What You Should Know About a Jockey WheelWhat You Should Know About a Jockey Wheel
Indispensable for maneuvering a trailer, facilitating hooking up, a Jockey Wheel is installed on the drawbar and acts as a crutch. Chosen according to the support load of the trailer, the diameter of the caliper, the jockey wheel can be puncture-proof, inflatable, electric, in which case it is called a motorized jockey wheel.
What is a Jockey Wheel?
The jockey wheel is a telescopic stand, vertically adjustable, fixed through a bracket/clamp on the boom of a trailer. It has one or two steerable wheels at its base, which make it easier to maneuver when the trailer is unhitched. A screw jack allows height adjustment even when the trailer is loaded.
Its name undoubtedly derives from the similarity between a rider’s position on a horse and its placement on the drawbar of the trailer. This accessory, essential on any trailer, makes it easy to attach to the tow bar without effort. It is then firmly locked in the upper position during taxiing.
Detailed Description of the Jockey Wheel
A jockey wheel or rolling stand is essentially made up of:
- A yoke or collar fastening bolted to a general plate welded on the drawbar of the trailer. This flange ensures the locking of the jockey wheel using an integral tightening handle;
- A cylindrical tube or square galvanized or painted which comprises inside a threaded rod which serves not square cylinder for raising or lowering the trailer;
- A permanent handle at the top serves to actuate the screw effortlessly;
- A stirrup, the tube base, which encloses an inflatable wheel or not and freely rotates 360 ° about its pivot.
Using the Jockey Wheel Correctly in 4 Steps
The car must be stationary. The trailer is hitched to its ball. The stand is in a high position. Then proceed in 4 steps.
- Unlock the clamping bracket until the wheel slides on the ground.
- Tighten the caliper.
- Keep the hitch head handle raised, then twist the kickstand crank until the trailer disengages from the vehicle.
- Then move the towed assembly for parking or handing it over.
3 Recommendations for Choosing the Right Jockey Wheel for a Trailer
To target the right jockey wheel crutch, you must:
- make sure that the support tube of the new jockey wheel you have chosen is of the same diameter as the existing caliper. If not, you can buy the correct mounting bracket/clamp and adapt it to the drawbar of your trailer;
- check the value of the drawbar load (the trailer manual very often indicates this weight);
- by opting for an inflatable wheel, plan a pump or a compressor, or an anti-puncture spray. A spare inner tube is also a wise precaution.
You can buy the jockey wheel model that best meets your wishes for user comfort with these elements.…