Jacking up the coach

[boybach]

Just watched a Jim Bounds video where he checked the rear suspension on a coach in his shop.
When he was jacking up the rear, he mentioned that you have to jack the rear first and then the front because if you jack up the front first you can
"pop" a windshield (I'm guessing he was talking about putting her up on jackstands?)

So my question is, can you jack up the front without jacking up the rear, say, if you had a flat up front and needed to put the spare wheel on? Can
you do that without cracking the windshield? I might have to change the tires and/or wheels and just need to know the routine in case the tire place
doesn't!

Just yesterday I had an enlightening conversation with Colin (CEdey), who told me you always jack the coach up from the center and I can see that
making sense ...just not clear what Jim was referring to unless he meant getting the whole coach up on stands?
I might have to change the tires and/or wheels and just need to know the routine in case the tire place doesn't!

Oh and does the coach come with a jack? Where is it usually stored? I asked the previous owner's brother and even though he drove the coach about
12,000 miles - he didn't know :roll:

Larry

--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[peer oliver schmidt]

> can you jack up the front without jacking up the rear

I've been jacking up my 23' from front center quite often, to reach
under for oil change or other stuff. So far, no problems (keeping my
fingers crossed)

--
Best regards

Olly Schmidt
PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
'76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
'73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

 

[PeteSr]

Larry,

I have a 1978 Eleganza (26ft). My owners manual had the original jack under the front coach behind the driver's seat. BTW, that coach is a bear
trap. The arm holding it up has no stop - something I intend to fix during the interior refurb. My coach came with the original jack, but not the
chain that is supposed to connect it to the vehicle. I need to get a length if I intend to use it; I bought a bottle jack and J-hook for the back. I
suppose that I would only use the original for the front, but a block of wood with the bottle jack would probably work too.
--
78 Eleganza II
Stock 403 w/ Carb
Single Cinnebar bags
6kW Onan

 

[Ken B]

The problem with braking a windshield is jacking the coach causing too much stress on one front side vs. the other. If I want to only change a tire,
I jack up that wheel to be changed under the A-frame / ball joint for that side. You only go up an inch or two to get the tire off. The front
torsion bar (spring)take most of the lift and does not raise the frame of the coach. It is no different from driving over on a 2 inch rock, or a
small hole in the pavement. If I want both sides up at the same time then I jack it in the middle.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Matt Colie]

Larry,

In very simple terms, don't jack the coach with either end restrained.

So, if you need to jack the front, jack how you like, but leave the rear on its suspension. To change one front tire, you can jack under the ball
joint and this is good because the rest of the coach can balance itself. If you jack under the center of the engine cross member, then the rear can
still float.

If you need to do something in the rear, jack under the bogie casting (even better if you have the piece of steel to stop the arm travel) and as soon
as you have load on the jack, let the air off or you can blow out the shocks.

I suggest that if you need to jack the whole coach that you raise the rear onto stands or cribbing under the bogie casting and then jack the front in
the
center.

If you need to lift the rear all at once, you can do it with an 8' (2.5m) 4X6 (100x150mm) wooden beam at the all the way rear cross member. This
works because you are lifting only a portion of the coach weight.

Do not ever have either end on two jack stands or cribbing a then try to jack one side of the other end, that is how to break things.

And a final note: Never put anything you value under the rear of a GMC that is not solidly blocked. Suspension failures can happen at any time, when
it does fail, the rear can crush a snake.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[boybach]

Thanks lads! all great info as usual!

Now I have to find out if she has a wheel nut spider on board ...let me tell you, buying something sight unseen 300 miles away in the middle of a
Canadian winter and dealing with a storage yard that only opens on the weekend a 30 min drive away from my contact's place who has neither a camera or
cel phone ... not for the faint of heart! :? :evil:

Oh and someone in the bringing the coach home thread mentioned having an emergency 4 x 4 and a couple of lagadags to use in an emergency if you get
caught out with a blown airbag - so I can get that in my toolkit before I go up to get her, what length 4 x 4 and what size lag bolts would be good?

Thanks again

Larry

--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[Rob]

The wheel lugs (especially for steelies) can be VERY tight. I'd recommend having a somewhat long breaker bar with you. And maybe a pipe to go with that!

I think I carry a 25" breaker bar with me when I'm on the road.

Rob
76 Royale Twin Beds, Dry Bath
Victoria, BC

>
> Thanks lads! all great info as usual!
>
> Now I have to find out if she has a wheel nut spider on board ...let me tell you, buying something sight unseen 300 miles away in the middle of a
> Canadian winter and dealing with a storage yard that only opens on the weekend a 30 min drive away from my contact's place who has neither a camera or
> cel phone ... not for the faint of heart! :? :evil:
>
> Oh and someone in the bringing the coach home thread mentioned having an emergency 4 x 4 and a couple of lagadags to use in an emergency if you get
> caught out with a blown airbag - so I can get that in my toolkit before I go up to get her, what length 4 x 4 and what size lag bolts would be good?
>
> Thanks again
>
> Larry
>
>
> --
> Larry - Victoria BC -
>
> 1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[Rusty]

Larry, no worries. I have a 'dog bone' as temporary airbag replacement should the coach loose an airbag and original long wheel wrench. You are
welcome to borrow when off to collect your coach. I'm sure I have other items you may wish to take along for your return.
--
Colin Edey
1978 Royale 'Rusty'

 

[boybach]

Hey thanks Colin! I will definitely take you up on that offer! What's a dog-bone BTW? :blush:

Found a place to keep her parked today, a pal in the highlands has a reasonably flat area and I might invest in a ton or two of gravel to surface her
new berth.

