and it's SUPER nice you can access your trunk just by swinging it out of the way. Save up your dividends or get a coupon because it is expensive but well worth it. Seems pretty indestructible.

Bought last week during REI annual sale. Our family: Mom, Dad and 4 year-old son. Right now two bikes and a Burley trailer. Originally thought should get the HoldUp because of wife's step-through frame and overall stability. But top-tube adapter has been no problem and stability has been rock solid: high speed/low speed/railroad tracks etc. With 2 bikes I believe weight of this rack and HoldUp are similar but to carry a 3rd (or 4th) bike on the HoldUp would require HoldUp +2 which would put that rack at 100+ lbs. And become humongous. Swing away feature of FullSwing rack is fantastic and easily outweighs negative of top tube adapter and slight movement over HoldUp.

I needed a rack for the family which we could take cross country. While it's pricey and heavy it is the simplest to use, rock solid, feature rich and stylish. I do wish we didn't have to buy top tube converters for our mountain and child bikes but that seems to be something that is systemic for this bike rack type.

This is not a 4 bike rack. I tried to fit 4 mountain bikes on it and there is no way to get all 4 on. I was able to cram 3 bikes on, though I had to remove 2 of the front tires to do so. Also one of the bikes we had would not fit on the rack at all, even by itself. It is a standard Trek mountain bike but I could not get the frame over the rack arms. I thought maybe if I added a top bar to the bike that would work, but it did not. The arms are too thick to fit. Actually it is the holder for the bikes that is too big to fit through the frame. Overall this was a huge disappointment. On the plus side, the swing arm does work well. I did have to get a drop hitch extension to make it work on my Jeep though, because the spare tire would hit the rack. If you are looking for a 4 bike rack, do not buy this one.

It works as advertised, have all features that simplify your family trip with bikes; Swing option - just outstanding! Since traveling with kids require you access to the trunk instantly; I purchased rack via rey, fist one have broken plastic top cap and REI exchange it without questions! As an add-on I bought ‘weird’ frame adapter- installing full-suspension mtb became piece of cake; The are few complains so far: - only 4 bikes, i wish 5 bike options be available - no license plate mount - packaging box is junk - no torque wrench included, however torque specs specified Purchased this over similar thule based on higher weight limit and overall more user friendly design

Although a bit pricey, this will probably be the last rack I will ever have to purchase (especially with Yakimas lifetime warranty). The new design features are very innovative and functional. The swing daddy that this replaces cannot hold a candle to the fullswing . Please note that it only fits in 2in receivers. There is absolutely no movement while driving in this unit; extremely stable. It is a bit on the heavy side, which is fine with me as it adds to the overall stability and quality. Very easy to swing out loaded bikes to assess rear cargo area. The new tie down straps and anti sway system work flawlessly compared to previous rubber strap system. Suggestion: if you can, wait till REI has 20% off sale which will bring price down to $400. Only tool needed is a 19mm wrench which comes with rack. There is an initial small learning curve for first time installation, but after that piece of cake. This rack stands out from any other rack out there and I am constantly getting questions and feedback from complete strangers. Definitely worth the money in the long run based on overall quality,longevity, and unsurpassed Yakima customer support…….

The only way to hold four bikes on this is to be extremely lucky. With four bikes on this, handlebars are jammed into tires and pedals have to be jimmied -- frames and wheels will be scratched!!! Even placing three bikes on this is difficult if they are mounain bikes with longer handlebars. And any new bike with a non-circular top tube will not fit at all. On the plus side, the swing arm is very handy and when they do fit, the bikes are nice and snug.