Grease Jacks Instructions & Video

[Gliddenwoods]

Hello,

I have previously viewed the video & instructions  on how to grease the three stabilization jacks. However, for whatever reason I can not track the instructions and/or video at this time! Anyone available to refresh my memory of the location of this information?

Thanks 

[rich.dev]

@Gliddenwoods there might be better/more updated video and instructions, but this is what I have, a video clip from oliver and instructions from John E Davies

 

 

 

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, Gliddenwoods said:

Anyone available to refresh my memory of the location of this information?

The OTT video shows some basic steps, but it misses the mark in properly servicing the jack. It merely demonstrates a visual inspection and if that's all you're going to do, I'd say just leave them alone. Given your hull is only 2 years old, if they sound good when running it should be fine to wait. They are nicely greased and sealed by the manufacturer to last awhile. The rear jacks are housed within the hull, and these will last even longer between service.

Look at page 2 of the How-to Service thread linked above, where I worked a full jack service. It is better to do the job right every 3-5 years than to just visually inspect annually. Adding some grease on top of the gear does absolutely nothing. The body and moving parts of the jack must be cleaned of ALL old grease. You want a bath of new grease, with no air bubbles, under the main drive gear. 

I did that job on our front jack of our 8-year-old hull. The original OTT brown grease was still present, so you could tell this service had not been done in all these years. I don't plan to open it up again before 2028. I have not worked the rear jacks yet since these get little use, no real lifting strain, as compared to the front jack. They sound good as-is, on my list for next year. 

The only way to damage these quality VP3000 jacks is to allow the motor to run past the end stops. When the lift hits the stop and the motor continues to run, the spiral motor gear must slip on the large wheel gear causing damage to the spiral gear attached to the motor. When I had our apart and clean, I could see some evidence of this but not bad enough to change out the motor. There was no evidence of gear wear from lack of service. It did not sound well before the service and to my ear it sounds good now when lifting and lowering.

[Mike and Carol]

19 hours ago, jd1923 said:

The only way to damage these quality VP3000 jacks is to allow the motor to run past the end stops. When the lift hits the stop and the motor continues to run, the spiral motor gear must slip on the large wheel gear causing damage to the spiral gear attached to the motor.

The first few months we had our trailer I routinely ran the rear jacks up until I heard them click.  I had one fail to lower once and had to use the manual handle, it had slip off the gear.  Once I got it down a few inches it worked fine.  Since then (2016) I never raise the jacks until they click.  I put a mark on them so I know when to stop.  No issues since.

[jd1923]

3 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

The first few months we had our trailer I routinely ran the rear jacks up until I heard them click.

Yes, every click is the drive gear (pictured) slipping pass the large round gear that moves the post. The long spiral thread design makes it the weaker gear taking the damage. You can see the wear marks on the outer portion of the gear.

Once it slips when just in use, then it's damaged to the point of replacing the motor since it is the motor drive shaft. I never get ours near the ends. We travel with the rear jack bases at the height of the wheel centers and the front is always down a good 4". It makes for less time and work going up and down!

Edited September 26 by jd1923