Tongue jack cranking bad

[float5]

When I cannot get it to move another inch, that is kind of a problem. Cranking near the top seems to be messing something up. Thought I was going to have to call somebody out into the middle of nowhere one day when no one was around. Was barely able to get hitched up. And not the first time on the same trip. Yep, should have had electric a while back.

Someone tried to crank it for me one day and he thought that it was at the top. I had to hook up and move to get a more level place. I definitely had some problem spots on grass.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by float5

When I cannot get it to move another inch, that is kind of a problem. Cranking near the top seems to be messing something up. Thought I was going to have to call somebody out into the middle of nowhere one day when no one was around. Was barely able to get hitched up. And not the first time on the same trip. Yep, should have had electric a while back.

Someone tried to crank it for me one day and he thought that it was at the top. I had to hook up and move to get a more level place. I definitely had some problem spots on grass.

Cathy what do you have under the foot ? I just built , will have to measure tomorrow 2/4 's into a block . I think it is about 8-10 in high . The jack foot sits on that . May get motor jack later , I'm cheap ,so will see . You have a 21 so maybe more weight and jacking up so high is causing problems . I shoot WD once in awhile . Ours jacks real easy still . I built the block because we have to jack front up , we are sitting right up a hill . Pat

[float5]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Cathy what do you have under the foot ? I just built , will have to measure tomorrow 2/4 's into a block . I think it is about 8-10 in high . The jack foot sits on that . May get motor jack later , I'm cheap ,so will see . You have a 21 so maybe more weight and jacking up so high is causing problems . I shoot WD once in awhile . Ours jacks real easy still . I built the block because we have to jack front up , we are sitting right up a hill . Pat

Hi, Pat. The problem with cranking up high and putting more blocks was that I then could not go low enough to level for the refrigerator. But I might have five blocks, for instance. We had a big wood block but stopped using that and use the plastic ones now. When you are on the driveway, that is not an issue when not operating the refrigerator.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by float5

Hi, Pat. The problem with cranking up high and putting more blocks was that I then could not go low enough to level for the refrigerator. But I might have five blocks, for instance. We had a big wood block but stopped using that and use the plastic ones now. When you are on the driveway, that is not an issue when not operating the refrigerator.

Cathy what I meant was the block I made that the jack sits on , you don't have to jack up as far . I do have to go up farther when we hitch , then we bring it down to level the rest of the time . If block wasn't there it would require more jacking . Also the block is like cribbing and more sturdy, being it then starts slopping down the driveway . Pat

[Ron in BC]

I took my jack apart and made a straight shaft so I could use my drill to crank it up and down. Didn't like the effect so I returned it to the factory handle.

What I did notice is that the shaft rotates in a metal bushing, not a bearing. When higher loads are put on a bushing the force is more sideways, metal to metal, and the friction increase makes the handle much more difficult to turn. I'd pull the pin on the gear, pull the shaft out and lube the bushings.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I took my jack apart and made a straight shaft so I could use my drill to crank it up and down. Didn't like the effect so I returned it to the factory handle.

What I did notice is that the shaft rotates in a metal bushing, not a bearing. When higher loads are put on a bushing the force is more sideways, metal to metal, and the friction increase makes the handle much more difficult to turn. I'd pull the pin on the gear, pull the shaft out and lube the bushings.

Ron

What the heck going to do as you suggested before trouble starts . pat

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I took my jack apart and made a straight shaft so I could use my drill to crank it up and down. Didn't like the effect so I returned it to the factory handle.

What I did notice is that the shaft rotates in a metal bushing, not a bearing. When higher loads are put on a bushing the force is more sideways, metal to metal, and the friction increase makes the handle much more difficult to turn. I'd pull the pin on the gear, pull the shaft out and lube the bushings.

Ron

Hi: Ron in BC... Nothing worse than too much friction on an "Old crank"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I took my jack apart and made a straight shaft so I could use my drill to crank it up and down. Didn't like the effect so I returned it to the factory handle.

What I did notice is that the shaft rotates in a metal bushing, not a bearing. When higher loads are put on a bushing the force is more sideways, metal to metal, and the friction increase makes the handle much more difficult to turn. I'd pull the pin on the gear, pull the shaft out and lube the bushings.

Ron

Went out a took a look . On the jack there are 2 bolts and lock washers holding a plate that the handle goes through . Do I remove those bolts to put grease in there. Pat

[Ron in BC]

No, you take the two bolts out. That allows the metal cap to lift off. You could just oil the bushing from the inside and outside but I think the best way is to push out the drift pin holding the gear on the shaft. The shaft then pulls out easily. This allows you to put a dab of grease in the bushing. Probably lasts longer and is better than a little bit of oil.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

No, you take the two bolts out. That allows the metal cap to lift off. You could just oil the bushing from the inside and outside but I think the best way is to push out the drift pin holding the gear on the shaft. The shaft then pulls out easily. This allows you to put a dab of grease in the bushing. Probably lasts longer and is better than a little bit of oil.

