What capacity jack do you carry to change tires?

islandhopper00

islandhopper00

Active Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,670
Lake Norman (Denver) NC
Boat Info
240 Sundancer
Engines
5.0L 260hp, BIII outdrive
I recently discovered the jack I carried with me to change tires in case of a flat would not do the job. I didn't take into account the weight I had to pick up. Boat and trailer, also, high enough to clear the tire from the ground. I was thinking about one of the kind you drive the good wheel onto to raise the flat tire. Any experience with thoes? I don't want to carry my floor jack. lol Mike
 
I will admit to not having an adequate jack prior to my blown trailer tire on the interstate experience ( not fun ). I barely managed to get it changed with my 2 ton bottle jack. I went out and bought a larger 6 ton bottle jack and put some 2' lengths of 4X4 lumber in the back of the truck for cribbing. It depends on your trailer configuration as to what is best. The jack I bought just fits under the trailer axles giving plenty of lift. Good topic...'cause it is no fun on the side of the road with inadequate equipment.
 
I recently discovered this, too while changing a flat before a trip.

My trailer is newer and has torsion axles so I had to literally jack up one side to get the one wheel off the ground since the axles are all independant.

I now carry a 20 ton bottle jack (overkill, but has a nice extention length)

I thought a small floor jack would suffice; boy was I wrong.

Just one more thing to consider.
 
390pi,I like your choice of boats...I also trailer every weekend...and put it on and off the trailer myself.
 
Quint4 said:
...and put it on and off the trailer myself.
Click to expand...

Sounds familiar.

I have my wife pull it out of the water since I must stabilize/center it in the wind; as you know, it can be hard to get a big boat like that perfectly centered on the trailer even with the guides.
 
Yes it is a challenge when windy....I always take the bimini top down prior to putting her back on the trailer to cut down on the "sail" effect
dscf0096qq7.jpg
 
nice rig!...my Dad just bought a new silverado. I put electric brakes on my trailer in April and they are working out really well.
 
jack? what jack? hmmm, this brings up a point I hadn't thought about... There is no jack option with my trailer!
 
get a jack fast...I have never had a flat ( I'm 44 ) and have had two flats on my boat trailer this season! When it happens you need to be prepared for you and your family's safety.
 
Quint4 said:
nice rig!...my Dad just bought a new silverado. I put electric brakes on my trailer in April and they are working out really well.
Click to expand...

Electric? Or electric over hydraulic? On three axles?

I have discs on all 3 axles; no problem stopping forward, but reverse? Well, you know...
 
Straight electrics ( dexters)...two axles. I took good care waterproofing all connections and
boat in fresh water. I have dunked them dozens of times now with no trouble. It is nice to have brakes while backing down the ramp as it is quite a load on a steep incline.
 
Another dumb move I made long ago: I had thought about getting a better jack because it was obvious that the one with my vehicle would not extend nearly high enough to lift a trailer tire....

.... But I neglected to consider the fact that the lug nuts on the trailer may not be the same size as the lug nuts & lug wrench that were on the tow vehicle.
banghead.gif
 
Just thought I'd chime in.......When mentioning jacks always carry a block of wood. Why.... Cause if you have a flat, it will be raining, the ground will be soft, and a 2" x 6" x 12" comes in real handy regardless of the size jack you have.

Also wheel chocks are a good idea. Get those light but effective plastic ones at Walmart for $4.99.

tginz
 
Great thread! I have a short story to tell about my one and only experience with a flat. It happend this year the first time I pulled the boat. I headed down to Lake Cumberland where my boat is stored in Jamestown, KY...From the storage unit I was going to Grider Hill Dock. I never thought I would experience a flat in such a short trip. The blow out (blew out the side wall) happened right smack dab in the middle of the dam...I didn't have a jack, a spare, nothing! Well...I had whatever is in my wife's Suburban but unloaded it just to get to the jack and spare was going to be a task in itself. What ended up happening was my step-daughter and her husband were following us in their Nissan...her husband says: I've got a jack! I even have a doughnut for a spare, it "might" work"...I thought, well. I know the jack will work but I'm not sure about the doughnut spare, I thought would probably be a different lug pattern, etc....Lady luck was with us that day...the doughnut spare from the Nissan worked!!! I trailered it the reats of the way to Grider Hill Marina, I even launched her with the doughnut spare. Every who knows me knows I'm not much on "foriegn" vehicles so they gave me a ribbing about a Nissan rim fitting my trailer, etc...to which I told them: "You all don't have nothing more than trailer wheels on that little car!"

Oh well....no one was hurt and I learned a lesson that day. No matter how short the haul, be prepared for anything when out on the road.
 
So is a bottle jack better then a floor jack? What are the reasons one is better then the other. In the times you have to pull off the road and the ground is soft what do you do?
 
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