Simple trailer jack and spare tire storage

T

tparrent

New member
As I need to replace my trailer tires, I guess I'm going to need a jack. I suppose if I plan to hit the road for any exploring I should have a decent jack in the truck for roadside misadventures anyway.

I thought I could just use my truck's scissor jack but I think it is designed to hook into a slot in the truck. If that's the case, what would you recommend for a trailer jack? I see there are compact floor jacks now but I don't know how much space they take up when stowed.

A jack won't do jack for me unless I have a spare tire. I do happen to have a spare but it was a real act against the laws of geometry trying to mount in on the trailer. I finally wrestled it onto the winch post but, for no good reason, all four bolts sheared off and sent the tire on its own vacation. DO you have any recommendations for how to mount the tire? I recall that finding a bracket that would fit was problematic because of the size of the winch post so any suggestions on that are appreciated!

Boating - it's never as simple as the pictures seem to indicate :)

Thanks!
 
I bought one of these for a jack. http://www.basspro.com/Quick-Change-Tra ... duct/9071/ They look spooky dangerous, but I did a dry run and it worked okay. My loaded CD 16 is right at the maximum rating. I also bought 4 plastic tire stops to use on the trailer and tow vehicle should I need to jack up the trailer. I don't want the trailer to move an inch with a wheel off (although I have a hydraulic jack in the tow vehicle as a backup).

I also mounted my spare on the winch post. It had to be in just the right spot to miss everything. Instead of lug nuts to secure it, I bought some metal pieces that allow a padlock to be used. Spare is locked down, hitch locked, wheels locked with a device similar to what parking lots use. My trailer is safe when left at the ramp for a week.

Mark
 
As a rancher I am constantly jacking trailers and implements and I use a 'Farmers Jack", lots of power, very stable especially if you put a 2x8 block under it. Most of them are about 48" tall, but shorter versions are available. They are heavy, but work really well. As for mounting a spare tire, you can get u-bolts especially designed for spare tires at many automotive stores that go over the tongue or frame of your hitch. This is a cheap and easy way to carry a spare.
 
Marco Flamingo":1y98tiok said:
I bought one of these for a jack. http://www.basspro.com/Quick-Change-Tra ... duct/9071/ They look spooky dangerous, but I did a dry run and it worked okay. My loaded CD 16 is right at the maximum rating. I also bought 4 plastic tire stops to use on the trailer and tow vehicle should I need to jack up the trailer. I don't want the trailer to move an inch with a wheel off (although I have a hydraulic jack in the tow vehicle as a backup).

I also mounted my spare on the winch post. It had to be in just the right spot to miss everything. Instead of lug nuts to secure it, I bought some metal pieces that allow a padlock to be used. Spare is locked down, hitch locked, wheels locked with a device similar to what parking lots use. My trailer is safe when left at the ramp for a week.

Mark
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That elliptical no moving parts cam jack can work great if the geometry of the surface (flat, solid, good grip) and axle height are right and you have two people to get it to work (one to operate the tow vehicle, the second as a spotter to say when it's lifted the axle up at the top of the lift and holding). Probably pretty dangerous to use by yourself. (Danger if over-rotated and comes crashing down.)

I have one and have used it, but I also carry a floor jack and several planks and blocks of wood to improvise in difficult situations.

On a boat the size of a 19-26 footer, there is enough room between the winch post and the boat on the V-section of the trailer to mount a spare carrier that will hold the spare up, out, and away from the boat and the trailer. Make sure it fits high enough that the bottom of the spare doesn't drag when going through abrupt changes in road height like driveway entrances.

IM001874.sized.jpg


M2C/YMMV!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I've never seen a tire bracket like that one. I can see how that could help with clearances.

I found the winch post too large for any standard bolts available at a number of hardware and marine stores. I ended up using straight bolts and plate things. I think some vibration in the setup may have contributed to the shearing off of the bolts.

I like that ladder on the bow! Coming over the sprit and onto the trailer is always an adventure for me as I'm no longer as limber as I never was to begin with!
 
