solved - please delete

[BigRackLover]

My 28 ft travel trailer has an electric tongue jack. It is slightly bent and doesn't have the full range which is annoying. The cost to replace with a brand new one is $400 installed at Western RV. I'm thinking I could take it off, possibly remove the motor and bring it some sort of welding/pipe shop to get straightened with heat, rollers, and force. Anybody know of a place like this in the Edmonton/Nisku/Leduc area?

[Xiph0id]

Post a pic and I'll give you my opinion.

Maybe I can help you at my shop in Nisku.

[stubblejumper01]

Princess Auto had them on sale for around $150. Even if the sale is over they will usually give you the sale price within a couple of weeks of the end of the sale.

[rens27]

Western RV is trying to rip you off. A replacement should cost anywhere from 150 to 250 and it takes 10 minutes to install yourself. Call around and get prices from other dealers and check princess auto.

[BigRackLover]

Post a pic and I'll give you my opinion.

Maybe I can help you at my shop in Nisku.

https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAA3E7oqHlutXgZ20GToJ-daBLz0ttHoZ_32sJHQL9TFCw/12/29099894/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/bentTrailerTongueHitch.jpg/ENbi8xUY0b8aIAcoBw/vql0bmH8_gYpBy8Lq_v76BGl_EyDpWOLW99tcdupfU8?size=1 600x1200&size_mode=3

Whatcha think?

[BigRackLover]

Just to be clear, Western RV price was $275 for the unit, $130/hr dollars labor and they said a 30 minute job. Plus tax, that'll come to just under $400. Thanks for the advice on Princess Auto. They do look easy to install.

[Xiph0id]

https://photos-5.dropbox.com/t/2/AAA3E7oqHlutXgZ20GToJ-daBLz0ttHoZ_32sJHQL9TFCw/12/29099894/jpeg/32x32/1/_/1/2/bentTrailerTongueHitch.jpg/ENbi8xUY0b8aIAcoBw/vql0bmH8_gYpBy8Lq_v76BGl_EyDpWOLW99tcdupfU8?size=1 600x1200&size_mode=3

Whatcha think?

No pic.

[BigRackLover]

No pic.

Sorry, Dropbox seems to have changed. click here (https://www.dropbox.com/s/10da38yxn2unscv/bentTrailerTongueHitch.jpg?dl=0)

[bat119]

Princessauto 3 bolts and your done

[Sooner]

Yup, do it yourself with a PA one or buy the part from Western RV and install it.

[Dean2]

Do it yourself, but I would try straightening the existing one first. It does not look badly bent, though that isn't a great photo. If you need to pay a shop to fix it, probably cheaper to just buy a new one.

[EZM]

Hey Big Rack,

I have a hydraulic post shore straightening machine that would probably work. (if the saddles can line up properly). My millwright would likely be able to bend it back in 45 seconds. No heat required. Just push forming.

The only caution is if post insert is kinked too severely and/or you can't saddle up both sides of the inner (assuming the inner is bent) it could either crack (less likely) or just bend back to straight with the kink still in place and now potentially interfering with the movement not allowing it to slide inside the outer (more likely). But these are scenarios we would be able to figure out when we see it up close.

If you are thinking of buying a new one anyways - and don't mind a bit of risk and excitement - bring it over - we will give it a whirl. Might save you a few bucks.

Shop is Henday and Sherwood Park freeway area. PM me if you are interested.

[Dean2]

Hey Big Rack,

I have a hydraulic post shore straightening machine that would probably work. (if the saddles can line up properly). My millwright would likely be able to bend it back in 45 seconds. No heat required. Just push forming.

The only caution is if post insert is kinked too severely and/or you can't saddle up both sides of the inner (assuming the inner is bent) it could either crack (less likely) or just bend back to straight with the kink still in place and now potentially interfering with the movement not allowing it to slide inside the outer (more likely). But these are scenarios we would be able to figure out when we see it up close.

If you are thinking of buying a new one anyways - and don't mind a bit of risk and excitement - bring it over - we will give it a whirl. Might save you a few bucks.

Shop is Henday and Sherwood Park freeway area. PM me if you are interested.

Can't beat that for an offer. GREAT to see AOers helping other AOers. Good for you!!!

[rembo]

After a chock slid and it fell off the blocks recently I fixed mine with a piece of 4x4 and an 8 lb sledge.

The tubes are quite thin but swing hard.

