You could drill a small hole in the top,close to the screw,dribble a bit of oil in there and see if it loosens up. just seal the hole with a dab of sealant so ya can scrape it off and oil it later on if needed. Worth a try.
If possible and yeah it does suck I would suggest changing the jack to a new one that swivels and is grease able mine has a grease nipple and I grease it 3 times a year at beginning middle and end of season
IMHO drilling a hole to add oil is not a solution your just asking for problems
I agree with grub1grub1. I have also been able to get enough oil to slide down the shaft by applying while turning the crank to loosen jacks up. FYI I use chainsaw bar and chain oil. It's nice and thick, and seems to stay in place longer.
Drive out the pin and pry off the handle. There should be enough slop in the shaft hole to get oil down there. Then grease the ram so it slides easily into the permanent tube. IF you get it free, (and there is a doubt--the internals may strip--) then cover it to prevent weather from getting in.
Best bet, get a recip saw and cut the jack off flush with the trailer frame Then as above buy a modern swiveling jack.
Thanks for the replies. the jack is not seized but is sticky and an unneeded shoulder workout when being used. I might try to get some oil down the shaft. Cant hurt to try...
Raise tongue with a floor jack and support it... crank jack all the way up.... remove bolt holding the handle on, drop the bottom of the jack out of the top half... thread shaft out to expose threads.... clean and lube parts.... Reassemble.
Thanks for the replies guys. I was able to remove the handle and drop the insides out of the outer pipe. However upon doing so, I also came across some loose bearings etc. So after some more research, I found this bearing replacement kit for $8.99. The rest of the assembly looked ok. I greased the treaded rod and put it back together for now. I'm going to order the replacement bearings and hopefully the jack will be back in working order. I'll let you guys know how it works out. http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Bulldog/BD500251.html
All Bulldog jacks are serviceable. You can get replacement bearings (pack them with waterproof grease to make them last longer), handles, mounts, and foot pads.
Of course it is serviceable. Smoke had the best answer yet and beat me to it. Once you remove the weight off the jack, it will free up a lot of resistance and allow you to service it without much issue. There really isn't much to them inside. A couple gears and a screw threaded center post. Easy to clean and re-grease. I totally disassembled mine and cleaned, greased and even painted back to new again... :thumb:
Thanks for the replies. the jack is not seized but is sticky and an unneeded shoulder workout when being used. I might try to get some oil down the shaft. Cant hurt to try...
I ran into this exact situation with my utility trailer this afternoon. All I did was pour just a little bit of motor oil down the shaft where the handle pivots. I cranked it down, then up. The squeal is gone and it's easier to operate. Nothing else required.
Ayuh,.... The jack on the company tool wagon is like that, I drilled, 'n tapped a 1/4"-28 hole, 'n screwed in a grease fittin', Just below the weld bead at the top,....
That jack has been on that wagon for more than the 22 years I've been haulin' it,...
Can you not add a zerk fitting to this, drill a hole tap it? We did that to an old CASE flatbed trailer jack used to haul our CAT and excavator. Maybe try using a can of PB Blaster or Deep Creep as well.
Ayuh,..... I beg to differ,... I've already Done it as noted above,....
Drilled, 'n tapped a hole, just above the label in the picture,.....
Pump the grease to it, 'n it works like a charm,....
I even added a 2nd grease fittin' 'bout 1/3 down to lube the inner/ outer tubes, due to a hired hand that couldn't crank it All the way up, which bent the inner tube,....
I finally got around to swapping out the bearings. Pretty straight forward, 15 min. job. I really like the idea of the grease zerk Bondo suggested. I can see how installing the zerk would help keep the cavity full of grease and keep water and dirt out. I don't know if it would lube dry bearings, but it certainly could keep new ones protected. i have another trailer with the same type of jack that I plan to pull apart and lube this fall. I just may try adding a zerk to it and to the trailer in this thread. Thanks to everyone for the responses!