Think you have covered new ground as I don't recall seeing this on here before. Holy moly that receiver is bent down. I wouldn't use that hitch again if the chassis is giving out. Maybe could uninstall it and inspect and maybe reinstall to see if it maybe got tweaked out?

Timbrens wouldn't help save your chassis from bending either as that's the springs and arms. Sounds like your not familiar with this stuff.

My guess is if the subframe/unibody that's bent, you're stuck since it's a unibody. Could take it to a frame shop and see what they say.

 

Thank you, I'm planning to take it to a body shop for assessment.

Timbrens wouldn't help save your chassis from bending either as that's the springs and arms. Sounds like your not familiar with this stuff.

My thinking was that the Timbrens would reduce the rotational downward force -- as vango5 noted -- by reducing how far the bikes would lean.

 

I think the tongue weight value of the bikes and bike rack is misleading. Tongue weight is the vertical force that the hitch is exposed to. Since the bike rack extends horizontally from the receiver and the bikes hang vertically even further horizontally, the combined weight causes a rotational force (torque). That torque force is accentuated by small or large bumps in the road which intermittently increases the torque. Whatever metal structure that the hitch is bolted to probably has deformed and hopefully not fatigued.

Not sure the best way to transport that many bikes on your van--could probably get roof rails (recommend Honda OEM) and aftermarket feet/cross bars) and a few roof bike racks (not sure how many would fit--maybe 3 or 4 (if you are lucky). Not sure about using a hitch rack with a bent subframe even if it gets straightened back to the original specs.

Putting straps between roof crossbars to the 6 bike hitch rack may put too much stress on the bars/feet. The maximum load values for crossbars are for vertical force (around 150-165 pounds I think) and are not for loads that exert horizontal force.

In order to sort this out, it would be good to remove the hitch and examine all parts to rule out metal fatigue. If you are lucky, it is just the hitch that got deformed. With the hitch off you can also get a close look at the subframe and see if there is any deformation there.

 

I think the tongue weight value of the bikes and bike rack is misleading. Tongue weight is the vertical force that the hitch is exposed to. Since the bike rack extends horizontally from the receiver and the bikes hang vertically even further horizontally, the combined weight causes a rotational force (torque). That torque force is accentuated by small or large bumps in the road which intermittently increases the torque. Whatever metal structure that the hitch is bolted to probably has deformed and hopefully not fatigued.

Thanks! I completely agree about the tongue weight. My thinking was overly simplistic until I saw the whole thing and the lever effect that the bike rack was having on the hitch due to a higher and offset center of gravity of the bike rack. I'm not sure about the physics but the force was possibly double (or more?) of what it would normally be with a trailer with 300 tongue weight. The road bumps, as you said, only increased the effect.

Not sure the best way to transport that many bikes on your van--could probably get roof rails (recommend Honda OEM) and aftermarket feet/cross bars) and a few roof bike racks (not sure how many would fit--maybe 3 or 4 (if you are lucky). Not sure about using a hitch rack with a bent subframe even if it gets straightened back to the original specs.

Thank you for the suggestion.

Putting straps between roof crossbars to the 6 bike hitch rack may put too much stress on the bars/feet. The maximum load values for crossbars are for vertical force (around 150-165 pounds I think) and are not for loads that exert horizontal force.

Good point! I will need to research what kind of horizontal force the roof rails can safely handle before I potentially cause more damage to the vehicle.

I'll be taking the car to a body shop for assessment.

 

not the hitch itself as the hitch side plates are securely attached but angled due to warping

Aren't those plates part of the hitch?

Could you post a picture of the warped area?

 

The plate is part of the hitch. As far as I can tell, the plate is still flush with the frame. From that I deduced that the frame is slightly bent. I'm not able to see a visible bend. I'll take the car to a body shop for an inspection. I'll see what they say.

 

I agree with Vango (which is the name of a bar in the U.P. of Michigan, ironically - and probably near where you went riding if you went to Marquette).

You had a lot more torsional force/leverage on there than 270 lbs. Think about the leverage a raised outboard motor has on the transom of a boat, unless the brace is installed between the lower end and the frame.

