Jacking For Tire Change

[Bluedog]

Seems there is a lot of controversy over where to place a jack on a 2-axle travel trailer to change a single tire or service wheel bearings. Experts say under the U-bolt plate is not OK because of the danger of bending the axle. Question is how can the axle get bent when you are lifting the suspension system at the U-bolt location which is built to handle it. Same as driving the single wheel up on a 2 inch board. Some experts say to place the jack under the frame behind the wheel which appears to me to invite damage to the frame more so than the axle method. Also, this way the trailer has to be lifted quite high for the springs to extend and lift the tire off the ground. Under the U-bolt only requires a few inches to get the tire up.

Please enlighten me!

[Fisherman]

I look at it this way, if the trailer was meant to be rolled up on a lazy trailer aide, then why did they put 2 axles on it with 2 tires? To support the weight, period. Now you're going to shift all that weight to one tire with the suspension completely twisted to achieve that. Don't be lazy, use the appropriate jack.

[wanderingbob]

With a "trailer aide ' type device you can have the flat off the ground in the the time it takes to place 'trailer aide " at the tire and pull forwards or backwards . Back 15 years or so before the Goodyear trailer tire recall my wife and I changed several flats each week during our delivery schedule . Are best all time record was eight minutes between blow out and back on the road . NEVER JACK !

[ford_truck_guy]

When jacking, I USED to place it under the spring perch... virtually no chance of damage that way....

[Flan]

I slide my jack in between the 2 tires and jack up on the triangle shape equalizer.

[JRscooby]

Changing a tire? Do it on a nice day in driveway first. Dark, rain, with traffic going by is not the time to go to school.
Ramp under other tire might work, but will need to be pretty steep with some trailers.
Now the most risky time is when you get wheel off, discover you need up just little more to get the other on. I pull the flat on a ramp until center of axle is at normal height. This way, takes much less jacking. Flat off ramp, slide ramp out, wheel off, then back on.

[Tvov]

I've done both - jacked where the axle U-bolts are and run one tire up onto a ramp. Both worked, did not damage the trailer.

[PButler96]

Grit dog wrote:

wanderingbob wrote:
Never jack

Really? Why?

He read it on the interwebs?

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, "Trailer Aid Plus"

[Grit_dog]

wanderingbob wrote:
Never jack

Really? Why?

[wanderingbob]

Never jack , run the good tire up on blocks to lift the bad tire . Use boards or there are several ramps built for this purpose .

[time2roll]

I jack on th U-bolt for minor repairs but don't get under unless there are jack stands supporting the frame.
No issues.

[Grit_dog]

Literally one the most universally competent places to jack up about any solid axle is under the spring perches or u bolts.
There is nothing special about any of the probably 100 different trailers that I’ve tossed a jack under for one reason or another, that I’ve seen.
In general, if you support it there or under the frame (within reason) and something gets damaged, it wasn’t going to last anyway.
As always common sense applies. If you have a 3000lb buggy sitting over the axles of a toyhauler and you jack up the back corner of the frame, or something like that, you may tweak something.

[klutchdust]

I have jacked anything from a single axle utility trailer to a loaded semi by placing the jack under the plate that is secured by the u-bolts. As you proceed it compresses the leaf springs and eventually raises the tire. The axle stays straight.
That is the safest way to lift a trailer. Started doing that in 1972. Lifted hundreds of Semi's that way. Travel trailers the same. Stay away from the axle UNLESS it is on a semi trailer. A travel trailer axle is just a pipe, and a weak one at that.

[bgum]

On our Airstream there is a small aluminum square about a foot in back of the axle on each side and is used to mark the jacking point. Under no circumstances should the jack be used on the axle.

[Gdetrailer]

nickthehunter wrote:
Who are these “experts” you refer to?

Perhaps from the "horses mouth", the axle manufacturers?

See page 40 HERE



Although I suspect Dexters take is out of concern with the fact that axles can be over slung or under slung and/or not many flat places to safely use a jack without the potential for it to slip or pop out from under the suspension components..

I am sure that somewhere along the lines folks most likely have used the axle tube and damaged it..