In-bed magnetic bicycle rack installed (Difficulty: 1/5)

I wanted a non-permanent solution to carry bicycles in the bed of the truck. We have a hitch rack from the previous SUV, but I don't want salt and dust collecting on the bikes back there. What's the point of a truck if you don't put stuff in the bed?

Materials:

• 4 Harbor Freight 95# utility magnets
• 4 1/4" fender washers
• 8 Stainless 1/4" x 20 3/8" long button head screws (preferably stainless)
• 1 48" 4x T-track
• 8 T-nuts
• 2 Rocky Mounts Hot Rod bike rack

Assemble as shown, with the washers inside the center of the magnet (just to reinforce the thin stamped shell of the magnet), and adjust as needed to put the magnets on the ridged parts of the bed or between the ridges right at the end. I found the magnets are not thick enough to fully clear the ridges, but if you place it right at the end it works just fine. I angled the fork mounts so the bars can overlap without hitting.





Putting the fork side at the tailgate allows me to roll the rear tire into the bed and stand at the tailgate to attach the forks, rather than lean against the paint and lift the forks all the way to the cab. There's no reason the bike has to face forward in the bed, and I don't understand why most bicycle racks are built this way.

XL sized Stumpjumper on 29"s fits, it just has to be a little sideways due to the tonneau robbing me of a couple inches. There's enough room next to it for my wife's smaller Yeti Beti. Both our Framed fat bikes should fit even more easily. I repositioned the rail to be right at the end of the bed due to the size of my bike. Your mileage may vary, but it's easy to place the rail where you want it and where it fits for your bicycles.



Tailgate up (pardon the flat tire, it's the off season):

I have used the rocky mounts with front bed rails before and also used a Pipelines Rack when they were a lot cheaper than they are now. I liked the pipeline rack but the are probably only good for one bike when used on a Gladiator or other midsized truck bed because you keep both wheels on. I never thought about using a magnetic mount but have mtn biked with people who used the suction cup mounts

Chunky White said:

I have tried used the rocky mounts with front bed rails before and also used a Pipelines Rack when they were a lot cheaper than they are now. I liked the pipeline rack but the are probably one good for one bike when used on a Gladiator or other midsized truck bed because you keep both wheels on. I never thought about using a magnetic mount but have mtn biked with people who used the suction cup mounts

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This won't work on the Tacoma or any truck with a composite or aluminum bed.

You should be able to use any fork mount that you like. This one came with the adapters to fit different axles and the mounting holes are the perfect size for the 1/4 fasteners needed for the T-nuts.

I'd thought about trying to build a rack that works with the wheels on, but those all end up being more permanently installed. I need to switch between bikes and motorcycles quickly, and this hits that sweet spot.

I don't like tailgate mats because they damage the paint. I also wonder about making a front wheel rack that plugs into the trailer hitch, allowing the bikes to reach over the tailgate without touching it. The front wheel would be outside the truck like a tailgate mat, but without making contact. I'd have to make a mockup to see if it would work with various bikes and how high it would have to be.

Really great solution - thanks for posting! I had been looking at getting a 1up single hitch rack after trying some other in bed forward facing, tailgate down & tailgate pad solutions which I hadn't liked.

COmtnbiker said:

Really great solution - thanks for posting! I had been looking at getting a 1up single hitch rack after trying some other in bed forward facing, tailgate down & tailgate pad solutions which I hadn't liked.

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I can bet this will be less expensive than a 1up. I'm into a this about $200, if you only move one bike, you can cut that significantly, -$50 to go to one fork block, and -$27 to go down to a 24" t-slot track.

That's pretty slick.

What steered you away from a tailgate pad or tray rack? I use a tray rack currently, but have also built my own bed-height cross bars to mount the trays too for a little more clearance and stability when on rough roads/camping.

A tray rack doesn't really work with the tonneau cover and removing the crossbars all the time to fit a motorcycle in the bed is more of a pain than magnets. It also means you have to lift the bikes higher and they are up above the bed sides - and it's more expensive. This is cheaper, low-profile, and quicker to take in and out.

All the current truck bed rack systems put the forks up by the cab where they are the hardest to reach when securing the bike. This reverses the direction of the bike so the forks are easy to access and you can stand by the tailgate to put the axle in. Otherwise I have to climb into the bed every time or try to work around having two bikes in there. Those systems also keep the handlebars straight, so the bikes either have to be spaced farther apart or the bars knock into each other, my configuration allows you to have the bars turned so they don't hit each other and can be spaced closer together, leaving room for other gear and the front wheels. Overall, this just seemed more convenient.

I didn't want a tailgate pad because I don't want it abrading the paint when dust, salt, and crud inevitably gets into the material. If this was my old vehicle that was already beat to hell, I wouldn't care about the paint.

Just know that the magnets will trap grit under them and they will start sanding the bed of your JT.

It will be removed when not in use - I also have spray-in bedliner, so I'm not that concerned about a little rubbing.

Protip - use adhesive tape to grab and remove metal particulate that's stuck to magnets.

COmtnbiker said:

Really great solution - thanks for posting! I had been looking at getting a 1up single hitch rack after trying some other in bed forward facing, tailgate down & tailgate pad solutions which I hadn't liked.

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I have a 1UP single now and like it the best out of the different hitch mounts I have bought and sold. I need to install a receiver hitch on my JTR though

Sweetums said:

Tailgate up (pardon the flat tire, it's the off season):

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Nice! I hope by off season, you mean off season for just that bike.

I have a Bed Rug Liner (which has a 3/4" pad I'm thinking the magnets can't attach through well).

Anybody have suggestions on how to do this with the Bed Rug in place? (I'm a computer guy, so not too real world useful)

Nice idea. I've done a similar setup for my JK, a plank with front tire brackets that I velcro strapped to the 60% portion of the back seat back. I've been looking for a good way to do a similar setup on the Gladiator, and your magnet idea is pretty good.

How stable is it on bumpy roads... the magnets don't break loose? And conversely, if the magnets are pretty stable, how easy is it to pull them off to remove it... as you said to use the truckbed for other stuff?

this is a great idea! I have been shuttling bikes in the bed, but i've seen too many Commencals with broken downtubes. They don't waranty frames if you shuttle. i'd like to get a hitch mount, but I might be able to get away with two on a hitch and three in the bed.

I have two boys, often when we hit Highland Bike park, we have three enduros and two or three DJ's.

jac04 said:

Nice! I hope by off season, you mean off season for just that bike.

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Yep, the Fat Bikes go in next.