Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

I was turning the manual jack on my boat trailer today when, as the
wheel was just about at the
bottom of the jack, I heard a snap (or something like that) and now
the jack doesn't work. This jack
isn't bolted onto the trailer- it's welded on. So I'd like to try to
fix it.

Does anyone know how to diagnose and fix trailer jacks?

I popped the top cover off the jack and saw the gears and the handle
inserted into the jack
through the side. It all turns fine, and there is plenty of grease.
So it must be somewhere
between those top gears and... I'm not sure!... where the problem
lies.

If I can't fix it, I'll just buy a $30 trailer jack and bolt it on!

Thanks!
David

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

On Feb 5, 1:01 am, wrote:
I was turning the manual jack on my boat trailer today when, as the
wheel was just about at the
bottom of the jack, I heard a snap (or something like that) and now
the jack doesn't work. This jack
isn't bolted onto the trailer- it's welded on. So I'd like to try to
fix it.

Does anyone know how to diagnose and fix trailer jacks?

I popped the top cover off the jack and saw the gears and the handle
inserted into the jack
through the side. It all turns fine, and there is plenty of grease.
So it must be somewhere
between those top gears and... I'm not sure!... where the problem
lies.

If I can't fix it, I'll just buy a $30 trailer jack and bolt it on!

You could have over run the ring gear on the gear shaft.

Try jacking up the trailer tongue about six inches, then pull
the shaft down while turning the handle - that might reengage
the ring gear.

Fixing the jack may be problematic. If the above doens't
work, leave the tongue jacked up and rotate the jack to
it's storage position. When it's in that position, try to
pull the inner shaft out. If you can, then you are well and
truly screwed.

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor freight
outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make me
feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

"den" wrote in message
oups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor freight
outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make me
feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF



Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack, made from
badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:


Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack, made from
badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

I don't like buying forign products either, but they are good and
sturdy.

I have them on both of my boats. I'd rather pay double for US made,
but it seems they're just "not there" anymore.

Thats a big problem I have with the automotive parts industry
ingeneral.

It's getting more difficulty seemingly by the day to find US made
products. Come to think of it, it's getting more difficult by the year
to find 100% US made trucks and cars.

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"den" wrote in message
oups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor freight
outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make me
feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF



Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack, made from
badly recycled Chinese pig iron.


They can not last any shorter than the expensive ones from West Marine.
They seem to make it about 2 years if you boat in salt water.

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

On Feb 5, 12:47 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message

...





"den" wrote in message
roups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor freight
outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make me
feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF

Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack, made from
badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

They can not last any shorter than the expensive ones from West Marine.
They seem to make it about 2 years if you boat in salt water.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Six years for me on the Ranger and I boat in salt water all
the time.

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:



Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack, made from
badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

Then again, and even though different materials,

who made your computer, or the components therein?

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

wrote:

On Feb 5, 12:47 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message

...





"den" wrote in message
oups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor
freight outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make
me feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF

Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freight jack,
made from badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

They can not last any shorter than the expensive ones from West
Marine. They seem to make it about 2 years if you boat in salt
water.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Six years for me on the Ranger and I boat in salt water all
the time.

Check and see if there's a roll pin holding the top gear. you may have
sheared it. You'll probably have to remove the grease to see where it's
driven thru. If it is sheared drive it out and go to your local Ace
hardware and get a new one. Jim

--

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

The trailer was still on my truck, so the jack was suspended. I
applied
force with my foot while turning both ways, but it didn't move. I
probably
should try to really pull it hard while turning, but in effect, I did
try what
you said, hoping it would "catch" in some way.

There is no rotate up to storage position with this jack. I guess
it's
old school! But I know the type you're talking about, with the pin
and rotating on a central bolt.

Thanks for the ideas.

David


On Feb 5, 5:02 am, wrote:
On Feb 5, 1:01 am, wrote:





I was turning the manual jack on my boat trailer today when, as the
wheel was just about at the
bottom of the jack, I heard a snap (or something like that) and now
the jack doesn't work. This jack
isn't bolted onto the trailer- it's welded on. So I'd like to try to
fix it.

Does anyone know how to diagnose and fix trailer jacks?

