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Old 09-13-2014, 08:45 AM   #1
Canada Goose
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Trailer to High At Front 10" above rails

I have researched ways to level my fifth. It's limited. I have a pull rite slider with no vertical height adjustment except to purchase lower profile base feet. I gain 1"which I will do.

Next option is to raise my pin box. Again I can only raise it one bolt hole. A gain of another inch.

Is this a difficult task? Looks like eight bolts to loosen and tighten. It looks like the average pin box weights about 100 lbs. Also hard to find manufacturer info for torque values for tightening.

Attempting this myself to save some $$$

Looking for suggestions.

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Old 09-13-2014, 09:04 AM   #2
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Depending upon the bolt size of your pin box and assuming it is a Lippert box, the torque settings are:

1/2" bolt ------ 75-90 ft lbs
5/8" bolt ------ 150 ft lbs
3/4" bolt ----- 250-260 ft lbs

With adequate supports and one or two adults to help you, the pin box can be relocated without too much difficulty.
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Old 09-13-2014, 09:07 AM   #3
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Moving the pin box is a two man job. You may be able to put a jack in the bed of the truck and block it up. As for torque specs, you can find charts on line that will tell you specs on different size and grade bolts. They should be grade eight, you can tell by markings on the head
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:52 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
Depending upon the bolt size of your pin box and assuming it is a Lippert box, the torque settings are:

1/2" bolt ------ 75-90 ft lbs
5/8" bolt ------ 150 ft lbs
3/4" bolt ----- 250-260 ft lbs

With adequate supports and one or two adults to help you, the pin box can be relocated without too much difficulty.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmith0404 View Post
Moving the pin box is a two man job. You may be able to put a jack in the bed of the truck and block it up. As for torque specs, you can find charts on line that will tell you specs on different size and grade bolts. They should be grade eight, you can tell by markings on the head
Moving the pin box is NOT a two man job!!

I raised mine by myself safely and easily, just leave the front pair or rear pair of bolts in place and swing the the other end up or down to the next holes. I did have the nose of the pin box over the truck bed and supported with blocks as being moved.

The HARD PART is getting the bolts loose!! Best done with a pneumatic impact wrench to loosen the nuts.
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:58 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by rhagfo View Post
Moving the pin box is NOT a two man job!!

.
Russ -

Sorry to disagree with you but at my age, removing and replacing the pin box IS a two man job!
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Old 09-14-2014, 03:07 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhagfo View Post
Moving the pin box is NOT a two man job!!

I raised mine by myself safely and easily, just leave the front pair or rear pair of bolts in place and swing the the other end up or down to the next holes. I did have the nose of the pin box over the truck bed and supported with blocks as being moved.

The HARD PART is getting the bolts loose!! Best done with a pneumatic impact wrench to loosen the nuts.
There are MANY things that are a two man/person job that we do with one. I also gave the OP an alternative way to do it with one person similar to the way you did it, but for safety issues I'd say it's two. When I worked on aircraft we had many parts that were marked "two person carry". Does that mean we did it that way? No, but for personnel safety we probably should have. I'll admit, if I had to move my pin box, I'd probably do it alone....doesn't mean it's the right or safest way to do it.
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Old 09-14-2014, 03:40 AM   #7
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Loosen the bolts....Connect the pin to the truck.....Remove bolts....Lower trailer....Put bolts back in
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Old 09-14-2014, 04:20 AM   #8
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Old 09-14-2014, 04:31 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poncho62 View Post
Loosen the bolts....Connect the pin to the truck.....Remove bolts....Lower trailer....Put bolts back in
This works in some cases. I'll admit that is probably one disadvantage to the 6 point hydraulic leveling system, fine adjustments to line up bolt holes are much more difficult than they would be with a slower electric jack system. It can at least get you close and support the pin box.
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Old 09-14-2014, 07:11 AM   #10
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Sometimes we forget that we are talking on this forum to a broad base of members of different experience levels, different physical capabilities and different mechanical abilities. We have members who are physically capable of lifting 200 or more pounds and we have members who can't lift 50 pounds. So, while it might be a "one man job" for some, adjusting the pinbox may well be a two or three person job for another member. To illustrate, consider this:

I put the forks on my front end loader (on the tractor) and put it under the pin box to support it. If I didn't have that "mechanical help" I wouldn't even loosen the bolts without a "second helper" to keep me from getting in over my head.

If you've never done it (the focus of why this thread is discussing this task), loosening the bolts and pulling them is "NOT" the time to find out that "You can't really do it by yourself"....... While those "familiar with the task" can devise ways to work around the needed "second helper", the "first time pinbox adjuster" really shouldn't try it by himself until he knows what to expect.

Sort of like giving someone who hasn't yet flown an airplane the keys to a new model and telling them to "go try it out"..... The outcome may be "OK" but there's a good possibility that somebody might get in "over their head" once they pull back on the stick and suddenly realize.............. OH **** .....

What happens when a new "pinbox adjuster" pulls that last bolt and realizes, OH **** .... That's really not the time to find out that "I should have had a helper".....

Just sayin'
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Old 09-14-2014, 04:56 PM   #11
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This is why I love this forum. The "broad base"JRTJH speaks about includes most of us who are newbies on any given subject at some point in time. Rare is the person knows it all and has done it all and can give usable advice to every one at once.
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Old 09-14-2014, 05:19 PM   #12
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Even us techs use two people. SAFER.
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Old 09-14-2014, 06:28 PM   #13
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Use two heel bars (pointed pry bars) to hold two holes in position after bolts are removed and opposite two are loosened. There is enough room to change positions two holes at a time with heel bars in place.
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Old 09-14-2014, 06:37 PM   #14
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I guess I need to buy a couple more tools.
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Old 09-15-2014, 07:36 AM   #15
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I went to auto zone they have various jacks you can rent. I used a transmission jack. I made some cribbing around the pin box so it set nice and securely with some ratchet straps for good measure. I broke the bolts loose with an impact wrench dropped the jack an inch put in the bolts again I was done. There was a lot of prep work but its better then throwing out my back. You can rent all the tools you need from auto zone.
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Old 09-15-2014, 11:25 AM   #16
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Why as the question if you know the answer.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Povo View Post
This is why I love this forum. The "broad base"JRTJH speaks about includes most of us who are newbies on any given subject at some point in time. Rare is the person knows it all and has done it all and can give usable advice to every one at once.
If I can rephrase your statement - It is often better to ask what might be considered a dumb question, then to have an "OH S**t!" moment.

Or, maybe this: I'll be the first to apologize for what seems to be a stupid question, but I'd rather have someone ridicule me for asking the dumb question than to look stupid and ridiculous for not asking or knowing.

Does this apply to asking directions? I think there is a disclaimer for that
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Old 09-15-2014, 05:48 PM   #17
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