How to jack a trailer wheel up?

[flagmanruss]

I need to jack up one wheel on the toy hauler so I can remove the wheel & screw in the wheel well repair. The camper is "parked" tonge jack down, all stabilizer jacks down, trailer leveled. I've tried all the jacks I have at hand... a 3 ton floor jack, a couple of bottle jacks (one marked 3 tons, the other unlabeled). I'm jacking under the spring plate under this axle. I can't get the wheel off the ground. What the h*ck am I doing wrong?

[Mopar1973Man]

I would raise the stabilizers again just leave the tongue jack down... Because the trailer is trying to lean to one side a bit and the stabilizers are most likely hanging you up... Or hitch up the trailer to the Dodge and drive the front or rear axle up on a block of wood and the other axle should hang free.

[Wild and Free]

I would raise the stabilizers again just leave the tongue jack down... Because the trailer is trying to lean to one side a bit and the stabilizers are most likely hanging you up... Or hitch up the trailer to the Dodge and drive the front or rear axle up on a block of wood and the other axle should hang free.

Yep on what Mike he said since its parked. I never go anywhere without a wheel change ramp, just a simple ramp you set in front of one tire as Mike described drive up on it and the other axle hangs free, there is not always enough quality boards around to "Safely" change a tire on the road, its a huge time saver as well rather than having to mess with jacks.

[flagmanruss]

I hear you on the ramp... I will consider that for my travels. Right now the trailer has been maneuvered into it's winter resting spot & I really don't want to hook up & move it right now. So I guess I'll be dropping the stabilizers (it's really just a couple of screws jacks) & trying again. Draining the water tanks might help some too... I had them full for the weight & water during the hurricane.This seems to be a heavy trailer... I wonder if a plastic ramp could hold it.

[clutch]

The 6,000 lb jack won't lift one wheel?? How big is the toy hauler and is it full of toys and water? Is the Jack stalling out of pushing into the ground? Something just dosn't seem right.

[flagmanruss]

Jack is only 3000 pound. 4' 2x12 on ground, not sinking. Can't pump handle without excessive force, weaping around the pump plunger packing. Toyhauler is 28'. No toys but water tanks are still pretty full. Camper itself seems pretty heavy.

[IBMobile]

I use a 6 ton bottle jack on my 4 ton 5er. I keep the rear stabilizers up. Put the jack under the axle just behind the wheel I want up. I've done 1 axle flat trailers to 3 axle horse trailers that way.

[flagmanruss]

I think I need a bigger jack. I have 3 that I think are 3 tons each... unfortunately, not cumulative.

[dripley]

i finally broke down and bought a 12 ton awhile back. all though it doesnot lift as far with each pump it is much easier to use under any vehicle. it was half price when i bought it. i should have bought 2.

[flagmanruss]

I bought a "20 ton" bottle jack at Harbor Freight today... I'm sure it's not best grade but everything's made in China no matter what you buy. It ought to be able to do the work of a 10 ton jack. I can't do much physical these days... but I can't afford to waste my few minutes on my feet (or knees under the trailer) with inadequate tools.

[Mopar1973Man]

Just for the sake of information value... Russ your trailer is... 28WTB TT Transport by Tahoe http://www.tahoe-rv.com/TahoeTransport-specs.htm [TABLE=width: 50%, align: center] [TR] [TD]GVWR[/TD] [TD]12,500#[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]CCC[/TD] [TD]3,480#[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Hitch Weight[/TD] [TD]1,140#[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Fresh Water [/TD] [TD]100 Galons[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Grey Water[/TD] [TD]45 Gallons[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Black Water[/TD] [TD]45 Gallons[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[dripley]

you ought to like the 20. when you are laying under something and trying to pump a 3 ton it just aint easy. it will take a few more strokes but the differance in effort is fantastic. i bought mine at northern tool all made in china. hard to get around it.

[IBMobile]

My 8 ton bottle jack was from Harbor Freight and hecho en China.

[clutch]

According to the info about the trailer it would weigh around 9000 lbs. Take off 1100 lbs for the tongue and that leaves just about 8000 lbs divided by two so each side is 4000 lbs without the water. I can see how a 3 ton jack could struggle.

[flagmanruss]

On hydraulic jacks... talked to my brother Steve last night after his last train run of the season. (Narrow guage excursion.) He tells me he uses the Harbor Freight 20T jacks. Says he's blown the seals out of them & was able to locally source for correct O rings to rebuild. It takes a vise or clamp to anchor the base & a spanner to back off the nut around the piston. Why are folks so afraid to rebuild bottle jacks? He also said he's had the casting which recieves the handle break & had a machist make a batch of the repair parts. I have yet to take my jack out of the box, but I'll look close when I do.When I worked at Concordia Yachts in South Dartmouth, Mass we (the yard gang) blew up a lot of jacks (lifting 40-50 foot boats cradle & all). The space was limited & the jacks that fit were marginal at best (sometimes clearly overloaded). The boss had a local auto parts where they bought their jacks who claimed to rebuild them. We, who used the jacks, did not believe them... thought they were just adding oil & charging for rebuilding. (1/2 the price of new) but the rebuilt jacks blew the seals almost at once. Russ

[flagmanruss]

I have to get this trailer repair complete... I started all the nuts & then finished jacking the tire off the ground. It took a few pumps but that 20 T jack wasn't bothered & the big base was nice & stable on a hunk of 2 x 10. I had test fitted the improvized repair piece, but when I removed the tire, I lost my base I wedged off. (It's been wedged in place and no more mice once we got them cleaned out.)

I started in the inside corner & screwed into the wood framing. I used self-drilling, self-counter-sinking cement board screws & my trusty screw gun. The outter fender flair is still removed.

This is the plastic mason's cement mixing tray I cut the piece from.

Then we put the tire back on. (SIL, came in from hunting out back & lent a hand). The tire is almost touching the inner fender. 1/8" clearance... maybe...

I took the tire back off. There was about an inch below the wood... It was buckling slightly. I trimmed in flush with the saber-saw. Really not much change.

I'm looking at the other side & there is much more clearance. I'm wondering if the axle if off center. I think it is. (Remember the trailer is NOT a virgin. Trailed from Calif to East coast... this tire is a replacement... actually both on this axle are... blow out on the road the seller said. Salvage title.) I'm going to need help. At least the inner fender is repaired/patched.

[Mopar1973Man]

Might check the center bolts in the axle to be sure there not broke off...

[flagmanruss]

Thanks Mike. I didn't remember the center bolts, so not sure. I was too beat to do more today. Wife put the tools inside while I got myself into the house. I'm thinking to measure the spring to the backer plate on each side. I'll check for the center bolts at the same time.

[Mopar1973Man]

There isn't much to to trailer axles. Couple of springs and axles... Not like a Dodge front axle... :lmao:But yeah measure everything and double check the measures of the axle placement... Now if you find that something is bent you might have to make a few phone calls to local truck shops to see if they can straighten the axle back in place for ya. (Possible? )

[flagmanruss]

Still not complicated 6 bolt dual axles... brakes on both... The real issue is the weight of the trailer. I used to set up boat trailers at a previous employment. We'd put the boat on & move the axles to get the tonge weight correct. My older horse trailers had dropped axles & springs. The current one has rubber torsion axles.