Opinions on jack point

[brad10281]

So I had the unfortunate incident of finding a screw in my tire after an 8 hour trip. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to deal with this at a campsite and not on the side of the road. This is the first time I've had a tire off the trailer. I really wanted to jack up the axle and not the frame, just makes things go a lot faster and easier. I quickly realized the u-bolt plate was on the wrong side of the axle to do this safely. There was enough spring to get a bottle jack on right next to the axle so I used that. Anyone see any issues with this? It was only up long enough to get the tire off and the spare on. Let me know your thoughts. I can't see why this would have any negative effect on anything.

[yetavon]

Would center under the axle, lift just enough to get the tire off the ground.

[brad10281]

Originally Posted by yetavon

Would center under the axle, lift just enough to get the tire off the ground.

Everything I read says not to use the axle.

[Lins]

Originally Posted by brad10281

Everything I read says not to use the axle.

Be careful with a bottle jack on the axle as the axle is round and the bottle jack can slip easily. The main concern with jacking under the axle is jacking too far inboard and potentially bending the axle.

[yetavon]

Originally Posted by brad10281

Everything I read says not to use the axle.

As mentioned, it can slip... Love the old Toyota truck screw jacks... rounded seat fits to the axle. I center under the axle, under the spring, only lift enough to spin the wheel. Many different trailer for many years and not had an issue yet.

[brad10281]

I don't have the nerve to put a bottle jack under the axle without worrying about it slipping. I just thought you weren't supposed to do it because it would damage the axle.

[Splashes3]

I carry enough wood blocks to put under my bottle jack. I always put it under the frame. I was told a long time ago not to jack the trailer up on the axle and to always use the frame.

[aircommuter]

Originally Posted by brad10281

So I had the unfortunate incident of finding a screw in my tire after an 8 hour trip. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to deal with this at a campsite and not on the side of the road. This is the first time I've had a tire off the trailer. I really wanted to jack up the axle and not the frame, just makes things go a lot faster and easier. I quickly realized the u-bolt plate was on the wrong side of the axle to do this safely. There was enough spring to get a bottle jack on right next to the axle so I used that. Anyone see any issues with this? It was only up long enough to get the tire off and the spare on. Let me know your thoughts. I can't see why this would have any negative effect on anything.Attachment 239240

I don’t see a problem with that position as long it doesn’t creat a an angle that could slip. You might carry a piece of wood with a couple grooves that match the U-bolts. On tandem trailers I usually just put a block on top of the equalizer and drive the good tire on some blocks. No jack needed.

[bzac1954]

Originally Posted by brad10281

So I had the unfortunate incident of finding a screw in my tire after an 8 hour trip. I'm extremely grateful that I was able to deal with this at a campsite and not on the side of the road. This is the first time I've had a tire off the trailer. I really wanted to jack up the axle and not the frame, just makes things go a lot faster and easier. I quickly realized the u-bolt plate was on the wrong side of the axle to do this safely. There was enough spring to get a bottle jack on right next to the axle so I used that. Anyone see any issues with this? It was only up long enough to get the tire off and the spare on. Let me know your thoughts. I can't see why this would have any negative effect on anything.Attachment 239240

Axles are steel through another tube. Lift the axle wrong and you can bend or dent the outside tube of the axle and then both make contact with each other and wear out much faster.

[Kcoulter]

If you're just taking 1 tire off, run the good tire up a leveler ramp and it will lift the bad one up.
You can buy special ramps just for that purpose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jE_x_TjlOI

[yetavon]

Originally Posted by bzac1954

Axles are steel through another tube. Lift the axle wrong and you can bend or dent the outside tube of the axle and then both make contact with each other and wear out much faster.

Trailers dont have axles inside casings... and in that case the casings are even stronger than a trailers....
Now If someone can explain to me....how
The pressure you apply UP slowly to the attachment point in the axle to frame to slightly lift the tire one time
Can exceed the constant DOWN pounding pressure of the entire load of the trailer every second of every trip and NOT bend the axle???????

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by yetavon

Trailers dont have axles inside casings... and in that case the casings are even stronger than a trailers....
Now If someone can explain to me....how
The pressure you apply UP slowly to the attachment point in the axle to frame to slightly lift the tire one time
Can exceed the constant DOWN pounding pressure of the entire load of the trailer every second of every trip and NOT bend the axle???????

That's not the issue.

In the olden days, when I worked in the garage (1961-2), it was common to lift both rear wheels of a car off the ground with a single trollley jack under the "pumpkin" differential. This was acceptable because the entire rear axle was a very strong casting.

