Stabilising Straps for Snap-On

Holdfast Stabilising Straps (part 220581) are designed to stop the Snap-On Lite tow ball bike rack swinging when you are travelling on rough gravel roads. They tension the rack against the vehicle so that the whole assembly moves as one unit instead of pivoting on the tow ball connection.

Specifications

• Application: Holdfast Snap-On Lite bike rack
• Part number: 220581

Why a Tow Ball Rack Swings

The snap-on connector is what makes the Snap-On Lite quick to fit, but a tow ball is a ball joint, and a ball joint is free to rotate. On tar you will barely notice it. On corrugated gravel the rack and two loaded bikes start to oscillate, and that movement does three things: it amplifies as speed rises, it works the connector against the ball, and it puts a cyclic load into the mounting that the rack was not designed to absorb continuously.

What the Straps Change

Fitting stabilising straps takes the free play out of that pivot. The practical result is less sway behind you in the mirror, noticeably less rattle and drumming through the vehicle, and less wear on both the connector and the bikes, which stop knocking against each other every time the rack moves. If you drive dirt roads to trailheads with any regularity, they are worth fitting from the start rather than after the connector has worn.

Fitting Notes

Tension the straps evenly on both sides so that the rack is pulled square rather than being dragged to one side. Re-check them after the first hour of a long trip and after any serious corrugation, since webbing beds in and any strap will lose a little tension early on. Browse bike carrier accessories for straps and replacement hardware, or the full Holdfast bicycle carrier range.