Removing rims with tires and lift points

[birdshill123]

I plan on removing the rear wheels on our 42. ft. Dynasty.  I will be 81 this spring and heavy work is no longer possible. I have a young man that helps me with the motorhome. Our MH has no jacks but the tag axle actually has a lift mechanism. I know to jack up both sides. I do have an X12 trorque multiplier. I do not have a large torque wrench. I was planning on buying a HF air wrench that is advertised to handle 1000 ft. lbs. I do haven IR 5Hp 60 gallon compressor. Will I be able to lift the tag axle high enough with the manual controls? also have 2 20 ton jacks and a 20 or 30 ton air over hydrulic jack along with  2 low height OTC jackstands and 2 higher ones. I do not have those 2 inch qq. tube lenchs to insert between the frame rails. Next I will need some advice on  removing the drive axle wheels. I have done this on our Bluebird but it did not have a tag axle. Are the lug nuts 33mm?? Thanks

Edited January 28, 2024 by birdshill123

[Robert92867]

I don't know the answer to your tag axle lift height.

You mention your (2) 20 ton jacks, and 20 or 30 ton air over hydraulic jack, but you didn't say what your jackstands are rated for.  I'm assuming they are rated for the load and you are working on a flat concrete slab.

HF 3/4" or 1" drive impact wrench with 1/2" air hose (1/2" coupler) connected to your 5hp compressor will do it.  I don't know how they figure these claims on impact wrenches, but it took a 3/4" HF Earthquake xt (rated 1700#) with a 50' 1/2" hose and fittings connected to my 5hp compressor at 90 psi to break loose my 33mm lug nuts that were torqued at 400# at a tire shop.

Here's how I remove the drive wheels: Jackstand both sides of your axle so your wheels are no more than1" off the ground and can spin freely. Have (2) 2x4x4' to coax the wheels off the hub.  The inner is more difficult to remove and re-mount, it tends to get sideways on the studs and lock up, if it does this kick it back against the hub and start over.

[vito.a]

I doubt you'll be able to remove the tag wheels/tires with just the tag axle lift. 

And it would be safer to do one side at a time.  The wheel and tire assemblies are very heavy.  Usually, folks use a long bar to maneuver them onto the axle.  

[birdshill123]

My OTC jack stands are rated at 22 tonnes( not tons) for each stand. Very beefy.

[Ivan K]

I can raise the tags enough to get them off of the ground but then the fender is in the way so it doesn't help me. I just jack them up with airbags fully inflated to have enough clearance for a tire spoon to slightly lift it and pull the wheel out. I do one side at a time and have no problem doing it, contrary to popular belief.

[Frank Bergamo]

I drive up on four 2x10 ramps under the drivers. This gives me enough clearance to take off the tag wheel after raising tag. I also do one side at a time. Good luck, be careful!

[Robert92867]

Interesting, a tonne is different from a ton.

[zmotorsports]

I have been able to remove tag tires/wheels by raising the tag and dumping the steer (front).  This pivots the coach on the drive axle and gives just enough clearance to put a large prybar under the tag tires and walk them out of the wheel opening.

 

That being said, I prefer to raise the coach up with the air system, place my 22-ton jackstands under the rear chassis frame rails along and then dump the air.  If I need just a bit more elevation then I slide my 30-ton air over hydraulic jack under to raise it enough to place the 22-ton jackstands.  I do this in the front as well as I made long extensions for my 22-ton jackstands which allow me to remove all tires/wheels if necessary.  I generally only remove those tires/wheels around the area I'm working but when I've replaced tires in the past, I've had the entire coach off the ground on jackstands without any worries or issues.

 

Once the weight of the coach is safely supported by the 22-ton jackstands at each corner I can then merely use my smaller and much more maneuverable 3-ton floor jack to raise one side of whichever axle I'm working on to remove the tire/wheel.  I then set the axle weight down onto a 6-ton jackstand which is more than enough to support the actual weight of the axle and H-frame itself.

 

I use my IR 1/2" impact to remove the lugnuts, then walk the tires/wheels out of the wheel openings to perform the necessary work.  Upon reinstallation, I roll the tire/wheel up to the wheel opening as close as possible to avoid contacting the paint, lean the tire outward, roll onto a long prybar and walk the bottom of the tire under the axle then stand up and onto the wheel studs.  I start the lug nuts by hand, zip them down snugly with the impact gun then use my 3/4" Proto torque wrench to properly torque the wheels to spec.