Changing a single axle tire

JIMNLIN wrote:
I have a 12 ton shorty hyd bottle jack with a 10" x 10" base for side of the road work. It easily slides under the axle next to the U bolt or the U bolt itself. I prefer this method as its not necessary to raise one side of the trailer till the suspension starts to lift the flat tire.
This old jack has been with me since the late '60s when I started pulling for a living. Its jacked fully loaded trailers with 10k axles down to 1750 lb axles on a small single tilt bed trailer.
Now if its around my place here I use my hyd floor jack under the axle/U bolt when one wheel needs to be lifted while sitting on the concrete pad in front of the garage.
I keep a four way lug wrench in my truck and RV. And just for the with I keep a 3' long x 1 1/4" pipe for the 4 way in case she has to break the lugs loose when I'm not around.

Jim,
I too jack up trailers that way. However, we should probably note that the trailer mfrs do not recco jacking under the axle, as they are afraid folks will lift from an incorrect position and possible damage the axle.
I also do not know if the OP's trailer is torsion or leaf. So the "safe" recco is to simply say, lift from under the frame.

I have a 12 ton shorty hyd bottle jack with a 10" x 10" base for side of the road work. It easily slides under the axle next to the U bolt or the U bolt itself. I prefer this method as its not necessary to raise one side of the trailer till the suspension starts to lift the flat tire.
This old jack has been with me since the late '60s when I started pulling for a living. Its jacked fully loaded trailers with 10k axles down to 1750 lb axles on a small single tilt bed trailer.
Now if its around my place here I use my hyd floor jack under the axle/U bolt when one wheel needs to be lifted while sitting on the concrete pad in front of the garage.
I keep a four way lug wrench in my truck and RV. And just for the with I keep a 3' long x 1 1/4" pipe for the 4 way in case she has to break the lugs loose when I'm not around.

A lot of good advice above. I personally use a hydraulic bottle jack from US Jack. I use a wood softener on the frame for lifting with a good 2x8 under the jack. It is always wise to break the lug nuts loose before lifting the trailer.

well done grandpa kid....you hit the send button before me
.....

Spend a few dollars and get a battery operated impact wrench.

I put my 18 volt Dewalt impact wrench in the truck before leaving on a trip. 5 ton bottle jack lives in the front compartment. Also have a 4 way.

I use a wrench with an extending handle instead of those big X style ones. You get more leverage and they take up less space


I've had mine for years, but this may be it
http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Automotive-1721-Telescoping-Wrench/dp/B000CMJ2KU/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1399218854&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=extending+lug+wrench

The factory supplied scissor jack in my Frontier easily lifts a wheel of my camper trailer off the ground. Your trailer is lighter than mine.
For my big trailers ( horse trailers, and equipment trailer ) I carry a bottle jack. Harbor freight sells ok bottle jacks for occasional use.
A long breaker bar, a short extension, and the correct six point socket is your best bet to get the lugnuts off.

Thank you all! 352..you're silly..although it sounds like the right idea. ;). I'll get a bottle jack and carry some wood. I have a 4-way lug wrench, but I hope I can loosen it!

Don't get excited if you see the tire shop using an air impact wrench to tighten. Good shops use an extension (color coded) that limits the torque transmitted to the lug nut. It still falls short of the required torque and they use a torque wrench for the final tightening. BTW, per robsouth, it's a good idea to have an emergency road service contract like AAA so you have back up for all kinds of vehicle travel problems.