Front Hydrulic Jack Malfunction

JohnnyR

Member
2012 Cyclone 3950
Hooked upto the trailer. Retracted front jacks and one side would not retract fully. Tried to extend jacks again and retract again and both sides would do nothing after extending a bunch when i pushed the jack switch. Now will not retract, will not extend. Checked the fuse and it is OK. Any help appreciated as I am now hooked to trailer and my jacks are only 4 inches off ground and i cannot lift trailer off truck. From reading other posts, there may be resettable relays for the jacks? Can anyone tell me where they are?
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Does the pump run when you push the button for the jacks?
Have you checked the fluid level?
There is an auto reset breaker for the hydraulic pump. If it kicks out, it should reset itself after about 30 seconds.

Peace
Dave
 

danemayer

Well-known member
If the pump runs, the circuit breaker is ok. If neither the slides nor landing jacks move, it sounds like the pump is not actually moving any fluid to or from the jacks or slides.

If the hydraulic slides work, but the hydraulic landing gear don't move, you may have a stuck valve. Check around the pump for loose wires. If they look ok, you might try operating the valve manually with an allen wrench. You'll have to look around the pump manifold to figure out which valve it is.

If you can't get it working, you'll either have to get mobile service, or lift the front end with a hydraulic jack. You can probably buy a hydraulic jack from Harbor Freight or Northern Tools or Tractor Supply. Get a 20 ton if you can. Should be able to find one for < $60.
 

JohnnyR

Member
Heartland removed the allen screw valves for 2012. Said they leaked too much. Anyway, if I need to lift with an external jack, where do I position the jack or jacks?
 

westxsrt10

Perfict Senior Member
First I would leave it hooked up to the truck. If the landing gear is too low to drive then try jacking up the legs with a jack (floor jack).
 

TedS

Well-known member
From the responses, I would guess that either a wire came disconnected from the landing leg valve or the valve has failed. In my trailer that valve is separate from the valves on the pump and is colored red with a warning to not mess with the valve if the trailer is being supported by the legs. Keep the trailer hitched to the truck or support the frame with jacks. If the landing leg valve is closed, you will not be able to lift the legs with a jack. The hydraulics will be closed locking the legs. The only way to lift the legs if the valve is closed will be to crack open the fittings on the leg cylinders or the fittings from the landing leg valve and bleed out the oil while you lift the legs. That will be messy but you will get the legs up.
 

porthole

Retired
If you can't get it working, you'll either have to get mobile service, or lift the front end with a hydraulic jack. You can probably buy a hydraulic jack from Harbor Freight or Northern Tools or Tractor Supply. Get a 20 ton if you can. Should be able to find one for < $60.

Are really trying to say lift the front end of a full size toy hauler with a POS HF $60 jack?


JohhnyR? How mechanically inclined are you? 12volt experience?

Do you have a LevelUp system?

Do you have a "up & down" switch on the front of the trailer?

The simplest thing to do would a) leave the trailer hooked up to the truck to prevent an unexpected trailer drop and then b) look behind the switch to see if all the wires are connected.

Same pump for slides and jacks. If slides work your issue has to deal with the electrical or hydraulic circuit to the jacks.

That switch is a "double pole-double throw" heavy duty item (might be 25-30 amp capacity)

When you push the switch in either direction you are doing two things (double pole-double throw)
  • closing the circuit to the pump
  • closing the circuit to the hydraulic jack solenoid

There are two types of solenoids, electrical high current solenoid for the pump motor and hydraulic solinoids that govern fluid flow.

The hydraulic solenoids only allows fluid to flow.

The switch reverses the current flow to the pump electrical solinoid to give you the hydraulic flow direction you need.

The wires should all have crimped on connectors. They can fall off the switch and have fallen off the solenoid tabs on our trailer.

So, can you hear the pump run?
If not, can you hear the pumps electric solenoid activate?
If the pump runs in both directions have someone activate the switch for you and see if you can feel the jack solenoid operating.

If the pump runs in both directions (up or down, slides in or out) and the only thing that is not happening is the jacks moving, you should probably hear a change in motor pitch as the pump builds up pressure.
On many of the pumps for Cyclones IIRC, the jack solenoid is the bottom one.

If my pump ran and the jacks didn't move I think my first look would be to the solenoid wire, then maybe tap on it with a screwdriver to see if it activates.

Whatever you do, don't remove that solenoid with pressure on the landing gear.

Attached is a wiring note I posted for another member to add the manual switch to trailers with LevelUp systems. It should give you an idea of how your wiring may look.

If you are not comfortable doing any of the simple electrical checks above I would shy away from using any type of jacking to get the trailer off the truck. If you do not have experience lifting 3000-4000 pounds this can be a daunting task.
 

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