Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-12-2015, 03:00 PM   #1
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 35
Retraction Springs for Jacks

2004 Journey 39W

Jacks are acting inconsistently. One does not retract on its own, but if I pry up on it and manually push it up, it retracts easily.

Are the springs the only force involved in jack retraction? Does this symptom indicate that my jack springs need replacement? If so, is that process a DIY project?

Thank you,
Ron
__________________
'04 Journey 39W
'02 CRV
rogo88 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 03:10 PM   #2
Winnebago Master
 
FIRE UP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Out there, somewhere
Posts: 1,740
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogo88 View Post
2004 Journey 39W

Jacks are acting inconsistently. One does not retract on its own, but if I pry up on it and manually push it up, it retracts easily.

Are the springs the only force involved in jack retraction? Does this symptom indicate that my jack springs need replacement? If so, is that process a DIY project?

Thank you,
Ron

Ron,
Slow retracting jacks have been discussed a few zillion times on here. There's a possible few remedies for that issue.

1. Extend all jacks to about maximum
2. Spray them down with WD-40
3. Wipe them clean with a good, clean cloth

Now, hit the retract button and, see if there's any improvement in retract time.


Another possible issue is, you may have the older style springs. The characteristic of those is, they're the same shape, cylindrical, all the way from the top and bottom.

The new style, and supposedly stronger, are the kind that are tapered at th top and bottom. If you have those then, you may, possibly have to go to remedy three.

And that is, the jacks will have to be removed and either sent back to HWH for a complete retro-new seal kit replacement or, you can take them to a local hydraulic shop and see what they can do for you. Hope this info helps some.
Scott
__________________
2004 ITASCA HORIZON 36GD, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Toad '08 GL 1800 Gold Wing
Retired-29.5 yrs, SDFD, Ham - KI6OND
Me, Karla and the Sophie character, (mini Schnauzer)
FIRE UP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 03:48 PM   #3
Winnebago Master
 
wa8yxm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 851
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogo88 View Post
2004 Journey 39W
Are the springs the only force involved in jack retraction? Does this symptom indicate that my jack springs need replacement? If so, is that process a DIY project?
First:The springs are the only thing pulling the jacks up yes

HOWEVER Friction is working against them.

It MAY (or not) indicate need for spring replacement and is it a DIY job depends on the Y (you) I could do it mself, either HWH or Power gear types.

IT may also indicate a need to lubricate and this IS a DIY job.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
wa8yxm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 04:41 PM   #4
Winnebago Owner
 
Bigd9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: The Bluegrass State
Posts: 83
A couple more suggestion to the others offered here. Check to see if there are grease fittings at the bottom of the jack legs. My stabilizer jacks are PowerGear a each leg has one Zerk fitting. Powergear recommends a small amount should be pumped in once a year or so. Also Powergear recommends silicone spray for the shinny part of the legs.

Let us know how everything works out, OK?
__________________
Good Luck, Be Safe and Above All, Don't Forget To Have Fun
Pete
2006 Fleetwood Discovery 35H, being pushed by a 2009 Honda CRV
Bigd9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 05:07 PM   #5
Winnebago Master
 
jerichorick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Full-timer/volunteer w/SOWERS
Posts: 2,734
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogo88 View Post
2004 Journey 39W

Jacks are acting inconsistently. One does not retract on its own, but if I pry up on it and manually push it up, it retracts easily.

Are the springs the only force involved in jack retraction? Does this symptom indicate that my jack springs need replacement? If so, is that process a DIY project?

Thank you,
Ron
Hi Ron,

You didn't say what brand jacks you have. If HWH than be careful how you clean them. WD40 was not recommended on the earlier ones because of the type of seals used. I clean and lube mine with CRC Power lube with PTFE (http://www.amazon.com/CRC-Industrial...3&keywords=crc). Spray your jacks down and then wipe them with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary. You can also clean them with a mild soap and water. Don't use any sort of silicone spray or lube on them. Check the HWH website for more info.

Keep us posted on what you find. Thaks.