Ron

Thanks Ron . Never dealt with this before . Will do Pat

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Cathy what I meant was the block I made that the jack sits on , you don't have to jack up as far . I do have to go up farther when we hitch , then we bring it down to level the rest of the time . If block wasn't there it would require more jacking . Also the block is like cribbing and more sturdy, being it then starts slopping down the driveway . Pat

Pat: Hopefully not like this. Had it in the driveway to do some work. Was running the A/C and with the mini-split evaporator inside i didn't want to risk the drain pan overflowing so had to get it level.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Pat: Hopefully not like this. Had it in the driveway to do some work. Was running the A/C and with the mini-split evaporator inside i didn't want to risk the drain pan overflowing so had to get it level.

Nah not that extreme. Our stabilizer 's just have 1/2,pads I installed on them . The trailer is far back enough the slope isn't that extreme at that point Now if we had the 21 the front would be more into the slope and would be more extreme . Pat

[cpaharley2008]

It appears to me you are placing a lot of stain on the front jack and frame with that set up, perhaps a set of ramps would be better suited, but that picture looks like an accident waiting to happen, just my $.02 worth.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

It appears to me you are placing a lot of stain on the front jack and frame with that set up, perhaps a set of ramps would be better suited, but that picture looks like an accident waiting to happen, just my $.02 worth.

I realize it doesn't look like the ideal setup, but with four wheels chocked well, four stabilizers cranked down tight and the front tongue jack it is sitting very solid. I'm curious what others would do when dealing with such an incline...I'm all ears. Yeah ok #1 is probably not park it there!

[float5]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Cathy what I meant was the block I made that the jack sits on , you don't have to jack up as far . I do have to go up farther when we hitch , then we bring it down to level the rest of the time . If block wasn't there it would require more jacking . Also the block is like cribbing and more sturdy, being it then starts slopping down the driveway . Pat

I know you mean that, Pat, but I could not add more blocks or I could not get to level for the refrigerator. There were then too many blocks for that. Sometimes I had to get hooked up again and remove a block to be able to get near level.

[Ian and Sue]

Often the problem with these types of jacks is that they are not designed to be bottomed or topped out. If you do the little gears run out of sync and can get bent or ground up. Either way not good and probably mean a jack replacement. If you think the jack will end up all the way at the top or bottom it is time to put some blocks in or take some out so you can do it without running the jack all the way to either end.

In this application grease is much better than oil as it stays put. Penetrating oil(pb blaster) is designed to break stuck things free and is not for lubrication purposes. So grease is the right thing NOT oils and especially not penetrating oils which are designed to flow into threads and joints ... and therefore will run out of where you want them to work over the long term.

My suggestion is open the jack up and see if the gear on the top is ok, if it is try to use a solvent like pb blaster to clean the gears up (maybe there is hardened gunk in the groove) and then grease it up well. Run your jack up and down a few times to see if it is freed up. Good luck!

[Dave Walter]

I would rather not spend a whole lot of time cranking the jack foot large distances before it contacts the ground, so I almost always put a wooden block down below the bottom of the jack before unhitching. The block is then used to reduce the amount of cranking that is required. I find that in addition to reducing the amount of cranking required, when the jack is not fully extended the leg of the jack is also much more stable and the trailer is less prone to wobbling (when the corner stabilizers are not deployed). I also suspect that the "sweet spot" for efficient jack operation is closer to the middle of the travel, and that the likelihood for incurring damage to the jack is greater when the jack is operated at/near its full extension.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by float5

I know you mean that, Pat, but I could not add more blocks or I could not get to level for the refrigerator. There were then too many blocks for that. Sometimes I had to get hooked up again and remove a block to be able to get near level.

Cathy I guess it just is your situation . Our situation would get worst if we 2ft longer and had the 21 . We are just now at the front at the beginning of the incline . If you change to the electric some have more travel then others . Good luck . Pat

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I'm curious what others would do when dealing with such an incline...I'm all ears.

I would probably run the leading tires up on to the ramps further, to more closely equalize the load on the suspensions. Of course, how much of this you could do is limited by the lifting of the tongue before you unhitch - you don't want the coupler to lift up on the ball.

[Brian B-P]

There are at least four solutions to running the jack a long distance:

1. A block or stand under the jack, as is already being used.
2. An extending or "drop" leg jack, as is normally used on fifth-wheel landing gear, but rarely seen in tongue jacks.
3. A fold-down (preferably automatic) foot such as the Fastway Flip.
4. A jack which can be lowered or raised to a good starting point, such as the Ultimate jack.

None of these make the jack any easier to crank, they just minimize the amount of cranking.

Jamming the jack into the end of its travel probably is an issue; if that isn't repairable, at least a repeat can be avoided.