How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

[pjrogers]

Hi folks. We have several boat trailers, all of which have foolproof Fulton marine jacks on them. But we also have a dang horse trailer with an Atwood fixed foot top wind jack that I cannot figure out how to grease. And its getting pretty stiff too, so it needs some servicing. The jack is basically a cylinder with a shaft with a winding handle attached to it that exits the top. The cylinder is bolted to the trailer's A-frame tongue by a triangular plate through which the cylinder runs. The foot extrudes from the bottom of the shaft. There is not a grease nipple in sight on the thing, and no obvious method for getting lubricant inside its mechanism.

Can anyone here suggest how to grease this thing? Do I need to support the tongue way up high and wind the foot all the way out so that it drops off the jack's threads? Should I undo the three bolts than hold the triangular plate to the frame and try to wrangle the whole unit off the trailer?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Wife and daughter can go mess with their horses and I can concentrate on more enjoyable marine pursuits.

 

[burroak]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

Hi folks. We have several boat trailers, all of which have foolproof Fulton marine jacks on them. But we also have a dang horse trailer with an Atwood fixed foot top wind jack that I cannot figure out how to grease. And its getting pretty stiff too, so it needs some servicing. The jack is basically a cylinder with a shaft with a winding handle attached to it that exits the top. The cylinder is bolted to the trailer's A-frame tongue by a triangular plate through which the cylinder runs. The foot extrudes from the bottom of the shaft. There is not a grease nipple in sight on the thing, and no obvious method for getting lubricant inside its mechanism.

Can anyone here suggest how to grease this thing? Do I need to support the tongue way up high and wind the foot all the way out so that it drops off the jack's threads? Should I undo the three bolts than hold the triangular plate to the frame and try to wrangle the whole unit off the trailer?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Wife and daughter can go mess with their horses and I can concentrate on more enjoyable marine pursuits.

If I remember my wrangling days, those jacks have a cage of ball bearings laying horizontally around the cranking shaft just under the top of the post that is supported by that triangular attachment with the three bolts. If you use a hydraulic jack to tip the tongue up and crank the unit all the way down, and remove the handle from the shaft, that thing will fall out. The bearing may have to be replaced and while you are at it tap in a zerk grease fitting on the top. Do not let it protrude as to interfere with the new bearing (if needed). After seating the zerk fitting home,mark the amount of the threads to come flush with the cap, grind off any part that extends past the top. Grease up everything inside, replace the zerk fitting, and give it a shot of grease frequently. I've done this a lot of times, so my directions are very clear to me. If I can make it clearer, let me know.

 

[pjrogers]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

Excellent. I'll give your method a try, and thanks for your help.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

Ayuh,........

I've installed Grease Zerts into Every jack, on every Trailer I've got........

 

[tommays]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

On my Fulton if you pop the black cap on TOP and use some white spray grease down the tube it moves better than NEW


Tommays

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

I've installed Grease Zerts into Every jack, on every Trailer I've got........

I like that idea. When you drill the hole are you not worried about the few metal filings that will get inside or is it not enough to worry about?

 

[burroak]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

I like that idea. When you drill the hole are you not worried about the few metal filings that will get inside or is it not enough to worry about?

Grease on the drill bit. Same for the tap, if you think the filings will be a problem. Those jacks don't have very close tolerances; I passed a roofing nail when I was a kid. I think a jack can live with whatever drillings might get into the tube.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: How to Grease a Tongue Jack?

I would use spray white grease also, but what works better for me is chain lube. It's made for motorcycle chains or farm machinery chains.

Has ingredients to get on the metal and stay there. Also it has a fluid vehicle that lets it move all over the place before it evaporates leaving the lube.

I just spray it down the opening between the shaft and housing, block up the tongue and crank the jack up and down a couple of times while spraying.

Then when finished, I get a family sized can of green beans, cook up the beans with a little bacon and onion, place 'em next to a med-rare ribeye steak hot off the grille, with a hot baked potato all "buttered" (real butter) up, and take the can and put it over the top of the jack.....to keep the water out.

Let's eat. Grin

Mark