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As posted on my 5th wheel forum, thought I'd also share here for those who might have a similar issue.
"While picking up our 5th wheel for Christmas to house out of town family, lifting up the jacks, I had a loud thump Noise. Then the pass side jack wouldn't move up or down. I tried moving it manually without success.
I pulled the pass side jack totally out, knowing the internal threads sometimes go bad, thinking I'd need to replace the upright assembly.
Once apart, there wasn't any sign if stripped threads?
All was still greased up pretty well and no sign of metal flakes, etc.
A bit confused, I pulled on the crossover bar and it came right off of the motor assembly. I'd never climbed back up in there before but I knew that couldn't be right, as it has to connect to both sides, and needs to stay secure.
Climbing up over the generator, I found the bolt that holds the crossmember on to the motor, had unscrewed and popped out under pressure.
A simple replacement with a grade 8 bolt and nylon insert nut and I was good to go. Probably not a bad thing to pull the unit apart and re-grease anyways.
I didn't pull the driver's side unit apart and will re-grease at another time.
A simple fix to what appeared to be a costly project. Something I felt needed to be shared with others if that problem comes up while on the road."
It was a nylon insert locknut. I think it was the stress or a defective nut, worked its way loose.
Something you wouldn't expect, hence the pulling apart the leg first.
It's a Stromberg Carlson unit. I first expected that the shear pin broke on top of the "ring and pinion" assembly, for lack of a better description. Then the threads on the nut that drives the vertical shaft was next. When it was neither of them, who'd have thought of the simple crossover bolt.
You could see the worn crossover bracket due to the movement of the bolt, once loose. That told me that it must have been a tempered bolt.
Not a bad thing to crawl in there with a wrench.
Randy,
Thanks for sharing. I like your red strips and will duplicate.
I've also been thinking about adding a couple of zerk fittings just about the internal threaded nut on the post to help lubricate that failure point. I'll have to check and see if there's clearance from inside the inner post?
I will also regularly pull off the post covers and shoot some grease down on the gears.
Really odd how rusty your crossover tube was? Can't imagine it wasn't painted originally. Also, your pass side crossover bolt just pinned locked, not bolted.
I have a feeling that unit had been worked on before.
I did look into how I could make the system better and easier to maintain.. Without weakening the legs by drilling an access hole, I found none. You could grease the outside of the inner leg so it will slide easier against the outer, but the area those legs live in is exceptionally dirty with all the dirt and crud being kicked up by the tow vehicle. Grease on those legs will just be a dirt magnet unless you were to put some sort of cover over those legs while traveling. Popping the covers to put grease on the gears periodically would be okay though - although the biggest loading is not on those gears but on the lead screw inside the leg.
The bull and pinion gears need grease occasionally and is relatively easy. If at all possible, that Acme screw and nut that operated the leg tubes should have some lube as well. But the problem - how to get to it without a fulll disassembly. The two tubes probably only need a shot of dry lube or silicone spray. I just wish ours worked faster and had separate leg motors as the prior 5er had
The bull and pinion gears need grease occasionally and is relatively easy. If at all possible, that Acme screw and nut that operated the leg tubes should have some lube as well. But the problem - how to get to it without a fulll disassembly. The two tubes probably only need a shot of dry lube or silicone spray. I just wish ours worked faster and had separate leg motors as the prior 5er had
I hear you. Mine seem to take forever, up or down. I have to watch carefully just to see movement.
I guess as long as they work properly, I need to be patient, after all, I'm on vacation.