[BigRackLover]

Hey Big Rack,

I have a hydraulic post shore straightening machine that would probably work. (if the saddles can line up properly). My millwright would likely be able to bend it back in 45 seconds. No heat required. Just push forming.

The only caution is if post insert is kinked too severely and/or you can't saddle up both sides of the inner (assuming the inner is bent) it could either crack (less likely) or just bend back to straight with the kink still in place and now potentially interfering with the movement not allowing it to slide inside the outer (more likely). But these are scenarios we would be able to figure out when we see it up close.

If you are thinking of buying a new one anyways - and don't mind a bit of risk and excitement - bring it over - we will give it a whirl. Might save you a few bucks.

Shop is Henday and Sherwood Park freeway area. PM me if you are interested.

Thanks for the offer, PM sent

[BigRackLover]

Boom! Thanks guys.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/2-500-lb-12v-dc-a-frame-trailer-jack/A-p8490419e

[Xiph0id]

Found a solution then?

[Ken07AOVette]

Just don't use heat.

[JonBoy]

It's bent - that means it has passed the yield point of the material. You do NOT want to re-use it unless it is reinforced. That's virtually impossible on these.

A column support (like a jack) has to resist compression and buckling. When you put a kink in a column, it's highly susceptible to buckling.

Replace, don't repair.

[ChickakooKookoo]

It's bent - that means it has passed the yield point of the material. You do NOT want to re-use it unless it is reinforced. That's virtually impossible on these.

A column support (like a jack) has to resist compression and buckling. When you put a kink in a column, it's highly susceptible to buckling.

Replace, don't repair.



X2


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[EZM]

It's bent - that means it has passed the yield point of the material. You do NOT want to re-use it unless it is reinforced. That's virtually impossible on these.

A column support (like a jack) has to resist compression and buckling. When you put a kink in a column, it's highly susceptible to buckling.

Replace, don't repair.

Sort of ...... But you cannot determine if the post is beyond it's yield point unless you understand the properties of the material in question, look at the deformation and understand the characteristics of that material and how it's likely to react under loads due to that deformation. Generally there are charts and stuff specific to the tube (and the corresponding length and type of deformation or defect) where experiments have been done to test these results. These charts, often, describe static, dynamic and oscillating loads.

So .... Logically ..... If you have a soft radius bend on a length tubular steel, when you apply force (through over articulation and back to memory) to straighten it back to the original position to achieve a straight plane once again, it has lost some of it's original strength BUT it's not going to be significant enough in most cases to de-rate the static strength of that tube.

The more bent it is, the more you have to over articulate it to get back to straight, the more elongation occurs resulting in a greater loss in structural capacity.

In this case the trailer jack inner, used in a static load application, is likely mild steel, galvanized, probably 1.5"-2.5" standard wall, is designed to carry far more weight that the intended purpose.

Frankly, if it isn't doubled over, or badly kinked (kinked is bad) the tube can be straightened out and used safely without too much risk. Yeah, it won't be as strong as it was before, but keep in mind, some of the post shores we use (and straighten) here at work, which are not much bigger or thicker can carry static loads over and above 5,000-6,000lbs. Your trailer tongue weight, might be 200-300lbs.

We (here at work) straighten shores that are subsequently used on high rises, to form and shore parkades when pouring concrete right on top of them, shores to bolster dams and retaining walls, shores to hold up bridges, etc... so I'm thinking there is very very little risk in this particular application - but you are right, it will be weaker.

I bet that little trailer jack tube will hold 3000lbs-4000lbs after it's been straightened back up and you might load maybe 5%-10% of the jack when it's stationary.

Also the shorter the length the more weight it will carry (based on the same principal).

Damages to shores and posts often occur when the shore is based on a roller (or wheel in this case) and the load it's attached to is in motion and the wheel or roller gets caught in a rut and the momentum of the object (the boat or trailer in this case) bends the tube laterally.

After straightening it will be more prone to bending, but to reach the point of failure takes a tremendous amount of force. Far greater than one would expect.

If it's not bent too badly or kinked to deeply, I'd straighten it out and save a few bucks.

[powerbob]

http://www.wholesaleliquidators.ca/current-flyer.html

150 bucks for 3650 lb . Really easy to install

[BigRackLover]

EZM straighten it out in a few minutes, works great. Good to know I can always replace it for a few hundred.

[Sooner]

Good on you EZM :)