How to raise (jack-up) my Bighorn

patrick1945

Well-known member
I had one occasion with a previous FW in changing a flat tire and I used boards. I do not find instructions on how to raise the trailer with a "bottle" jack. Where might I find those instructions?
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
Place the jack behind the rear spring shackle on the frame rail and you can jack up both tires on that side
 

SJH

Past Washington Chapter Leaders
Place the jack behind the rear spring shackle on the frame rail and you can jack up both tires on that side

Clarify this for me if you can...this should always be done with the 5th wheel hitched correct?
 

caissiel

Senior Member
The pin has to be supported so that it can allow lifting one side without twisting the frame.
You can't jack the trailer on one side with the front legs down, it will twist the frame.
 

westxsrt10

Perfict Senior Member
I would never lift by the frame to change a tire because it is very unsafe/unstable for the average person. A properly placed vee-grooved bottle jack placed under the axle near the leaf spring works easily with only an inch or two of lift.
 

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PSF513

Well-known member
This is not an automotive axle you are talking about. Lifting from there will, at a minimum, damage the axle and possibly destroy it. You will collapse it and then you will have nothing including no warranty.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
from the lippert manual
jacking.JPG
 

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newbie

Northern Virginia
I would never lift by the frame to change a tire because it is very unsafe/unstable for the average person. A properly placed vee-grooved bottle jack placed under the axle near the leaf spring works easily with only an inch or two of lift.

I have to respectfully disagree. I have jacked mine up several times from the frame, just behind the wheels. I did use 6x6 blocks under the jack. It was stable and safe.

Your angle iron jack is innovative. I hope you have good welding skills though. If that were to break it wouldn't be good.

I went overkill and bought a 12 ton jack. It provides a lot more stability.144880_lg.jpg

John
 
K

karykatz

Guest
patrick1945,

Just want to make sure you had all you questions answered. If you need more info please contact our Parts and Service Department. It looks like many of the members have already answered your questions.

Thanks everyone for your input.
 

westxsrt10

Perfict Senior Member
I have to respectfully disagree. I have jacked mine up several times from the frame, just behind the wheels. I did use 6x6 blocks under the jack. It was stable and safe.

Your angle iron jack is innovative. I hope you have good welding skills though. If that were to break it wouldn't be good.

I went overkill and bought a 12 ton jack. It provides a lot more stability.View attachment 10198

John
Thanks for your concerns of my welding skills as everyone claims they can weld. I have a current X-ray welding Cert.# 0009979 from NITC Expires 10/31/11
I also have 29 years of heavy rigging experiance so when I see something unsafe I feel I must speak up. Placing nearly half the weight of your unit on such a small area of the thin frame can be very unsafe. The axle lifting method spreads out the weight under the sch. 40 pipe/axle and only lifts a small amount of weight (just high enough to remove the wheel) and will not damage the axle.
The bottom of my frame is 26" off the ground so blocking a bottle jack up over 30" is unstable and makes no sense. I will free of charge weld a piece of angle iron on any Heartlandowners.org members jack.
After all the Lippert bashing here I see no reason to follow all their recommendations blindly.
Please be careful.
 

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Joe Isuzu

Member
Thanks for your concerns of my welding skills as everyone claims they can weld. I have a current X-ray welding Cert.# 0009979 from NITC Expires 10/31/11
I also have 29 years of heavy rigging experiance so when I see something unsafe I feel I must speak up. Placing nearly half the weight of your unit on such a small area of the thin frame can be very unsafe. The axle lifting method spreads out the weight under the sch. 40 pipe/axle and only lifts a small amount of weight (just high enough to remove the wheel) and will not damage the axle.
The bottom of my frame is 26" off the ground so blocking a bottle jack up over 30" is unstable and makes no sense. I will free of charge weld a piece of angle iron on any Heartlandowners.org members jack.
After all the Lippert bashing here I see no reason to follow all their recommendations blindly.
Please be careful.

I totally agree. I Use a bottle jack the same way without the angle iron. I don't weld very well. I just use a short 2 x 4 between the top of the jack and the bottom of the spring u-bolts.

Here's the way I figure it: The spring is resting on the spacer which is resting on the top of the axle which is applying pressure (lbs/sq inch) on that point. If I lift the trailer from underneath that same point, the same pressure (assuming I apply the jack point to the same number of square inches) ie. the same amount of stress is applied only at a different area of the axle.

This small amount of weight should not harm the axle unless one thinks the axle metal thickness on the bottom of the axle is less than that on the top of the axle by lifting the axle the small distance required to remove the tire.

Also, this small amount of pressure applied to the underside of the axle surely could never match the huge pressures applied by the excessive "g" forces on the top point of the axle while the trailer is bouncing down the road hitting bumps and potholes.

I could very well be wrong, I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night but I think my cousins "Vinny" and "Eddy" would totally agree!
 

hoefler

Well-known member
I would never use one of those for a heavy rig. You will over load the axle and tire that you are using to lift the rig, plus the bind you place the whole thing in.
 

newbie

Northern Virginia
I think the danger is kinking, bending or otherwise damaging the thin wall (schedule 40) tube (axle).

While the frame (I beam) is considerably higher, it is also a lot stronger than the thin wall pipe axle. Westxsrt10's angle jack does spread out the weight and I agree that it is not likely to damage the axle. Most of us don't have one of those though. I'm still lifting under the frame. It doesn't take a lot of blocking to rig up a stable base.

John
 
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caissiel

Senior Member
Added to the pressure on the axle consern is the fact that the 2 u-bolts are already applying pressure on an over axle spring setup. And lifting on the U-bolts add to the pressure. I put my jack between the bolts. No problems in the last 17 years.

I feel that they instruct us not to jack on the axle, is because most trailer shops just push a hydraulic jack under the axle and pump up, I saw a tire care video that the jack was about 1 foot inside the spring location. If you use a floor jack its hard to reach under the u-bolts so this result is attained. I would never leave my unit if I had a tire shop work on my tires.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I might as well add the easy way!!! Have Level-Up installed and all you have to do is push a button and lift all 4 wheels off the ground, and its both safe and sturdy. lol
 

caissiel

Senior Member
Its not safe unless jacks are installed under. Never leave it to long on hydraulic lines and valves that could fail.

I know an RV owner that had work done on the front end of his unit and the mechanics raised the unit using the leveling jacks and removed the 2 front tires and went for a break. They came back to work on the unit and the RV was on the floor with $10K damage to all the fiberglass skirts and storage compartments.
 

newbie

Northern Virginia
Its not safe unless jacks are installed under. Never leave it to long on hydraulic lines and valves that could fail.

I know an RV owner that had work done on the front end of his unit and the mechanics raised the unit using the leveling jacks and removed the 2 front tires and went for a break. They came back to work on the unit and the RV was on the floor with $10K damage to all the fiberglass skirts and storage compartments.
That's rule #1 when jacking anything. Never rely on a jack and always use jack stands, especially if you are working underneath.

John
 
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