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Old 05-04-2019, 08:58 PM   #1
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Broken Front Jack issue.

My front ground control 3.0 jacks were acting up for a while.
Getting out of stroke errors, RF.. sounding like they are labouring. Sometimes the front would just shut down and not work at all.
Here’s my thread about it https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...cks-65865.html

I FINALLY received my new jack, under extended warranty, everything sounds smooth now.. my battery voltage used to drop to 11.1-11.3v when lifting the trailer. Now it drops to 12.7v.

I cut open the broken jack to see what the issue was, it’s the only way to get into the threaded area.
There is no shortage of grease, but it’s not on the threaded rod. I see no way for it to ever stay, or go on the rod. The threads would just get cleaned off after a few passes. Let alone many years of use.
My trailer is probably used less than anyone on this forum, next to someone with a permanent site.

The jack broke because all the threads in the threaded block are all sheared off.
Check the picture....smooth. Most of the threads were stuck in the threads of the rod. I peeled them off...that’s them in a little pile in the pic.

I was hearing my jacks labouring so much because for the most part I have been lifting with just the left jack. Then sometimes the right jack threads would jam in the block and give me an “out of stroke” because of the high amp limit. Sometimes just shut right down because it was jammed completely.
Until the right finally got into the perfect position and lifted a little then POPPED! And the rod slid right through the block and trailer dropped to the right.

How did all the threads get sheared out of the block?? Because there is no grease? Lippert defect? Poor design?
What about my left jack now. It’s been doing double duty fo a while. Obviously no grease is on the threads...and that jack does sound a little squeaky/grindy at times. I think it’s doomed.

How about rigs that are MUCH heavier than mine? Fully loaded Seismics.
This seems, to me, like a serious issue.
It’s pretty much steel on steel.

Tell me what you think.
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Old 05-04-2019, 10:18 PM   #2
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klassic, I went through this exact same problem with my right front landing gear this past summer. I was on the road and could get no satisfaction from any Jayco Dealer. I ended up ordering the complete leg assembly from Etrailer and installed it myself. I don't think the leg is built to handle the load asked of it. If you look at the weight forward of the front axle there is a lot what with the Residential Refrigerator, We have a stackable washer and dryer in the right corner, clothing, storage in 2 compartments, 3 30# propane bottles and partial full water and waste tanks. Just too much weight for that flimsy threaded block.
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Old 05-05-2019, 06:59 AM   #3
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Wow Klassic. As you know, I experienced the same issue. Trailer came crashing down while i was trying to set up at a campground.

I wish I would’ve kept my old jack. Now we need to figure out an easy way to add grease.
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Old 05-05-2019, 07:15 AM   #4
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I don't have leveling, front legs are Atwood. A year ago I had one leg that wouldn't power down and had to jack the trailer to get it hitched. The past summer I drilled into the leg and squirted heavy oil into them. They work better now but are sloooooowwww. The auto reset breaker will trip when lifting for too long too and I wait a few seconds and continue. After reading this it may be that my right front leg is actually doing nothing and the left is doing all the work. As said there is no way to get inside to see if something is actually wrong. The RF leg is also in a spot where I have to cut away the side of the gen box to get to it.
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Old 05-05-2019, 07:38 AM   #5
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Wow Klassic. As you know, I experienced the same issue. Trailer came crashing down while i was trying to set up at a campground.

I wish I would’ve kept my old jack. Now we need to figure out an easy way to add grease.
I don’t know how long grease would last before being pushed off the threads.
There is a lot of grease on mine and look how shiny the threads are.
You of all people here know my trailer doesn’t get used much. It’s always in the shop. You, on the other hand hand, have used your jacks 50x more than me...with another 800lbs.
I wish there was an easy way to open it up and inspect the threads.
The only way to be sure is to replace the jack..and the only option is to spend $550US...$800CAD because they only sell the complete unit with motor.
It would be a breeze to swap the inner leg if they sold it alone. It is held in with a small pin. Then it drops right out.

I saw that video of sticking a 1” plastic tube up from the bottom around the threaded rod and filling it with grease.
I could do it (wouldn’t want to), you could do it...but there are more people who couldn’t do it.
And it looks to me like the grease would stay on for a couple lifts.

I’m going to call Lippert and see, but I might as well just bang my head against a wall.

The system needs to be hydraulic. If there’s a leak.. change the seal.
Everything in the working world is hydraulic.
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Old 05-05-2019, 07:47 AM   #6
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Yeah I saw that video with the tube. You’re right. We could do it but would not want to...what a chore. And yes a hydraulic system would have been a lot better but at this point we don’t have that option without paying a lot of money to swap out the system. Since I’ve replaced my failed jack, I’ve had no issues and my system works perfectly every time I use it. I’d like to keep it that way...so I may end up digging into it to find a way to add grease or maybe some heavy weight oil to maintain it.

