Twin Axle Wheel Change

[Clive-Cardiff]

Hi All, I'm having some issues at the moment with the fitting of the AL-KO side lift jack brackets to my van and it has set me thinking.

Has anyone used a leveling wedge under the good wheel in order to raise the van to change the other wheel.

I'm wondering how high I would have to lift in the case of a punture.

One problem I can see is that the load is being carried on one axle and wheel, so will it take the extra loading to raise the van.

Any thoughts or ideas please.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Clive, I do not have the AL-KO Jack, but have been looking at the Kojack version.

When trying to fit the brackets, would it be safer to initially raise the van on one side (using a trolley Jack), place Axle Stands under each axle, then remove the jack to enable access to fit the brackets.

When the brackets are fitted, you can the try out the AL-KO jack when lowering off the axle stands.

PS. Engage the handbrake and chock the wheels on the opposite side to which you are working, also lower the corner steadies,

hope this is of some use and best regards, Martin

 

[JeremyClarksson]

I have done this without having the car hitched up and will say that the van is very unstable when you are jacking up (you need to leave the handbrake off on the van to get the wheel off), I only heard about hitching the car afterwards.

We do not have an Alko chassis but I think they are the same - if you jack one wheel up the other will push down as they are on a pivoting axle so I would see no point in trying to jack the other wheel up, I got our jack under the axle and it worked fine lifting both wheels.

Use the corner steadies to help take the weight but I would put hooking the car up at the top of the list.

Other normal wheel changing rules apply like no-one in the vehicle(s), loosen the wheelnuts first and always have a someone watching in case something goes wrong.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Garry (Jeremy's lad)

I thought the issue was fitting the brackets, not taking the wheel off. I know you can't leave the handbrake on, as it's the same as doing the rear wheels on a car.

PS. did you see me on the news last W/E, I got roped into doing the march through Keynsham High Street in support of Fry's, this was in the pouring rain as well, still they don't call me 'Militant Martin' for nothing,

best regards, Lappy the Red

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Clive

See my posts "Al-Ko jack".

The scissors jack supplied with my Bailey Senator Wyoming is a joke.Unless you have popeye muscles you haven't a hope in hell of lifting it. Ball is curently in Bailey and Al-Ko's court.

Meanwhile I use my hydraulic jack which make seasy swift work of lifting the Wyoming.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

Sorry for misleading some people on my original post. The basic problem with fitting the brackets is that I have had a 4 wheel drive motor mover fitted. This means that the rear motor drive is in the way of the holes drilled in the chassis. (I'll write more on this topic when I get some time).

The Kojack brackets use the same holes so that's out.

In response to Alan - I was concerned about this, my van has a Max of 1700kg and the jack is rated at 100kg and 800kg static load. As the jack is working at it's maximum load its bound to be very hard to lift.

In my case if the van is loaded slightly to one side I could be overloading the jack

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

Sorry for misleading some people on my original post. The basic problem with fitting the brackets is that I have had a 4 wheel drive motor mover fitted. This means that the rear motor drive is in the way of the holes drilled in the chassis. (I'll write more on this topic when I get some time).

The Kojack brackets use the same holes so that's out.

In response to Alan - I was concerned about this, my van has a Max of 1700kg and the jack is rated at 100kg and 800kg static load. As the jack is working at it's maximum load its bound to be very hard to lift.

In my case if the van is loaded slightly to one side I could be overloading the jack

The rating should read 1000kg of course

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Clive,

I was (still am) under the impression that the brackets were fitted to the pre-drilled holes, in between the wheels of each axle.

This is why I have looked at the Kojack, as being of the hydraulic type, this will be more easier to operate.

As for being mis-understood, in the case of the two CITY's, if the Bristol Reds beat the Cardiff Blues tomorrow, then all will be forgiven,

best regards, Martin (Bristol born and Red)