Trailer shakes on new tongue jack

[chracatoa]

I had a jack problem a week before a big trip. Since I didn't have much time and I got a deal on a US$100 4000lbs ultra-fab jack.

But once the trailer is fully deployed I can move the tongue with my hand and shake the trailer. It is also bad when walking inside. I have the X choks and 4 arm jack stabilizers (unfortunately I don't have the arm stabilizers that would connect the two front ones to the middle of the trailer).

Also, the new jack diameter is 2" while the old one was 2" 1/2.

Is there anything in my setup that I could do to improve this?

For now I'm leaving my car hooked up when possible. That seems to fix it.

By the way, we are now almost at the end of a 2500 miles trip through Idaho, Montana and Utah.

[beemerphile1]

If the jack works, leave it alone. Put stabilizer jacks on the front of the trailer same as on the rear.

[69_Avion]

I started building equipment trailers in 1975, working my way through college. All the jacks that I mounted had a plate with a hole that had a snug fit for the jack. Today, you can buy the plates and if they are made "correctly", they are snug. A loose plate is almost worthless. Remember, most couplers have the same angle so the plates should be all similar for a particular shaft size jack. If the reinforcing plate has too large of hole, then either the wrong size jack was installed, or the plate wasn't made correctly.

Early on, I went to pintle hitches so I no longer had a couper to mount the jack to. I used structural channel on the top, for the jack and I still used the reinforcing plate on the bottom of the frame.

When the trailers get over about 12,000# GVW, then I went to the large square jacks that are similar to the semi truck, trailer jacks.

[Lynnmor]

69 Avion wrote:
Properly built trailers will have the bottom guide for those types of jacks. That is too much leverage for the coupler to hold.

I have never seen a bottom plate that had a perfect fit for the jack. In my photo, you can see a bottom plate but any clearance there will allow the jack to sway, so I fixed it.

[69_Avion]

Properly built trailers will have the bottom guide for those types of jacks. That is too much leverage for the coupler to hold.

[Lynnmor]

While the larger diameter will help the shake, there is usually clearance that still allows the jack to move. I made a plate to support the jack at the bottom of the tongue.

[mrkoje]

My mentality is that it came with a 2.25" shaft for a reason - bigger trailer and more tongue weight. Go back to the 2.25" shaft.

If I could get an even larger shaft for my trailer I would though I believe it's impossible as 2.25" is the largest I have seen. Then, I even have more tongue weight around 1600-1800lbs depending on load.


Edit: I think the OP meant 2.25" jack. I'm not aware of a 2.5" or larger... please tell if I'm wrong as I would prefer a larger one.

[chracatoa]

Thanks. So much for fitting 2 and 2 1/2"....

[mhardin]

Use wood blocks, the biggest that will fit, to keep the extended length of the shaft as short as possible.

Mike

[K_Charles]

buy a 2 1/2" jack.

[downtheroad]

$100 is an almost a, "too good to be true," deal on a 4K power tongue jack...also the wrong size shaft.
More than likely a higher quality Barker or Atwood in the correct shaft size would make a big difference.

(I fully realize that I have only stated the obvious and have no idea how to 'fix' the problem with your current jack)