Jack size for tire change

SprinklerMan wrote:
Just remember if you are using a bottle jack under the axle , check to make sure it fits , with a flat tire . It may fit now with air in the tire but will it fit when its flat .

Good point. Always do a dry run at home regardless of how you raise a tire off the ground. Some folks found out the hard way the ramp they carried for 8 years wouldn't raise the flat tire off the ground.

I use a old 12 ton "shorty" hyd bottle jack I've carried since the '70s when I was on the road. The jack came with a 10"x10" base for soft ground. It easily lifts one end of the axle and not the whole side of the trailer. I welded a channel to the top of the jack which cradles the axle tube and eliminates the jack from slipping.

Just remember if you are using a bottle jack under the axle , check to make sure it fits , with a flat tire . It may fit now with air in the tire but will it fit when its flat .

I make a ramp with my Lynx Levelers, pull up onto it with the good tire and take the bad tire off in a matter of minutes.

Bruce

Easiest method is the Trailer Aid by Camco. Simply back the good wheel up the ramp and the bad tire is ready to be changed. Very easy.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/trailer-aid/10867

SprinklerMan wrote:
I just drive up on a 4x4 wheel chock .

Ditto. I have a 12 ton bottle jack, jack stands and a portable trolly jack. But when I had a blowout on the expressway I put two 4x6 Pressure Treated boards I use for leveling under the good wheel and pulled it up and had plenty of room to make the change (loosen the lugs on the bad wheel before you get it in the air).

Whatever you decide to to, you should practice (jack or boards) in a nice safe parking lot and get the feel of changing a tire. Better to get the feel of it without the pressure of an emergency.

On a Torflex axle, there is a specific jacking point--a 1" lip on -the bottom of the bracket. After once having the small top of a 2-ton jack slip off the lip, I became quite concerned about jack safety. I bought a 12-ton stubby jack that had a 1.5" top, and ground a 1" channel for the bracket lip. It essentially removed the possibility of the bracket slipping off the jack.



An unanticipated benefit, like another poster pointed out, is that it takes much less pressure on the handle with a larger capacity jack

Bruce

I wonder how much liability insurance this company carries for all the people suing them for blown tires after using their ramp?
Have you ever changed a tire using a ramp on a trailer with torque flex axles? I have on my Airstream several years ago and that overloaded/ruined tire is still on it, but then I do not run ST tires made in China.
Unfortunately you did not post a rebuttal on turning the trailer over changing a tire using a ramp, but then the tire on the ramp would not be overloaded:)
If you do use a ramp, it needs to be as wide as the tire and that includes when leveling your rig.

Ivylog wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:


OK, I will bite..

While this can work on conventional spring suspension, it won't work well or at all on a torsion type suspension. Why not?

Additionally when lifting a fully loaded trailer using this method you transfer a lot of weight to other wheels and axles. Basically causing a severe OVERLOAD on the "good" tire. Using this method you better be prepared to REPLACE the tire that was used to jack the trailer as soon as possible. You have got to be kidding?

Keep in mind if the flat is on the drivers side and you pull off the road onto the berm your trailer will be leaning HEAVILY to the passenger side (berms typically have a rather steep angle away from the road).

Lifting the trailer via ramps or boards under the good tire WILL lift the trailer CONSIDERABLY HIGHER than if you used a jack... Lift it to high and center of gravity then takes over and the results will not be pretty.. I did not think this post could get any better but you've outdone yourself with this one.:S

:R

Not kidding, plenty of folks out there that have complained about blowing out tires on the same side, AFTER they used YOUR method. I wonder WHY?....

Have you ever had the joy of changing a tire on the side of the road?

I HAVE. Let me tell you, not fun changing a truck tire on the berm, I would hate to do that with a trailer...

Torsion axles, well they are totally independent and have greater "reach" and not to mention if I remember correctly most manufacturers of torsion axles do not recommend your method..

Go ahead and laugh but really you have out done yourself :S

Just did this today for the first time, tread separation. Had a big 12 ton bottle jack and turned out to be too big. Used a small jack under the leaf springs where they cross the axle. Had to roll the bad tire on a leveling block just to get the clearance needed for the jack. The other three tires stayed on the ground just fine the whole time.

Not loaded for camping my TT is 6500 lbs and about 1450 lbs per tire, so the jack didn't need to lift that much weight.

(Hate to tell on myself) Whatever you finally decide for a jack, change your tire in your driveway one time. Just to make sure there are no clutches. I had a flat and I couldn't get the spare off due to the length of lug nut bolt holding the spare tire on was about 3 inches long. The standard tire iron was not long enough to get of bolt off. Now a "deep well" socket is in the tire changing gear. If I would of done a tire change in my driveway, I wouldn't of looked as I did...RV jacked up and couldn't get spare off its holder.