Sorry about the caps... Did not know.
Submitted by rlgetman on 08-12-2011, 08:20 AM
I have talked with the Dexter axle people and reviewed the Mobile Suites instructions and it seems the only proper way to lift and remove a tire is by the 5er frame near the spring connection and never under the wheel spring or axle. This means I should avoiding buying a single wheel ramp because I would then be supporting the entire 5er side on a single axle. The total (unloaded) weight on both axles is 12.5K (front is 5.6K, rear is 6.9K). I plan on purchasing a 12K bottle jack so that I can lift the 5er properly. Question: Is it okay to lift with one jack behind the rear wheel and bring both wheels off the ground or would this be too much stress on the frame at one point? When I had my tires replaced at POMPS, they used 2 jacks, one in front and one in back of the two axles lifting both wheels by lifting the frame at the two points. Thanks
If you read the manuals and talk to the right people you get the correct answers.
Lippert's manual says "lift unit by the frame and never the axle or suspension" period. Read it here (
http://www.lci1.com/OwnersManuals/Tr...20Axle-web.pdf).
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Originally Posted by Motor31
First off Mav, lose the all caps, it's rude to "shout".
Secondly you cannot lift half the weight on the trailer by jacking one side of one axle as half the weight of the trailer is not on one axle. You are only lifting the quarter weight that is supported by the tire on that side of the axle. Should you try to lift both axles on one side you would then be correct however it is not necessary to do so to just clear a flat tire from the surface of the road.
Thirdly you are not going to be able to lift the trailer frame should you have a flat on the side of the road unless you have a system that allows the entire rig to be lifted like a secondary hydraulic lift. Should you require that kind of operation you will only be able to have the trailer loaded on a flat bed trailer then taken to a shop. Frankly I'd love to see something like that tried. It would be interesting to see how the tow truck would move a 5th wheel trailer, without a crane and sling straps, onto a flat bed. It would also require an oversize permit for height as well as all the other requirements for moving an oversize load on the roadway.
In a perfect world you would be able to lift the frame any time you needed to change a tire but then again in a perfect world you would not have a flat.
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