Jacking up a 5th wheel

Hook to truck. Raise legs. Put jack under frame in front of front axle. Jack up until both sets of tires on same same are off the ground. If temporary, place weight rated jack stands under frame before and after each axle. If long term, make some cribbing or use cement blocks or 2'x8"x8"blocks of wood IPO cement ones in same area. Repeat for other side. Make sure you are level side to side 1st. Once done in back, lower front legs, unhook and level front to rear.

Ony one comment. The small head on a bottle jack if placed directly on the axle could collapse the thin wall tubing used.

Well take your time and build up some "cribbing" to support, I have used 2X4's cut into 1' lengths. Many make the wood lengths 18", I have found the 12" stable enough.
I actually jack at the equalizer between the wheels, and place cribbing under the jack as the 5er get higher. While the landing gear will support the front, I placed a 3 ton jack stand under each. I also DON'T connect the 5er to the truck, on the 12" cribbing I can put a hard shoulder to the ends of the 5er and it doesn't move.

Cribbing, and jack stands, keep the rig level, fron to back as well as side to side. Never ever get under rig with stabilizers only! Take your time, and as stated use a wooden block to spread the load on the frame, it can bend if all the weight is concentrated in one spot! Last Sumer I inspected/cleaned brakes and replaced inner seals on my rig. I did one wheel at a time, about ½ hour per wheel. Did one side the first day, the other side on the second day. Not a big deal, again don't get into a hurry or try any short cuts! Good luck!

Good post by rhagfo with pictures.

OP...If you are only doing wheel maintenance, bearings/brakes, I'd just raise one wheel at a time, with a block & jack under the u-bolt area. Unless you are doing suspension disassembly, that is a lot of work, blocking up entire frame, and more risky while living in it.

Jerry

Coach-man wrote:
Cribbing, and jack stands, keep the rig level, fron to back as well as side to side. Never ever get under rig with stabilizers only! Take your time, and as stated use a wooden block to spread the load on the frame, it can bend if all the weight is concentrated in one spot! Last Sumer I inspected/cleaned brakes and replaced inner seals on my rig. I did one wheel at a time, about ½ hour per wheel. Did one side the first day, the other side on the second day. Not a big deal, again don't get into a hurry or try any short cuts! Good luck!

My drive way isn't level when looking at the pictures above, it slopes down to the left. I shimmed the 1st level of cribbing so the cribbing was straight up no lean.

The end of any jack regardless of its diameter will not crush the heavy wall of the round axle tube on a std leaf spring suspension. Makes no different the size if the jack against the round axle tube.
A larger diameter jack point is prefered simply because it lessons the chance of the jack slipping.
Now a torsion suspension has thin square axle tubes and there has been reports of crushed tubes from jacking.

Having done my own annual trailer inspections/maintenance on my commercial trailers I would never hook a wheeled vehicle up to a trailer when jacking the trailer off the ground. Not if I have to work under there.

Russ' s pictures tells a good safe story. I have the same type cribbing only their 2x6 blocks. I also have lots of 24"-30" long blocks made from RR ties. These can be placed under the trailers frame rails at angles to each other. This keeps the trailer stabile even in high winds.

Attention to the length of the trailer is required.
One jack placed under the main frame rail behind the last spring hanger to lift the trailer works on shorter trailers.
Two lifting jacks.... one somewhere behind the aft spring hanger and somewhere forward of the front spring hanger works better on longer/heavier trailers.

Think safety before each move. When you think its safe to go under walk back to the rear corner of the trailer and push hard to see how stable its sitting. If it wiggles add more blocks or relocate blocks till its stable. Good luck

I would NOT use a single jacking point anywhere on the frame to life one side. A dual axle trailer has three mounting points spreading the load. You're better off using a jack under one spring perch at a time, or two jacks under the spring perches to jack one side. Use some jack stands for safety while you have the wheel(s) off.

Many thanks folks. This is exactly the info I was looking for.

avvidclif1 wrote:
Ony one comment. The small head on a bottle jack if placed directly on the axle could collapse the thin wall tubing used.

On the bottle Jack issue: get a pipe nipple with a slightly larger internal diameter than the axle, but it in half lenghtwise, weld to top of bottle jack. The pipe nipple will "cradle" the axle, serving two purposes; much more surface area on axle for lift and Jack will not slip out from under axle! memtb