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Lifting fifth wheel

oldtrojan66
Explorer
Explorer
Can I lift one side of my 12,200 lb JAYCO 36RLTS far enough to replace shackle bolts, with a 12ton bottle jack and two 4ton jack stands? Mathematically, it should work. I guess Iโ€™m asking if anyone has done this, or can I do some frame damage?
2007 Jayco Designer 36RLTS
2006 F350 DRW 6.0 PSD (powerstrokehelp.com)
When you're born, everyone is smiling and you're crying. Live so that when you die everyone else is crying and you're smiling!
14 REPLIES 14

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
Puddles wrote:
goducks10 wrote:
"I would leave a 5th wheel hitched to the truck to help with lateral and longitudinal stability."

x2


X3... if you lift one side at a time, you put extreme pressure on opposite landing leg..


Well I used the truck to run for parts, so it was parked to the side!

Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have had mine off the ground for various reasons numerous time, including installing Correct Track & wet bolts.

Prefer to leave the trailer on the truck. Lifted with a 12 ton jack then blocked it using a very large block as a base aft of the rear wheel. Removed wheels & used bottle jack & jack stands to have precise control & support axles one side at a time. Could have lifted the whole thing, only supporting the front with the truck if I had wanted to.

Looked at the cribbing rhagfo used. Uh...no, too unstable for me. I do my refits in a boatyard so sizeable lumber is available.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter

2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel

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SCClockDr
Explorer
Explorer
2 hydraulics bottle jacks
2 screw type house jacks
1 floor jack to support the axle.
Several 6x6 timbers

Lowered the front landing legs all the way
Hydraulic jacks behind the rear axle to a slight load
Raise the landing gear
House jacks forward of the front axle.
Raise the hydraulic jacks and landing gear till tires are clear. Adjust the house jacks to keep pace.
Install the 6x6's for safety.

The shackle bolts are easier to line up with both tires off the ground.
George & Cathy
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C_Schomer
Explorer
Explorer
I stored mine off the ground for several yrs to see if it would help the ST tire life... which it didn't. I backed the 5er onto blocks that I cut in two pieces, between the axles, put the jack stands under the frame behind the rear axle and then raised one wheel at a time with a floor jack and remove the blocks. I had the wheels off the ground in < 10 minutes and the truck and blocks did the hardest work of raising the entire 5er. The front legs did fine to support the front end. Craig
2012 Dodge 3500 DRW CCLB 4wd, custom hauler bed.
2008 Sunnybrook Titan 30 RKFS Morryde and Disc brakes
WILL ROGERS NEVER MET JOE BIDEN!

Puddles
Explorer
Explorer
goducks10 wrote:
"I would leave a 5th wheel hitched to the truck to help with lateral and longitudinal stability."

x2


X3... if you lift one side at a time, you put extreme pressure on opposite landing leg..
HTML

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
RCMAN46 wrote:
I use 12 ton jack stands.

Two reasons. They have a wider footprint and are taller not requiring cribbing under the stands.

The wood cribbing as tall as required I would be concerned with lateral and longitudinal stability.

I would leave a 5th wheel hitched to the truck to help with lateral and longitudinal stability.


Well with the 12" long 2X4 cribbing, didn't move when I put a shoulder to the back of the 5er and pushed hard. I will trust the cribbing anytime. Like the OP stated in a reply, a bunch of cheap 2X4's once used you can burn in the fire pit. ๐Ÿ™‚

In addition, as mentioned in my first reply, that section of the driveway is not level, I simply shimmed the first layers of cribbing to make the stacks vertical.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

oldtrojan66
Explorer
Explorer
Good ideas, one and all! Thanx!
2007 Jayco Designer 36RLTS
2006 F350 DRW 6.0 PSD (powerstrokehelp.com)
When you're born, everyone is smiling and you're crying. Live so that when you die everyone else is crying and you're smiling!

goducks10
Explorer
Explorer
"I would leave a 5th wheel hitched to the truck to help with lateral and longitudinal stability."

x2

RCMAN46
Explorer
Explorer
I use 12 ton jack stands.

Two reasons. They have a wider footprint and are taller not requiring cribbing under the stands.

The wood cribbing as tall as required I would be concerned with lateral and longitudinal stability.

I would leave a 5th wheel hitched to the truck to help with lateral and longitudinal stability.

ksbowman
Explorer II
Explorer II
I changed out both of my axles and I jacked and cribbed both in front and behind the shackles. I hooked up the truck and used the front electric jacks as stabilizers only and was very pleased with everything. With out being hooked to the truck I was worried about putting too much side (front to rear ) pressure of the front electric jacks.

corvettekent
Explorer
Explorer
I replaced my shackle bolt by lifting one side at a time. I used a 10 ton bottle jack and two 6 ton jack stands. I like rhagfo's idea of using the 2x4 cribbing.
Besides the pry bars you will need a sludge hammer and drift pin.
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oldtrojan66
Explorer
Explorer
Ok, thanks, guys! ( even if one of you is not a guy, itโ€™s just a figure of speech! )

I have a pretty good sense of what is safe. We are leaving for five months in the southwest, in just a few days. Assuming I get the parts from Amazon in the normal time, I can buy some pretty cheap studs about anywhere and then use them for a campfire when Iโ€™m done with the job. I will need to remember to take some pry bars, otherwise I should be fine. Thanks again!

David
2007 Jayco Designer 36RLTS
2006 F350 DRW 6.0 PSD (powerstrokehelp.com)
When you're born, everyone is smiling and you're crying. Live so that when you die everyone else is crying and you're smiling!

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
donn0128 wrote:
From experience, unless you have the right tools it aint gonna work very well. You really need to get the frame supported on both sides and high enough off the ground to get the tires off. Then you will need two bottle jacks one on each side under the spring perches to support the qxle then takes the bolts out. You will also need pry bars, I have two pin end bars and used both a lot to replace my bushings and bolts when I did my wet bolt kit.


Donn0128, has a good point, before starting on something on this you need to have a comfort level. I would not use only jack stands, (trust but not 100%).

I have lifted our 32' 11,500# 5er to install the Correct Trak system. I actually did this on a slightly un-level area in front of of our townhouse.

I used 2x4 cribbing, and backed up the front legs with 3 Ton jack stands. I used shims to level the first course of the cribbing.







Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

donn0128
Explorer
Explorer
From experience, unless you have the right tools it aint gonna work very well. You really need to get the frame supported on both sides and high enough off the ground to get the tires off. Then you will need two bottle jacks one on each side under the spring perches to support the qxle then takes the bolts out. You will also need pry bars, I have two pin end bars and used both a lot to replace my bushings and bolts when I did my wet bolt kit.