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Old 05-10-2013, 12:40 PM   #21
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Harbor Freight jacks:
4 ton bottle jack
3 ton floor jack

These?
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:44 PM   #22
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not a huge fan of the harbor freight jacks, they are probably fine, but I don't feel good about them when I am working under stuff (BTW - never with just a jack, always with jackstands in place.)

Got a Sears nearby?
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:46 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
Harbor Freight jacks:
4 ton bottle jack
3 ton floor jack

These?
Both, floor jack for home and bottle jack in camper for emergencies.
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:48 PM   #24
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Understandable about Harbor Freight and their inexpensiveness. I figure for the so few times that they'd be used, it could be fine. But, I actually have a Sears like 3 minutes from my house...
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:48 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by OldCoot View Post

Both, floor jack for home and bottle jack in camper for emergencies.
X2 !


So you gone yet ?
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:51 PM   #26
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X2 !


So you gone yet ?
OldCoot and Turbs.. that makes sense. Just mo money to spend.

Any reason why I can't do the bottle jack here at home (considering I've been a car owner for 17 years and a home owner for 12 years and have never needed a jack before)?
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:53 PM   #27
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Take pics so this can be archived for future reference. I changed a blown tire on the freeway with a 3 ton Canadian Tire floor jack in less 5 minutes. Tracker trailers whizzing by 3 feet from my ankles was a little unnerving, hence the rush to change the tire.
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:56 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post

OldCoot and Turbs.. that makes sense. Just mo money to spend.

Any reason why I can't do the bottle jack here at home (considering I've been a car owner for 17 years and a home owner for 12 years and have never needed a jack before)?
Bottle jack would be fine.

Center it good an jack.

Why u still here ?
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:56 PM   #29
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Take pics so this can be archived for future reference. I changed a blown tire on the freeway with a 3 ton Canadian Tire floor jack in less 5 minutes. Tracker trailers whizzing by 3 feet from my ankles was a little unnerving, hence the rush to change the tire.
Pictures ? I'm thinking you tube video!
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:57 PM   #30
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I would do the bottle jack. For once a year a home to take your hubs off for inspection and keep it in the unit for on road emergencies.
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:58 PM   #31
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Did you happen to read this thread? For what it is worth, when I had a fiver, I jacked under the axles on several occasions. I KNOW, everything says not to do it. I jacked as close the wheel as I could get, while leaving room for a jack-stand between the 2. I did a complete brake change-out and replaced all bearing using this method. I never experienced any problem with coach afterwards.


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ler-17027.html
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:58 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
OldCoot and Turbs.. that makes sense. Just mo money to spend.

Any reason why I can't do the bottle jack here at home (considering I've been a car owner for 17 years and a home owner for 12 years and have never needed a jack before)?
Would go with the Sears kit and buy a bottle jack. As I stated before, the floor jack at home, bottle jack for trailer.
Floor jack is much safer PERIOD!
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Old 05-10-2013, 12:59 PM   #33
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Pictures ? I'm thinking you tube video!
It would make it a lot easier for the medical examiner...
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:00 PM   #34
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Did you happen to read this thread? For what it is worth, when I had a fiver, I jacked under the axles on several occasions. I KNOW, everything says not to do it. I jacked as close the wheel as I could get, while leaving room for a jack-stand between the 2. I did a complete brake change-out and replaced all bearing using this method. I never experienced any problem with coach afterwards.


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ler-17027.html
I had. Unfortunately in my ignorance, I wasn't sure how it all applied to me + my situation.
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:02 PM   #35
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Would go with the Sears kit and buy a bottle jack. As I stated before, the floor jack at home, bottle jack for trailer.
Floor jack is much safer PERIOD!
Dang it, OC. You know my hot button... it's safer because there's more area for the lifting. Correct?

Hmm.. you might have just sold me on the floor jack.
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:02 PM   #36
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Here's my two cents.
  1. Taking advice on how to do something that could get you killed off of the internet is a very questionable activity.
  2. If those are Dexter axles, the book specifically says not to jack on them. Having said that, I agree with Turbs that there is no where to jack on your frame (and don't know that the frame could support a single-point lift with that much force either).
  3. Turbs has the same RV and experience, so do as he says and put the jack only under where the u-bolts are.
  4. I wouldn't even try to use a jack-stand (because trying to get that on the u-bolts at the same time as the jack is going to be difficult). Jack up one wheel, remove the tire, put the spare on that wheel and lower it. Jack up the other wheel, take the tire off, leave the jack in place and go to the tire store. (It the jack sags a little, it's OK since you've still got the spare on the other wheel to support the trailer.)
  5. A floor jack might be nice, but one with enough tonnage to support half of your trailer will be expensive and, as you said, you can't use it anywhere else. Go to either Sears or a reputable auto-parts store and buy no less than an 6-ton jack. (The price doesn't go up that much for higher power and you want to make sure you have enough. Mine is 10-ton. I think Lou's is 12-ton.)
  6. That block of wood is only to spread the force around the area of those u-bolts... not to spread the weight onto the axle tube so it doesn't need to be big and it doesn't matter which direction you put it.
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:03 PM   #37
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dang it, oc. You know my hot button... It's safer because there's more area for the lifting. Correct?

Hmm.. You might have just sold me on the floor jack.
yes !
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:04 PM   #38
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I had. Unfortunately in my ignorance, I wasn't sure how it all applied to me + my situation.
Just wanted to say I support the bottle jack. Lots cheaper and easier to store. If you go this way, be sure to make you wood chocks to go under them to get you close to whatever you are going to jack. Bottle jacks are usually limited to a few inches of lift.
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:05 PM   #39
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Here's my two cents.

[*]Taking advice on how to do something that could get you killed off of the internet is a very questionable activity.[*]If those are Dexter axles, the book specifically says not to jack on them. Having said that, I agree with Turbs that there is no where to jack on your frame (and don't know that the frame could support a single-point lift with that much force either).[*]Turbs has the same RV and experience, so do as he says and put the jack only under where the u-bolts are.[*]I wouldn't even try to use a jack-stand (because trying to get that on the u-bolts at the same time as the jack is going to be difficult). Jack up one wheel, remove the tire, put the spare on that wheel and lower it. Jack up the other wheel, take the tire off, leave the jack in place and go to the tire store. (It the jack sags a little, it's OK since you've still got the spare on the other wheel to support the trailer.)[*]A floor jack might be nice, but one with enough tonnage to support half of your trailer will be expensive and, as you said, you can't use it anywhere else. Go to either Sears or a reputable auto-parts store and buy no less than an 6-ton jack. (The price doesn't go up that much for higher power and you want to make sure you have enough. Mine is 10-ton. I think Lou's is 12-ton.)[*]That block of wood is only to spread the force around the area of those u-bolts... not to spread the weight onto the axle tube so it doesn't need to be big and it doesn't matter which direction you put it.
Couldn't have said it better.
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Old 05-10-2013, 01:05 PM   #40
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I used a 4 ton Sears floor jack when I did my wheel bearings and it picked my rig up fine jacking the frame in front of the axle. I used a piece of 4x4 to space the jack. My only issue was I had to lift it pretty high to get both tires off the ground. From now on I will lift it under the spring. I already carry a small floor jack in my rig as it doesnt have a jack. it is more than capable of lifting one wheel at a time far enough to change a tire. Bottle jacks a great and nice and compact but you need to be dead nutz centered and level or they might tip thats why I dont care for them.
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