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Hi Guys,
I have a question about my rear jacks. I have a typical 3 pad RVA jack system. I lifted coach quite high and in back I noticed the jacks pointing outward to the side. The jacks seem to have pin like bolt on top that can swivel and 2 bolts on the bottom that hold it to the frame mount. Both bolts on both sides are lose with about 3/4" of play. I tried hand tightening them but the nuts on the bolts are held fast. These lose bolts allow the jacks to point outward about 12 degrees. Is this normal? Are the nuts peened or just old? Is this for a wider stance or something? The nuts and bolts are 3/4" and I have air tools to fix this. Do I need to secure this? Thank you for any suggestions
Rusty

Rusty,
Those are a shoulder head bolt, and it's been my understanding that's the way that RVA set them up intentionally. The angle is so that they act more as a stabilizer than a lifting jack that only moves in one fixed direction like a bottle jack would. A straight up and down jack doesn't allow for the rig to flex and move and can feel unstable (as in you're going to rock off the jack), where a jack with a slight angle doesn't have that same feeling to it and is far more secure.

Duane

Thanks Duane,
I had a suspicion that's why I asked. It dose make sense and I'm glad no fix there is needed. I am really grateful for you and others here on this forum that help other keep our rigs running. Yet the Safari continue!
Rusty

There is a rubber bushing on the bolt. The bushing was smashed, hard, and cracking. I replaced the bushing and there was a lot less movement.
http://www.rvajack.com/RVA-hydraulic-ja ... ng-7-16-ID

Thanks Robert,
Maybe my jacks do need some repair. I will check the condition of the rubber bushings. I haven't looked real closely at this yet. I assume you have done this repair. Where are the bushings? Are they on the inside, outside, or between the frame and jack plate? I am assuming that the nuts and bolts can be loosen to remove and they stop when tighten at a fixed spot. Thank you also for the link to purchase the bushings. I will wait to have them in hand before taking bolts out. Repairs are weather dependent so it may be some time.
Thank you again.
Rusty

rustyrobins wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 1:43 pm Thanks Robert,
Maybe my jacks do need some repair. I will check the condition of the rubber bushings. I haven't looked real closely at this yet. I assume you have done this repair. Where are the bushings? Are they on the inside, outside, or between the frame and jack plate? I am assuming that the nuts and bolts can be loosen to remove and they stop when tighten at a fixed spot. Thank you also for the link to purchase the bushings. I will wait to have them in hand before taking bolts out. Repairs are weather dependent so it may be some time.
Thank you again.
Rusty

Your jacks will work either way, they will just rattle a bit more going down the road, but I highly doubt that you will hear that rattle with all the other noises generated while driving. If bolt are rusted tight, I would suggest to leave it be. If they look good and your ambitious, then have at it...

rustyrobins, the bushings are easy to replace. Remove the bolt and the old bushing falls out. The bushing is between the mounting plate and the inside of the jack. Like a sway bar bushing, you tighten until the bushing starts to buldge.

Attached is a picture looking up at the new bushing.

Thanks Guys!
Thanks for the picture Robert. Understanding this before I do anything is really helpful and I may leave it alone. I have looked at mine closer and they are there but squashed and cracked. Good advise John. I will try getting the nuts off by hand before getting the air tools out. If they don't come off with a breaker bar I'm going to leave them alone.
Once again I want to thank all of you that respond to questions and share upgrades and tricks. We are full-timers(17+yrs) and have had our SMC only 18 months. We plan to travel across country when the coach is ready. Our next and only big issue left is the steering, possibly needing a new gear box(M80). I don't feel I can do this myself but we have some ideas how to get help.
Thanks again Rusty

Those 4 bolts can be a challenge to remove! Soak the for a week before attempting. I switched to polyeurothane bushings instead of rubber.

Do you have a part number for poly bushings I'm a big fan of replacing to poly when possible. Just noticed my bushings are completely missing! I always knew I heard a rattle back there even know the engine is drowning it out.