The bolt goes through the first shackle, then the leaf spring eye, then the second shackle. See Also:The Surprising Differences Between 30A & 50A RVs. I only do one side at a time as to not put too much load on any single tire. I'm buying stuff to outfit my new travel trailer and have this question. Had 3 flats when we had our tandem axel trailer. A jack will need to be placed under your frame. The surface you decide to park your travel trailer on when changing the flat tire should be as flat as possible. WebI read you should use jacks on the frame to lift the trailer and others say to place the jacks under the axle/leaf springs. Dent In Tire: Can You Drive With a Dent On Tire? Were Jenni and Jesse. Carry a 4 way so you are sure to have the right size lug wrench. How to Jack Up a Travel Trailer: Can You Jack Up By the Axle? That location could damage the axle. Having a vehicle up on jacks may make it more unstable in high winds. Always wear personal protective gear while removing and replacing your leaf springs, especially when rust and dirt are present. This is not essential for single-axle trailers but still recommended. If you have no clue what the backing plate is, here is an image: One reason you are supposed to avoid using the axle tube is that most travel trailers come with a torsion design and the weight on the axle could damage it. This type of trailer is lighter, so it is easier to jack up. If they do I can't find it. These are the types of jacks you will find in vehicle service centers and shops, and we highly recommend keeping one of these where you store your RV. You must log in or register to reply here. COPYRIGHT 2023. A torque wrench that can do up to 150 ft-lbs (, Sockets in a number of sizes, you may need the thin wall/deep style to remove your trailers tire depending on the style (, A breaker bar to loosen stubborn lug nuts and bolts on the leaf springs (, Rust Penetrant, for rusty nuts and bolts (, A jack to go under the axle. The reason given why they do that is because of the skirting issue we already mentioned. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. You drive one axle onto it and it raises the other wheel off the ground. Here are a few to consider: Jacking up your travel trailer can be tricky and potentially dangerous if youre new to the process. WebTrailer leaf springs come in many different lengths and some may have the same capacity but different measurements and/or number of leaves. Another thing you may want to consider replacing is the shackles and equalizer (click to view on Amazon). 3) Use good blocking. Bad Alternator Diode Draining Battery [Explained], Can A Bad Alternator Cause Loss Of Power [Explained], Can A Bad Alternator Cause AC Problems [Explained], Oil Leak On Alternator [Why + How To Fix], Alternator Smoking When I Hook Up Battery [5 Easy Fixes]. The U-bolts I linked to may not be the proper size for your trailers leaf springs. I had a 2x4 split causing trailer to drop about an inch after tire was on and ready to drop. Propane tanks have a shelf My wife and I love camping and love the outdoors. https://bit.ly/2Z83pp0. A floor jack can move around and its easy to jack up or down. At a minimum, check your trailers leaf springs every 12,000 miles or if you observe drooping, corrosion, fractures, or rough riding. The center bolt of your leaf spring is known as the center point. replacing your leaf springs is easy once you have the correct replacement. Check the springs length while it is not loaded (jack up the vehicle by the frame); this is the 1)Be sure to raise the stabilizers. Depending on the size and weight of the trailer this could be an easy or a fairly difficult task. What to Know About Replacing Trailer Leaf Springs, Wagoneer / Full Size Cherokee / J10 / J20, Cutaway Van / Motorhome / Bus / Stripped Chassis, F600 / F650 / F700 / F750 / F800 / F9000 / LN9000, How To Choose Replacement Trailer Springs. This is how we replaced our travel trailers leaf springs. Use this tool to inspect new or used campers you are looking at purchasing. If your trailer has a torsion axle, the best location to jack it up would be between the wheels with the jack on the sub-frame where the axles are attached. Learn more. Keep children and pets away from the work area. I had a Lippert axle fail just from chuck holes on I 40 near Flagstaff. link to RV Water Heater Not Heating Up? Why? Here are some tips to help you through the process: General Spring KC has specialized in supplying durable, high-quality leaf springs and accessories for truck and trailer owners since 1965. The nut will be secured to the bolt on the inside. With a blown tire, you most likely will have to be inboard of the spring and inch or two as the blown and now flattened tire will