DIY HWH jack replacement?

[Elf]

I have been having jack retraction issues on my right rear jack. I took it in and was told that the jack was bent and needed replacing. They wanted to replace the entire jack assembly but they would have to order the parts. Since we are on the road we do not have the week to ten days to wait for them to get the part so I emailed HWH to see about getting the part myself. They think that I only need the jack, not the entire assembly.
Anyhow, all of this it to see if any of you have replaced a jack yourself and if there were any difficulties. Just a general glance at it, it doesn't look like it should be too difficult. Am I wrong? Also, does the system need to be bled somehow after disconnecting/reconnecting the hydraulics? Any info on the process would be appreciated.

[melvonnar]

No problem; do it yourself; no need to bleed, bolt it on; hook up the hose, and the connector. and your ready to go.
I've done two with no problem.

[Wayne M]

I helped a friend rebuild his inner workings (seals). Get a good set of boards to prop it up on, or a tranny stand. Sucker is heave. Disconnect everything and do what you have to do.

Good luck.

[paz]

The biggest problem is getting the springs off and on, which may be the reason the repair shop wanted to replace the whole assembly. There is a good bit of tension, and when putting the springs back on, you need to get the ends lined up so you can hook them in properly. There is a thread somewhere here on iRV2 explaining an easy way to do it. Try a search for HWH spring replacement.

BTW, you may want to order a quart of HWH hydraulic fluid along with the jack to make sure you can top off the reservoir to the proper level when you're done. There may be a little fluid loss. As an alternative, you can use Dexron III ATF. DO NOT use hydraulic jack oil.

[Elf]

Thanks. I'll order the jack and some fluid and give it a go. Hopefully it will all go smoothly.

[rtootle]

You can do it yourself. The hardest part is getting the spring on and off. Be careful not to knock yourself in the nose, like I did taking the sping off. A friend of mine told me to extend the jack, then put small pieces of wood between the spring coils which will make it easilier. I used plain old muscle getting the spring on and off.

Before purchasing the jack, check all of your fuses and selonoids to assure it is a jack issue. HWH has a great support line to assist RV owners. Welcome to HWH Corporation . On a side note, the springs could be bad on the jacks, which will cause the retraction time take forever. I would call HWH, they can tell you if you have the old type of spring.

[Cougarkid]

Had to replace the hydraulic fitting on one of my front jacks. The "T" had broken off in the top of the jack. The fitting "blew" on a retract and spewed fluid everywhere.

I ran the front tires up on some wood blocking the get some work room underneath.

Amazingly simple setup. Unplugged the sensor on top, hose was loose (fitting), removed the 2 springs (yes, a bit tough) and the only thing left was 4 small bolts/nuts holding the mounting plates on. Bolts out and jack in hand.

I used a bolt extractor to get the fitting end out and bought a new "T" at the hardware store for $3.75. Put the new "T" in, reinstalled the jack, springs on and hooked up the hose and sensor. It took me 4 quarts of fluid to get it full.

The jack mount:
Note:
the hydraulic hose at the top
the upside down "U" is where the jack fits up into
the 2 small holes are for the plate to hold the jack up in place

[Elf]

Done. The hardest part was trying to figure out where we were going to be to get the jack sent. Removing the springs was easier than I expected. The bracket that holds the jack was bent some. Probably from whatever bent the jack prior to my purchase last year. A little straightening and no problem getting the new one on.
So far, so good. Down and up quicker than the rest. Now if I could only figure out my generator power issue...

[MikeandClaudia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz The biggest problem is getting the springs off and on, .

REALLY NEAT method for replacing jack springs.

Installing new springs on HWH Jacks

Wish I had thought of that!