HWH Levelers

Doug, do the seals have more stiction when they age? do they shrink?, what makes them go bad? Do they look different than new ones other than being clean? With your knowledge and experience I never doubt your answers, sorry if I post something by mistake, my BAD.

enblethen wrote:
Jacks need to be cleaned. I do mine normally in the spring.
I use brake Klean. Spray spring rocker location, control rod and roller.
After that I spray with a good quality chain lubricant, the type that doesn't collect road debris.
The front stabilizers seem to attract more road spray then the rear. This maybe caused by the wheels changing direction and throwing more at it.
I sure would try cleaning good before throwing a bunch of money at new or re-built jacks.

As I stated, you have Kick Down jacks the OP does NOT. Cleaning is required maintenance, but for his problem the Inner seals are bad. Doug

Gjac wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

zigzag03 wrote:

Gjac wrote:
I still have the old style springs on mine and they work fine with some silicone spray once a season. Sometimes when I hear a creaking sound that is an indication that it is about to stick. It is only the front left that does this. The points that Bud was talking about are the roller and small cylinder that need to be cleaned.

And where specifically are these two components? Are they part of the control panel?

As to which lubricant, I've been in the marine field for almost my entire professional life, and rarely had a use for silicone spray vs the WD40-type. except when lubricating o-rings. I also use silicone grease when putting together pool equipment components, for instance. For petroleum based lube, I like one called Corrosion Block, from H&M. But if the goal is to loosen up tight seals, maybe silicone has an advantage. Since I have two tight cylinders, I'll try one of each and report.

YOUR Jacks are NOT the same as this post. The post refers to KICK DOWN HWH jacks.

1. When they cannot retract and you CANNOT push them up with your hand and must use a lever to get retracted-------NO LUBE OR NEW SPRINGS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM----PERIOD
2. The ONLY correct fix is to either replace or rebuild the offending jacks, the internal seals are bad.
3. 2003, I would also replace all 8 springs. You have the older springs that lose their tensile strength. New style springs will quicken the retract when the jacks are fixed and odds are the 15 year old springs are rusted and will probably break in a few years. Doug

I have the kick down jacks, and have had problems with retraction just like the OP and silicone spray has worked for me over the last 5 years. I let the silicone dry on the shaft first before retracting.

That's what I stated. YOU have Kick down jacks the OP does NOT. IF you have to lube the shaft, the inner seals are bad, but it is cheaper to do what you do to keep them working. Doug

AllegroD wrote:
HWH Maintenance.
ml47149.pdf
HWH FAQ
ml35963.pdf

It is also possible that your shafts may no longer be true.

How did you come up with that? In 30 years of working on HWH jacks, I have NEVER seen a bent cylinder. OTHER brands yes, NOT HWH. Doug

Jacks need to be cleaned. I do mine normally in the spring.
I use brake Klean. Spray spring rocker location, control rod and roller.
After that I spray with a good quality chain lubricant, the type that doesn't collect road debris.
The front stabilizers seem to attract more road spray then the rear. This maybe caused by the wheels changing direction and throwing more at it.
I sure would try cleaning good before throwing a bunch of money at new or re-built jacks.

HWH Maintenance.
ml47149.pdf
HWH FAQ
ml35963.pdf

It is also possible that your shafts may no longer be true.

dougrainer wrote:

zigzag03 wrote:

Gjac wrote:
I still have the old style springs on mine and they work fine with some silicone spray once a season. Sometimes when I hear a creaking sound that is an indication that it is about to stick. It is only the front left that does this. The points that Bud was talking about are the roller and small cylinder that need to be cleaned.

And where specifically are these two components? Are they part of the control panel?

As to which lubricant, I've been in the marine field for almost my entire professional life, and rarely had a use for silicone spray vs the WD40-type. except when lubricating o-rings. I also use silicone grease when putting together pool equipment components, for instance. For petroleum based lube, I like one called Corrosion Block, from H&M. But if the goal is to loosen up tight seals, maybe silicone has an advantage. Since I have two tight cylinders, I'll try one of each and report.

YOUR Jacks are NOT the same as this post. The post refers to KICK DOWN HWH jacks.

1. When they cannot retract and you CANNOT push them up with your hand and must use a lever to get retracted-------NO LUBE OR NEW SPRINGS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM----PERIOD
2. The ONLY correct fix is to either replace or rebuild the offending jacks, the internal seals are bad.
3. 2003, I would also replace all 8 springs. You have the older springs that lose their tensile strength. New style springs will quicken the retract when the jacks are fixed and odds are the 15 year old springs are rusted and will probably break in a few years. Doug

I have the kick down jacks, and have had problems with retraction just like the OP and silicone spray has worked for me over the last 5 years. I let the silicone dry on the shaft first before retracting.

zigzag03 wrote:

Gjac wrote:
I still have the old style springs on mine and they work fine with some silicone spray once a season. Sometimes when I hear a creaking sound that is an indication that it is about to stick. It is only the front left that does this. The points that Bud was talking about are the roller and small cylinder that need to be cleaned.

And where specifically are these two components? Are they part of the control panel?

As to which lubricant, I've been in the marine field for almost my entire professional life, and rarely had a use for silicone spray vs the WD40-type. except when lubricating o-rings. I also use silicone grease when putting together pool equipment components, for instance. For petroleum based lube, I like one called Corrosion Block, from H&M. But if the goal is to loosen up tight seals, maybe silicone has an advantage. Since I have two tight cylinders, I'll try one of each and report.

YOUR Jacks are NOT the same as this post. The post refers to KICK DOWN HWH jacks.

1. When they cannot retract and you CANNOT push them up with your hand and must use a lever to get retracted-------NO LUBE OR NEW SPRINGS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM----PERIOD
2. The ONLY correct fix is to either replace or rebuild the offending jacks, the internal seals are bad.
3. 2003, I would also replace all 8 springs. You have the older springs that lose their tensile strength. New style springs will quicken the retract when the jacks are fixed and odds are the 15 year old springs are rusted and will probably break in a few years. Doug

sorry posted a duplicate message. can't find a way to delete, so posting an explanation. Further exploration of the site shows that this maybe should have been posted in Tech Issues, I'll find my way around sooner or later!

Gjac wrote:
I still have the old style springs on mine and they work fine with some silicone spray once a season. Sometimes when I hear a creaking sound that is an indication that it is about to stick. It is only the front left that does this. The points that Bud was talking about are the roller and small cylinder that need to be cleaned.

And where specifically are these two components? Are they part of the control panel?

As to which lubricant, I've been in the marine field for almost my entire professional life, and rarely had a use for silicone spray vs the WD40-type. except when lubricating o-rings. I also use silicone grease when putting together pool equipment components, for instance. For petroleum based lube, I like one called Corrosion Block, from H&M. But if the goal is to loosen up tight seals, maybe silicone has an advantage. Since I have two tight cylinders, I'll try one of each and report.