Enhanced suspension components would not have made any difference here. I think only strapping the top of the bike rack to anchor points of roof rail cross members (not the cross member itself) would have helped in this instance.

 

Ive gotten bent sportbike aluminum frames straightened when racing. There was only one shop that could do that in the city of Phoenix. Usually had handling problems from that.

Had tweaked jeep unibody frames but just lived with that. Not sure what could be done about that.

Have oem receiver on my 2015. Hung a kids dirt bike off the back. Some light towing. Our has held up

 

A quick update...

I took the car to a local body shop. They did a visual and said that they don't see any noticeable damage to the frame and recommended having the hitch inspected before they have a closer inspection. I then took the car to the shop that installed the hitch. They said that the plates of the hitch are pushing into the frame but the hitch itself is fine. They didn't observe anything indicating that the frame integrity was compromised.

I'm still mulling my options...

 

Looking at the photos with the bubble level it's hard to appreciate how far from the horizontal the hitch receiver is. Can you use a phone app and measure the number of degrees from horizontal the hitch is? Hard to quantitate with a spirit level. The area when the level is resting may not be completely flat--maybe put the level inside the hitch receiver (if you need more length, put a ruler or paint stirrer in the receiver and put the level on top and slide it in as far as it can go with the horizontal bubble chamber visible). The receiver may not really be that far off horizontally.

 

That hitch was definitely way overloaded. I wouldn't put more than 3 bikes on the back. Can't remember if my brother used Yakima or Thule bike racks on his OEM roof rack. He had 3 or 4 up top. He didn't use a trailer hitch bike rack because he'd be towing his pop up camper.

 

Frame isnt bent.
Hitch was welded rotated down.
if the hitch was bent you’d see stress cracking

 

you were right

 

Long story short. Your cargo weight is overloaded.
you can use a trailer to carry luggage and stuff but you’ll need to measure people and all that.

those hitches arent required to be welded level.
I had that issue and that’s why with my 2020 I went with the under bumper one that’s higher. Not as strong. And not WDH capable. But nicer looking to the wife.

the timbren suspension doesn’t add more weight capacity. It just keeps the car higher with a higher weight load.

 

that's ALOT of bikes! maybe you should just put them on a tail trailer instead???
that way the compressive forces would move thru the strength of the chassis, vs against it.

 

I'm keeping that option in mind. Unless I'm looking in the wrong direction, these are $1500+. Plus having to find a place to store it. Hoping to avoid this until I exhaust my bike rack options.

 

I had a North shore 6 bike rack (80lbs) mounted with 6 mountain bikes (average weight 20 lbs, give or take) plus passengers/luggage on an after market hitch on a 2011 Odyssey. Never had any issues (van was since totalled off. collided with moose, bent A frame pillar but passengers intact). Bikes definitely 'bounced' but drove it through mountain passes in Western Canada for many years.

 

Should add - bikes tires on a North shore face the vehicle, not away, so doesn't extend out as far. that may be a critical difference.

 

i still say the minitrailer that is freestanding & trails on its own wheels.
looking to get one of those when i can. something that can hold a boxup, & maybe a bike, coz i can only ride one at a time.

 

I removed the old trailer hitch. There is no indication that there is any damage to the van, big relief. The plates on the trailer hitch are bent.

I have now installed Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2", which appears to be superior to the original:

1. It uses all three frame mounts (picture on the left below) rather than 2 used by the original etrailer hitch (picture on the right below). Therefore, it should exert less pressure on the vehicle frame and at least by design has higher torsional strength.
2. The hitch is rated for 675 lb. tongue weight contrasted with 525 lb. of the original.

I'm not planning to exceed 300 lbs with the bike rack so, in theory, the new hitch should work. If it flexes too much, I will use tie-downs to secure the top of the bike rack to the roof rails.

 

i'm using a class4. but the plates can be repressed back into shape. i'd recommend heat pressing tho.
as for the bikes, i keep tellin ya, get a 2wheel cart/single axel trailer so the vast majority of that weight is not on the tail of your van. it will remove those physical forces that also can effect the control & feel in your van to.