[VAL] Jack Story

["Gary Quamen" <g_quamen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy folks:

I finally installed my electric jack yesterday.  As is usually the case, it
didn't go exactly as I planned.

I knew that I had to buy a jack with maximum 2" diameter shaft or it would
require grinding out the mounting holes on the trailer tongue.  I didn't
expect to encounter this:

Apparently, the original manual jack, although it too was 2" had little or
no paint on it when it was installed.  There are two holes in the web of the
A-frame, the top one being slightly bigger than the bottom one (although I
can't imagine why).  The new jack has a beautiful thick coat of black enamel
on it.  It wouldn't fit through the bottom hole.  Was close, but no go.  Not
only that, it appeared that the factory installed the safety chain (s) by
wrapping it around the original jack post from the back, and welding 3 of
the links to the underside of the web adjacent to the hole that was too
small.  Now this SHOULD have been a really small job:  3 bolts and tap into
the wire at the breakaway switch (yeah, I changed my mind).

So it was either remove the paint from the jack or make the hole (and
adjacent chain links) a silly-millimeter bigger.  I chose the latter.  I ran
my rechargeable Dremel tool til it ran out of juice.  I had my generator in
the back of the truck and the CASE for the 120V Dremel, but no tool.  Game
over.

The next day I went back and took my freshly recharged Dremel and went to
it.  This time I had the other Dremel with me and I was ready for as long as
it took to grind out that bugger.  But before the first Dremel pooped out I
managed to get the hole widened out enough for the jack to drop in.  But not
without having to twist it a little.  I can't wait to try to get it out
someday.  Oh well...it's never easy.  Works great.  Wiring it up was a snap.

One other thing: I made a nifty cover out of a leftover hunk of Sunbrella
Silver.  Pulls over the jack head and has a nylon strap and buckle to secure
it around the jack shaft.  Looks really nice I think.  Would be delighted to
send anyone a picture that wants to see what it looks like offline.

Later,

GQ '67 Safari
4082 in CA