Hoped for something closer to town, but at least it's sort of on the way Up-Island or out to Renfrew, so all good!
--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[boybach]

Hey Rob, I have a long 1/2" drive bar, but sounds like I should upgrade to a 3/4" drive AND a pipe too, no use struggling!

Too bad the Flea Markets are kaput this year, was a good place to score RV stuff (when I didn't need any)

Sounds like I'm going to ditch all my metric sockets and wrenches and start picking up SAE stuff right away!

all the best Rob

Larry
--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[jerry burt]

My Battery powered DeWalt Impact saves on the grunts and hernias.
--
Patti & Jerry Burt Fresno, CA.
73 Gmc 26' Canyon Lands
77 Palm Beach - Parts Coach - SOLD
Members: FMCA - GMCMI - GMCWS
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

 

[boybach]

Right! We don't want backs being out or any other pain just from changing a tire!

The Dewalt has enough oomph to loosen the wheel and put the lug nuts back on then? ...looks like a whole new toolkit will be coming my way - hope
there's still room for my pals after I stock up on the tools

Larry
--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[boybach]

> If you need to do something in the rear, jack under the bogie casting (even better if you have the piece of steel to stop the arm travel) and as
> soon as you have load on the jack, let the air off or you can blow out the shocks.
>
> Matt

So Matt, being new to the whole air-bag system, I'm guessing there's a schraeder on the bag or in the line that I use to leach off the air before
doing the full lift? Have to let the air off because if I leave the bag pressurized the shocks will over extend and pull apart?

Trying to visualize what would happen and having a bit of trouble getting it clear - sorry if I'm being a bit thick!

Larry
--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[Matt Colie]

> > If you need to do something in the rear, jack under the bogie casting (even better if you have the piece of steel to stop the arm travel) and
> > as soon as you have load on the jack, let the air off or you can blow out the shocks.
> > Matt
>
> So Matt, being new to the whole air-bag system, I'm guessing there's a schraeder on the bag or in the line that I use to leach off the air before
> doing the full lift? Have to let the air off because if I leave the bag pressurized the shocks will over extend and pull apart?
>
> Trying to visualize what would happen and having a bit of trouble getting it clear - sorry if I'm being a bit thick!
>
> Larry

Larry,

I don't have any of that stuff. I just go up to the cab and set that side to "Lower". That vents the side airspring to the cab.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[sgltrac]

Or loosen the air line nut at the bag.

Sully
Bellevue wa
On Sat, Dec 19, 2020 at 5:20 AM Matt Colie via Gmclist <

> > > If you need to do something in the rear, jack under the bogie casting
> (even better if you have the piece of steel to stop the arm travel) and
> > > as soon as you have load on the jack, let the air off or you can blow
> out the shocks.
> > > Matt
> >
> > So Matt, being new to the whole air-bag system, I'm guessing there's a
> schraeder on the bag or in the line that I use to leach off the air before
> > doing the full lift? Have to let the air off because if I leave the bag
> pressurized the shocks will over extend and pull apart?
> >
> > Trying to visualize what would happen and having a bit of trouble
> getting it clear - sorry if I'm being a bit thick!
> >
> > Larry
>
> Larry,
>
> I don't have any of that stuff. I just go up to the cab and set that side
> to "Lower". That vents the side airspring to the cab.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL,
> GMCES
> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum
> Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[Ken B]

> Or loosen the air line nut at the bag.
>
> Sully
> Bellevue wa

That is what I do. 9/16" open end
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Matt Colie]

> Or loosen the air line nut at the bag.
>
> Sully
> Bellevue wa

> That is what I do. 9/16" open end

There is are two simple reasons that I don't do that.

I don't have to get out a wrench.
And....
My ride height control works.
So, the system is usually set to travel unless I have a reason to change that. That be the case, if I disconnect at the airspring, I will loose the
pressure in the entire system. I am still running the second generation Dana pump and it takes a while (~2.5min) to get the system back up when it is
down.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[boybach]

So why do the shocks break if you don't let out the air one way or another?

Larry
--
Larry - Victoria BC -

1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far

 

[Jim Hupy]

They do not all break. The Bilsteins are the most prone to breakage. The
KYB's are physically stronger, and they rarely break but they do
hyperextend and the results are a failure of the seals, a subsequent loss
of the gasses they are filled with, and sometimes fluid as well. What
lowering the air pressure does is to prevent or lessen the effects of
hyperextension. The addition of a short piece of leaf spring between the
bogie box and bogie arm before you jack the coach is all that is needed,
usually.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sat, Dec 19, 2020, 6:19 PM twlldeen--- via Gmclist <

> So why do the shocks break if you don't let out the air one way or another?
>
> Larry
> --
> Larry - Victoria BC -
>
> 1977 Palm Beach - 39,000 original miles so far
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[LarryW]

> They do not all break. The Bilsteins are the most prone to breakage. The
> KYB's are physically stronger, and they rarely break but they do
> hyperextend and the results are a failure of the seals, a subsequent loss
> of the gasses they are filled with, and sometimes fluid as well. What
> lowering the air pressure does is to prevent or lessen the effects of
> hyperextension. The addition of a short piece of leaf spring between the
> bogie box and bogie arm before you jack the coach is all that is needed,
> usually.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon

Take a look at these 3 pictures. This is what Jim H is talking about...the piece of leaf spring. Just FYI
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/blaze-orange-bogie-leaf-spring/p52414-blaze-orange-leaf-spring-for-jacking-bogie.html
--
Larry
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.