Rick Y
__________________
Rick & Melissa Young & Dawson (RIP), 2011 Meridian 40U, FL XCL, ISL 380HP/DEF, Al 3000 MH, 2014 Honda CR-V, SMI AF1, Blue Ox TruCenter & tow equip.,EEZTire TPMS.
Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. Best job we ever paid to do . (full time volunteers)
jerichorick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 07:39 PM   #6
Winnie-Wise
 
doorguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Fairfield, CA
Posts: 258
A good source for info and parts is rvleveling.com, aka Stuarts Services in IN. He knows HWH systems, can diagnose and sell parts, AND he will actually answer the phone, or get back to you via email.
__________________
Barry & Sue Miller("extended" RVer's, 6 mos + per/year) combined trips.
04 Journey 39K, C-7, 330 hp, towing:19 GMC Canyon 4WD or 2013 Ford Edge AWD, Aero 5050XL, ReadyBrake.
doorguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 07:50 PM   #7
Winnebago Camper
 
HicksRA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fort Worth TX
Posts: 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by doorguy View Post
A good source for info and parts is rvleveling.com, aka Stuarts Services in IN. He knows HWH systems, can diagnose and sell parts, AND he will actually answer the phone, or get back to you via email.
HWH Replacement Parts - Stuart's Services
__________________
2005 Newmar Dutch Star 4024
Pulling my 2012 Malibu w/Blue OX & Patriot brake unit
HicksRA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2015, 09:21 PM   #8
Winnebago Master
 
SCVJeff's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Santa Clarita, CA.
Posts: 1,222
Someplace recently it was discussed that there is an amazing about of gunk that gets caught up between the piston and the main tube. I wouldn't have believed that there could be enough to stop that retraction but a friend of mine CAREFULLY cleaned out the space and he said it made all the difference. Just don't forget there's a seal in there so be careful digging around.
__________________
_______________________________

Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
SCVJeff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-11-2015, 10:58 PM   #9
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 9
leveling jacks

The jacks not retracting will only get worst. New springs are not the answer. Jacks need rebuilt or replaced. Sorry for the bad news. Just had 2 replaced on rear at HWH factory in Moscow, Iowa. Great folks to deal with. If there is a next time I will take jack off and exchange it for a rebuilt unit. I have a 2002 Adventurer good part about this story is I only live 51 miles from HWH factory. P.S. a guy can replace each jack in 1/2 hour easy job.
RickeyD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2015, 09:06 AM   #10
Winnebago Master
 
jerichorick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Full-timer/volunteer w/SOWERS
Posts: 2,734
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickeyD View Post
The jacks not retracting will only get worst. New springs are not the answer. Jacks need rebuilt or replaced. Sorry for the bad news. Just had 2 replaced on rear at HWH factory in Moscow, Iowa. Great folks to deal with. If there is a next time I will take jack off and exchange it for a rebuilt unit. I have a 2002 Adventurer good part about this story is I only live 51 miles from HWH factory. P.S. a guy can replace each jack in 1/2 hour easy job.
I respectfully disagree with you here about the jacks continuing to get worse. The jacks need to be cleaned as per the HWH recommendations. That is the first place to start. On older jacks the seals could be damaged by WD-40 but now they recommend it be used to clean the jacks. If a good cleaning gets the jacks working again then the new style springs won't hurt.

I do agree that the folks at HWH are worth visiting when all else fails. But, parts are still a problem. I am waiting for a new solenoid. They are 3 weeks out on back order.

