Trailer Aid Tire Changing Ramp

[Charli]

I have heard that some people use this device to change a tire on their trailer. Seems easier than jacking the trailer up with a bottle jack and getting Jack stands setup. Just drive the trailer up on this device with the good wheel and lift the flat tire.
Is this a viable alternative.

[jimcol]

A jack supports the weight on the axle with the flat. The ramp puts all the weight of that side of the trailer on one axle. I wouldn't do it for fear of bending the axle or spindle. Jim

[bncinwv]

If you trust three tires holding the weight of the rig versus four and their ability to do it without damage, then it would be a good alternative. My recommendation is to stick with the old fashioned way that does not overload a tire.
Bingo

[rapidrobert]

I did it to adjust my brakes. Wore out all four tires in next 750 miles and had to replace both axles. Don't do it...

[GreatWhite]

Never had a problem doing this.. I've only done it about 3-4 times since I bought mine many years ago. I have two type.. The Trailer-Aide and the big aluminum one that looks like a big teardrop. I've used the teardrop one to help level on ground where I needed more than the two yellow wedges that are handy. But, back to the original question. Never a problem. I'll continue to use it. This is my first Montana.. I have no idea if the axels are as good/not as good as prior 5'ers. YMMV.

[BB_TX]

For round numbers, if you had 3,000 lbs on each wheel and pulled up on the ramp, then that one wheel would be supporting 6,000 lbs. I would not do it.

[DQDick]

I gave it some thought and also decided it's not for rigs as heavy as ours.

[pvcoach]

OK, so now I have a flat tire...guess where all the weight is? How is that any different? No, I don't want to go on down the road on just the one tire. If I run the good tire up onto a ramp, enough to elevate the flat tire, again, how is that any different? Just thinking out loud here...

[jimcol]

Well the weight is now on the rim but it is still on the axle. Jim

[mtheo]

I have use a couple of blocks under the good tire but not enough to lift the bad tire off the ground. Helps take some of the weight off the flat axle.

[dieselguy]

I'm going to side with DQDick and jimcol even if some swear by the tire ramps. I don't think the ramps were initially intended for #13,000 rigs and if you have a flat, unless you can defy laws of physics ... there is still considerable weight on the axle with the flat. I'll even lay out a further line of thought for those who fear jacking the axle underneath the springs as opposed to perhaps going with the ramps. When you run one tire up on the ramp and let the other hang in free air, you're adding almost double (the rest of the suspension takes on some of the weight)what the spindle usually supports. The spindle sticks out farther than the point that you would place the jack thus creating a greater "leveraged arm" if you will for the weight of the trailer to take the positive camber out of your axle. GreatWhite as well as a couple of others in the past say they've done it ... I'll do it on my utility trailer, but not my 33' fiver. Getting out my jack just isn't that big a deal.

[Overlord]

quote:Originally posted by pvcoach

OK, so now I have a flat tire...guess where all the weight is? How is that any different? No, I don't want to go on down the road on just the one tire. If I run the good tire up onto a ramp, enough to elevate the flat tire, again, how is that any different? Just thinking out loud here...

The MOR/ryde suspension shifts at the leaf spring shackles closest to the big rubber equalizer block, which can shift the load to around 4" difference between the height of the tires.

When you lift one axle/wheel completely off of the ground with one of these Trailer Aid, or similar contraptions, you are bottoming out, and taking the equalizer block beyond its limits of being able to equalize the load and putting all of the weight onto one axle, wheel, and tire. This action puts a weight overload on the suspension components beyond the rating/limits of both the tire, and the axle.

These tire ramp things are great for lighter weight rigs that have a much larger safety margin of load capacity of the suspension system. Not so great for a 16,000 lb.GVR rig where the suspension is already right at the upper limits of all of the ratings when everything is at ideal conditions (as in, not over weight, a properly balanced load, correct tire inflation, etc.)

Figure it like this:
16,000 lb. GVR
2,500 pin weight
two 7k axles

That leaves 13,500 to distribute between 4 wheels, or 3,375 lbs. per tire, ...if the load is evenly distributed(which it most likely will not be perfectly so).

The ST235/80R16 load range E, GY Marathons are max rated at 3,420 lbs.
The Dexter 7k axles, 3,500 lbs. per spindle end.

