Community Forums

Dan104 · 11-30-2019, 02:55 PM

I had one and sometimes two hydraulic jacks that would not retract. I was using a 5' piece of 3/4" EMT pipe to pry them up every time, but they are working good now. I used an old paint brush with some old AW 32 hydraulic oil to clean the dust seal for the ram. I did this three times (three different days) before trying them. I'm not sure if it cleaned the seal very well or did it soften the seals, but they worked the last few times with no help. They are HWH jacks.

A32Deuce · 11-30-2019, 02:59 PM

The directions for my Equalizers say to wipe down the shafts with WD40 if out for extended periods of time.

vsheetz · 11-30-2019, 04:12 PM

If HWH jacks, clean periodically with WD40 on a ckean rag. Else you may encounter the jack will not retract the last 1/2" or so. The springs simply pull the jack up once pressure is relieved.

If the problem persists after cleaning or requires frequent cleaning, it may be time for a new jack. I got to this point with my rears, had them replaced at HWH in Moscow Iowa.

Full.Monte · 12-03-2019, 09:10 AM

I had trouble with jacks that wouldn't retract after camping below freezing for several nights. With the engine running, they wouldn't move. When I turned the engine off, they retracted fine. Don't know why.

PJStough · 12-03-2019, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan104

I had one and sometimes two hydraulic jacks that would not retract. I was using a 5' piece of 3/4" EMT pipe to pry them up every time, but they are working good now. I used an old paint brush with some old AW 32 hydraulic oil to clean the dust seal for the ram. I did this three times (three different days) before trying them. I'm not sure if it cleaned the seal very well or did it soften the seals, but they worked the last few times with no help. They are HWH jacks.

It has been my experience over the last ten years that wiping the rams with WD-40 or whatever does little to increase the rate of retraction, or ease of retraction. Periodically, I spray copious amounts of WD-40 directly on the seals and let it run down the rams, and immediately retract the jacks. My jacks never take more than two minutes to retract, and I never need to pry them up. Also, I still have the original retraction springs and see no need to buy the newer style ones.

To me, the key to smooth and quick retraction is to keep the seal softened.