Can I Jack Up Frame to remove a Tire with Landing Gear Down?

Need remove wheels to have new metal valve stems installed and have balance checked. Rig is currently unhitched and sitting in its resting place with front landing gear down. Can I use the bottle jack on the frame to remove 1 wheel at a time and run it to the tire shop? Seem to remember something I read about jacking with the landing gear down but don't have time to search.

Thanks

You will never be able to jack high enough to take the wheel off with the landing jacks down. Your unit will be forced to twist and creating permanent damage.

The other day I lifted the frame just a little on one side to clear the spring bolts for torque them, I noticed the whole rear end lifted on both sides. The frame is plenty strong but if it ever twist during the jacking I wonder how it will ever come back easily.

So to be clear, then, the only way to jack the rig to remove a tire is when it is hitched to the tow vehicle? I guess i'll just have to make arrangements to pull the rig down there since I'll have to hitch it to use the jack anyway.

I believe the recommended procedure IS to have the rig hitched to the TV and off the front jacks. Set the parking brake and chock the tires. If you have something like the Level-Up system, or the Reico-Titan system, then it seems you can lift the entire rig off the ground, unhitched, without a problem.

If you put a bottle jack at the front corners you may be able to jack it up without being hitched. When we got our Mor-Ryde suspension installed they used heavy-duty hydraulic jacks on the corners to jack it up off the ground to replace the suspension without being hitched. On the other hand if you are getting a tire shop to replace the valve stems then why not let them be the ones to get dirty taking off the tires and jacking it up while you are hitched.

Does this mean the "where do I jack" issue has finally been resolved? I thought the frame makers suggest the axle and the axle makers suggest the frame. When I had to call a professional out to change my 5er tire on the side of the road, he jacked on the axle. The last few times I've needed to remove a tire, I've jacked on the axle directly under the shackle. Haven't noticed any problems yet and the truck was never hitched up.

I have always placed block under the shackle and a jack under the block. I only lift one wheel at a time. Hitched or on front jacks; it makes no difference. This produces no more stress on the axel/frame than does driving up on leveling blocks IMHO.

Jack under the springs on the axle. If jack by the frame, you will run out of jack and create a fall hazard of the coach. Like said above, the axles will go through more uneven ground than you will create by raising one axle.

JohnDar said:

Lippert Components, Inc. Informational Publication LIP Sheet - 0134 revA

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR JACKING THE FRAME TO CHANGE A TIRE

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1. Carrying a jack rated for the weight of the coach is essential. The must be rated

between 8 and 12 tons.
2. To prevent damage to the coach, carry wood blocks to place between the and the
main rail (I-beam) of the coach and to go under the jack.
3. DO NOT jack the coach on the axle tube or black pipe gas lines.sometimes mounted
to the bottom of the I-beam.
4. Chock the wheels, both front and rear, on the opposite side of the coach.
5. If hitched to tow vehicle, stay hitched and set the parking brake.
6. DO NOT use the front landing gear or rear stabilizer jacks to pick the coach up to ​

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change a tire. this is dangerous and may result in serious bodily injury or death.​

​

Click to expand...

john do you read this that i can jack without hitching....leaving the landing gear down....as long as i don't jack the axle?

I have jacked up one wheel at a time with the landing gear down by placing the jack under the spring plate. If the wheel is lifted just enough to clear the floor it is not much different than the tire rising over a bump in the road. Other posts have said to position the jack under the leaf spring near the axle. Hydraulic landing gears may be more forgiving than electric since the fluid pressure equalizes in the pistons.

I had a tire service jack up the trailer last year to remove and repair a leaking right rear tire. The trailer was unhitched from the truck and on the landing gear. The leg support pin in the left front gear would not handle the load and sheared off. The front left of the trailer collapsed with a bang down to the extended gear arm. I had a spare pin assembly with me (luckily), but the landing gear hasn't been the same. I bought a new assembly after road fixing the old one and hope to get it installed someday. I haven't detected any other damage.

Man, I hate when this topic arises, we all have our method for changing a tire, I guess the Lippert manual should be followed, however it does seem to make sense that if you are able to jack in a location other than the frame, close to the tire/axle it would take less lift from the jack to get the wheel just an inch or so to get the wheel off the ground for removal. Thank God I have never had to change a tire, but if and when I do I'm no closer to understanding how to do it than before I joined this forum. I thought I would avoid lifting all together when I bought that devise that you drive one tire up on to change the other tire. But I have read on this forum that those arn't any good either because it puts stress on the axle. So if you seen me driving down the road driving on my alunimum wheel scraping the ground with sparks aflying, its not because I didn't know I had a flat tire, it because I didn't know how to change it. (lol).

