whats everyone us for a jack

[ander]

hi all.

Comming down from Mt lemon monday( 9,157 ft according to the sticker we got) we get to the first stop sign at the bottom and noticed a loud rattling noise as we pulled away..

first though was i had dropped a tail pipe. sounded just like we were dragging tin cans.. we pulled over and quick look showed nothing dragging, just then GF sees smoke comming from the pass side front wheel well. quite a bit of white smoke.

that went from a Hmmm moment to a OH **** real quick. i grabbed the extinguisher and dove under the front end but no fire just white smoke pouring out of the wheel.

brakes and lines seemed fine..could even touch caliper. back to HMMMMM.

i popped the hub cap off and found the problem.
the dust cap had popped off and was rattling around in the hub cap...looks like i smoked the front bearing.

as we sit there wondering about towing options vs changing bearing on side of road at 4pm i see there is still grease in and on the spindle and bearing..no chunks i can see and wheel doesnt rock just that the hub is about 8 million degrees.

anyway...i pull out the 8 ton bottle jack that came with the rig when we bought it, to jack tire up and see how bad bearing really is and of course it doesnt work.( see i got to the thread title :).

in the end we waited an hour then took the back roads slow and easy the 30 miles home. the old girl got us home.

so what is everyone using on there older rigs for a jack?. is an 8ton bottle overkill? 2 ton floor jack not enough? im around 7000lbs last time i went over a scale. havent done a front/ back yet.

all 4 wheels are getting new bearings this weekend... they are probably stock 20 yrs+ now.

thanks.

[Gene_in_NE]

BillJ999 wrote:
This is the one I bought:
http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/pro-point-5-ton-double-ram-hydraulic-bottle-jack/A-p8382467e -...

A Google search for "double ram bottle jack" brings up many other models.

Or, you might want to purchase 2 jacks.

[BillJ999]

This is the one I bought:
http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/pro-point-5-ton-double-ram-hydraulic-bottle-jack/A-p8382467e

A Google search for "double ram bottle jack" brings up many other models.

[AJBert]

I need to look into this Double Ram bottle jack. My TT has a flipped axle and my TV is lifted a bit.

[BillJ999]

I have a 5 Ton Double Ram bottle jack. I was afraid that under certain circumstances (like with a flat on uneven ground) a regular bottle jack wouldn't fit under the lift point. The double ram jack has a lift range from 8.9" to 19.7". Should do the trick ... though I hope not having to use it. I also have roadside assistance, but do travel where there is no cell service.

[sprintstream]

My Sprinter has a 4 ton bottle jack. I also have roadside service. When I needed the service it was a late hot summer Sunday afternoon in the middle of truly nowhere. Barely a cell signal and a wait time of 4 hours. So I changed my own tire with my own jack and my own dirty clothes.

No, I didn't want to crawl around on the gravel road to change my tire. But I also didn't want to wait 4 hours in the sun.

Make sure the jack works and you know how to use it. Just saying.

[mkguitar]

when we went thru the 'why carry a spare' thread a couple of months ago it seems alot of the members rely on roadside services.
some plans have exclusions and may not enter private roads like campgrounds or gated communities or cover you on dirt roads.

My PW came with a scissor jack, I have roadside, but I know I'll be ok on my own as many of our travels are off the beaten path- dirt/gravel roads.
I also have a small 2 ton stashed underneath, and a piece of 4x4.
I'll test the jack every once in a while just to ensure the seals are holding and there is oil in it.

I sometimes will use a jack to steady the rig when parked, esp with the awning out so as to not stress the awning supports if the van rocks when we move around


Mike

[drsolo]

Well I went and looked at the Good Sam road service and it is much better than AAA. I also signed up for the "return" services.

[ryegatevt]

omjones wrote:
I carry a Good Sam road service card, comes with a jack and a guy to work it too. 8-) I have a 2 ton farm jack aka bumper jack. My rig has real bumpers.
john 'I am Canadian'

Ditto. Shifted from AAA when they couldn't promise RV service in every state.

[drsolo]

I have a AAA card and a spare tire on the back. The jack was ditched long ago.

[omjones]

I carry a Good Sam road service card, comes with a jack and a guy to work it too. 8-) I have a 2 ton farm jack aka bumper jack. My rig has real bumpers.
john 'I am Canadian'

[the_bear_II]

4 ton bottle jack.

[hotjag1]

I carry a 2 ton floor jack. Since you only jack up one wheel at a time, it is plenty of capacity and more stable that a bottle jack.