Rebuild trailer jack or buy new?

CCL · Jun 25, 2010

My H&H tilt-bed trailer jack (hand-pump, 24") blew out the last of it's hydraulic juice the day I needed to load up the new mower. Not easy to tilt the 20 foot bed and hold it in place for load/unload without the bed jack.

May be obvious to everyone, but here goes

:
- Is it worth tearing into the old crusty, blown-out jack or just go buy a new one (~$50 - $65) and bolt it on?
- To repair, assume I start unscrewing shaft fittings and look for leaky o-rings and other seals? Anything else I should know?
- Parts available at places like Northern Tools or TSC?
- Fluid refill with off-shelf hydraulic oil? Special bleeding procedures or things to look for?

Thanks to all for any help/advice!!

mmurphy · Jun 26, 2010

If you can buy one less then $100 new, I would not waste my time to fix it.

kennyd · Jun 26, 2010

I would buy the replacement, then try to disassemble/rebuild the old one to keep as a spare.

No sense (to me) holding up trailer operations while sourcing parts for a $50-$65 pump.

Posting pictures of it will help us help you if you choose to do the repair.

aczlan · Jun 26, 2010

I would look into adapting it to use and electric pump... easier to use that way.

Aaron Z

Dutch445 · Jun 26, 2010

Kenny,
Was that it? the magical one? and it was
a helpful post at that! good job!

kennyd · Jun 26, 2010

Dutch445 said:
Kenny,
Was that it? the magical one? and it was
a helpful post at that! good job!

Yup, purely by accident that was the magic # 2 million:thumbsup:

CCL · Jun 26, 2010

OK, thanks - was not really looking forward to digging into jack pumps today anyway

Will put the old one aside for a documented snow season project...

aczlan - electric-hydraulic would be NICE (have that on my dump trailer), but can't justify the cost for as often as it gets used. Found a 3-ton clevis double-piston long ram at Northern for $80, so that's a good solution I think.

kennyd - not sure what the 2 million thing is (post total?? wow!!!!) but I'm honored to be a part.

kennyd · Jun 26, 2010

CCL said:
kennyd - not sure what the 2 million thing is (post total?? wow!!!!) but I'm honored to be a part.

TBN hit a record this morning of 2 million posts total for the site-and it just so happened I was the one who made it replying to your thread. There is a long thread about it down in the news forum.

Good call on saving the repair for a winter project