I popped the top cover off the jack and saw the gears and the handle
inserted into the jack
through the side. It all turns fine, and there is plenty of grease.
So it must be somewhere
between those top gears and... I'm not sure!... where the problem
lies.

If I can't fix it, I'll just buy a $30 trailer jack and bolt it on!

You could have over run the ring gear on the gear shaft.

Try jacking up the trailer tongue about six inches, then pull
the shaft down while turning the handle - that might reengage
the ring gear.

Fixing the jack may be problematic. If the above doens't
work, leave the tongue jacked up and rotate the jack to
it's storage position. When it's in that position, try to
pull the inner shaft out. If you can, then you are well and
truly screwed.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

Thanks for the suggestion. What does (FWITIW mean?)

On Feb 5, 5:28 am, "den" wrote:
As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor freight
outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make me
feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

What is a roll pin? Maybe I can find a diagram on some web page.
Both the gears I could see turning when I had the top cap off, for
what it's worth.

David

Check and see if there's a roll pin holding the top gear. you may have
sheared it. You'll probably have to remove the grease to see where it's
driven thru. If it is sheared drive it out and go to your local Ace
hardware and get a new one. Jim

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

On Feb 5, 12:56 pm, "James" wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 5, 12:47 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message

...

"den" wrote in message
roups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor
freight outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones make
me feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft bassboat broke.
Den 48YF

Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freightjack,
made from badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

They can not last any shorter than the expensive ones from West
Marine. They seem to make it about 2 years if you boat in salt
water.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Six years for me on the Ranger and I boat in salt water all
the time.

Check and see if there's a roll pin holding the top gear. you may have
sheared it. You'll probably have to remove the grease to see where it's
driven thru. If it is sheared drive it out and go to your local Ace
hardware and get a new one. Jim

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I pulled it all apart today - once I figured out the pin on the
vertical
gear wasn't a hex head but actually a pin and drove it out - and
realized
upon seeing how it all works that, yes, it's the roll pin on the
horizontal
gear that was sheared. So now the problem I'm facing is that the hole
for the pin is about 10% covered by the center bolt - I'll need to
somehow
"manually" twist that bolt to slightly lower the wheel, thus making
the pin
hole fully exposed. And I guess at this point, that hole has to
somehow
align with a slot in the jack body so that I can drive a new pin into
place.
I'll go to Ace tomorrow and see if I can find both pins - the pin on
the
vertical gear naturally fell through a crack down into the jack body
when
I knocked it out. So you were right, thanks, and now I know what you
mean by a roll pin.

David

Trailer Jack - How To Fix?
 

wrote:

On Feb 5, 12:56 pm, "James" wrote:
wrote:
On Feb 5, 12:47 pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message

...

"den" wrote in message
oups.com...

As swsports said, F W I T I W, otherwise if there is a harbor
freight outlet in your town check them out.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/htm...iate/home.taf?
acct=2001632
To find a store near you. I know they are in Az, and Cal.
They have weld on, and bolt on ones. Yep the welded on ones
make me feel more secure too. The bolt on for my 18ft
bassboat broke. Den 48YF

Good idea. Trust your boat & trailer to a Harbor Freightjack,
made from badly recycled Chinese pig iron.

They can not last any shorter than the expensive ones from West
Marine. They seem to make it about 2 years if you boat in salt
water.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Six years for me on the Ranger and I boat in salt water all
the time.

Check and see if there's a roll pin holding the top gear. you may
have sheared it. You'll probably have to remove the grease to see
where it's driven thru. If it is sheared drive it out and go to
your local Ace hardware and get a new one. Jim

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I pulled it all apart today - once I figured out the pin on the
vertical
gear wasn't a hex head but actually a pin and drove it out - and
realized
upon seeing how it all works that, yes, it's the roll pin on the
horizontal
gear that was sheared. So now the problem I'm facing is that the hole
for the pin is about 10% covered by the center bolt - I'll need to
somehow
"manually" twist that bolt to slightly lower the wheel, thus making
the pin
hole fully exposed. And I guess at this point, that hole has to
somehow
align with a slot in the jack body so that I can drive a new pin into
place.
I'll go to Ace tomorrow and see if I can find both pins - the pin on
the
vertical gear naturally fell through a crack down into the jack body
when
I knocked it out. So you were right, thanks, and now I know what you
mean by a roll pin.

David

Glad to be of help, Jim

--