prevent you from getting right under the spring area. Yes, you can jack a travel trailer and the way to jack it up is under some heavy debate at the moment. you will probably Until youre confident in jacking your trailer up yourself, it is a good idea to have someone else present in case of an emergency, such as if the trailer starts to slip off the stands. www.TheSavvyCampers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 402. Our rig is too heavy to crank jack under frame, I jack under leaf spring near end of axle when checking brakes and greasing bearings. Put the lug nuts on the tire and tighten with your lug nut wrench. For tandem axles I use my leveling blocks to drive one tire up high enough to lift the other tire off the ground. Further, they say that they (the axle manufacture) don't have control over the support brackets, etc., that trailers manufactures install and they highly recommend that you do not jack a trailer on the suspension components unless that is called for in the trailer's owner's manual. Step 5 Position the jack stands. How to Fix Lukewarm Water Issues in Your Camper, link to How And Where To Get Your RV Propane Tank Recertified: A Quick Guide, travel trailer on when changing the flat tire, manufacturers torque specs with a torque wrench, Gather spare tire and other equipment needed, Place wheel blocks on all tires (except for flat tire), Position jack under trailer and lift trailer, Tighten and torque lug nuts on the spare tire, Move trailer to a safe location and loosen lug nuts, Position trailer aid and pull or back trailer on-ramp, Remove wheel blocks and remove trailer from ramp, Finish tightening lug nuts on the spare tire. I always changed the tire by simply running the good tire up a ramp. Any lifting at this point should immediately raise the tire. Once your trailer is off of the trailer aid, you can then finish tightening the spare tire to the manufacturers torque specs with a torque wrench. The trailers suspension system is made to move freely which means the nut should be tightened enough to stay in place but you will be able to move the shackles around. Axle manufactures will tell you NOT to place a jack under their axles as damage is likely occur. Locate your travel trailer on flat ground. So where is the best place to place the jacks in order to lift the trailer to remove a wheel or work on the bearings? A trailer aid may help lock the wheels but you still want to be level whenever possible. You can jack up your boat trailer following the above guidelines. If using a jack I would place the jack under the axle/leaf spring and not the frame. There are a lot of good jacks you can use but you need to make sure they will fit in the right spot correctly and then give you a big enough lift. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'autosolutionlab_com-box-3','ezslot_4',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-autosolutionlab_com-box-3-0');If you are lucky enough, get an expert immediately to fix the trailer. Even after completely extending the bottle jack, you may not get the right height. I do one at a time and put a jack stand under. | Sitemap. I have read, several times, that you should not jack up an axle to replace a wheel on a dual axle trailer. At this point, you should also make sure your towing vehicle is in park and the parking brake is engaged. Just make sure that you select the bottle jack. Use thread locker adhesive to help keep new bolts in place. Chock all wheels that are not being lifted, and keep your tow vehicle attached but turned off. At this point, you may want to spray rust penetrant on all the nuts and bolts you are going to be working on to make them easier to remove. How To Jack Up A Travel Trailer With A Bottle Jack? I reused the U-bolt plate because it was better quality than the new one. Free Camping In Colorado: A Guide To The Best Spot Can Police Search Your RV Without A Warrant? Here's how I raise ours with torsion axles. The process is basically the same for a single axle trailer you just wont have an equalizer to deal with. Once your travel trailer is back on the ground, you can tighten the spare tire. However, instead of using a jack and jack stand, you will want to use a trailer ramp or trailer aid. Always make sure a wheel chock is in place blocking your trailer from moving. Next, you will want to pull out your vehicle jack, jack stand, wheel blocks, tire iron, and spare tire and wheel assembly. So how does one safely jack a trailer? Measuring from the underside of the axle at the leaf spring U-bolts to the pavement is 10.5 inches. When Should Trailer Leaf Springs Be Replaced? If you jack your trailer up using those materials you will cause yourself a lot of damage. Yes, you can jack up