Jacking Up a Boat Trailer

[mercthunder]

Hi all,

Another newbie boating question from me. Apologies in advance! New to boat owning and just trying to make sure i am prepared when on the water and on the road. I have an imported Tahoe Q4 Sport and i was wondering how does one change a wheel on a boat trailer? I don't believe the trailer has jacking points like a normal car, so where would i typically place the jack? Do i just use the standard scissor jack that comes with my car if i run into a situation where i need to put a spare tyre on the trailer?

Appreciate any advice, just want to make sure i know this in advance in case i do get stuck on the road. Also i have read some information that has stated i should be inflating the trailer tyres up to about 50 PSI. Is this correct? The boat and trailer together weigh about 1300kg.

Thank you in advance!

[bigjimg]

G'day Merc,
On a single axle trailer make sure opposite wheel is chocked both sides and brake on. Best done attached to the vehicle as the jockey wheel could allow movement when on the jack.
Safety factor.
Place your jack, preferably a hydraulic jack that can take the load, directly under the spring U-bolt fishplate that secures your axle. Loosen the wheel nuts before you lift off the ground. Scissor jacks would not be my choice of jack, but that is me.
Dual axle much the same, but there is less chance of the jockey wheel movement as you can chock the wheels adequately.
Also done on reasonably flat ground is always a good choice. I run my tyres at 50psi, they are light truck, check yours are too. Jim

[Feral]

If you do source an hydraulic jack, do a rough measure of the gap underneath the fish plate and take off the tyre depth, just to make sure you can get it underneath with a flat tyre.
Otherwise your cars scisor jack should work as long as it is not some exotic only fits the car weirdo model, I have seen a few of those in the last few years showing up.

[Dignity]

If you do source an hydraulic jack, do a rough measure of the gap underneath the fish plate and take off the tyre depth, just to make sure you can get it underneath with a flat tyre.
Otherwise your cars scisor jack should work as long as it is not some exotic only fits the car weirdo model, I have seen a few of those in the last few years showing up.

Mine doesn't have the clearance so I carry 2 hydraulic jacks plus I have a pice of girder about 200 mm long for one of the jacks to sit on. This jack goes under the main rail to lift it high enough for me to get the other jack under the fish plate.

[scottar]

Mine doesn't have the clearance so I carry 2 hydraulic jacks plus I have a pice of girder about 200 mm long for one of the jacks to sit on. This jack goes under the main rail to lift it high enough for me to get the other jack under the fish plate.

Yep. Same here but with mechanical bottle jacks - found out the hard way a while back. Scissor jack will probably be low enough profile - just watch the weight rating and make sure its secure. Not really trusting of the old scissor jack - or any jack for that matter. Might be worth carrying something you can slip under the axle as a safety prior to removing the wheel.

[Crunchy]

I carry axle stands as well, if your chaning a tyre on the motorway and a truck goes past at 110.... you don't want to be relying on the jack alone .

[mercthunder]

Thanks. My trailer is pretty low profile. Which jack stands and hydraulic jack should i buy to carry with me?

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[Fed]

Carry a can of Finileak.
If your scissor jack won't fit under the fish plate the jack it under the axle close to the spring.
Chocks, blocks, trailer brakes & stands, WTF it's not like you're getting under the trailer.
The worst thing that can happen is it will fall down & go bang, never seen it in 50 Years of jacking cars & trailers.

[Crunchy]

Thanks. My trailer is pretty low profile. Which jack stands and hydraulic jack should i buy to carry with me?

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Supercheap have bottle jacks and axle stands at reasonble prices (In fact they are on sale right now), despite what some numb nuts say it is best to be safe than sorry, the other benefit of axle stands is when you come to do bearing changes etc you already have some of the gear ready to go. Bottle jacks are inherently unstable, it doesn't take much sideways movement, (E.g. draft from a big truck) to get a bit of sideways movement. Go for the stands with four legs not the ones with a square base plate....$46 for a pair right now so not exactly a moajor outlay.

[Fed]

That's why the car manufacturers supply stands as well as jacks. Yeah right! HaHaHaHa!
Net Nanny Googleboys.

[Dmclean580BR]

Mercthunder, agree with bigjim.

Addiitonally, i went out and got my hands on a small trolley jack and stands. you can improvise with the stands with good timber if you like, but the trolley jack is fast and safe. Can get your hands on them for about $70 from memory to about 2.5T.

Once your set up you've got the gear to more easily do your bearings etc also.

Id endorse chocking your trailer well too.

[mercthunder]

Mercthunder, agree with bigjim.

Addiitonally, i went out and got my hands on a small trolley jack and stands. you can improvise with the stands with good timber if you like, but the trolley jack is fast and safe. Can get your hands on them for about $70 from memory to about 2.5T.

Once your set up you've got the gear to more easily do your bearings etc also.

Id endorse chocking your trailer well too.

Hey Dmclean, where did you get your trolley jack from?

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[dnej]

You wont want to be using a trolley jack on in even surfaces.. They are OK on concrete, but that's about all.
David

[scottar]

That's why the car manufacturers supply stands as well as jacks. Yeah right! HaHaHaHa!
Net Nanny Googleboys.

I find your attitude a bit poor this time Fed. The Op has stated he is totally new to this game - he may not actually know the dangers involved with a trailer (or car for that matter) on a jack on the side of a highway - plenty don't. To rubbish others reply's for telling someone to take a few precautions and be as safe as possible is IMO simply poor form. Things like scissor jacks don't get there reputations from nowhere - it's quite easy for a newby not totally aware of the safest methods of operation to do themselves a mischief and on a trailer they are not locked onto a seam like they are in a car. "The worst thing that can happen is it will fall down & go bang" - nope - not even close to the worst that can happen if you have your hands in the wrong spot at the wrong time - why temp fate.

[billfisher]

Yes, don't take any chances with the trailer slipping off the jack. As others have said chock it or better have it hooked up to the car. You can put the spare wheel under the trailer as extra security as well.

I found I needed two jacks as well as some blocks of wood to jack it up high enough to remove the wheel.