Can I get away with changing two tires at a time?

[brad1]

I'm going to replace the old tires on my 25'EB. I'm not going to take my AS to a tire shop because there are none around that provide easy enough access, and that I trust to use the correct jack points. Instead I'm going to take the wheels one or two at a time.


Question: Can I remove both tires on a side at the same time, relying on a jack and blocks to keep the trailer jacked up?


As you can tell from my question, I haven't done this before so any advice will be appreciated.

[n2916s]

You could. When I did it, I did one axle at a time using my bottle jack and jack stands. That way, should the trailer roll off the jacks stands for some bizarre reason, it is still supported on both sides.

[az-streamer]

another way is to use leveling blocks on each side. Roll up on the blocks and remove a tire from each side. Repeat for the remaining 2 tires.

[GMFL]

Just block the axles and take all 4 tires. Wooden blocks under the axle mounting points will be fine to support the trailer while you get the tires swapped out.

[azflycaster]

I always do a side at a time with a floor jack and a couple of jack stands. I put the floor jack between the wheels and lift on the axle mounting plate.

[majorairhead]

A couple months back I had metal valve stems installed. I just ran the front wheels up on leveling blocks high enough to take off the rears, took them to the tire shop, came back to my garage, re-installed, then ran the rear wheels up on the leveling blocks, and did the fronts.

[SeaLevel]

I used a trailer aid plus:

https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Aid-T...iler+aid&psc=1

and involved the spare so that I could take in two wheels at a time. I also took the spare in by itself first, because I also wanted a new spare.

[AlinCal]

Jack one side and block, jack the other side and block, take all four at once.
This always wants to be done on a fairly level parking area.

[kidjedi]

On a dual axel, you don't need jacks. Drive up on leveling blocks or 2x8's with either front or back tires, leaving the other set "hanging." Make sure to place chocks on either side of the wheels supporting your trailer and put your stabilizers down. Now you can remove the "hanging" tires from either side. After taking old tires in for replacement, repeat process for two remaining tires.

[GammaDog]

I changed all four at once last year. Lower the tongue jack all the way. Put jack stands under both jack points. Raise tongue jack until all four wheels come off the ground. DO NOT OPEN THE MAIN DOOR WITH EITHER JUST THE CURBSIDE WHEELS OFF THE GROUND USING THE JACK POINT OR WITH ALL FOUR. IT WON'T CLOSE AGAIN UNTIL THE TRAILER IS BACK ON THE TIRES. Using the 'blocks on axle mount points' method should avoid that problem but requires more tools and hardware.

FWIW, I ugraded from the MS2's to XPS Ribs at Michelin's suggestion. For $20 more per tire it has been well worth it. Gas mileage while towing improved 5-10%. While you are at it, check your shocks (you may be missing a mounting bolt or two). If they are original I'd just plan to replace them. If you upgrade to steel valve stems, make sure they are the type that uses a retaining nut inside the rim. Might as well check the brakes while you have all the wheels off too.

[AlinCal]

The main problem with doing half a set per trip to the tire shop is you use twice as much gasoline.

Do not lower your stabilizer jacks expecting anything other than the possiblity of making pretzels out of them.
Use real jack stands rated for the job.

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by GammaDog

I changed all four at once last year. Lower the tongue jack all the way. Put jack stands under both jack points. Raise tongue jack until all four wheels come off the ground.

Would you provide the weight capacity of the jack stands you used?

Also, did you put any blocking under the jack point, between the jack and the jack point?

thanks.

[AlinCal]

Not sure that's the best treatment for the tongue jack, is it rated to lift that much? Raising the tongue while the wheels are on the ground is one thing, raising most of the weight of the trailer off the ground is another.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Also, did you put any blocking under the jack point, between the jack and the jack point?

I didn't use the jack points <gasp>.
There're not as convenient as they seem, first you need to lay under the trailer, and then Airstream may have run water or gas lines right through that area. IF I used the jack points, yes, I'd put a block of wood on the jack.

I raised one side using a floor jack on the vertical axle mounting plate in front of the front tire, then inserted a jack stand behind the rear wheel. I didn't use the obvious place between the tires because on the curb side the plastic low water drain is asking to be broken off.
I took both left sides off, then both right sides later. There's a lot of ways to do it and they all work.