If you put all of the load on one tire/axle, it is around a 1-3/4 ton over load. That is almost double the rating of both the tire AND the axle. It puts it way over any engineered/design safety margin. Even if you have upgraded to G rated tires, you are still exceeding its 3750 lb. rating, not to mention still overloading the axle anyway.

If you want to use a tire ramp to change a flat after reading this, go ahead and be my guest. Just know that the likelihood of bending an axle/spindle out of spec, or inflicting irreparable tire damage to the other "good tire" is right there, staring you in the face.

[rohrmann]

We have the Level-up system, so have no need for the various jacking methods for changing a flat. Having said that, what kind of stresses are placed on the suspension and axles when rolling down the road over these lovely roads with all kinds of holes and bumps? I'll wager way more than the gentle stress of carefully lifting a wheel off the ground to change a flat. Besides that, if the tire goes flat while rolling down the road, do we change all the tires because now only three are supporting the load that four are supposed to support? Just throwing this out there, not saying there is only one way to change a flat.

[grayghost03]

And every time one of these trailers runs over a curb, or clip a center divider, same load with an additional side stress loading is applied to single axle. Of course none of us expert drivers on this forum will do or have done that. If you are comfortable with lifting with the ramp, go for it. Enjoy your trailer, people have a tendency to read these forums and start worry about everything. This forum is super informative, but every post seems to end in a, it will damage it, it will break it, it will void the warranty, or my way is better then yours.

[Irlpguy]

Certainly different strokes for different folks on this topic. I will bet that the stress put upon a single axle, spindle and tire when dropping into some of the potholes we encounter is far more likely to damage any of the three components than sitting for 15 min on one tire and axle while you change a tire.

I do not have to worry about it because I have level up, oh right not supposed to do that either, well then I will get out my bottle jack and carefully place it under the spring plate, that works and no one would argue that.

A good argument put forward that this and other forums cause excess worry over what and how we do things. There are no forums in the construction industry and as the owner of a construction equipment rental business for over 30 years, we put our delivery trailers through conditions no one would ever put their Montana through, I never bent an axle or spindle as a result of this abuse. Now the difference here is we are talking about a tandem delivery trailer, nothing fancy and likely in need of a paint job, we are not talking about our pretty house on wheels.
Same axles, same spindles and in some cases the same tires, but we would not think twice about allowing one wheel to support the weight of a fully loaded trailer on one side while changing a tire.

Folks the next time you get all stressed about this sort of thing, think about that chicken poop jack you use to lift your TV with to change a tire, do you put bottle jacks under it during the process, of course you don't.
Using the devise mentioned by the OP is an alternative, perhaps not as good an option as a jack, but it is an option nonetheless.

Different strokes....

[dfb]

I have the ramp. It makes tire changing so mu quicker!.

[Happycamperscolorado]

i will stick with my bottle jack. had to have my axles aligned with the SOB before the Montana. it cost me $850 for 2 axles plus the headache of new tires and getting it to the garage for repair. i myself, would rather take the extra time
and have a little caution so i don't have to repeat the previous work and headache. everyone has their own way, you will have to find out what works best for you.

[snowbirds R us]

Let me open up a can of worms here. Here is an excerpt from a post made not too long ago.

That's why despite some on the MOC that vehemently denounce jacking under an axle ... I jack under the axle between the spring U bolts. I as well as others have made a V bracket out of angle iron to fit on top of my jack to more distribute the load. A few pumps to get the individual tire clear of the ground ... the rest is EZ Peezy as Ozz says. I have access to a load cell that fits on top of a jack. I have used it while jacking my 3150RL up to do bearings and brakes ... to get an individual tire off the ground about an inch (no real need to go higher) ... I'm lifting @2760#. Granted if I jack higher, the weight increases as the leaf springs gradually take on more load off the axle still on the ground. What I'm trying to get across here is you're not lifting near as much trailer as you have in your mind. The warnings about jacking under an axle are to keep unthinking individuals from placing a jack under the center of an axle and trying to lift goodness knows what up all at once.


If I understand this correctly, there should be no difference jacking at the outside part of the axle as opposed to using a ramp under the tire. The key to this is to not raise the tire too high, cause extra height will produce extra supporting weight. I have used load cells and can vouch for their accuracy. I “was” a believer in jacking up at the frame, but, after reading this, I discontinued that time wasting method. Guess I have to learn the hard way since I live in Missouri.