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slowmover · 07-11-2015, 04:18 PM

You'd throw off the TV.

There will always likely be at least one of four tires on a trailer heavier than others. Even with most weight concious (classic) design of rear bath and twins with appliances concentrated over axles. Move the cast iron cookware around, but it won't be perfect. Checking individual tire loads is to minimize this across axle effect as much as possible is one of those last mechanical baseline numbers to which to attend.

Ohiobrits · 07-12-2015, 07:16 PM

Anyone heard of PP jack failures? One of my jacks has got more and more difficult to apply WD. It has always been a big more noisy / stiff than the one on the other side but I just ignored it. Well today it was so hard to apply WD that my electric drill would no longer move it. I had to wind it by hand with a wrench. The other side sailed up with the drill.

I have been conversing with Sean, he advised the following (for anyone else that has trouble): -

Check that the dimples on the back of the jack tube are lined up with the groove (they were).
Pop the silver jack top cover off and see if there is sufficient grease (there was).
Apply some oil to the rod, there is a hole in the rear of the jack tube or apply from the top (shot enough oil in to have pools on the floor).

Jack appears to be on its last legs. This is a bit worrisome since I'll be hitting the road in a few weeks for a 2000 miles round trip to the south.

I have asked Sean for a replacement. Lets see what he does in response.

Anyone else seen this or have any suggestions?

SteveSueMac · 07-12-2015, 07:26 PM

Totally wild guess here and I don't pretend to know what's really going on....

When you have the cover off, see if the roll pin has broken. It can if you tighten with an electric drill (ask me how I know &#128563

. If it did, you might have pieces of it stuck in a gear which could explain the tough movement.

Ag&Au · 07-12-2015, 07:28 PM

I have one the felt like it might be tightening up. I'll try the things you mentioned it before I use it next. I have always tightened mine with The crank handle Airstream furnishes to lower the stabilizer feet.

Ken

carver 1 · 07-13-2015, 09:20 AM

I just spoke with Sean and he informed me that he is working on an attachment for the PP to prevent the head from moving when you are somewhere and you have to use the ball gizmo on the stinger, such as when your having it serviced and the service person has to move your trailer and you are not there.

>>ron<<

Arcticfox · 07-13-2015, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carver 1

I just spoke with Sean and he informed me that he is working on an attachment for the PP to prevent the head from moving when you are somewhere and you have to use the ball gizmo on the stinger, such as when your having it serviced and the service person has to move your trailer and you are not there.

>>ron<<

This would be interesting......
Did Sean indicate how far away this might be?
Thanks

Doug

carver 1 · 07-13-2015, 10:01 AM

He indicated that he would be out of town till next month and then will address the attachment.

>>ron<<

Ohiobrits · 07-13-2015, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Totally wild guess here and I don't pretend to know what's really going on....

When you have the cover off, see if the roll pin has broken. It can if you tighten with an electric drill (ask me how I know &#128563

. If it did, you might have pieces of it stuck in a gear which could explain the tough movement.

Is the roll pin the item that is inserted to key the bevel gear to the hex input shaft? Pretty sure mine was still in there but I will take a look.

SteveSueMac · 07-13-2015, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohiobrits

Is the roll pin the item that is inserted to key the bevel gear to the hex input shaft? Pretty sure mine was still in there but I will take a look.

I'm not near my trailer and don't recall where the pin was located but your description sounds right to me. I was at a rally and snapped it with my drill. Bruce helped identify the broken part and told me how to find a replacement at the local hardware store. Then he told me to never use that tool on those jacks again and I said "yes sir" 😃

If it's not the pin, is anything else gunked up in the gears?

Ohiobrits · 07-13-2015, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

I'm not near my trailer and don't recall where the pin was located but your description sounds right to me. I was at a rally and snapped it with my drill. Bruce helped identify the broken part and told me how to find a replacement at the local hardware store. Then he told me to never use that tool on those jacks again and I said "yes sir" 😃

If it's not the pin, is anything else gunked up in the gears?

It feels like the whole threaded rod is worn since it is still and noisy all the way up and down. Do you (or anyone else) know how to disassemble the jack so I can inspect the threaded rod? Maybe you need to remove the bevel gear at the top, then withdraw the rod?

I'm seriously thinking about just putting my Eaz-Lift WD saddles back on in place of the jacks and reattaching the chains. Seems to me a much simpler setup. As a minimum I can carry one saddle plus the chain as an emergency "spare" if the jack does fail.

