Newbie (idiot) trailer question?

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for feedback everyone! I called the dealer this morning, and they are going to swap out the jack - I am also going to ask for a full demostration of proper jack use while I am there...

...of course now I have to wait for my Bronco to get out of the shop. A simple AC recharge this morning has turned into O-ring replacement and of course a much larger bill and more time in the shop.

I'll try to get a pic of the jack before I get it swapped out -waiting on the wife to get back from out of state with the camera.

 

[Soundguy]

Yeah.. that must have been a bad jack... as the one on my 16' trailer just survived a collision with my NAA as i drove it off the front of the trailer... the jack contacting the bumper of the tractor is one of the things that helped stop me.. ( clutch was in..again.. by that time.. just a bit of momentum left at the time ).

The only casuality was the e-clip holding the handle to the jack.. I admit it.. that broke.. but I've already replaced it and the jack / handle are fine.. though do have a nice smear of ford ref on them...

Soundguy

 

[surfran]

I had this or someting similar happen this winter to my jack as the unit froze up. I went out to use it, hooked it up to my truck, went to twist handle to raise, and voila the handle busted off where it connects to the jack. I was not a happy camper. Ended up banging jack with hammer a few times and then putting vice grips on to raise it from there. Used them for 3 months before I bought a new jack (my jack was 4 years old).

 

[Anonymous Poster]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...as the one on my 16' trailer just survived a collision with my NAA as i drove it off the front of the trailer...)</font>
You said that so calmly, as if you do it all the time...I'll bet the adrenaline was really pumping, though. I might have pushed something other than the clutch and driven right into my pickup! Sounds like you reacted pretty good.

By the way, where are you in Central Florida? We may not be all that far apart...I actually live in Port St. Lucie at the moment, will be moving to Okeechobee after the land is prepped, the barn is built, and finally the house (I have my priortities right, but it took a bit of convincing for the Other Half to agree /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

(Edit) I just read the other thread where you described the "incident" - guess I was right about the adrenaline.

What I've discovered about the hydro is that it's actually possible to forget which way to press the treadle - I was easing up to the side of my pickup to dump a bucket full of construction debris (remodelling a bathroom), and kept bumping it forward a little at a time to get it in position. After dumping, my foot "remembered" the previous actions, and I went a little more forward instead of backwards...actually slid my truck over about 6" before I caught it - it was on damp grass and slid easy, no damage - not even a scratch on the truck (well, as far as I could see, no new scratches among all the old ones - it truly is a work truck).

After I backed away, I spanked my foot and yelled, "Bad foot!" at it - but I don't know if it will learn from the experience, or not. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. I'm calm about it now.. but at the time.. sheesh.... my 'wits' were deffinately among the casuality list.. and I bit a hole in the seat of my pants.

I had driven on the trailer.. didn't like the position and was bumping it up a litle by little by working the clutch.. then the foot slipped off, and instead of a little bump, the tractor traveled 3' before I had the clutch in and breaks on again.... go figure.

Reminds me of a story of a guy that had a hard to start old tractor... would always just barely start. one morning he went to start it from beside the tractor, bumped the switch, and the tractor not only started in gear, but with a pto powered implimint engaged.. like a cutter or something.. ran him over.. broke lots of bones just stopped short of killing him... again.. go figure.. won't start for years.. then starts in gear under load easilly.. irony at its best...

Soundguy