I carry a "bottle" jack. They are relatively small, inexpensive, easy to store, and like any jack should be used on relatively flat ground. I believe the one I have is a "1-ton" jack, but you can get heavier duty ones as well. I also carry one of those cross tire irons that folds up. (I find them better than what's provided in the vehicle.) Actually, while I do have the dealer scissor jack and tire iron that came with my truck, I just prefer the bottle jack and x tire iron for either the truck or trailer. BTW, if you have a twin axle, you can also drive the one wheel up on a block, and if it's big enough that will cause the other axle's wheel to come off the ground. I have a tire carrier that mounts to my trailer. While I don't currently have a good picture of that mount, here is a picture that shows where the tire is mounted. This too has worked well. There are only two bolts holding the tire, and I also keep a lock on it. (I've trailered well over 10,000 miles without any issue of the tires security staying on the mount.) Colby

image.sized.jpg
 
tparrent":1en2ogsf said:
I found the winch post too large for any standard bolts available at a number of hardware and marine stores. I ended up using straight bolts and plate things. I think some vibration in the setup may have contributed to the shearing off of the bolts.
Click to expand...
You might check out McMaster Carr for hardware. I suspect you need high strength bolts/screws, torqued to maybe 100 ft lbs or so. They are pretty good on prices, and will do mail order routinely. Start here. I suspect you want Grade 8 bolts/screws.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-hex- ... s/=15mn7ax
 
I agree with Dave on the Grade 8 hardware.
Home Depot has a good stock of Grade 8
bolts, nuts, washers (1/2" or better). Won't hurt to back up
with flat plate as needed.
 
As for lug wrenches--I do carry one of the 4x types, but also a torque wrench, and cheater bar. As I have aged, I find a battery powered impact driver and proper socket for the lug nuts is much easier for taking them off. You can start the bolts with the impact driver, but should use proper torque when putting the final twist on the lug nut.

I normally do carry a 4 ton bottle jack. I have also carried several 2 x 8 x 24", and a 2.5 ton scissor jack. At home I use a 3 ton floor jack, but that is heavy and bulky to take on the road.

Don't forget spare bearings, bearing grease, grease gun, Some carry a complete spare hub with bearings in place.
 
Just a quick correction. I used the term "Tire Iron" by mistake. I am in fact referring to a lug wrench. The one I carry with me is one of those that folds, but opens up to form a cross. Not the strongest, but has always sufficed, doesn't take up much room and has several sizes available. My idea of what to carry is one of "emergency use" to get me back home, or at least down the road to a location or shop where further or final repairs can be made. I like the bottle jack over the tow vehicle's scissors jack, thus why I carry it. I also have a spare set of bearings and oil bath caps, and spare bearing bath oil. Along with some tools. If I were traveling "out back" where services were not readily available, I'd probably carry a bit more. All boils down to what you are comfortable with, what you have room for, and how much you are able to do yourself. Otherwise I have AAA and Boat US Trailer insurance. :) Colby
 
My 19 came with 2 spares mounted vertically on each side. I only trailer 13 miles from Hiouchi to crescent city & didn't see a need for two spares always in my way. I laid one horizontally just aft of the winch station with a u bolt around a cross member & I carry a chunk of 4x4 and a bottle jack in the truck.
 
Since I've had so many of those Chinese tires blow out, here are some firm thoughts on changing trailer tires by the side of the road.

The first thought is to call the AAA. I've had good and bad luck calling them; sometimes they find you, sometimes they don't. I've been on the side of the Interstate and the tire changers couldn't see us. So at all times carry the necessary equipment to change your own tire/wheel.

The spare tire sits in the truck bed, under to cover where sun can't get to it.

To raise the axle AFTER the tire is blown, you need a jack that is low enough to fit under the axle with a blown tire. So if you're trying out some device to lift the tire off the ground, remember the axle will be a lot lower with a blown tire. On the 25 trailer, that's probably 6-8" lower. See if your device will fit under that. I carry a small 6 ton bottle jack that's low enough and strong enough. I also carry steel plates to fit between the ground and axle so I can change the tire on any surface.

