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Old 03-24-2013, 10:06 PM   #1
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Question Tire Jacks

I will be picking up my new 17B at the end of May. I am trying to do as thorough a job of preparing myself as well as researching the necessary (well, most of them are necessary ) items to outfit her. Hopefully, I never have a flat or blow-out with my trailer tires but just in case I will be carrying a folding 4-way lug wrench, a 12v air compressor and a can of Slime (similar to fix a flat that I really don't want to use but if a tire blows while out alone in the boonies ...). I realize I also need some kind of jack for the trailer tires as I don't know if the one that came with my 2002 Toyota Highlander would work. I went back and read everything I could find related to trailer tire jacks and flat tires on this forum. Though references to bottle, hydraulic and floor jacks were made, no size or manufacturers were specified for any of them. Any and all suggestions and opinions welcome!
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:12 PM   #2
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I have a 2 1/2 ton hydraulic "bottle" jack ( I'm guessing that's the correct term ). But, your question made me realize that I've never actually tried it, to change a tire.
I think I shall.
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:42 PM   #3
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I have a 2 1/2 ton hydraulic "bottle" jack
So do I. I have used it on my similar size Boler B1700. At home, I would rather use a hydraulic floor jack. In a pinch, I could use the scissors jack from my van, but the top of the jack is not shaped to push on a plain flat frame bottom - the bottle jack is only a bit better.

Any jack needs a ton or so of capacity (just about everything more than a small car spare jack), and enough height to push the frame up significantly past the normal clearance from the ground (which is a foot in my case - I don't know about the Escape 17).

I find the bigger problem is that fit to the frame. The jacks which come with cars are usually designed specifically to fit on a designated point on the vehicle. I have considered building a U-shaped adapter to cradle the frame, with a bottom with a ridge to engage the slot on top of my Sienna's jack, but have not done it yet.
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Old 03-24-2013, 10:48 PM   #4
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I carry 2 x 8's to place under the stabilizers and tongue jack so my plan is to use those to elevate the hydraulic jack. I'd place another atop the jack to protect the frame. But, I really should try this at home.
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Old 03-24-2013, 11:22 PM   #5
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I never thought about this before but since I have dual axles I could use my drive-up leveler on the good tire to raise the flat tire/wheel off the ground to change it.
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Old 03-25-2013, 09:55 AM   #6
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I have a floor jack, for at home (on the blacktop driveway). I also have an accordion type jack from an old VW. It will work good in the bush.
I've always wondered why a jack & tire iron doesn't come with the trailer. Just seems like an essential piece of equiptment.
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Old 03-25-2013, 10:02 AM   #7
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My Toyota has a good bottle jack, but I carry another one from Toyota in the trailer itself, since it will be easier to access. I bought one of those folding four-way lug wrenches when I picked up the trailer, and I also carry a 12v compressor in the truck. Instead of Slime, I carry one of those tire repair kits they make for four-wheeler, off-road use, although the last tire I repaired myself was when I was working in a gas station in college...many years ago! I also carry a small tarp in the truck, to lay on the ground when changing a tire, and a cheap disposable pair of coveralls.
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Old 03-25-2013, 11:47 AM   #8
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Oh no, more tools to buy! Can you tell me the make and weight capacity of your bottle jacks and the size of the tire iron(s) you carry?
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Old 03-26-2013, 04:39 AM   #9
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Jacking a trailer

We have a bottle jack, jack stands and wheel chocks that I have used for jacking our trailer. We have never had a flat, but I jacked the trailer to see whether the brake shoes were dragging, and needed to lift the wheels free of the ground (one at a time) to do this.

I think the jack stands are essential as a safety precaution when jacking the trailer as a bottle jack could easily slip. You would not want to have a trailer fall on you! You need to chock the wheels to prevent it from rolling.

Our jack stands also double as front stabilizers in normal use since we don't have front stabilizers on our trailer.

We always carry a 12 volt compressor since we use it to adjust rear tire pressure when towing the trailer and have a four way lug wrench.
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Old 03-26-2013, 09:26 AM   #10
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You do not necessarily need a fourway lug wrench that takes up a lot of space.
What is the size of the wheel lug nuts and the nuts or bolts that secure the spare tire.
Escape response:
The lug nuts are a 13/16”.
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Old 03-26-2013, 10:13 AM   #11
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I bought the four-way lug wrench in Chilliwack because nothing came with the trailer, and there wasn't a "single" 13/16" available at Canadian Tire at the moment. It's a folding model, so doesn't really take up much more room than a single, and who knows when you might need to be a Good Samaritan with another traveler lacking one.
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Old 03-26-2013, 11:02 AM   #12
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Another thought, I had decorative chrome lug nuts on our previous trailer. If you have the aluminum wheels with decorative lug nuts you MAY need a deep socket 13/16" to get it to fit and be able to apply enough force to remove them. I found that a standard wrench sat on the top and wanted to slip off when applying force. Just something those with aluminum wheels need to check. The steel wheels have smaller lug nuts and a standard wrench should work.
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Old 03-26-2013, 11:14 AM   #13
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I ushually keep my Ingersol Rand 20V 1/2" impact gun and sockets with me in the truck. I did have to change a tire on our old trailer on the side of highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton a few years back and I was glad I had it with me. It made the tire swap nice and quick. As long as the trailer is hooked to the truck a bottle jack on a piece of wood is pretty safe for a quick tire change, I wouldn't be working under the trailer supported that way though.
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Old 03-26-2013, 11:27 AM   #14
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I have yet to have a flat in 4 years, knock on wood. I have checked, and can either use my Lynx Blocks to drive one tire up on to, or though not ideal, can make the jack out of my Pilot work too. I also do carry an appropriately sized socket and swing arm for lug nut removal. I do refrain from carrying too much other weight though, so no additional jack for me.
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Old 03-26-2013, 12:45 PM   #15
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I've checked my chrome lug nuts with my torque wrench recently and used a regular (not deep well) 13/16" socket. It worked fine.
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Old 03-26-2013, 12:53 PM   #16
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Here is a single axle jack Cabela's: Quick-Change Trailer Jack
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Old 03-26-2013, 01:07 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Here is a single axle jack Cabela's: Quick-Change Trailer Jack
I wonder if this can be used on the Escape axle since you are suppose to jack on the frame next to the axle, but not on the axle itself.
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Old 03-28-2013, 06:40 PM   #18
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Here is a single axle jack Cabela's: Quick-Change Trailer Jack
I agree with Jon - I would be very cautious about using one of the wedge-type devices against the crosstube of a Torflex suspension.
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Old 03-28-2013, 06:43 PM   #19
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I also do carry an appropriately sized socket and swing arm for lug nut removal.
Same here - deep socket and 1/2" drive flex handle. By carrying a socket to fit the van as well, the wheel nuts for the tug are more easily handled (than with the stock wrench) if needed, too.
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Old 03-28-2013, 07:08 PM   #20
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I now have GoodSam road hazard insurance and a plethora of tools. I feel if I buy it, I'll never need to use it, but if I did not have one, I would end up needing it. It's like insurance. I had a flat in the middle of nowhere with no cell coverage and believe me, I was not worried about bending an axle or my warranty, all I wanted was to change my tire and get the he## out of there.
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