8X8 Block for Tire Changing - Montana Owners Club

virgil47 · 02-21-2006, 03:56 AM

I searched MOC and found that the concensus seems to be using an 8X8 block to change a tire. How long should the whole piece be and at what angle should I cut?

cs413 · 02-21-2006, 05:32 AM

I just had to take a leaking left rear tire off and take it to a tire dealer. Turns out it is a defective rim. Ended up taking it back to the Montana dealer and they are taking care of it under warranty. Strange how it just started leaking from the back side of the rim. Anyway, I made a step-up block 4 - 2x6's high. Cut the first one 24", the second at 20", the third at 16", and the fourth at 12". Had to go all the way to the fourth board to get the rear high enough off the ground to remove it. Cut the ends at 45 degrees and screwed them together. Worked pretty well for me. I was going to spend the $50.00 at CW and buy the Trailer-Aid, but I really don't think it would lift it high enough to remove the wheel. I had the lumber laying around anyway and saved 50 bucks. I know what you're saying about the concensus - seems lifting by the axle or the frame has its problems, so I opted to do the step-up block. Hope this helped.

Curt

sreigle · 02-21-2006, 09:58 AM

Curt, I've run ours up on boards twice. The second time, the tire up on the blocks was really squatting. I mean like enough to scare me and make me wonder if doing it that way was a mistake. I don't recall that on the first time using the boards but don't recall that I looked, either, although surely I would have noticed a serious squat of the tire. Did you notice that about your tire? The tire looked nearly flat even though it was at max inflation. Looked like it was way overloaded, which it probably was.

virgil47 · 02-21-2006, 10:02 AM

Curt,

Thanks, and yes sir, I got what I needed. Two feet long and cut at a 45 degree angle. In my case, I already have the 8X8's and the cuts will be pretty easy. Gonna use my trusty Husky chain saw.

Thanks again for your success notes.

cs413 · 02-21-2006, 01:22 PM

Steve - Yes sir I sure did notice the squat in the tire. But I had the spare right there and put it on before I started my repair run. It was a little extra work but I didn't feel I should keep that much weight on the tire any longer than I had to. As it turns out it was the rim and it has to be ordered, so I didn't have to come back home and do it all over again. Saturday the dealer said it wouldn't take long at all and they probably had one in stock. I said good because I was taking a short trip March 2. Well, they called today and said the warranty was no problem, BUT it could take up to two weeks to get the tire and rim and I may not have it before I go, but they will try to get it sooner. (Riiiight!)
There is a lot of weight on that tire. I don't know what the best or safest way is, but I was on I65 about 5 years ago in my old travel trailer at 2am trying to jack up the axle high enough to change a blow out, on the driver's side no doubt, with trucks whizzing by about 80. I just barely got it high enough to remove the tire and put the spare on. The boards would have made it a lot easier. That whole experience took me about 3 hours. I didn't care a bit for that! I thought the boards would be safer and quicker, especially since it's just sitting at the house. As far as the highway thing goes - that's why I joined Good Sam and their Emergency Road Service. I won't be doing that again.
I guess that was a pretty long answer for just a yes or no answer. I guess the best thing is just hope we don't have to change many tires. No matter how you do it, it's still a pain in the rear.
So if you happen to be around Panama City / Destin Fl. area and you see a Monty with 3 aluminum wheels and a white steel wheel, it's just me.
I'm still going camping!! We enjoy our time too much in the Monty to cancel the trip. I guess it could be worse - they could have given us a "Donut" for a spare.
Curt

cs413 · 02-21-2006, 01:35 PM

Virgil - I sure hope you mean 2x8's and not 8x8's. 8x8 is a pretty big post. I don't think you can stack those. Anyway, I also made a leveling block out of 2x10's that comes in pretty handy. First board is 5', second is 4', third is 3', and the 4th is 2'. I've used it a lot over the years. Most State Parks aren't real level, so it comes in pretty handy. But i usually only have to go up to the second board on any of the sites. The only down side is the weight. It's pretty heavy. As I get older, I guess I'll have to come up with some lighter material.
Curt

Montana Sky · 02-21-2006, 02:18 PM

Well after reading this thread I am sure glad I spent the money for the roadside service plan. Especially with having two bad shoulders I am not sure I could change the tire myself even if I did drive onto boards to help lift the trailer.

cs413 · 02-21-2006, 02:43 PM

I'll tell you what - after finally getting the tire off it was all I could do to lift it up into the back of my son's truck to take it and get it looked at. I let him handle it after that. The wheel didn't look that heavy, but it is. Guess I'm not getting any younger!

virgil47 · 02-21-2006, 02:44 PM

It really is an 8X8 but you don't stack them. There is only one piece and the tire rises only 8 inches off the ground when you reach the top of the ramp.

cs413 · 02-22-2006, 02:03 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by virgil47

It really is an 8X8 but you don't stack them. There is only one piece and the tire rises only 8 inches off the ground when you reach the top of the ramp.

