How to Jack Up a Heavy Trailer
A heavy trailer can be jacked up with a hydraulic floor jack. Reasons for jacking up a heavy trailer vary. Tire or axle repairs are a common repair job on a heavy trailer. This job requires a heavy-duty jack to lift the trailer axle high enough off the ground to remove the tire and allow repairs to be accomplished. Safety is the most important consideration while lifting a heavy trailer with a jack. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations for using jacks, "after the load has been raised, it shall be cribbed, blocked, or otherwise secured at once."
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Things You'll Need
- Jack with adequate load-capacity rating
- Wood blocks
- Jack stands with adequate load-capacity rating
Instructions
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Slide blocks or jack stands in under both sides of the jack. Stack the blocks or raise the jack stands until they come in contact with the undersurface of the trailer. While the jack is lifting the weight of the trailer, add more blocks or raise the jack stands to fill in the space. Use these wood blocks or adjustable jack stands as safety guards against an accident or mechanical failure of the jack.
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Center the cap of the floor jack directly beneath a main structural beam or axle of the trailer. Jack the cap upward until it loosely contacts the undersurface of the trailer. Visually inspect the placement of the jack in relation to the point of contact on the trailer. Adjust the jack's position so that the cap of the jack is evenly centered beneath the lifting point.
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Jack the trailer up to the desired height and block or use jack stands to hold the weight of the trailer. Once the blocks or jack stands are in place, lower the jack to allow them to hold the weight. Leave the jack in place or remove it accordingly. Use the jack under other areas of the trailer to be lifted and use blocking or jack stands there as well.
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References
- Photo Credit truck image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
