I just repositioned our rig and while it was on the truck, at the suggestion of Ken G (KenandDonna) I checked the pads for tightness. All 6 were loose, and I wouldn’t have even thought about it had Ken not suggested. It takes a 15/16 deep socket, and the SnapPads have a hole in them to reach the bolt.
After reading about others experience, I checked our unit. All pads were loose. Thanks for the heads up. They are now tight and on my routine check list..
I wonder if some Blue Loctite would be helpful to put on the threads?
Good suggestion Michelle.
Coincidently, when I reset and leveled the rig I also immediately noticed a difference with less movement when walking inside.
Lippert actually recommends 54-62 ft/lbs of torque and the use of red thread lock on the bolts that secure the sand pads to the hydraulic jack leg. I am aware of one person that actually lost a sand pad and snugged the bolts on their remaining 5 pads and they loosened up during 300 miles of driving with SOB. The snap pads look to fit snug but I assume you could lose the snap pad along with the sand pad if the bolt were to completely drop out.
We have a member of our Good Sam Chapter that lost the Snap Pad and Foot from their MH.
Yes, if your pad falls off the SnapPad is going with it and it could be very dangerous to a vehicle behind you. I guess in that case the SnapPad could actually help by providing a softer surface rather than steel, but in any case it would be launching a missle. I can’t see how the SnapPad would ever come off by itself since it takes the weight of the trailer to install it.
Lippert actually recommends 54-62 ft/lbs of torque and the use of red thread lock on the bolts that secure the sand pads to the hydraulic jack leg. I am aware of one person that actually lost a sand pad and snugged the bolts on their remaining 5 pads and they loosened up during 300 miles of driving with SOB. The snap pads look to fit snug but I assume you could lose the snap pad along with the sand pad if the bolt were to completely drop out.
Can you point me to where you found the torque spec? I'm a little afraid of using red thread locker. It requires heat if you ever need to unfasten the bolt.
I agree, that's why I suggested the Blue Loctite as it will lock the threads, but can still be broken loose if need be.
Received the spec for the landing gear sand pad bolt torque and thread lock directly from Lippert. I deal with Lippert almost on a daily basis working on SOB.
Chris
I found a Lippert Level Up Installation and Owner's manual that states the following:
6. Bolt the footpads to the jacks and torque to 132 ft-lb.
Make sure to use Loctite™ 263 High Strength Thread
Locker (Red) on the footpad bolts. See bolt in (Fig.2)
assembly for reference.
NOTE: Do not try to remove the bolt once it is tightened.
Removing the bolt could result in damage to the cylinder.
Boy, they're serious about fastening these pads on...at least by design if not by implementation (mine were pretty loose also and easy to remove). I was surprised to see the two o-rings on the bolt, and wondered if they were intended to provide play in the assembly to accommodate uneven ground surfaces. Obviously not at that torque. I'm still not sure I want to go as far as using Red Loctite.
