Snapped Jockey wheel clamp handle

[fkeates]

It's out!! 🥳


The handle was quite loose in the 'nut' and generally turned ok, but a section round would go really stiff.



Initially I started to screw it in, thinking it would come out the other side, but it went really tight and wouldn't budge and I worried that it may be a hole/nut with a stop on it, preventing this, so did undoing instread.



I managed to drill a small indent into the bolt and use mini screwdrivers to spin the bolt around to undo it.

 

[Steve1962]

It's out!! 🥳

View attachment 9268
The handle was quite loose in the 'nut' and generally turned ok, but a section round would go really stiff.

View attachment 9265

Initially I started to screw it in, thinking it would come out the other side, but it went really tight and wouldn't budge and I worried that it may be a hole/nut with a stop on it, preventing this, so did undoing instread.

View attachment 9266

I managed to drill a small indent into the bolt and use mini screwdrivers to spin the bolt around to undo it.
View attachment 9267

Nice work…. Safety footwear looks a bit flimsy though …. 😂

 

[Kevin M]

Great news, don’t forget some anti seize grease on the new one, I would have said Copper Slip Grease but I know someone would chip in that it’s abrasive!
Great news all the same and well done.

 

[fkeates]

Nice work…. Safety footwear looks a bit flimsy though …. 😂

Genuine safety sandals for summer working, rather like the flip-flops I use for mowing the lawn..! 🤣 (I did wear gloves though)

 

[Steve1962]

Genuine safety sandals for summer working, rather like the flip-flops I use for mowing the lawn..! 🤣 (I did wear gloves though)

Wearing gloves on yer feet with flipflops…. What could possibly go wrong 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Hutch]

Genuine safety sandals for summer working, rather like the flip-flops I use for mowing the lawn..! 🤣 (I did wear gloves though)

Well done on removing the broken Bolt.
What about these though.

 

[robkendrew]

Exactly the same thing happened to me with our Discovery D4-4L except that we were in the middle of a three week holiday in France and it was late evening at a campsite in Metz. Had to abandon the holiday and drive eight hours home with the van still attached to the car and get a ferry home. Went straight to the dealer who managed to extract the snapped handle end and sold us a replacement (£7.50 so not worth claiming on warranty as they did the fix for nothing). He got the nut out using a drill. I now always carry a spare clamp handle and nut extractors.

I’ve been looking for a replacement jockey wheel mounting kit as a belt and braces fallback but the only one I can find is the Maypole one which is for a max drawbar of 60 mm and the one on the D4 4L is 90mm. The jockey wheel clamp is welded on so that makes it impossible to replace on the road. What would happen if the thread on the existing jockey wheel got ruined and it wasn’t possible to screw in a new handle. Design flaw methinks.

Anybody know where to get a mounting kit for a 90 mm A frame?

 

[toad a caravan]

Silicone grease,it's inert,water proof and should be available from car accessories shops,also known as brake grease

 

[RogerL]

Silicone grease,it's inert,water proof and should be available from car accessories shops,also known as brake grease

Also excellent for lubricating cassette toilet moving parts - after cleaning!

 

[toad a caravan]

I've put it on towing plug terminals on the cable fixings

 

[Hutch]

Exactly the same thing happened to me with our Discovery D4-4L except that we were in the middle of a three week holiday in France and it was late evening at a campsite in Metz. Had to abandon the holiday and drive eight hours home with the van still attached to the car and get a ferry home. Went straight to the dealer who managed to extract the snapped handle end and sold us a replacement (£7.50 so not worth claiming on warranty as they did the fix for nothing). He got the nut out using a drill. I now always carry a spare clamp handle and nut extractors.

I’ve been looking for a replacement jockey wheel mounting kit as a belt and braces fallback but the only one I can find is the Maypole one which is for a max drawbar of 60 mm and the one on the D4 4L is 90mm. The jockey wheel clamp is welded on so that makes it impossible to replace on the road. What would happen if the thread on the existing jockey wheel got ruined and it wasn’t possible to screw in a new handle. Design flaw methinks.

Anybody know where to get a mounting kit for a 90 mm A frame?

Wow that's extreme, use a Jack to lift off the caravan from the car, drill out the nut, get a bolt and nut To secure the jockey wheel.
But then not all of us have the same skills,
Just glad you got home safe.

 

[otherclive]

Glad it worked out for you. I’d echo Hutch’s approach and if necessary would have bought a jack from the hyper market if required. Did you try your recovery company, as I’ve found French technicians quite “inventive”.