Happy trails,

Rick Y
__________________
Rick & Melissa Young & Dawson (RIP), 2011 Meridian 40U, FL XCL, ISL 380HP/DEF, Al 3000 MH, 2014 Honda CR-V, SMI AF1, Blue Ox TruCenter & tow equip.,EEZTire TPMS.
Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. Best job we ever paid to do . (full time volunteers)
jerichorick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2015, 09:18 AM   #11
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Chester, VA
Posts: 58
My rear HWH jacks were painfully slow in retracting. Sometimes it would take 15-20 minutes. I had all springs replaced on the rear jacks and they retract very quickly. OBTW, I did the cleaning constantly why they were extended, but would only help for a short period of time.
When I was at Alliance Coach having the Ultra Power upgrade done, the mechanic pulled on the springs and told me there was to much give in them and they should be replaced. That solved it.
__________________
Tom and Gloria 2017 Newmar Ventana 4369, TOAD: 2015 GMC Canyon, Blue Ox Towbar, Baseplate and M&G Braking System
TomandGloria is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2015, 09:32 AM   #12
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Mcdonough, Ga.
Posts: 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickeyD View Post
The jacks not retracting will only get worst. New springs are not the answer. Jacks need rebuilt or replaced. Sorry for the bad news. Just had 2 replaced on rear at HWH factory in Moscow, Iowa. Great folks to deal with. If there is a next time I will take jack off and exchange it for a rebuilt unit. I have a 2002 Adventurer good part about this story is I only live 51 miles from HWH factory. P.S. a guy can replace each jack in 1/2 hour easy job.
As someone who worked on HWH jacks for 15 years, I disagree with you. More than half the time we were able to fix HWH jacks rather than replace them.
__________________
1998 Pace Arrow 35 ft. F53 Ford V10 2012 Honda Civic toad
32 years mechanic at Delta Air Lines 15 year motorhome service manager. 3 popups....2 travel trailers....5 motorhomes....loved them all.
ga traveler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2015, 01:09 PM   #13
Winnebago Owner
 
Bigd9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: The Bluegrass State
Posts: 83
The original poster rogo88 never did state what brand jacks/stabilizers he had in his 2004 Journey 39W. I don't even know if his are internal springs or external springs. But from his description of how they act, my first and cheapest course of action is clean and lubricate the pistons as per what ever manufacture recommendations are.
__________________
Good Luck, Be Safe and Above All, Don't Forget To Have Fun
Pete
2006 Fleetwood Discovery 35H, being pushed by a 2009 Honda CRV
Bigd9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2015, 06:23 AM   #14
Winnebago Camper
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 9
leveling jacks slow to retract.

Rick Y My left rear jack was only 3 years old. It took a 3 ton floor jack to get it to retract. Tech said that springs would not help as they had proper tension. I hope that works for you using WD40.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jerichorick View Post
I respectfully disagree with you here about the jacks continuing to get worse. The jacks need to be cleaned as per the HWH recommendations. That is the first place to start. On older jacks the seals could be damaged by WD-40 but now they recommend it be used to clean the jacks. If a good cleaning gets the jacks working again then the new style springs won't hurt.

I do agree that the folks at HWH are worth visiting when all else fails. But, parts are still a problem. I am waiting for a new solenoid. They are 3 weeks out on back order.

Happy trails,

Rick Y
RickeyD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2015, 07:40 AM   #15
GG1
Winnie-Wise
 
GG1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WHITING,NJ,USA
Posts: 470
As long as the tubes do not have dirt on them simply brush them with transmission fluid every few weeks.
__________________
07 Itasca Ellipse 40fd, 2014 Honda CRV, greyhound lab mix, pit pointer mix(RIP bessie) , shar pei mix, stupid cat, wife
GG1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-14-2015, 08:49 AM   #16
Winnebago Master
 
jerichorick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Full-timer/volunteer w/SOWERS
Posts: 2,734
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigd9 View Post
The original poster rogo88 never did state what brand jacks/stabilizers he had in his 2004 Journey 39W. I don't even know if his are internal springs or external springs. But from his description of how they act, my first and cheapest course of action is clean and lubricate the pistons as per what ever manufacture recommendations are.
Good and valid point. By the way, where is the OP??
__________________
Rick & Melissa Young & Dawson (RIP), 2011 Meridian 40U, FL XCL, ISL 380HP/DEF, Al 3000 MH, 2014 Honda CR-V, SMI AF1, Blue Ox TruCenter & tow equip.,EEZTire TPMS.
Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. Best job we ever paid to do . (full time volunteers)
jerichorick is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
jacks


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Step Retraction Thudman General Maintenance and Repair 19 04-16-2010 03:15 PM
HWH jack broken retraction spring bowats General Maintenance and Repair 8 02-13-2008 04:26 PM
HWH Jack retraction tip RanchoVectra General Maintenance and Repair 16 03-15-2007 05:30 AM
Emergency slide retraction SkipperT Winnebago General Discussions 7 02-13-2005 01:51 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.