a travel trailer by the axle and many people do this all the time. You should never replace just one leaf spring, they need to be replaced in pairs or all of them. 410 Location Durham NC Tractor Ford 641 I looked at videos about adjusting trailer brakes and one of them ( How to Adjust Trailer Brakes - 5 Easy Steps) said in writing on the screen at 1:55 minutes to never jack on the axle - use the frame. The other option if you want to use the frame is 2 jacks spaced out but jack them at the same time or very slowly back and forth between them so as not to twist the frame. Can You Safely Add an Oven to a Travel Trailer? Floor Jacks: If you are repairing your vehicle at home, a floor jack is the best choice. See Also:What Do I Need To Use Hookups At An RV Park Or Campground? Once the leaf spring is removed the axle will fall if nothing is there to catch it. Is it a good idea to store your trailer with the tires off the ground. It could happen years down the road as the axle gets worn and older. This can be a confusing issue as everyone has their own opinion on how to get those tasks done. Lift the trailer up until the tire is just off the ground. Be very careful to not put your hands, feet, or legs under the axle just in case it falls. It is best to place the jack underneath the axle, and to only jack up the trailer until the trailers weight is off the tire. In any case put that under the axle at the spring or as close to it as possible, you will not hurt the axle, they are not made of paper mache. To change one tire, there is blocking sold to raise your TT up by riding the TT up with the good wheel . What Do I Need To Use Hookups At An RV Park Or Campground? Still, no one knows what happens next. It just seemed like the safer option to replace them all with leaf springs that were slightly more heavy duty. As you inspect, look for the following: Wipe your leaf spring and mounting plates clean and pat them dry regularly to minimize the chance for buildup. Take all of the tools needed and place in your tool kit. See Also:Best Electric Tongue Jack For Trailers (RV & A-Frame). Next, loosen the bolts holding the two eyes of the leaf spring into place. Floor jacks are ideal when working on your trailer maintenance or changing a flat tire at home. JavaScript is disabled. You will not be able to complete the task with just a jack, though. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Measure from the center of the front bushing in a straight line to the center of the rear bushing for DOUBLE-EYE Treat your trailer's underside with rust removal and an anti-rust coating to protect it from future damage wait 24 hours after treatment to resume spring replacement. Music And on average, it is around a foot in height and 18 pounds in weight. It has the information you want to know about in order to protect your trailer from any possible damage. We travel full time in our RV and write about what we learn and share our experiences. $46.96 - $99.73. You can replace the shackles and keep the old equalizer if you want to, but sometimes its better to just replace both. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. You can now insert the bolt through the eye of the leaf spring on the equalizer side (inside). (Sidewall), Is Hercules a Good Brand? In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step walkthrough of a proper trailer jacking technique, a brief overview of the equipment you will need to make the process as simple and painless as possible, and some tips on how to go about all this as safely as possible. One good selection would be the Unijack as they are small but strong. These are very user-friendly jacks but, as the figures suggest, cannot be relied on for heavy lifting. Thank you for stopping by. The repairman recommended that we replace the other 3 leaf springs as soon as possible, or at least replace the one that was on the same side as the new leaf spring. Make sure the nut is on the inside of the trailer. The axle may be one of the easiest locations to use to get the clearance you need. See Also:Best Weight Distribution Hitches With Sway Control. Can I jack up a fifth wheel trailer following the above instructions? Some folks that aren't mechanically inclined (not saying you are or not) can mess more up by disassembling their spindle bearings than helping. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You may not have a choice either but if you can, it may be best to look for a better location that still gets you the right clearance. Once you have secured the bolts to the leaf spring eyes and have the U-bolts installed around the leaf spring and axle correctly you are now ready to remove the jack holding up the axle.
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