Cobra jack warning

[Andy Durbin]

If you have a new Cobra trailer you may wish to inspect your tongue
jack. The handle is fixed to the worm stem by means of a roll pin.
If the roll pin comes out the handle falls off and the inside of the
jack, including the wheel, will fall out of the outer casing and
contact the road.

I recovered enough bits from the previous mile of roadway and added
bits from the local hardware store to get my jack working for the
contest. I'll probably have to replace the whole thing when I get
home.

Andy (GY)

[Tom Serkowski]

(Andy Durbin) wrote in message >...
> I recovered enough bits from the previous mile of roadway and added
> bits from the local hardware store to get my jack working for the
> contest. I'll probably have to replace the whole thing when I get
> home.

I keep mine inside the trailer while on the road. Seen too many
damaged or destroyed wheels in the last 30 years of soaring to let it
happen to me.

-Tom

[Nolaminar]

Depending on the trailer tongue, it may be best to remove the jack/crank for
towing.
But on some older models, the hand brake machansim extends below and the
wheel can offer some protection.
They often tend to unwind when traveling.
GA

[Eric Greenwell]

Tom Serkowski wrote:

> (Andy Durbin) wrote in message >...
>
>> I recovered enough bits from the previous mile of roadway and added
>> bits from the local hardware store to get my jack working for the
>> contest. I'll probably have to replace the whole thing when I get
>> home.
>
>
>
> I keep mine inside the trailer while on the road. Seen too many
> damaged or destroyed wheels in the last 30 years of soaring to let it
> happen to me.


After mine wiggled it's way down till the wheel was touching the
pavement, the tire melted and frazzled. My wife hated the original one
anyway, as she always got grease on herself when raising it, so I
replaced the entire assembly with a boat trailer tongue wheel, which
easily rotates 90 degrees for travel.

--
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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA






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Eric Greenwell USA

[TomnKeyLargo]

Cobra makes it so you can take it off while traveling. If you leave it on, its
your own fault, so you gets what you get, a bent rim, unrollable tire, or what
Andy got. Take it off and store it while traveling, I do. Oh, I did bend a rim
while leaving it on once, daaaaaaa never again. # 711.

[Mike McCarron]

I damaged the trailer jack a bunch of years ago when
it wound itself down while doing 65 mph. Since then
I just bungee it up while on the road and no problem.

MC

[Chip Bearden]

I've never had a problem in 25 years of Komet and Cobra jacks (why am
I tempting fate by saying this????). I crank up the wheel with the
handle and tighten it...hard. I raise the jack post and secure that
handle...hard. It does provide some protection for the hand brake
mechanism that protrudes below the tongue on some trailers.

But that's if I do it. If I'm entrusting the task to my crew, I tell
them to just remove it and throw it in the van. :) Years ago my wife
tightened the retaining handle to her satisfaction but the jack
loosened and dropped. I replaced the melted wheel with a hardware
store version. According to her, the smoke from the dragging wheel
caused passing motorists, and her, to think the car was on fire.

Chip Bearden

[Andy Durbin]

(TomnKeyLargo) wrote in message >...
> Cobra makes it so you can take it off while traveling. If you leave it on, its
> your own fault, so you gets what you get, a bent rim, unrollable tire, or what
> Andy got. Take it off and store it while traveling, I do. Oh, I did bend a rim
> while leaving it on once, daaaaaaa never again. # 711.



Several people indicated the wisdom of removing the jack. All I
wanted to do was to alert people to the fact that it had a failure
mode that I had not anticipted.

I used a Minden fab trailer for over 15 years. The jack folded up in
about 2 seconds, cleared the road, and never fell down. The Cobra
trailer cost over half what I paid for my last trailer with gider
inside. I expected it to work and not to have to dismantle it before
I used it.


Andy

[Bela]

(Chip Bearden) wrote in message >...
> I've never had a problem in 25 years of Komet and Cobra jacks (why am
> I tempting fate by saying this????). I crank up the wheel with the
> handle and tighten it...hard. I raise the jack post and secure that
> handle...hard. It does provide some protection for the hand brake
> mechanism that protrudes below the tongue on some trailers.
>
> But that's if I do it. If I'm entrusting the task to my crew, I tell
> them to just remove it and throw it in the van. :) Years ago my wife
> tightened the retaining handle to her satisfaction but the jack
> loosened and dropped. I replaced the melted wheel with a hardware
> store version. According to her, the smoke from the dragging wheel
> caused passing motorists, and her, to think the car was on fire.
>
> Chip Bearden

When I crank up the wheel, I run a short length of chain through the
wheel housing that is attached to the tow bar via a climber's quick
disconnect.
Removing the entire jack seems like an overkill.
Bela