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I just purchased a Nitto Campee 27R rear rack. It seems like it's not wide enough to mount on my All-City Space Horse, which has rack bosses and 130mm rear wheel spacing.

Has anyone tried to install these racks? Should I just try and stretch them out to make them wide enough or should I buy a different rear rack?

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What is the neutral width of the rack mounting holes? – zenbike♦ May 4 '12 at 4:02
The neutral width is close to the front wheel spacing.... so about 110mm. – Benzo May 4 '12 at 14:52
That sounds like maybe you ordered the rack for a front wheel. The rear should between 126 and 135mm. I see that it says rear rack though. Nitto usually does parts for older designs, like 1" threaded stems. maybe its for an older machine? – zenbike♦ May 4 '12 at 15:16
It's definitely the rear rack. It says rear on the rack itself. I have the front rack, which although similar, is definitely a different rack. It seems that nitto doesn't have a real big online presence to find this out. – Benzo May 4 '12 at 15:58
The site lists it as compatible with standard 700c wheels. 10mm on either side is not that much flex. I'd try it and return it if it cracks. – zenbike♦ May 4 '12 at 16:09

1 Answer

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Yes, you can stretch a rack, but not by very much. Whether you can stretch these out to fit depends on how much you need to stretch the rack. This rack is made from steel, which flexes a bit, but take care not to stretch it too much or that could put too much stress on the welds.

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Another thing to be careful of: With the rack stretched a bit, are the allen screws into the bosses on the bike frame going in properly? If the screws and the threads in the bosses are clean, the screws should go in very smoothly. Be aware that lateral stress on a screw can cause damage to the boss threads in the frame. Since you're screwing into the horse, this is less of a concern, but it's still an issue.

Also, for troublesome screws, try cleaning the threads of the screws, and the threads of the rack bosses. It's amazing how many problems are caused by dirt in the threads. A drop of lube on the threads may also be a good idea.

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I was able to stretch the rack and install it fine, it was pretty pliable, and stayed open after stretching. I was a bit worried at first about doing irreparable damage to a pretty expensive rack, but I don't see how else I could have installed the rack on any bike. – Benzo May 10 '12 at 23:14
@Benzo - I'm glad to hear it; I hope you enjoy your new cargo capacity. – Neil Fein May 11 '12 at 0:53

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