I see what you're doing now. Seems like a good idea. You just shape it with the chainsaw.
Curt

Northstar · 02-22-2006, 03:02 PM

After reading this I believe that using Sam's emergency road service is the way to go.

rickfox · 02-22-2006, 04:08 PM

Good Evening All,

About a month ago, there was a pretty good and lengthy thread on the dos and don'ts of lifting the trailer to remove/replace a tire. In that thread, the general conclusion was that it was best to lift the trailer via. the frame using a bottle jack.

Using the one good tire on a side to raise the trailer by pushing or pulling it up onto a ramp causes that tire to support the weight normally supported by two tires. Most of the fully loaded Montanas are in excess of 11,000# axle weight - thats 5,500# per side. And since most of the tires being used have a load rating of approximately 3,000#, the one good tire would be loaded to almost twice its rating. Using this approach could significantly damage that one good tire - even though it might not immediatley be apparent.

Just something to think about, and the bottle jack does weigh a lot less, but you do have to jack the darn thing up.

cs413 · 02-23-2006, 03:32 AM

Well, I just got off the phone with Keystone Customer Service on this subject. I asked them what their procedure was in taking off a tire.
Rickfox is right. They use floor jacks to jack up the FRAME to remove the tire. Soooooo, I guess I'll get the old 3 1/2 ton floor jack out to put the tire back on, when I get it back. That puts the jack at the max capacity so I will defenitely use the jack stands. However on the road I will certainly call Good Sam for an emergency. I guess I'll invest in a bottle jack also.

Curt

virgil47 · 02-23-2006, 08:47 AM

Now wasn't that smart, going to the source like that! Wonder why he rest of us didn't think to do it??? OK, it's back to the bottle jack and ON THE FRAME. Thanks for sharing what you learned Curt.

cs413 · 02-23-2006, 10:07 AM

Actually I was just sitting here at work daydreaming about being in the Monty at a campsite somewhere, anywhere, (Don't tell my boss) and thought I would just call and see if I could get a straight answer.
Everyone in the past has had a very good point about the problems with lifting that much weight up off the ground. I guess Keystone figures the frame is the spot that will do the least damage between it , the axle, or the tire. Whatever you do, just do it safely.
Curt

Trailer Trash 2 · 02-23-2006, 04:02 PM

Why would a preson go through all that extra work with a piece of wood? I get under the trailer put the bottle jack under the axel at the spring pad and lift the bad tire. that way I'm not putting any extra added weight on that single axel lifting it up on that block.

cs413 · 02-24-2006, 06:18 AM

Like I said - everyone has good points about where to lift to change a tire. I simply relayed Keystone's procedure. I would assume they best know their product. As far as extra work goes, most of the time when a tire goes flat you're already hitched up to the tv. I still wouldn't change any tire without being hooked up to the tv.

sreigle · 02-24-2006, 08:40 AM

Don, I've used a bottle jack as you suggested and didn't experience any negatives using that method. That's the method I'll use in the future.

Earlier I mentioned the tire nearly flat when raising it on blocks so I could change the other tire on that side. Rickfox mentioned the weight on that tire and I agree. I don't think it's really double since I raised that side several inches, shifting considerable weight to the other side. Nevertheless that tire was nearly flat. If I recall, Roman4, Adelmoll, and Jrgwdenner were all standing there and saw this too. 2000 miles later we bles out that tire. It just popped. It blew out on the tread just a smidgen inside the sidewall. I have to wonder if the weight from running it up on boards damaged the tire and cause the subsequent blowout. The tire was fully supported on those boards, as I recall. It was not hanging over boards too narrow for the tire.

I don't know for sure this caused the blowout but it scared me enough I'll not use that method again.

virgil47 · 02-28-2006, 12:29 PM

Bought my bottle jack today. By the time I took everything, including price, into consideration, I ended up with a 6 ton jack. Thanks to everyone who contributed their experience to this string.

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