Missing handle on a M116A3? (PU-797 recovery)

[Light in the Dark]

Hi Fellas. Need to take a nice little drive to Chambersburg to pick up a PU-797 soon. I need help identifying a missing handle for the landing gear/tongue jack.



As this is my first unit on a trailer... I am kind of in the dark on what this handle looks like. I need to know crucial this is to recovering the unit. Can I use something else in its place? How do I secure this gear up and out of the way?

Got any other hints that might be useful? I am sure I will need to bring a bunch of tools for safety backup along the way (as we are talking about 400 miles in each direction). Thanks for the help.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Here are pictures of handle and jack leg engagement. First, the jack leg is secured in the stowed position by the pin (yours is there). Once it is securely attached to your pintle hitch you just jack the foot up until all the weight is on hitch plus a little swing clearance for the round foot at bottom. Then pull pin outwards and lift up on the jack leg by the rear handle, once it is up the pin will set in a hole used for the stowed position.

As far as not having the handle, one member here said he used a socket wrench to catch the roll pin and turned with wrench to jack up. Amazing so many handles go missing. It will probably end up on eBay. You could probably fab one up using steel pipe sections welded together with a slot cut in one end, or have a machinist make one, or look on eBay for one, they do come up.

 

[Zed254]

Image shows how the jack swings up when you pull the pin (4): also can view in upper left corner of your photo #2. The boys at GovPlanet's Letterkenny site will bring your unit out on a large fork lift and set it right down on your truck's pintle hitch. I've pulled 3 trailers out of there and they have always been great help.

 

[ixpacman]

Not too long ago I bought a handle for the M116 trailer leg from bobr2004. He might have another one.
Good luck Harry

 

[mepgen]

I just picked mine up from Chambersburg Govplanet yesterday. On mine the gear mechanism was broken inside the tongue jack. The folks there aslo picked up the genset with a front in loader with forks on it and set it right on the pintle hitch for me. Make sure you bring an air compressor, one tire on the trailer had 5 psi and the other 17 psi. The folks there were very friendly and helpful.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Also, if you don't have an adaptor for the trailer's electrical connector don't forget to bring along a set of Harbor Freight magnetic tow lights and some zip ties to make sure they stay on. A good bump/jolt can detach the base's magnets. Some people say the safety tow chains are too short to reach their vehicle's hitch attachment point. So bring along some large chain link extenders just in case.

Does trailer have a cover? If it does you may want to remove it before taking off. I presume if you driving 400 miles you will be traveling much of it at Interstate hi-way speeds. Trailer covers create a LOT of resistance and air puts stress on canvas seams at 55-70 mph. They are pretty easy to take off.

I also have an IR temperature gun that I use to check wheel hub temperature after about first 10 miles of travel to see if they are getting too hot and at rest/fuel stops. You never know...bearings could be dry or have over tightened castle nut. If the surge brake is faulty (worn shock, etc.) you can lock it out with a bolt & nut in lockout hole. I forget the bolt size it accepts but can check in morning.

Just my two cents!

 

[Guyfang]

Keep in mind, that it's always good to know what kind of PU set you are picking up. Different PU's have different jacks. The PU TM's should be in the TM forum. If not, I will post them when I get home.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Here are pictures of handle and jack leg engagement. First, the jack leg is secured in the stowed position by the pin (yours is there). Once it is securely attached to your pintle hitch you just jack the foot up until all the weight is on hitch plus a little swing clearance for the round foot at bottom. Then pull pin outwards and lift up on the jack leg by the rear handle, once it is up the pin will set in a hole used for the stowed position.

As far as not having the handle, one member here said he used a socket wrench to catch the roll pin and turned with wrench to jack up. Amazing so many handles go missing. It will probably end up on eBay. You could probably fab one up using steel pipe sections welded together with a slot cut in one end, or have a machinist make one, or look on eBay for one, they do come up.

View attachment 704574 View attachment 704580

Great... I don't need this handle for my recovery (but will later on). Thanks for this info!

