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Joe Diesel
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#1 Posted: Fri Jun 26th, 2009 17:47 |
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Does anyone remember a picture of an aluminum "curved saddle" which was either store bought or home made by a member??? It is used to cradle the u-bolts safely while using a bottle jack to lift underneath the spring shackle to change a flat tire. I would like to buy one if it is readily available. I know "I" can make one fairly easily, (and when I say "I", I mean my neighbor can), but I would like to try the consumer route first. Any help is appreciated.
Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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DerfS53
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#2 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 00:22 |
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I haven't seen it, but I'd like to see it. Perhaps I can use one also. I'll search around and see if I can locate it.
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Fred, Lori & Logan with canines Sadie, Luc, Jack & Max
2003 Chevrolet 2500HD, 6.6 Duramax Diesel, Crew Cab, Short Bed
2006 Arctic Fox "Silver Fox Edition" 29V
Husky WD Hitch w/1400 lb spring bars
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Joe Diesel
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#3 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 00:38 |
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Thanks, it's just one more thing in my inventory of stuff that I'd like to have "just in case". I went as far as to call a tool company that made a similar product but it was flat and I wanted, of course, the curved one. No reply yet. Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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Burt Gifford
Member
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#4 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 04:38 |
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Joe, I just use a short piece of 2x4 that is well worn by use. It has a dimple from the jack head and two dent/groves from the axle & U-bolts. It works well as a cushion.
I know that the lawyers for the axle companies say don't jack on the axles and the lawyers for the frame companies say don't jack from the frame. But.... if you have a flat you need to get the wheel off the ground some way. If you're like me, you want to have made that decision before you need to implement.
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Burt
2007 AF 29V
05 GMC 2500HD Gas 6.0L W/ 4L80;
Equal-i-zer 1400lb bars; Prodigy
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Joe Diesel
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#5 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 14:10 |
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Burt, I totally agree with you. (I know about the wooden block. I did a search and read your previous post.) The wood is a good idea and will work if you have nothing else. With my luck, it will split, crack or slip off. I just would like to have this curved attachment as a primary solution. The wood will be my second choice.
And yes Burt, if we left it up to the lawyers, in the event of a flat, I'd have to rent a helicopter to transport the trailer to the nearest authorized dealership to get it fixed. (As long as I applied for the proper permits).
As a side note. I did "find" a wide based hydraulic jack that has a small curved saddle built into the top of the piston as opposed to the usual round plate. This is kind of what I want but I want mine to be wider to spread the load and accommo- date the u-bolts. I'll bet that if some industrious member made this little option, it would sell well on this and other RV forums. Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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Burt Gifford
Member
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#6 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 19:19 |
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Joe Diesel wrote: I'll bet that if some industrious member made this little option, it would sell well on this and other RV forums. Joe.
I'd buy one, especially if the cradle had some way to attach (even just a clip-on) to the bottle jack. It would be safer. 
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Burt
2007 AF 29V
05 GMC 2500HD Gas 6.0L W/ 4L80;
Equal-i-zer 1400lb bars; Prodigy
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Nash5r
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#7 Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2009 20:50 |
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I was planning on manufacturing and selling them but the above talk of lawyers gave me second thoughts! 
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2005 Arctic Fox 27 5L
Avatar: Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, OR
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Joe Diesel
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#8 Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2009 03:13 |
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NO NO NO, don't give up the quest!! Good inventions sell themselves! The "lawyers" that we were talking about was a veiled reference to the manufactures who try to over protect there particular products. ie: Dexter axle, who don't want you to lift on their suspension components or a frame builder who don't want you to jack up on their frames. By all means, let not our words stem your creative prowess in the making of the much sought after "curved saddle"!! Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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Burt Gifford
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#9 Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2009 06:27 |
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Yeah, what joe said 
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Burt
2007 AF 29V
05 GMC 2500HD Gas 6.0L W/ 4L80;
Equal-i-zer 1400lb bars; Prodigy
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Joe Diesel
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#10 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 21:25 |
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Well guys and gals, like the ole saying goes, "I got some good news and some bad news". The good news is that my engineer type neighbor says that he can make the product that I need, no sweat. He suggested that, in order to make the product more stable, that he should weld a shaft at least one to two inches long to the bottom of the curve plate for stability. (Here's the bad) He wisely suggested that I should let the air out of one of the tires to simulate a flat and see what kind of clearance I would have in a real world situation. Well as it turns out, I'm glad I did. I went from 12" from bottom of u-bolt to ground to roughly six inches, and the tire was not all the way flat! This means that the bottle jack would have to be like no taller than 5" to be able to fit under the spring shackle. This also means that the smaller bottle jack will probably not raise the axle high enough to slip on the spare. So unless I missed my guess, the bottle jack won't work. It appears that a cheap common scissor jack or a run of the mill floor jack will be best suited for the job. This could be just the excuse I need to justify the cost of one of those aluminum, high lift floor jacks. About $120.00 at Costco. Any thoughts. What has other members used on the side of the road to change their flats??? And about how much weight is being picked up by the jack on one axle just high enough for the spare to be put on??? Joe
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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Beedee
Member
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#11 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 22:27 |
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Don't give up on your idea Joe. What I do when I can't get a jack under an axle, is to drive the wheel up onto some blocking to get it up high enough to get the jack under. Just make sure that you have enough travel to get the jack out once you let it down.
Give it a try.
PS
If I didn't live so far away, I would gladly build it for you. I don't think that it would take that much.
Brian
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*Brian
98 Chevy Silverado 4X4, extended cab, shortbox 6.5 Diesel, auto, 4:10 gearing
2007 AF 22GQ
Still working, so just a weekend warrior for now.
