Need help bending trailer jacket bracket

[grsthegreat]

the only problem with the front hole, alot of times thats too close for the tailgate......no one wants a smashed tailgate

 

[RayIN]

How do you attach this to the trailer. Do you have to weld a small piece of pipe to the side of the frame and then this jack slips over it? Hard to tell from the pictures.

Lighter versions are a bolt-on arrangement, like single-axle trailers only.

 

[BlueKnife]

Well if I was gonna abandon that jack, I would just get an a frame jack and bolt it in the other hole.

3000 lbs. 16" Side Wind Trailer Jack Round Tube 796875 [300369]

surpluscenter.com

The jack that I linked to folds up, thereby minimizing the risk of bending it. Since the OP has welding capabilities, and needs a new jack anyway, why not upgrade?

 

[etpm]

It looks like from your pictures the the angle the jack is welded to is no thicker that 3/16 of an inch. I have several stout C clamps that could pull the angle back to the trailer frame, where it could then be welded. This would probably not leave the jack perfectly straight but it would be close. Tugging on the jack to straighten the angle won't work. So either remove the jack from the angle and use a new piece of angle or draw the angle up to the trailer frame with stout clamps and weld it in place. Before you go through all that trouble though please make sure the jack operates properly over the full travel. Just my 2 cents.
Eric

 

[D&D]

the only problem with the front hole, alot of times thats too close for the tailgate......no one wants a smashed tailgate

You could get a shorter jack and add a drop leg

5,000 lb. A-Frame Top Wind Jack with 15

Part #: OTP-TJA5000TBDL Description: 1 (One) 5K Top wind A-Frame style jack with 15" lift with 8" drop leg. This jack is made for mounting on A-Frame couplers. Comes with a mounting bracket for bolt-on or weld-on applications. Specs: Capacity: 5,000 lbs. Lift: 15" Bracket Height: 10-1/2"...

www.ordertrailerparts.com

 

[flyerdan]

I would not use the jack as an anchor point to lever thing back into position, instead I'd put a couple of big pipe wrenches on either side of it and use cheater pipes with come-a-longs to pull things vertical (actually just a tad beyond) then reweld. Or, as mentioned above, if the jack is close enough to be hit with the tailgate, it might be advisable to cut that mount out and get a longer piece so I can be set back enough to not interfere. That would be my option for a long term keeper.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Once something has been bent like that, it's like putting toothpaste back in the tube. You might try all sorts of things, but never achieve a satisfactory result...and may just wreck the jack, as others have observed. Cut the piece out and rebuild it. It'll be quicker overall and you'll end up with a better product in the end. (You need not ask me how I know )

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Once something has been bent like that, it's like putting toothpaste back in the tube. You might try all sorts of things, but never achieve a satisfactory result...

Guess you've never witnessed what happens in body shops, let alone seen people create new flawless body panels from sheets of steel, or even aluminum.

Steel like that jack mount is very easy to work with, and it'd almost be hard to end up spending more than 30 minutes fixing the problem. Part of that time being spent on letting the welds cool so paint can be applied.

 

[eco88]

Lots of heat and a sledge hammer

 

[Elviscaretaker]

I bent my trailer jack by driving over a stump and the bottom of the jack hit the stump and bent the jack bracket backwards. I have been able to grind out the welds on the ends of the bracket and clean them up but I don’t know how to bend the thick steel bracket back to its original position. You can see where the front edge of the bracket has separated about 1/2” from the bottom of the side rail. I have beat on it with a sledge hammer, tried to bend it with a lever, etc but I can move it. Anyone have any ideas how to bend this thick steel bracket back? ThanksView attachment 5336824View attachment 5336825View attachment 5336826

OK, stupid idea here but why not hook the trailer to your truck, take a floor jack and bend it back into place then weld? Won't be perfect but it'll do the job I'd think.

 

[bmanmg]

It appears the entire angle iron is bent at the 90°. If you want it back original, I suspect you need to remove the jack, cut out the damaged angle iron and replace with a new section. Trying to bend it back to the original position is not possible while in that position due to "rebound" after contacting the frame.
FWIW, I used a 24' flatbed trailer for about 12 years with a bent jack mount and never encountered a problem.(lesson learned, raise jack completely) Looks is the only issue IMO.
Just be happy the jack tube isn't bent, or you'd be unable to use the trailer until replaced.

 

[bmanmg]

OK, stupid idea here but why not hook the trailer to your truck, take a floor jack and bend it back into place then weld? Won't be perfect but it'll do the job I'd think.

Back up over the same tree stump.

 

[Jaygyver]

Finally went to a side winder on my boat trailer after the handle dented the tail gate. Simple install, you can have either a weld on plate or get the one with the large U-bolts that clamp to the frame.
The one on my flat bed is up front, bolted in, the neighbor took care of that one, years later that one fell apart and I got another one... then I remembered I was going to change it to the side one after I hooked it up to the truck and couldn't lower the tailgate all the way down again.

Depends on what you haul as you need the jack as vertically level as you can when parked loaded. If it's the "Leaning tower of Pisa" then you have a chance of the jack bending again when you have weight on it or when you park it on a down hill, etc. Just something to think about.

 

[Fetch_21]

Careful with the sledge hammer & it denting the tube where it won't work.

A few options, depending on what you have available (hi-lift jack, come along, or ratchet binder). A section of chain and the ratchet binder back to the frame / axle can put a huge amount of pulling power on it. You'll need to bend a little past "straight" to allow it to relax back after loosening. You can connect one to the top side and one to the bottom side to help. I would only connect to the outer tube of the jack to avoid bending the jack itself. Doing this is much more controllable than trying to drive & bend it. If you have a concrete lip you could drive close to, a bottle jack could do the same thing - but, I've had really good luck using the threaded ratchet binders for tensioning. Very powerful, very controllable & safe.

 

[Gord Baker]

I bent my trailer jack by driving over a stump and the bottom of the jack hit the stump and bent the jack bracket backwards. I have been able to grind out the welds on the ends of the bracket and clean them up but I don’t know how to bend the thick steel bracket back to its original position. You can see where the front edge of the bracket has separated about 1/2” from the bottom of the side rail. I have beat on it with a sledge hammer, tried to bend it with a lever, etc but I can move it. Anyone have any ideas how to bend this thick steel bracket back? ThanksView attachment 5336824View attachment 5336825View attachment 5336826

Attach to truck. Jack up the angle iron until it touches, clamp and arc weld. Ditto other side. A long pipe wrench with cheater will also move it.