[gunderwood]

After dealing with your same problem, I ended up talking to a technical adviser at the Airstream factory. Here is what he said:
Lower the tongue with your power jack almost as far as it will go.
Next put a jack stand at the designated jack point at the rear of the Airstream.
Then use your tongue power jack to raise the unit until both wheels are off the ground.
Wah-Lah, you can now take off both wheels.
Make sure you scotch the wheels on the other side. I actually think this works also if you use 2 jack stands at both designated jack points in the back and raise the whole unit with 4 wheels off the ground. My only problem with that is you would need to be on level ground and also if the jack stand slips it could damage the belly pan. Maybe could use backup stands under the axles.

[GammaDog]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Would you provide the weight capacity of the jack stands you used?

Also, did you put any blocking under the jack point, between the jack and the jack point?

thanks.

I used two, 3,000 lbs rated jack stands, one under each jack point. Yes, I used blocking because my jack stands have wide, "U" shaped tops. 1" pine cut to the width of those channels (about 2 1/2" in my case) carried the weight and cushioned the metal-to-metal contact. Blocking is probably good practice even if the jack stands being used are flat on top and even if you only lift one side. Steel-on-steel can be slippery.

For the thought about jack capacity: My trailer has the original Barker 3000 (3,000 lbs capacity) jack. The trailer in storage weighs about 5,800. If the load is split 50/50 front to back, I was still under the rated capacity. Point well made, though and for anyone concerned about that, removing wheels one side at a time is a perfectly good approach and should cut the jack load roughly in half.

One more point touched on by another poster. When all four wheels are off the ground there is no way to chock the trailer. My parking spot is a flat, gravel driveway. I felt confident that the trailer was secure from sliding while I changed tires. Use jack stands that are tall enough that they are not swaying while the trailer is up there. If necessary, block under the stands with 2x cribbing to raise them rather than seeing how the stands perform at their full extension height. That said, I would NEVER go under the trailer without it being on tires and chocked. In my opinion, lifting all four off the ground is only for tire replacement. Even the shock and brake work I mentioned earlier should be done one wheel at a time with two (three is better!) wheels on the ground. Yanking on a wrench connected the the levitating trailer is an invitation to disaster.

FWIW, I needed all four of my new tires to come off the rims after all of that work. The local tire store I used at Michelin's direction used the wrong valve stems and all four leaked requiring replacement. That's how I learned that some steel stems have retaining nuts on the inside of the wheel! The manager assigned a good tech who I supervised. We raised the trailer one side at a time using a 5,000 lbs rated floor jack. He would take one tire in, change the valve stem and we'd put it back on. Very safe, relatively quick, no wear and tear on the trailer's jack since I remained hitched throughout.

So... there are many ways to skin this cat.

Oh, and, to finally answer your original question "yes, you can get away changing two tires at once, or one, or three, or four."

[gregwall]

I just did this last week. I removed the two wheels from one side, then did the other. Always nervous a jack will slip, I used two bottle jacks, one at the jack point and one on the frame in front of the front wheel. I chocked the wheels on the other side tightly with X-Chock Wheel Stabilizer - Pair $70. No real issues, although as one person suggested, I should have checked the shocks and brakes. I put on Goodyear Endurance tires. Recommendations for replacing shocks? How do you check the brakes?

[Tim A.]

Brad1 (first post), it looks like you live in Aptos, CA. (For those of you who don't know, that is close to the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake, northern California's last major quake.) I don't think you want to remove all wheels at the same time as some have recommended in the unlikely event of a strong earthquake. The other methods recommended should leave the trailer stable enough while you are off at the tire store.

Tim

[bartzstream2]

Originally Posted by SeaLevel

I used a trailer aid plus:

https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Aid-T...iler+aid&psc=1

and involved the spare so that I could take in two wheels at a time. I also took the spare in by itself first, because I also wanted a new spare.

The Trailer Aid Plus is a good idea, as well as for changing a flat on the road, but I would make one out of wood for next to nothing or less rather than pay $50 for one and test it out at home first.

[thiel]

Left mine on the ball and then jacked up one side with a floor jack (at the jack point). Changed both tires then did the other side the same way. Easy.