bent jacks

gbsb wrote:
It is just the mounting brackets that bent. They are the swing out jacks that clear the bed on a dually. they lean to the back I think I can twist them back forward enough to get it back on the truck then it will not come off again. I do not need this truck for every day use so it will be a done deal. Seems like every thing I touch lately turns to poop. Thanks for all the input.

But after all that poop, there's gonna be some flowers growing soon.....

Good it is just the brackets....much better than the tubes or the camper itself. I jack-knifed my dirt bike (loaded on the tongue of the trailer) into one rear jack. Figured I was hosed. The tabs that bolted through the bumper bent as well as one of the other clamps. I unbolted it all, hammered the tabs back to straight, remounted everything and seemingly a pile of poop was averted. The jacks were fine. Good luck!

It is just the mounting brackets that bent. They are the swing out jacks that clear the bed on a dually. they lean to the back I think I can twist them back forward enough to get it back on the truck then it will not come off again. I do not need this truck for every day use so it will be a done deal. Seems like every thing I touch lately turns to poop. Thanks for all the input.

popeyemth wrote:
Rethink the blocks for extra lift situation
That camper is heavy and deadly .

No, just pay attention to all four jacks when lifting and lowering and make sure none are "coming up" or flexing. I regularly lift my 5000+ pound Lance to heights approaching nearby radio towers on blocks totaling 16"-20". If they are solidly built and on solid ground there is no more risk in putting it on blocks, rather, there is LESS RISK than extending the jacks all the way out to their full extent which is where they are by far the weakest and wobbliest and maximize any differences in the jacks from perfectly vertical. An extra 16" of tube within tube makes them stronger.

The OP admitted as such (good man/woman!)

If the mounting brackets are just bent then a good shop should be able to straighten them if the tube is bent that's a lot harder to,
time consuming.
Happy holidays
Fishing

gbsb wrote:
New problem. I was unloading the camper off the truck today and had some blocks under the jacks for extra lift and the right front jack slipped of the black and the camper tilted to the right bending both front jack mounting brackets. what is the best way to straighten the jacks. If not for bad luck I would not have any at all. Not really bad luck I should have been looking closer.

Which is it..... You said,. " bending both jack mounting brackets" and then said ," what is the best way to straighten the jacks".

Brackets sometimes are mfg by the camper mfg, so I would contact them first and just get new ones. If they say they get them from the jack company well then from them.

If the jack is bent then if the lower shaft is bent and not the top order new shafts from the mfg.

If the brackets are no longer mfg then a welding fab shop can make you new ones easy.

Hopefully the corner structure is still ok..

I'm surprised that the structure did not let go.

Jim

Agree with everyone above. Get a new one. You'll most likely save money in the long run too.

I bent one of mine and tried to straighten it and buckled the tube. After disassembling it I used a press but wasn't careful enough when applying pressure. If I did it again I think I would get it right. I got a new tube. I would guess getting new tube would be cheaper than having a shop person straighten the bent tube. If the brackets are bent then I would bent them back my self.

Call the jack mfg and find out if you can just buy the tube, reuse the motor.
Just my opinion but I would think the gap clearance in the tube, enabling it to slide , is too close to bend it back into shape. Not to say it can't be done but I have never seen or heard of it being done.

You might also consider replacing them rather than pay the labor charge to try to straighten them out. Try to get the same model to be sure the mounting holes align.

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