glider trailer Q

Wonder what kind of 'low rider' trailer you are running
that cannot get a bottle jack under the side of it
with a flat tire on the trailer? Or maybe you needed
to buy a smaller bottle jack?

Two important tips. ALWAYS loosen the lug nuts before
jacking. And I would recommend placing the jack aft
of the axle. Not too far, as you don't want to adversely
load the trailer. This way, you aren't going to try
and lift the tongue off the ball.

Good advice about sloping ground and always carrying
a roll of duct tape with you! Check at an auto parts
store for those small capacity floor jacks. That could
be very handy, and can fit into the trailer, as we
don't all drive pickups. And if the ground is really
unsteady, or if it is really windy, might consider
also carrying a jack stand. Cheap insurance.

Man, the front end of this trailer is getting full!
Wing stands, tail dolly, wing wheel, tow bar, one
man rigger, spare tire, jack, lug wrench, jack stands,
kitchen sink, toilet plunger. THAT is where the TV
Remote ended up!

Steve Leonard
Wichita, KS

Steve Leonard wrote:
Wonder what kind of 'low rider' trailer you are running
that cannot get a bottle jack under the side of it
with a flat tire on the trailer? Or maybe you needed
to buy a smaller bottle jack?

Sorry, I wasn't clear about the problem. If the tire is flat, I can't
get the bottle jack under the axle, like I could when it was sitting in
the driveway with a good tire. So, I can put it under the side of the
trailer. Oops! The jack doesn't raise the trailer high enough to get the
spare on the axle, because the spring relaxes as I jack up the trailer
side and I run out of jack extension before the axle is very high. At
least, that's the way it goes with my Cobra trailer. I'm sure it depends
on the details of the axle, tire size, and springs.

A scissors jack will still fit under the axle when the tire is flat, so
that's what I carry.
--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA

www.motorglider.org - Download "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane
Operation"