86 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Made my own for $2, April 23, 2009
This review is from: Thule STL2 Snug-Tite Lock One Key System Locking Hitch Pin (Sports)
MAKE YOUR OWN - This part is a total waste of money. I went to REI to pick-up this lock, when I asked the salesman the price he told me $50! I asked him why I could not simply use a small piece of chain to connect the rack to the trailer hitch. He told me I would be better off doing that and said just last weekend they had broken one off for a customer, with a single whack with a hammer (on the lock side which is thin evidently).
I picked up a small length of strong chain for $2.09 at the hardware store, put it through an old bike inner tube so it would not clang against the hitch and used two old padlocks to lock the chain ends to the rack and the trailer hitch (which is bolted and spot welded onto the car). So please, don't waste your money on the Thule STL2 Snug-Tite Lock II, MAKE YOUR OWN!
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hmm... Should be included with $350 hitch, April 20, 2008
Thule make good products - not great ones. After purchasing a $350 T2 bike rack, I was disappointed that I had to buy this proprietary Thule lock for $40 (with shipping). Even more disappointing is that I had to buy lock cylinders for the hitch at $30. Back to the point: The lock provides a firm grip to the hitch. The unwritten benefit is that if the hitch nut loosens, the rack will not fall off your car. This alone is worth the price of admission. I gave it 3 stars because I think Thule should include it with the rack; otherwise, I'd give it a higher rating.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Works but could be better/cheaper, November 26, 2008
First off, if you have a Thule hitch mounted rack, this is pretty much what you have to buy if you want a locking hitch pin. This is because the rack is threaded so that you cannot use any other type of locking pin.
The Pros: It does lock. It is threaded like the rack so it reduces vibration.
The Cons: It costs twice what similar items cost. The key has to be used to lock the end onto the pin - my previous lock actually snapped right on and you needed the key to remove it. There's a lot of exposed pin between the hitch receiver and the lock. Not sure why they would find this necessary since it's going on a maximum 2 1/2 inch wide receiver. This gives a thief a small, exposed bolt to cut through. My previous lock (made for Sportworks T2) was almost flush against the receiver, making it very difficult to remove without the key.
I had to "upgrade" my lock when I replaced my Sportworks T2 with the Thule T2 after someone backed into my car. Thule bought the Sportworks design and made a number of changes, all for the worse as far as I can tell. One of these changes was to make sure you have to buy their accessories such as locks, meaning I not only had to replace the rack, I had to replace the lock as well.
This is basically a small bolt with threads at one end, and a simple lock that goes on the other. Similar items can be found for under $20 just about anywhere. It is apparently a very expensive process to press that THULE logo into the plastic cap.
So basically, if you have a Thule rack and want to lock it on, this is your choice. It works but could certainly be better and less expensive.
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