Useing jack

Had a flat just outside Atlanta coming north. I had made up some short 2x8 wedges which I can make a short ramp. One edge is beveled. Poor mans trailer aid..Backed the good tire up 4 inches high. My trailer has no plate on the bottom just the u bolts. I carry a small 2x6 and use that under the U bolts. Used the truck bottle jack to raise the tire.
When I replaced the tire(s) 2 in Chattanooga the tire guys just slide the lift jack under the U bolts and raised away. I'm going to get an impact drill for the next time.

fj12ryder wrote:
I say axle right under the spring hangers/U-bolts. Other people have varying opinions.

I do it this way because I see no sense in trying to carry jacks tall enough to lift the frame, no sense in trying to carry the necessary cribbing to do the aforementioned, and jacking under the axle at the spring hangers is quicker and looks to do no damage. I jack the wheel up just high enough to change the tire, and I just can't see how it can damage anything.

That's my opinion, and that's how I've done it in the past.

X2. I had a road service change a flat on my fiver not long ago and I watched the service man as he did the work. The jack was placed under the spring hanger area as noted above. I've never jacked up the fiver myself so I'm assuming this is the proper method. Maybe a different configuration might require a different procedure....

Allworth wrote:
If "further away may bend the frame" then I assume that you never use your landing gear.

Not to lift the tires off the ground.

Common Sense.........works for everything!

mileshuff wrote:
My owners manual says never to lift on the axle as they may bend or kink. Says under the frame directly in front of or behind wheel. Further away may bend frame.

CYA policy for the doofus who would jack it up half-way to the center. If you believe that, then the suspension will "bend or kink" the axle.

Lyle

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

Ziphead2 wrote:
What is the best location to jack up a 5th wheel to change a tire! Axel or frame?

For the "official" correct answer -
check your owner's manual - and the recommendations by your axle mfgr.
Don't have one or the other? (or both) - call the mfgr's tech line.

You will find almost all recommend jacking under the frame.
It's no big deal to do it that way, and other methods may be quicker and/or easier.

So - are there other acceptable ways to do it?
Sure.

However, *if* you follow the other methods - with bad results for whatever reason - the folks recommending same won't be paying for your repairs, *YOU* will..:W

Since they don't know your mechanical abilities - a disclaimer should be included with their advice..;)

Your trailer, your choice:
Mfgr or folks on an Internet forum?..:@

~

Like they'd pay even if you =did= follow their recommendation...

Lyle

If "further away may bend the frame" then I assume that you never use your landing gear.

I use the trailer aid and it works for me. I have the one with the extra pad on top. But I also have and have used a 2x10 with a cleat attached to prevent the aid from scooting off the 2x10 when the extra lift is needed.
Jim

Axle manufacturers have to assume that if they say to jack the axle at the spring perch, some people will only read the first half of the sentence and put the jack in the middle of the axle. Rather than explaining in great detail where to jack and have people ignore it, they say jack on the frame. Impractical from the users point of view but saves warranty arguments later on.

The trailer-aid style lift technically overloads the other tire but since it is a static load it shouldn't hurt it - otherwise uneven ground at parking lot entrances or in campgrounds would be blowing tires left and right. DRIVING on an overloaded tire generates heat which leads to premature failure. (load rating changes with inflation pressure which is why an underinflated tire can be considered overloading)

rhagfo wrote:

UNDER THE AXLE at the spring attachment! you only need to lift the tire about an inch to clear the ground. The other tire is still supporting half the load!

I have the necessary cribbing to place my 12 ton bottle jack to lift on the frame, but will ALWAYS jack on the axle or spring plate which ever is on the bottom. FAR safer, than a tall jack on the frame, lifting at the frame the jack needs to support the weight carried by both wheels on that side.

I agree.

It is one thing to jack under the frame on a solid and flat paved driveway. But when you are on the side of a road, you seldom have a flat solid surface on which to jack. Usually in soft ground. So that makes it all that much more important to jack with as little height as possible. Under the spring perch is the best place, if you must jack. The Trailer aid is my real preference. I too need to put a 2X8 under it to get enough height. Especially on soft ground.