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Thread: Questions about modifying a jockey wheel

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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Questions about modifying a jockey wheel

    I have an Easylift jockey wheel on our Tvan with a 10" wheel.
    Its a good, simple unit with a 2000kg rating, (higher than most of it's type) , welded to a what I consider a well designed & easy to use swing up bracket. (See pic below taken from the web)

    screenshot_1107.jpg

    Prior to fitting the new DO35 v3 tow hitch I was using a v1. The tow pin for the v3 sits a little higher & I now find that even on level ground I am having to wind the jockey wheel up too close to it's limit, & I'm unhappy about that , especially as it will take very little unevenness of the ground to make hitching or unhitching impossible.

    I don't want to lower the tow hitch on the vehicle as this will reduce needed ground clearance, & I would prefer not to have to buy a new jockey wheel.

    So my preference is to get the existing jockey wheel modified. I have determined that an extra 50mm lift would be a good compromise having more lift with less extension needed, & not creating problems with being unable to swing the wheel down in certain uneven ground situations.

    I'm thinking there are two ways to achieve this, but I am uncertain which might be best.

    Either the jockey wheel leg can be cut off the bracket & re-welded with the bracket 50mm higher on the leg. The top of the bracket currently sits about 70mm below the top of the bracket, so moving it up 50mm whilst possible would see it just 20mm below the top. This is not problematic for use, but I'm unsure if extra leverage stress on the leg could be an issue. (It's the only thing which holds up the front of the van, no other stabilising legs). I tend to think it would probably be OK as the bracket height is 130mm & can be welded fully. (currently it is held on with 2 x 25mm welds on each side)

    Alternatively the lower (inner) leg could be cut off the foot, & a 50mm length of tube welded in to lengthen it. This is a bigger job & I am uncertain if it offers any advantage over cutting/re-welding the bracket.

    Can anyone offer some knowledgeable advice please?

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
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    Moderator MudRunnerTD's Avatar
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    Go to bunnings and buy a 4" thick pine garden sleeper. 8" wide. Cut 2 x 8" long sections off the end of it and you just found 200mm of packer.

    If your concerned about rolling off it have a go at the top one with a chisel and take a divet out of rhe top. Easy fix and store them in the tool box.
    Its a Nissan! =====> Its a Keeper!! ....... Got a TD42 in it BONUS!! ....... I'm a lucky bugger! I've got 2 of em!
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogue Dung Beetle View Post
    Wish it was Nissan though, Toyotas just can't keep up with the Pootrol pace.
    The only good thing about an 80 series is..... the front end?? Wrong!!, the Engine?? Wrong!! the Full Time 4WD system?? Wrong!! Its the NissanPatrol.com.au stubby holder fitted over the transfer lever.
    WARNING: Towballs used for recoveries can, and do kill people and damage property.

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    ......... MB's Avatar
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    We’ve done nearly the same as Darren kindly suggests for the same issue you have Cuppa. On top of the wooden blocks we’ve also added one of these rubber jockey chocks too.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/301068405473



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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Thanks Darren & Mark.

    We do already carry a few pieces of timber which get pressed into use as wheel chocks, jack base & to put under the jockey wheel on occasions (& this before the height of the towpin increased a little making the situation worse). We will continue to do so.

    But, even though it hasn't yet happened, the day will come when we find ourselves in a situation where we need to turn around & find we have insufficient space to do so. (Vehicle +Tvan = just under 10 metres long). In such circumstances it is reassuring to know that we can unhitch, turn the vehicle around & hitch back up again. The Tvan weight is such that between the two of us we can lift the weight off the Tvan jockey wheel enough to spin it around on uneven ground (albeit with plenty of heaving & grunting) if we had to, but lifting to get sufficient clearance for a block of timber is not a certainty. Without that plan B to fall back on, the only option is to avoid exploring all those interesting little tracks, which in part is why we have a Tvan.

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
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    Moderator MudRunnerTD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuppa View Post
    Thanks Darren & Mark.