Avatar: My favorite ski hill. Mt Washington BC
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Joe Diesel
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#12 Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2009 22:42 |
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Thanks Brian: The situation that I wanted to prepare for is the proverbial flat on the side of the road. Usually off the highway on a slight crown. While on asphalt you can't "dig" down to make the jack fit. So the jack must fit between the road and the bottom of the axle. I've heard members say that they used the bottle jack from the tow vehicle. I wonder how it fits??? Maybe I'm over thinking this. My head is starting to ache. (Do you smell smoke??) Any-who, thanks for the offer. I've often heard that you folks "North of the boarder" we of a friendly sort. Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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foxyrvlady
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#13 Posted: Tue Jun 30th, 2009 07:03 |
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When we can't just run the good tire up on our wooden chock blocks we use a leveling board like Brian suggested to get the axle up higher, then the jack. Dave just practiced that action last Thursday at the side of I-5 near Portland!
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Linda & Dave (retired US Army) & Jake the Lab
2002 Arctic Fox 25R, Honda 2000i, Trojan T-125's
2003 DODGE 3500 SLT Quad Cab, 4x4, SRW, HO CTD, 3.73, 48RE, Jake Brake
2010 Prius IV--love the 50 mpg!
AVATAR: Deer Camp, 2008, Wallowa Lake SP
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ArcticFoxCats
Member
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#14 Posted: Tue Jun 30th, 2009 20:25 |
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I stopped to fuel in in North Bend, WA (just off Snoqualomie Pass), and as I was coming out of the station, I saw this guy with a 5th wheel that was backing up. Thought he was running the 5th whl up onto the curb or something. 
When I got up close enough to see what he was doing, he had a flat on the rig, and had jerry-rigged just a couple (2) wooden blocks on top of each other; did like Foxylady said above (but NOT alongside the drivers side of I-5 !!); got the good tire up there and the rear tire that was flat came with it.
Changed tire, and got it off those blocks pronto!! and took off. No messing around; just get 'r done!! Fortunately he was somehow safe! (or lucky!!) Wish I had taken a picture. 4x4 blocks, one lenghtwise to the trailer/wheels on the bottom, other crossways on top. Stopped that puppy on a dime (MY rig would probably have slipped off at some point!!!)
Good luck on your safety issues, Joe! I hope you can get that to work well for you!!
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07 Nash 19B Hardside (my "wittle foxy" )
07 Chev Classic 2500 Diesel 6.6-LBZ/6spd-Allison /Crew Cab /ShortBed /AirBags
45gal $$$ Trnsfr Flow /BrakeSmart /Equal-i-zer
EnKay mudflaps /XDR Hitch Receiver
07 400cc Arctic Cat ATV
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Joe Diesel
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#15 Posted: Tue Jun 30th, 2009 20:36 |
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Foxyrvlady: I got it now. Run the good tire up on wood or leveling blocks and it will make some more clearance for the bottle or any other jack to fit. I think what I have learned from this tread is to have kind of like a back up plan. Be prepared and have a bottle jack and/or a secondary method of lifting like a floor jack or scissor type. I will still make my curved saddle and have it ready for the "just in case" scenario.
As far as that guy with the fifth wheel goes, that is what I would like to avoid. Fifth wheel have a bit more side to side maneuverability at the king pin. I believe that a TT with the WD bars under load, like the HA, would tend to twist or tweak the frame some. I prefer a straight lift, disconnected from the TV. This is how I did my bearings, opposite set of wheels caulked and not connected to the TV. Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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Adam
Sheriff
Welcome fellow Northwood owners to my little place
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#16 Posted: Thu Jul 2nd, 2009 20:29 |
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| Years ago I had one of those curved plates made with a ring on the bottom to slip over the bottle jack. Like you found out it worked fine to raise a aired up tire, not sure where it got to and now using a block of wood with has a couple of nice deep dents in it from the U bolts! Have never had a flat on the road(knock on wood) but do carry two jacks, 4X6 blocking and either one would work. Most just pull up on a pile of blocking and let the flat tire hang until they get it changed. Probably not the best for the weight bearing axle but works. When I am doing the bearings and have the axle jacked up I also put down the stabilizers to help spread out the stress.
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Adam
2007 Dodge Megacab 5.9 3.73
07 AF31W-BH Hensley Hitch/Brake Smart Controller
http://community.webshots.com/user/arcticfox29v?vhost=community
Mod list http://www.afnash.com/forum/view_topic.php?id=5368
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Joe Diesel
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#17 Posted: Fri Jul 3rd, 2009 22:46 |
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Thanks Adam. The wood thing must be true because you have confirmed what Burt said a few posts ago. I knew that someone on this forum had mentioned making the "curved saddle","axle picker-upper" thingy, I just could not remember who. Thanks for chiming in. I'm going to have my neighbor make one just to be able to say I got one... Maybe I'll paint it and show it off on the 2010 East Coast Rally. Oh, by the way, all you guys that were able to go to the rally and had a great time, well you officially SUCK! (LOL) I wanted to go so bad but got side tracked and could not make it. I will try very hard to make next year. At-a-boy to Adam for a job well done I here. Back on topic: I will also look into a nice, aluminum floor jack. Joe.
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2007 AF-27/F w/Sky Blue interior. Thermal Pane windows, 16" tires w/ Dexter HD suspension. Free standing dinette. Power jack and x-tra breeze fans. 2003 Dodge Ram Q-cab 4X4 6-Speed S/B w/Cummins diesel. Putnum XDR, Hensley Arrow & Honda EU-3000is
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