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Old 03-13-2010, 05:24 AM   #1
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How High to Lift Wheels off Ground?

We have a "78" Ambassador with dual axels. If I want to lift one of the wheels off the ground to change the tire, how high do I need to elevate the wheel next to it? Do any of you use the Lynx Levelers or 2x8's and if so, how high do I need to go? Or do you use hydraulic bottle jack to lift? Thanks!

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Old 03-13-2010, 06:02 AM   #2
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I usually lift them high enough to get the wheel off. Once I did not lift it high enough and I could not get the pesky wheel off. I had to then lift it a little higher... it then came off.

If you lift it too high, it will not cause the tire to not come off. So I would suggest over lifting as apposed to under lifting.

Bob, seriously now.... right behind the back wheel there is a square of aluminum on the belly pan. That is to indicate the sweet spot for you place the jack. If the square is missing, it is right in the center of the frame rail which makes up you lowest side of the wheel opening. and the place where the outrigger meet. Put your jack there and lift the whole side. Both wheels can be changed or serviced for the price of one. I have rolled up on boards and done one then roll on boards to do the other, but why bother? I also do not care for the idea of all that weight resting on one axle.
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Old 03-13-2010, 06:47 AM   #3
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very often the axle drops a bit lower after it hangs for a few minutes without weight on it. it is really sneaky and you find out when you need to put the wheel back on :-)
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Old 03-13-2010, 07:15 AM   #4
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Greetings from the Florida Panhandle

We lift the tire to be changed barely off the ground. We have changes several flats out on the road using the Lynx Levelers.

Brian
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:19 AM   #5
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We lift the tire to be changed barely off the ground. We have changes several flats out on the road using the Lynx Levelers.

Brian
We? It guess someone had to lug that heavy camera...

We also use the Lynx levelers to raise the good tire off the ground.
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:25 AM   #6
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That's right, Richard. SuEllyn likes me to stay out of her way when she changes Airstream tires.

Brian
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:28 AM   #7
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very often the axle drops a bit lower after it hangs for a few minutes without weight on it. it is really sneaky and you find out when you need to put the wheel back on :-)
If it does, you can simply let the air out of the tire, put it back into position, and re-inflate it.
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Old 03-13-2010, 09:14 AM   #8
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To answer the question I carry both. I just use enough 2x6's to get the tire to be changed off the ground. Make sure to loosen the lugnuts before pullin on the lumber.
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Old 03-13-2010, 09:45 AM   #9
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very often the axle drops a bit lower after it hangs for a few minutes without weight on it. it is really sneaky and you find out when you need to put the wheel back on :-)
Yes, that does happen.

However, upon close examination, I think you will find that the rubber rods have given up, which causes that experience.

Andy
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Old 03-13-2010, 10:59 AM   #10
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Yes, that does happen.

However, upon close examination, I think you will find that the rubber rods have given up, which causes that experience.

Andy
Does that mean that the axles need replaced?

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Old 03-13-2010, 03:45 PM   #11
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Does that mean that the axles need replaced?

Bob
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Bob.

Henschen torsion axles, many years ago, could be rebuilt.

However, as with many other good things in out lives, attorneys went wild with liability.

Therefore, the rebuild program was discontinued, years ago.

If the rubber rods have failed, the only solution left is axle replacement.

Andy
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Old 03-13-2010, 04:31 PM   #12
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On hard pavement three 2 x 8's have always worked for me. I made up a "nesting" stack of four 2 x 8's with the top board being long enough to carry both wheels. Like the Lynx levelers, each lower board is longer than the one above, with their corners knocked off to provide a fairly gradual ramp. As a package, they fit cross-wise just inside the tailgate of the pickup. This gives me all the levelling I've ever needed plus providing the necessary lift for tire changing. To make the 2 x 8's nest, I drilled four 3/4" diameter core holes in the top of each of the lower three boards and screwed 1/4" lag bolts part way into the bottom of the upper three boards - matching the cored holes below and leaving about an inch of the lag bolt head sticking out. That way, they don't slip and the trailer comes up real easy. I painted the boards eight years ago and they still look great today. Oh - you can get an even snugger fit by mounting a stack of galvanized washers on the lag bolts, sized to fit the cored holes.

The reason I went with the boards is that purchasing enough Lynx levellers to support both tires at once - when levelling - is that the Lynx levellers were expensive, and only slightly less cumbersome to store.
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Old 03-13-2010, 05:58 PM   #13
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Old 03-13-2010, 06:17 PM   #14
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On my '77 Ambassador with the original axles, running one axle up on a true 2" board would lift the other axle off the ground. With new Dexters it took 4" to get the other axle to clear (JUST BARELY!)
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Old 03-13-2010, 06:44 PM   #15
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If it does, you can simply let the air out of the tire, put it back into position, and re-inflate it.
that's exactly what i did :-)
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Old 03-16-2010, 12:46 AM   #16
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Good way to preserve the tires. I'm curious. I bought a couple of tires last August put them on my Airstream (that I am refurbishing) pulled it to storage last September, lifted the trailer off it's wheels completely. I went over there (storage) yesterday afternoon to check on things and noticed that the sidewalls on the tire are split all to hell. What gives?
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Old 03-16-2010, 03:09 AM   #17
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Good way to preserve the tires. I'm curious. I bought a couple of tires last August put them on my Airstream (that I am refurbishing) pulled it to storage last September, lifted the trailer off it's wheels completely. I went over there (storage) yesterday afternoon to check on things and noticed that the sidewalls on the tire are split all to hell. What gives?
What's the manufacture date on the tires?

Could be someone sold you old tires.

Anyd
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