    We do already carry a few pieces of timber which get pressed into use as wheel chocks, jack base & to put under the jockey wheel on occasions (& this before the height of the towpin increased a little making the situation worse). We will continue to do so.

    But, even though it hasn't yet happened, the day will come when we find ourselves in a situation where we need to turn around & find we have insufficient space to do so. (Vehicle +Tvan = just under 10 metres long). In such circumstances it is reassuring to know that we can unhitch, turn the vehicle around & hitch back up again. The Tvan weight is such that between the two of us we can lift the weight off the Tvan jockey wheel enough to spin it around on uneven ground (albeit with plenty of heaving & grunting) if we had to, but lifting to get sufficient clearance for a block of timber is not a certainty. Without that plan B to fall back on, the only option is to avoid exploring all those interesting little tracks, which in part is why we have a Tvan.
    Drop it and spin it to where to need it and either a hilift jack or exhaust jack to get it back up onto the blocks mate. You carry 1 or both those items anyway.
    Its a Nissan! =====> Its a Keeper!! ....... Got a TD42 in it BONUS!! ....... I'm a lucky bugger! I've got 2 of em!
    Check out my Toy --> MudRunnerTD's GQ From the Ground Up

    Quote Originally Posted by Rogue Dung Beetle View Post
    Wish it was Nissan though, Toyotas just can't keep up with the Pootrol pace.
    The only good thing about an 80 series is..... the front end?? Wrong!!, the Engine?? Wrong!! the Full Time 4WD system?? Wrong!! Its the NissanPatrol.com.au stubby holder fitted over the transfer lever.
    WARNING: Towballs used for recoveries can, and do kill people and damage property.

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    I am he, fear me the evil twin's Avatar
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    Blocks work for static positions but I agree Cuppa, there will be occasions that will be a PIA.

    Rather than cut an re-weld the tube, I would cut and weld a larger dia wheel on.

    No matter what you do, a suitable replacement rather than mod'ing the existing setup may work out better anyway
    Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.

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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD View Post
    You carry 1 or both those items anyway.
    Thought long & hard about that & decided not to. High lift jack is too heavy & hard to store. Exhaust Jack - gave up on the bloody thing (but not until we had trialled it extensively).

    If we really had to I reckon we might find some way of lifting the drawbar by hand ( put more weight in rear of tvan behind the axle & take as much weight off the drawbar as possible), but a jockey wheel which lifts a bit higher would be a heck of lot quicker & easier (& not weigh any extra).

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
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    ......... MB's Avatar
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    Pop over to the shed next weekend mate, we’ll dodgey this beast up for you :-)


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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the evil twin View Post
    Blocks work for static positions but I agree Cuppa, there will be occasions that will be a PIA.

    Rather than cut an re-weld the tube, I would cut and weld a larger dia wheel on.

    No matter what you do, a suitable replacement rather than mod'ing the existing setup may work out better anyway
    I think the 10" wheel is about as big as they come on jockey wheels.
    If the local trailer place have a higher lift jockey wheel which can be welded to my swing up bracket - that would be the way to go.

    My online 'research' brings up not a lot of 'high lift' jockey wheels.

    Bos - would do the job but V.expensive. I tried an Ark XO 750 & found it disappointing. Trailer Mate (hydraulic) are heavy & apparently prone to leaking. I could get a swing up/clamp bracket to allow the jockey to be lifted/dropped in the clamp - quite attractive, but I'd wonder if the clamp would stay done up on corrugations. A simple (non swing up) clamp with the JW stored elsewhere in the vehicle is an option, but less convenient & difficult to store.

    I am surprised at what appears (internet research) to be a lack of availability of conventional type high lift jockey wheels for the likes of off road camper trailers. If anyone knows of such things let me know. Perhaps they are actually common & a visit to the local trailer joint next week will turn something up.

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
    A Nomadic Life (Blog)

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    Travelling Podologist Cuppa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MB View Post
    Pop over to the shed next weekend mate, we’ll dodgey this beast up for you :-)


    Looks like you have already been thinking about the same issue as me!

    2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
    A Nomadic Life (Blog)

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