classicrockguy
Senior Member
So, it’s ok for the wheel/axle/u-bolts/springs etc. to get the crap beat out of them hauling down some of our wonderful rough roads, but the static weight on one wheel can’t be supported from under the axle between the u-bolts with a proper saddle on the bottle jack? Sorry, I don’t buy that.
What I do buy is that placing a bottle jack under an axle well inboard of the u-bolts would be a definite no-no. Maybe close to the u-bolts is ok, as long as a proper saddle is used. Consider the centerline of the wheel is supporting the same dead load (as well is the much more extreme dynamic load) well outside of the spring/u-bolt centerline, so the axle load is cantilevered quite a bit between these 2 centerlines. If the axle tube is that wimpy, it would bend on the first little bump in the road.
Placing a bottle jack anywhere under an axle tube without a proper saddle distributing the load could deform the axle tube.
What I do buy is that placing a bottle jack under an axle well inboard of the u-bolts would be a definite no-no. Maybe close to the u-bolts is ok, as long as a proper saddle is used. Consider the centerline of the wheel is supporting the same dead load (as well is the much more extreme dynamic load) well outside of the spring/u-bolt centerline, so the axle load is cantilevered quite a bit between these 2 centerlines. If the axle tube is that wimpy, it would bend on the first little bump in the road.
Placing a bottle jack anywhere under an axle tube without a proper saddle distributing the load could deform the axle tube.