LCI Power jack failure

[Makoto]

Fortunately I was unhooking at home in my driveway when my jack sounded like it stripped some gears and stopped raising the trailer. The motor ran, but nothing else happened. Cursed a fair bit then pulled out the manual jack handle. Six turns and then it just spun... Used my floor jack to raise the tongue enough to unhook. Took the plastic cover off and found that a hollow pin running through the manual nut had sheared off. More cursing...

After a quick google, I have found that the LCI jacks are generally considered fair at best.

Now looking at purchasing either a Husky 4500k or Barker 3500K power jack.

Any recommendations or comments?

[Thurman]

Makoto- -that hollow pin is commonly referred to as a "roll pin" or "spring pin". These pins are generally case hardened meaning that they are only hardened about .003"-.005" (3-5 thousandths of an inch). These are not usually used as a shear type pin but can be used as such. Before I would go and buy another jack I would find out what size this pin is, I'm betting 3/16" then find an appropriate pin punch and get all of the old one out. A new pin can be bought at most any auto parts store to replace the old pin. The real problem is "WHY" did the pin shear in the first place? This pin may have gotten weaker from being strained over a period of time if the jack's weight limit is close to your unit's weight. How long have you had this jack, how many times have you used it with no problem? I would contact LCI and ask them for recommendations.

[Makoto]

Thurman, Thanks! I learned a lot about pins. But it was the least of the problems. This particular jack is now headed for the scrap heap.

I used a sacrificial allen wrench to take the place of the pin, yet jack would not move up or down as if it were stuck. I took the weight off the jack with my 3 ton floor jack and was able to now rotate the manual handle easily in either direction and the jack leg would go up and down.

My research:

First keep in mind the that the jack motor runs, but does not move the jack at all. no noises now except running motor.

Next I used the floor jack to raise up the tongue high and put jack stands under the frame just behind the jack to support the tongue. By the way, if anyone is wondering I had already wedged chocks in front and behind tires on both sides, safety first...

After rotating the jack down as far as it would go, I found the shaft scarred; it had been rubbing and eventually binded inside the upper tube. I liberally applied some silicone spray lube and raised and lowered the jack leg several times. Using floor jack put the trailer back onto the jack leg. it would now lower the leg manually but not raise it.

Back up on the jack stands, I take the cover off the drive mechanism. I found that 3 teeth had broken off of the gear attached to the cover and manual drive pin. two of the broken teeth were adjacent to each other and their loss was just enough that the drive mechanism would not mesh when gears tried to meet at their location. You can see all in the pictures attached.

I reassembled the trashed drive box and manual got the tongue about where the trailer would be level and set her down. Ended up being a little high. Not a problem since I could manually crank it lower. Started do so and at about the sixth rotation there is a snap and the crank handle and the nut it goes down over pulls away. The freaking shaft that engages the drive shaft snapped. Now I am completely fed up with this substandard hunk of junk.

A lot of WEB searching revealed that LCI does not supply replacement parts for this jack. Anecdotes from many forum posts (on many other forums) validated this.

For those that have this jack, I highly suggest that you used a good dry lube and spray it up inside the upper tune on all sides and on the jack leg to prevent any binding.

As for myself, I am purchasing a Husky Brute HB4500 4500lb Power Jack. I think the LCI was rated at 2500lb it seemed to struggle from day one to lift the trailer and truck high enough to get my Equalizer hitch spring bars in place.

Thank You for Reading!

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by Makoto

Thurman, Thanks! I learned a lot about pins. But it was the least of the problems. This particular jack is now headed for the scrap heap.
Thank You for Reading!

Good Post!