Please let us know what LCI has to say
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Old 05-05-2019, 07:48 AM   #7
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klassic, I went through this exact same problem with my right front landing gear this past summer. I was on the road and could get no satisfaction from any Jayco Dealer. I ended up ordering the complete leg assembly from Etrailer and installed it myself. I don't think the leg is built to handle the load asked of it. If you look at the weight forward of the front axle there is a lot what with the Residential Refrigerator, We have a stackable washer and dryer in the right corner, clothing, storage in 2 compartments, 3 30# propane bottles and partial full water and waste tanks. Just too much weight for that flimsy threaded block.
If you read my thread I linked to, you can see how my problem got to the failure. AND I am on a personal level with the service manager at my dealership.
He has no way to say the threads are going, because no one can take it apart.
You have to wait for complete failure to prove there is something wrong. How would someone with out the “advantage” that I had with my dealer get them to say the jack is broken... when they want nothing to do their broken trailer. They wouldn’t give it a second look if the jack still moves.

When do you get complete failure? I got lucky and the threads jammed and popped when there was weight on the leg. But my left jack had been doing almost all the work for most of the time. What if the threads all let go out of that leg, while all this time I had no threads in the right leg?

This is ridiculous.
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Old 05-05-2019, 09:07 AM   #8
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Ever wonder why manufactures use lubricants sparingly or sometimes not at all and still call it life time lubrication? They just don't want it to last, which is a corporate mentality.
Small Mom and Pop manufacturing is lasting quality.
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Old 05-05-2019, 09:48 AM   #9
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The problem is the nut should be 2 to 3 times longer putting less strain on the treads and the nut moves up and down with the leg pushing the grease away from it each time it is used. Some one could weld two or three nuts together once they are threaded onto the shaft, but I don't have an answer to keep it greased. But these things are only built for people that use their trailer two weeks a year going to one camp site and back home. So Klassic each time you drop your trailer at the dealership you have use up your one year usage( sorry could not resist). So that is a $800.00 cad nut
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Old 05-05-2019, 10:08 AM   #10
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The problem is the nut should be 2 to 3 times longer putting less strain on the treads and the nut moves up and down with the leg pushing the grease away from it each time it is used. Some one could weld two or three nuts together once they are threaded onto the shaft, but I don't have an answer to keep it greased. But these things are only built for people that use their trailer two weeks a year going to one camp site and back home. So Klassic each time you drop your trailer at the dealership you have use up your one year usage( sorry could not resist). So that is a $800.00 cad nut
You would think that the manufacturer would install a few zerks so that they could be lubricated occasionally.
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Old 05-05-2019, 10:24 AM   #11
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You would think that the manufacturer would install a few zerks so that they could be lubricated occasionally.
That would grease the cavity not the shaft to much grease in the cavity will fall out the bottom onto the feet and to much in top will be push out into the storage area. I could be wrong just my thought
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Old 05-05-2019, 10:59 AM   #12
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That would grease the cavity not the shaft to much grease in the cavity will fall out the bottom onto the feet and to much in top will be push out into the storage area. I could be wrong just my thought
Yep.

And you would have to get it into the inner leg through the outer leg somehow.

The threaded rod is in the middle of the inner leg. So, impossible.
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Old 05-05-2019, 12:04 PM   #13
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Maybe need to take it apart and spray it down with a dry lube? Something like slide out lubricant? Or maybe some powdered graphite? Or just spend the money to carry around a spare [emoji1787]
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Old 05-05-2019, 01:02 PM   #14
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I thought I had thrown my old jack away...I didn’t. Found it behind my shed. Took it apart and it looks exactly like Klassic’s.

Surprised how good the grease looked.

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Old 05-05-2019, 01:06 PM   #15
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Here’s a close up of the sheared off threads

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Old 05-05-2019, 02:58 PM   #16
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Wonder if there is any chance of a machine shop rebuilding the front jack?

I don't think gear not having grease is the problem. Sounds like junk material used in the manufacturing.
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Old 05-05-2019, 03:12 PM   #17
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Wonder if there is any chance of a machine shop rebuilding the front jack?



I don't think gear not having grease is the problem. Sounds like junk material used in the manufacturing.


Jack

I think you’re right. My grease was practically brand new because it gets pushed to the ends and stays there. The cheap steel on the nut is the problem. With the tight fit of the threads, nothing thick like a grease will be able to do any good. I’m sure a good machine shop could fix it up without too much problem.
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Old 05-05-2019, 03:17 PM   #18
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I called lippert last year asking about maintenance on them and I was told no maintenance needed
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Old 05-05-2019, 04:42 PM   #19
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Awesome Tom.

I guess there’s no need for Turtle Tim to open his up. We know what it will look like.

My grease looks brand new too. All balled up on the nut block.

I have 3 years left on extended warranty. That should be good for another set of jacks.
I know what to look out for now.
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Old 05-05-2019, 05:27 PM   #20
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The Lippert manual that came with my camper said something about pouring oil down from the top of the leg so it could run over the nut. My camper is at the dealer for warranty work so I do not have my manual here with me. I had researched this about month ago and have it on my maintenance list for when I get it back from the dealer.

I also saw the tube filled with grease online that is pushed up from the bottom of the leg over the screw. I thought about using thick gear lube in place of the grease. Thought that might help better so the grease would not get pushed up or down the screw.
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