 

[Light in the Dark]

Image shows how the jack swings up when you pull the pin (4): also can view in upper left corner of your photo #2. The boys at GovPlanet's Letterkenny site will bring your unit out on a large fork lift and set it right down on your truck's pintle hitch. I've pulled 3 trailers out of there and they have always been great help.

Thanks for the illustration.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I just picked mine up from Chambersburg Govplanet yesterday. On mine the gear mechanism was broken inside the tongue jack. The folks there aslo picked up the genset with a front in loader with forks on it and set it right on the pintle hitch for me. Make sure you bring an air compressor, one tire on the trailer had 5 psi and the other 17 psi. The folks there were very friendly and helpful.

Oh yes, air compressor is coming for the ride. Id bring a spare tire with me if I had it... but I don't. Here is to hoping its smooth sailing home once properly inflated!

 

[Light in the Dark]

Also, if you don't have an adaptor for the trailer's electrical connector don't forget to bring along a set of Harbor Freight magnetic tow lights and some zip ties to make sure they stay on. A good bump/jolt can detach the base's magnets. Some people say the safety tow chains are too short to reach their vehicle's hitch attachment point. So bring along some large chain link extenders just in case.

Does trailer have a cover? If it does you may want to remove it before taking off. I presume if you driving 400 miles you will be traveling much of it at Interstate hi-way speeds. Trailer covers create a LOT of resistance and air puts stress on canvas seams at 55-70 mph. They are pretty easy to take off.

I also have an IR temperature gun that I use to check wheel hub temperature after about first 10 miles of travel to see if they are getting too hot and at rest/fuel stops. You never know...bearings could be dry or have over tightened castle nut. If the surge brake is faulty (worn shock, etc.) you can lock it out with a bolt & nut in lockout hole. I forget the bolt size it accepts but can check in morning.

Just my two cents!

Lock it out as just fix the assembly so it cannot even engage? Good thinking Uncle Sam! I cant tell from the photos if the pin is in place or not (some of the auctions you could see it hanging by a chain). If you can find the bolt size as a backup that would be great.

 

[Zed254]

3/8" diameter bolt x 4" Grade 5 or 8. You put it in the mechanism if the brakes are locking up as you back up a hill or over some obstruction. It blocks the movement of the braking mechanism. Not used during forward travel unless brakes are messed up. Remember to put your brake engagement handles in the up position, too.

 

[Light in the Dark]

3/8" diameter bolt x 4" Grade 5 or 8. You put it in the mechanism if the brakes are locking up as you back up a hill or over some obstruction. It blocks the movement of the braking mechanism. Not used during forward travel unless brakes are messed up. Remember to put your brake engagement handles in the up position, too.

Are these handles located near the pintle ring, or somewhere further back?

 

[Zed254]

Brake handles circled on attached pic. This one is ready to roll. Pivot handles down to engage trailer brakes.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Thats perfect, thanks. Here is what I am looking at... which appears its also already set to roll.

 

[Guyfang]

If the handle is there, you will find it in the OVM box, on the front of the PU set. No one leaves it on the trailer. It seems to have legs of its own.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I think I see a padlock hanging from the front of the OVM box... so maybe I will investigate upon landing at home base. Thanks for the tip though Guy. This will also make a nice test mule (if it lasts long enough in my possession) to test out some of those gauges from my crispy set!

 

[bigbe5678]

I use this trailer jack handle From E trailer https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Atwood/87891.html It works like a charm

 

[Ray70]

Good luck with your recovery L.I.T.D! I'll probably be heading there late Sunday night to pick up 2 of mine. I've always had them delivered in the past, but prices recently went way up on delivery, so this is my first trip to Chambersburg myself! Gonna try putting both on a tag-along car trailer either with tongues overlapped facing each other or one tongue under the back of the other trailer, depending on the location of the trailer wheels. Either that or I'm bringing a set of F350 rims and narrow tires that should fit between wheel wells.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Good luck to you too. Sucks we don't have a closer location with reliable source.