Great value! Most popular! Super affordable fork mount rack from Yakima.
Yakima Steelhead rooftop bike rack: Part #8002045
The Yakima Steelhead sports a great combination of value and security.
Q: What maintenance do I need to do?
A: Maintenance is important to keep it working properly and to help it last longer. Apply grease to nuts, screws, bolts, and especially the adjusting nut and lever of the locking skewer. Lubricate locks with graphite. Remove the rack when not in use. Clean the rack periodically, especially in marine environments and where road salt is used.
Q: What is the minimum/maximum distance I can have between my cross bars?
A: The SteelHead will safely fit bar spreads from 16” to 42”, however spreads of 16” to 18” are limited to two bikes.
Q: How can I lock my SteelHead when I’m not carrying a bike?
A: The design of the Locking Skewer is such that it can not be fully unscrewed when in the locked position. As long as it is in place, the skewer prevents the “clam shell” from opening.
Q: Can I use the new rattler wheel strap on my old SteelHead?
A: Yes, they are compatible.
Q: How can I lock the wheel tray to the rack?
A: An accessory lock housing will replace the HexKey on your wheel tray, and provide the security you want.
Q: How long is the tray?
A: 43 inches.
Q: Does it carry all bikes?
A: The Steelhead carries just about any bike with a quick release wheel skewer. However, there are a few exceptions where one of our other mounts should be used instead. These exceptions include, but are not limited to, bikes with triple clamp forks, forks with dropout spacing (the distance between the forks at the tips) other than 100mm, bikes with front disc brakes, or forks where the dropouts are above and forward of a suspension linkage.
Q: How much space does it need?
A: That depends on the bikes vehicle. First check the Fit List to see if there are any specific limitations for your vehicle (using the online Fit List bike mounts may not be offered or a load limit will be stated in the notes at the end of the process). In general, you will need about 12 inches of crossbar per bike when mounting them alternately front and rear facing. Barring any other restriction the practical limit is usually 4 bikes.
Q: How many can I carry?
A: That depends on the bikes and vehicle. First check the Fit List to see if there are any specific limitations for your vehicle (using the online Fit List bike mounts may not be offered or a load limit will be stated in the notes at the end of the process). In general, you will need about 12 inches of crossbar per bike when mounting them alternately front and rear facing. Barring any other restriction the practical limit is usually 4 bikes.
Q: Can I use this bike mount with a factory rack?
A: Fork style mounts will not mount directly to factory crossbars. The bike moutn gets its side to side stability from the corssbar. Fork mounts stress crossbars more that upright styles because of their narrowness. Through testing we have found that factory rack crossbars are not strong enough to handle the stress generated by fork mounts.
Q: Why pick the SteelHead over the other fork mount bike carriers?
A: The main body and locking skewer is all metal construcition. The locking system locks the Steelhead to the rack, even when not carrying a bike. Last but not least, it is a tool free installation.
Q: Can I get the steelhead with a short wheeltray?
A: No. The long wheel tray is a feature that makes the steelhead adaptable to vehicles with short rooflines. The long tray is also an integrated part of the design (it wouldn’t work without it). If your vehicle has enough crossbar spread, the Boa is a less expensive, short tray alternative.
Q: Why would I go with a fork mount over an “upright” style mount, or vise versa?
A: Some like the aerodynamic look and manageability of a fork mount. Some don’t want to hassle with getting their hands dirty removing the bike’s front tire and prefer an upright rack. A bike may have unique features (dual suspension, disc brakes, lefty fork, etc.) that limit bike mount choices, but one or more mounts will do the trick to keep your bike secure. Look up the specific bike mount for more details.
Q: I need to carry several bikes. Can I place bikes on the car backwards to get more space?
A: Yes.
Yakima Steelhead rooftop bike rack: Part #8002045
