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Old 09-13-2020, 06:24 AM   #1
ADQ K9
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Anchorage
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Electric tongue jack stuck in up position

Picked up the Tumbleweed from storage and brought to house to winterize, jack worked fine. Got to house was going to disconnect but it wont go down feels like a binding issue.
Hand crank does not work either Electric motor turns freely ( I took the head apart) It all seems to be in the actual jack screw mechanisim. This is the OEM jack.
There was water in the gear box but the amount of grease in there has kept it dispersed. I am thinking about drilling a drain hole on the bottom and adding a zerk fitting.
I removed the jack screw from the head and outer tube so now I have to find a way to unbind it.
Anyone else have issues like this?
Should I throw in the towel and just buy a new or better jack?
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2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
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Old 09-13-2020, 08:27 AM   #2
RMC
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Join Date: Nov 2018
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Rubber mallet

I had the same problem a few months ago. The motor would turn but the jack would not descend. I used a rubber mallet to gently bang down on the base of the jack at the same time as I was pressing on the button. After a few whacks the gears engaged and the stand descended.

There is a piece of tape around the post of my jack a few inches from the bottom. Apparently you are supposed to stop raising the jack once you hit the tape. This was never explained to me by the dealer, I found out from a fellow camper as I was struggling to get the jack to descend.
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Old 09-13-2020, 08:43 AM   #3
JRTJH
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This is a good thread to remind everyone, both travel trailer owners and fifth wheel owners that the tongue jacks gear drives and the landing gear motor drives have an "upper limit" that should not be passed as well as a "lower limit" that also should not be passed. On some tongue jacks, there is a "limiter switch that disengages the gears from the motor to prevent damage. On others, there is no limiter and the motor drives the gears until either the gears bind or the motor burns out. On fifth wheels, there's the same "upper/lower limits" that should not be passed. On most landing gear systems, the gear packs on each leg will "survive" being driven beyond the limit, but there is a shear pin on the crossrod that will shear to "save the gears"... Occasionally, a gear will "chip a tooth" before the shear pin breaks, causing damage to the gear pack. They are "rebuildable" but how many of us carry a "spare gear set" when we're on the road???

So, most people have (or should) mark their tongue jack ram or their landing gear "drive leg" with tape or paint to define the "top retraction" and the "bottom extension" limits and then "don't hold the switch beyond that marker"......

This may not be the reason for the OP's binding, but it happens several times a year at campgrounds "near you"....

NOTE: Doesn't apply to hydraulic systems....
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Old 09-13-2020, 11:24 AM   #4
ADQ K9
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Well I reinstalled the jack screw mechanisim back onto the head and put the foot back on the bottom gave it quite a few whacks with no change. As I was pounding I was pulling on the manual handle still didn't break free
There is a pin going through the top of the jack screw mechanisin as well as one in the bottom that is not acccesable inside the tube. There must be pressure on the top pin because it does not slide out. Used a punch and ball pen hammer still not moving Thinking about putting some heat to it
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2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
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Old 09-13-2020, 03:50 PM   #5
ADQ K9
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Pulled Jack screw mechanisim out again, ( inner tube and jack screw) cleaned it, noticed a set screw for jack screw pulled jack screw out of tube the piece that the set screw goes into is flat on two sides put it in a vise and torque on the nut for the manual lift/down broke it free regreased everything reassembled and it is working better than new
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2016 Ford F350 CC 6.7 4x4 SRW (Ghost Rider)
2017 Cougar 29 RKSWE (The Tumble Weed)
Connected by a Curt 15K WDH W/Sway Control
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