A major problem is that launching in salt water causes the lug nuts to rust on their studs. A battery operated lug wrench is no guarantee that they'll come off. I carry a 1/2" breaker bar, socket and a 4' length of plastic pipe to ensure that the nut will come loose or break off. Either way the tire will come off and I can get home. Note that anti-seize is used when I put the tire back on, but it washes off after a couple of launches. It's not designed for salt water immersion.

And last of all, Chinese trailer tires may be cheap but they're junk. I recommend buying regular truck tires. The trailer tires are good for a year or two; truck tires, even Chinese are good for >10 years. I've only had a single failure due to a nail and six due to the crappy tires.

Boris
 
Boris, I use some anti seize compound on my lug nuts, and even where the wheel and brake drum contact. Would that help at all on those that launch in salt water? (It does wonders on my trailer, and on my vehicles, especially driving on the salted winter roads here! Colby
 
colbysmith":13aqcx0r said:
Boris, I use some anti seize compound on my lug nuts,
Click to expand...

Ditto. Makes a huge difference.

As to a jack to use, I simply use a hydraulic bottle jack, 10K lb capacity with various 4X4 blocks I keep in the bed of the pickup. The jack is plenty strong, simple and small enough to store inside my pickup, in a box, out of sight.
 
I have a small floor jack and need to add some wood blocks for support. Last time we had a tire blow out we used the factory jack on the vehicle and it worked fine except the tire came apart and part of it wrapped around the axle and took a long to remove. I could only work when traffic permitted and needed to move away from it quickly. Not easy being 6'4" lying on the ground at least for me I had my family stand many feet behind the vehicle bc seen vehicles hit stopped vehicles on the brim and they were look outs. It must be something about parked cars on the side of the road and accidents which I don't understand. I always try to steer around them. For the boat, I plan to use same floor jack or a bottle jack, but have not had a trailer tire issue no date. Still need to add blocks or jack stands. I don't have a cordless impact gun, good idea and affordable today and use a 4 way lug wrench bc it spins off the nuts fast and carry a 18" or longer 1/2 drive socket wrench for stubborn ones but no cheater bar. I dont use any lubrication on lug bolts or nuts. I am sure others have better ideas
 
When I saw the posts about anti-sieze, I became curious., I have never used it, but I do carry an iron pipe cheater bar, which fits over the end of my 24" torque wrench--and will loosen almost any frozen nut. (This started back when I was driving some large trucks, and had to change the tires myself as a teen.) Boris, I am surprised that a plastic pipe is strong enough to help remove a frozen lug nut.

I checked some of the automotive engineering sites; although many use anti seize, it is not recommended. The one universal comment was to only put the ant-iseize on the threads, not on the face of the nut, or wheel. There were lots of comments about damage caused by over torquing the lug nuts, to the point of damage to the backing/rotor, or stud. Commonly agreed was the importance of a torque wrench--and not allowing the use of a impact wrench to seat the nuts.

I agree that I have found that radial truck tires are far more satisfactory--but don't agree with the 10 years. That is taking a real chance. Captain Charlie found that out when he bought my Tom Cat. I had not changed the less than 5 year old (by date of putting the trailer in service) tires (the actual manufacture date was on the inside of the tire, as often they seem to be on trailers (?). There was only a few hundred miles of wear, no visual defects, and the tires were rated for several thousand pounds more than the load--he had two blow outs on the way from Florida to VA. I am not sure, if the speed rating of the tires had been exceeded, but they were at proper pressure when leaving. We had discussed splitting the cost of new tires, but it would have taken a few extra hours--and that seemed to be important at the time...
 
Dr Bob, I just put a small amount on the stud threads. Most of it washes away but I have not had a lug nut rust on ever and 99% of our boating is salt water. I've also used it on various nuts/bolts of trailer repairs and when re-installing the body onto chassis of cars I've restored.
 
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