SteveSueMac · 07-13-2015, 05:45 PM

I don't know how to disassemble it. Searched quite a bit for it in Google and YouTube - plenty of BAL products, but not that one! Can't find anything about it.

SteveSueMac · 07-13-2015, 08:11 PM

Found this blog entry with pics that explain the roll pin but nothing else...

http://www.riveted-blog.com/2013/06/...-roll-pin.html

Good luck!

Ohiobrits · 07-13-2015, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Found this blog entry with pics that explain the roll pin but nothing else...

http://www.riveted-blog.com/2013/06/...-roll-pin.html

Good luck!

Thanks, appreciate you taking the time to look this up. I'll do some more research and report back if I find anything useful.

SteveSueMac · 07-13-2015, 09:04 PM

Sure thing. I'm just amazed I can find nothing on the jacks themselves! Even the BAL site itself has no information. Just weird!

You might want to call Sean. I don't know how hooking up your WD chains from another hitch might/might not work...

Even if the entire jack is toast, I bet Sean could ship one to you...

Good luck!

Echelon73 · 07-14-2015, 09:30 AM

I finally finished installing my used ProPride yesterday and took the trailer down the road to test it out. All I can say is "WOW!" I only drove about 5 miles total, but I could definitely tell a difference. It really did tow better than my other WD system. When I got it backed in the spot at the house and went to unhook it though the WD bar was right below the jack. I have to back in at an angle and then turn real sharp right near the end to swing the front of the trailer around and straighten it up. I kept pulling up and then backing back up and finally got the bar out of the way enough to get the jack down. I have read some of this thread (not all though), but have not found any tips or tricks for this situation though. Has anyone come up with some neat tricks to get around this?

Ag&Au · 07-14-2015, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echelon73

I finally finished installing my used ProPride yesterday and took the trailer down the road to test it out. All I can say is "WOW!" I only drove about 5 miles total, but I could definitely tell a difference. It really did tow better than my other WD system. When I got it backed in the spot at the house and went to unhook it though the WD bar was right below the jack. I have to back in at an angle and then turn real sharp right near the end to swing the front of the trailer around and straighten it up. I kept pulling up and then backing back up and finally got the bar out of the way enough to get the jack down. I have read some of this thread (not all though), but have not found any tips or tricks for this situation though. Has anyone come up with some neat tricks to get around this?

One thing to try is cranking down the weight distribution jacks prior to backing up. On my setup at least, that frees the WD bars to swing enough to get out of the way.

Ken

ghaynes755 · 07-14-2015, 12:30 PM

Get positioned, then pull forward a couple of feet. Crank the wheel all the way over so that the back of TV will immediately swing the head as you back up. Backup a couple of feet. Tail usually doesn't move very much. Helps if you have a backup camera on the TV.

Arcticfox · 07-14-2015, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echelon73

When I got it backed in the spot at the house and went to unhook it though the WD bar was right below the jack. I have to back in at an angle and then turn real sharp right near the end to swing the front of the trailer around and straighten it up. I kept pulling up and then backing back up and finally got the bar out of the way enough to get the jack down. I have read some of this thread (not all though), but have not found any tips or tricks for this situation though. Has anyone come up with some neat tricks to get around this?

I just backup where I want to position the trailer and then begin the unhitching process. Many times the WD bars are in the way because the hitch head in not centred over the "A-frame". I find this not to be big deal as I just crank down the WD bar that needs to be moved to clear. By cranking down only one bar you will shift the head over enough to clear the tailer jack. I have unhitched and hitched hundreds of times and this works every time

Hope this helps

Doug

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Echelon73 · 07-14-2015, 02:02 PM

I feel pretty stupid for not thinking about cranking down the WD jacks. I should have tried that. I will try that next time. The pull up to re-center the head and then back up again is the method I used this time. Thanks for the tips.

Arcticfox · 07-14-2015, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echelon73

I feel pretty stupid for not thinking about cranking down the WD jacks. I should have tried that. I will try that next time. The pull up to re-center the head and then back up again is the method I used this time. Thanks for the tips.

There is NO stupidity here. The only time we see stupidity is when someone DOES NOT ask and continue to struggle.

Best of luck with your new hitch and if (we) can help in the future just yell

Doug