Jacking two wheels off the ground with a single jack in the center is no longer acceptable. Cars now have the pumpkin casting in the center with tubes pressed in on both sides. Trailers have a tubing axle with hubs on both ends. In either case, jacking in the center will permanently bow the tubing.

Poster Brad, above, has heard this warning and misinterpreted it to mean no jacking on the axle should ever take place. However, jacking at either outboard end is perfectly acceptable. Look at the forces if the jack is placed under or near the spring. On the side of the trailer, the force is straight up, same as if the wheel is on the ground. On the other side there's a slight twist, same as if one side went over a speed bump and the other did not. There is no distortional force on the axle tubing.

Sorry this is so long. A false rumor is hard to kill.

As for me, I plan to carry a ramp and just use the tow vehicle to place the adjacent good wheel on the ramp high enough that the flat one clears the ground.

[aircommuter]

Originally Posted by yetavon

Trailers dont have axles inside casings... and in that case the casings are even stronger than a trailers....
Now If someone can explain to me....how
The pressure you apply UP slowly to the attachment point in the axle to frame to slightly lift the tire one time
Can exceed the constant DOWN pounding pressure of the entire load of the trailer every second of every trip and NOT bend the axle???????

I can answer this, the trailer is riding on a welded saddle that contacts the axle at two surfaces going almost half way around the tube, the load is spread out on the tube and the tube is reinforced by the welded saddle as well. A bottle jack is a small round surface applying all the load at on small point, depending on the thickness of the tube it could put a dent in it. Would it be harmful? Possibly since tubing gets its strength based on the circumference.
The OP was just asking about placing the bottle jack under the flat part of the leaf.
As for driving up on the remaining axle I answered that back on post #8.

[Walholler]

Three fourths of what you read on here are just opinions and opinions are like ********, everybody has one. I have used a 4 ton bottle jack for years to jack the wheels on our 5th wheel travel trailer without incurring any damage to the axles. Of course you must jack where the leaf spring is attached and not on the axles between the leaf springs. Jacking on the frame is OK and driving onto something with the undamaged wheel to raise the flat one is also a good thing to do. Just because a man chooses to do a task different from what you do, does not make that man wrong.

[aircommuter]

Originally Posted by Walholler

Three fourths of what you read on here are just opinions and opinions are like ********, everybody has one. I have used a 4 ton bottle jack for years to jack the wheels on our 5th wheel travel trailer without incurring any damage to the axles. Of course you must jack where the leaf spring is attached and not on the axles between the leaf springs. Jacking on the frame is OK and driving onto something with the undamaged wheel to raise the flat one is also a good thing to do. Just because a man chooses to do a task different from what you do, does not make that man wrong.

All I see is questions asked and answered. Don’t see where anyone mentioned a man was wrong? In some cases a different way could be wrong on certain things. I don’t see it brought up here until now.

[Mandog]

Manufacturers say to jack from frame not the axle. I really don’t see anything wrong with being under that portion of the leaf.

[jd4010]

I shared this idea in another post. For years, prior to getting our new 5er with the Level Up system, I changed tires by jacking up the tire 1 at a time using a bearing cap to support the axle and the flat surface of the cap for the jack.

NOW BEFORE YOU GO HARPING ON THIS STAGED PICTURE......I took this to show how the cap fit well around the axle tube to give it more support. When I actually jacked up the axle, I placed the cap and jack between the 2 u-bolts which is directly under the springs.

I had to do this more times than I like to admit due to China bombs popping 3 and 4 times each season. Never had an issue and very stable.

[gentle_1ben]

I have jacked trailers and trucks using the spring as a jacking point for 40 years. I have never had any problem with the jack slipping. If I was worried about he jack slipping I would put a small piece of wood between the jack and spring. I also crib up as far as I can under the jack to keep the jack ram extended as short as possible. I also keep the jack as close to the axle as possible on the spring.

Ben

[mwdilday]

Per Dexter FAQ:

Is it okay to jack up my trailer?

Dexter recommends that you do not jack up the trailer on the suspension components because there is always the potential for damage. Bent hangers, leaf springs, or axle tubes can cause bad axle alignment with bad tire wear resulting. Also, many trailer builders do not use Dexter hangers and we have no idea how strong these hangers may or may not be. Therefore, we take the conservative approach and recommend jacking up only on the trailer frame.

[Villagerjjm]

I carry a large wooden block that I use under the power lift when camping. I have also pulled the trailer onto it when I have had to pull a tire. Pull the good tire onto it and the bad one lifts too. Use parking brake and chock the ties that do not have to be changed.