89 Terrry Resort Landing Gear Issue
 

I was taking 5th wheel to have some welding done. After hooking up 5th wheel to truck, I raised the front landing gear legs. The passenger leg raised normally, while the driver's side leg didn't.


Terry Front Landing Gear Photo by r___r | Photobucket




Does anyone know if the leg can be repaired, or, will I have to replace the whole landing gear setup as a whole?

Thanks,

Since the slave leg works, you know you have a working motor and gear box. From your video, your inner legs has come disconnected from the worm gear that runs inside the leg. or the worm gear has come disconnected from the bevel gear at the top of the leg.

Fleetwood normally used RBW legs, which no longer exists. As I recall Lippert bought them out. Now cutting to the chase, I always found RBW legs harder to work on, but pull the motor gear box, then pull the leg. Pulling the leg is simple enough provided you have the space. Once it is pulled, you can turn it upside down and look up into the leg. If the worm gear is broken (probably not) or the large nut that holds the leg to the worm gear is gone.

You can probably find a schematic for that somewhere on the Internet. I don't have a link handy. I think once you have it out, you will see how it all works. If you have to disassemble the bevel gears pay attention to how they go as you can change the relative position and once it is all back together and it, you will find one leg goes up while the other one goes down. If you have Atwood legs instead of RBW, they are it easier to work on (my opinion), but works the same way.

I think I have a worm gear in my warehouse. If I get over there later today, I will shoot a picture. Also forgot to mention, you know you can lift your fiver off the truck using one leg, right? :)

Steve

Pictures of inside of landing gear leg:


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...cc0b2745e5.jpg


Bevel Gears at top of landing gear leg. Remove cover to see.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...95e0207373.jpg


Worm Gear with bevel gear on one end and large nut that fastens inside inner leg on other.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d62ec76462.jpg


Worm Gear laying on top of outer landing gear leg.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...69c99e2cd5.jpg


Worm gear laying next to outer leg.

These parts are similar in all landing gear legs although parts may very slightly.

Steve

I wasn't sure if one leg would handle the unsupported weight of the front-end, so, I thought to be on the safe side, I would use a floorjack on the driver's side.

Thank you for assuring me of the one leg lift.:)



With your informative directions, I think I will give it try.:-X22



The Welder has a little more work to do on Tuesday, so, I will get into this project shortly after that.

I will post up the progression.


Thank you for the detailed pictures, Steve.
Reps sent:-drink

I didn't know that you could get by with just one landing gear!

I think I would support the other side at any rate once you got it unhooked from the truck though.

Scott,

It is not something I recommend and I absolutely second your suggestion to support it once off the truck. Sometimes you just get in a bind where you do what you have to do and there is not always a jack around when you need one.

If you have a hydraulic you can use it for sure. I usually raise it and then back it as I do with the hydraulic. I carry a 12-ton hydraulic on my truck. The Lippert legs are somewhat infamous for dropping the inner leg out at inopportune times.

Several years ago we had one of our transporters brings a fiver back from auction in S.C. when it dropped the leg while underway on the Interstate. What fun! :(

Steve

I agree with you guys on lifting and supporting the non-functioning side, but, it is good to know that in an emergency, lifting one leg is possible.:-X22

My dog told me that years ago.

Steve,

I chuckled at your observation of my wording. Quoting just that part is funny.

I, from time to time, am good for leaving the door open for some good ones.

That wasn't the first time and it, most likely, won't be the last.

I've finally found a round 'tuit' and dismantled the landing gear today. This is what I found.

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...psp2la0oib.jpg

Just by looking at it, it seems to me that the nut that threads onto the worm gear bolt has stripped.

Is there a trick to remove the nut from where it's seated in the leg?

It looks to me like if you can't push the nut down to bring it out sideways you will have to cut one of the ears off and weld it back on in place after you replace the nut.

If it is "caged", the only way you can get it out it to cut it out as suggested.


Steve

Steve - your comment about Lippert LGs has me interested as our new 5er has them (do they ever run slo-o-o-ow vs the dual motor Atwoods on the Titanium)

When you say drop the inner leg - what do you mean? Does the latch come loose or break and drop the foot or are you referring entire inner leg, a failed acme screw or driven gear pin.

Thanks

PS - Apologies about the hijack

entire inner leg dropped.

Thanks for chiming in RV_Tech and clem1226. I did mess around with the inner landing gear leg some more yesterday, and I agree with you, it looks like that's the only way to remove it is to cut the bracket out, replace the nut, and weld the bracket back in. If I go the route, I have to figure out whether the cost to pay the welder is cheaper than replacing the whole inner leg.

Went by RV repair shop this morning. Showed the shop manager the landing gear inner leg. He mentioned that even if I changed the nut or the inner leg out, that the worm gear bolt could be damaged as well. His suggestion was to replace the lead landing gear leg. If I go that route I might as well just replace both landing gear legs.

I did look up into the leg at the worm gear threads and they looked okay as far as I could see. It was hard to see all the way from the middle of the bolt to the top, so I don't know if the threads are still good that far up.

I was looking at how to remove the worm gear assembly from the lead leg so I can inspect the worm gear bolt.

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...psw9ydvlkm.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...pstoki9wc5.jpg

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/a...psgld10ptm.jpg

I made an attempt to disassemble it. I figured I'd stop before I felt like I was going to break something with too much pressure.

Is the top gear pin pressed in?

Can I use a hammer with a little extra pressure on the top gear pin to knock it out of the gear?

Thanks,

Rich