I think we need more horror stories like the previous post to let us all know what NOT to do.

Just my thoughts !!

Bobby A

floridarandy said:

john do you read this that i can jack without hitching....leaving the landing gear down....as long as i don't jack the axle?

Click to expand...

Randy, the way I read it is that you should not jack it up with the electric landing gear down. Looking over the responses, it seems there are several different views on how to raise the rig to change a tire. Personally, with standard electric jacks on mine, I'll follow the Lippert instructions and hitch it. I do have a 12-ton jack and carry a complement of 4x4 pads, like you see in the photo, to set the jack on to compensate for the height of the frame from the ground. Putting a bottle jack under the axle means I have to crawl under the rig further than I would care to with it up in the air.

View attachment 10828

slaytop said:

I have jacked up one wheel at a time with the landing gear down by placing the jack under the spring plate. If the wheel is lifted just enough to clear the floor it is not much different than the tire rising over a bump in the road. Other posts have said to position the jack under the leaf spring near the axle. Hydraulic landing gears may be more forgiving than electric since the fluid pressure equalizes in the pistons.

Click to expand...

This is how I raise the axle as well. I use the drive on jack to get most of the lift and the bottle jack with a plate under the U bolts. Worked well for the past 45 years or so.

I have to say that all the work it takes to properly jack up the trailer for tire changes or maintenance is one reason why we looked into the Rieco Ground Control, Big foot and Level Up . As some of you know we ended up with the Ground Control, but either way you go it is nice to push a button and raise the tires off the ground.
If I were going to pull tires off for what ever reason, I would still use heavy jackstands under the frame just to be safe. just my 2 cents FWIW.

"I thought I would avoid lifting all together when I bought that devise that you drive one tire up on to change the other tire. But I have read on this forum that those arn't any good either because it puts stress on the axle. So if you seen me driving down the road driving on my alunimum wheel scraping the ground with sparks aflying, its not because I didn't know I had a flat tire, it because I didn't know how to change it. (lol)."


What is wrong with the Trailer Saver drive onto device? I bought one of those a year ago, just in case of a flat tire on the road. Everyone i've talked to that has used it said it worked great when they've had a flat. Oh Great, now i'm confused. The whole reason I bought the dang thing was so I didn't have to tote heavy bottle jacks, etc around with me everywhere I camp.
Maybe others who have used the Trailer Saver to change a tire can chime in on this too!

NEVER jack the 5th wheel up with the landing gear down, it puts additional stress both compression and tension!!!!!!!!

When we blew a tire along I-75 the road service guys that good sam sent out used the- trailer saver -under the good tire on the same side and then used a floor jack under the axle. When I read about people jacking the frame it makes me wonder how high you have to jack to get one side up high enough to change a tire. The only time I have jacked under the frame I have had to jack the axle too because the axle just hangs on the springs. I prefer jacking the frame to take some weight off one side and then jacking the axle. It is sure alot safer to jack while hitched if nothing else to keep the trailer from rolling off the jacks. Tom M.

If you jack by the frame, you will need a much larger jack to lift half the weight of the load on the axles and have enough travel to get it off the ground, at minimum, a 8-10 ton jack. If you lift from the axle under the spring perch, you will only be lifting a quarter of the weight, 4-6 ton jack, and only need to lift a few inches off the ground leaving the other 3 tires firmly on the ground for stability and safety. Consider the conditions you are in if you are trying to change a flat on the side of a busy interstate or a narrow 2 lane road with little shoulder that is sloping off the highway. I don't want to be lifting half of by rig off the ground while trucks fly by rocking everything that is perched by a single jack. When we had our blow out, I-44 between Strafford and Lebenon Mo., the shoulder was not wide enough to keep the right side on the pavement. So it was off the pavement to give me what little room to get it out of the driving lane, I had to stand on the white line to take the lugs loose. I used the jack out of my truck to lift the one axle to change the tire. Trust me, when trucks a sailing by at 75 MPH, your trailer will rock. Not a good feeling or good situation to have half of a already leaning 16,000 pound load sitting on a single jack.