flat tire

[BoatingWilly]

In the unlikely event of a flat tire, what has been found to be the safest way to get the trailer up? I have a dual axle Open Range weighing in at aprox 5000 lb. I have my truck jack and a 12000 lb bottle jack I have never used. I would appreciate advice and suggestions.

[BoatingWilly]

This is a great forum for help... Thanks to all for the advice. I decided to go with the Trailer Aid Plus. I hope I never need to use it.

[rbpru]

On my second cross country trip I decided not to tempt fate but to practice a tire change at home. I found I needed a few 2x8s under the bottle jack to fill in the distance between the ground and the frame. I also discovered my old 4-way spin wrench was really handy.

My second cross country was 6 weeks roaming from IN to western MT. I had a truck flat and a TT flat. The truck was a rock puncture the TT was a piece of metal. Fortunately both occurred where I could pull into a large parking lot for the tire change.

Naturally since I bought the TireAid ramp I have not had a flat but that is perfectly okay with me.

One other point, I torques the TT tire lug nut to the recommended 90 ft./lbs. but after a days travel they need to be snugged up a second time.

[JesLookin]

mat60 wrote:

trail-explorer wrote:

mat60 wrote:
Get a 4-way

a 4-way what?

Ok.. Get a 4-way lug wrench. 🙂

Just be sure that the 4-way lug wrench fits the lugs. They are not all the same, and have different size sockets.

[Hornnumb2]

The only time I have had a flat the tire disintegrated and I had to wedge some boards under the rim to break it loose before jacking. Not fun on a 2 lane road in the grass shoulder. But I use a bottle jack on mine.

[Fordlover]

I have a variety of 2x6's (used for stabilizer jack pads) and a (2) 2x12 with plywood between them (used for tongue jack pad) that I build a ramp out of, then use the truck to push or pull the good axle up on, thus raising the flat tire off the ground. I find this far faster and safer while on the side of the road.

Also of note, my 4 way lug wrench won't fit on my new trailer, as the center cap is too near the lugs. So I bought a lug socket set, extension and cheater bar to keep in the trailer. Glad I tested this before setting out on the first trip.

Also have a Viair compressor that is very impressive and a tire repair kit as extra insurance.

[GrandpaKip]

I changed out all the jacketed lug nuts for solid ones after the first time fighting to get a socket on, then getting the nut out of the socket.

[tomman58]

I dial the road service number. The only time I had a blow out the campers world trailer thing to raise the ire was to short to raise the tire. The lug nut had a chrome cap on them and my sockets would not turn them plus even with a 250# torque wrench it isn't the easiest job. Called and waited 45 minutes for the road guy to change the tire. I now carry a small garage jack and the proper socket.

[myredracer]

Jackfate wrote:

myredracer wrote:
One of these days I'm going to make a custom saddle from steel pipe for the jack so it fits perfectly under the U-bolts and can't slip. This jack makes it easy for inspecting/serving brakes & wheel bearings at home.

If you can find a place that sells trailer fab stuff you can get a axle perch just like the one on your Springs. Weld that to a 2” long piece of pipe that slides over the top screw of your bottle jack.

Thanks for the tip. Couple of years ago I looked all over for a saddle that would work but will see what some trailer fab places have. I thought I could just cut a piece of pipe lengthwise but the OD of the U-bolts is too far off standard pipe IDs. Buying a pre-made saddle would def. be a lot easier.

[Jackfate]

The thing I feel is dangerous is the location of the spare on my open range. It’s just behind the rear axle centered underneath. It’s on a cable system like pickups have and is lowered from the outside the trailer with a crank handle. You will be required to crawl under trailer to get the cable to release form the wheel.

I recently saw a trailer with the spare mounted under the propane tanks ( travel trailer)with the cable system. I will relocate to this position very soon.

[Jackfate]

myredracer wrote:
How does a regular bottle jack fit under an axle? I ended up buying a double ram Torin jack that is about 6" tall collapsed (14" max extended) so it would fit under the U-bolts along with a piece of 2x4. Some axles are under the springs (like ours) and some are over which are safer to put a jack under. One of these days I'm going to make a custom saddle from steel pipe for the jack so it fits perfectly under the U-bolts and can't slip. This jack makes it easy for inspecting/serving brakes & wheel bearings at home.

If we didn't have a jack and had a flat on a trip, I'd be making a ramp from our lego blocks and putting one on each side so the trailer doesn't have to tip over.

If you can find a place that sells trailer fab stuff you can get a axle perch just like the one on your Springs. Weld that to a 2” long piece of pipe that slides over the top screw of your bottle jack.

[JIMNLIN]

Jacking under a std leaf spring axle tube next to the U bolt will not bend or crush the tubes....their too thick.
I've jacked fully loaded enclosed/stock and flatbed trailers with 1750 lb on up to 10000lb axles under the tubes when on the side of the road changing a flat tire.
My old truckers special 12ton hyd shorty jack (10"X10" base) look like the red jack in the picture.
It came with short legged channel that fits over the top of the jack to cradle the axle tube. I've had it repacked 3 times in all these years.

What ever method you use make a dry run at home especially those drive on ramps. On the side of the road 25 miles west of slapout ok isn't the place to discover it didn't work.

[allen8106]

I had a flat on I-40 last winter and just used a bottle jack. I have a steel plate to put under the spring shackle to give me a flat surface to jack on.

[time2roll]

I use a floor jack with some stacked 2x4s if lifting the entire trailer by the frame for major work. HF 12 ton jack stands are plenty tall to go under the frame. This stuff does not go on the road.

As for tipping there is virtually none when I raise the tire 1/2" with a bottle jack on the axle to swap wheels.

[myredracer]

rbpru wrote:
So, they just tell everyone to put the jack on the frame.

Makes some sense but what if the bottom of your frame is like 24" above the ground? Our is like that and I did try jacking the frame up at first but found I needed to use cribbing to get the jack up high enough to reach the frame. If a person didn't realize this and have some suitable pieces of 2x4 or 4x4 with them, they could be SOL. Jack stands would need some cribbing too. And def. don't jack a trailer up and not use jack stands. That could be a lot of cribbing to carry around - providing you don't accidentally use it for firewood.

I also found having to tip the trailer over enough to raise the other wheel was kind of unnerving and that was on flat ground. If you were pulled over onto a road shoulder that sloped, it could end up being precariously tipped?