Hydraulic lift system safety bar won't disengage

[Hi Lo No Go]

Hello everyone…

I have a 1987 Model 2087L that has been sitting in my yard, unused for three years. I have been occasionally exercising the lift system and it had been working fine, although I had to pull quite hard on the cable to get the safety release bar to disengage. However, it recently stopped working. The safety release bar will not disengage and the trailer is stuck in the up position.

When I open the little door where the switch to raise and lower the trailer is located, there appears to be two cables crimped together that pass through a bushing located next to the switch. At least, while the system was working I assumed there were two cables. Once it stopped working, I noticed one of the cables was loose and I pulled it out of the bushing. It was only about a foot long and at first I assumed that it had broken. Upon closer inspection, I see it is actually the same cable looping through the crimp, appearing to be nothing more than excess cable [See Picture 1]. At this point, I am thinking the cable is frozen or jammed.

Picture 1:


This brings the following questions to mind:

1) Am I correct that there is only one cable and the “second cable” I am seeing is excess?

2) If there are two cables, what is the function of each?

3) I have tried tracing this cable without success. It disappears beneath the bench seat closest to the door and does not reappear under the other bench seat [See Picture 2]. It passes through the small white plastic tube next to the large flex hose and disappears near the wheel well somewhere under the table. When I look underneath the trailer I see no cable anywhere near there. Where does it pass through the floor?

Picture 2:


4) I see a series of pulleys and cables midway between the two axles but I cannot recognize anything that might be a safety release bar. Where does the other end of the cable terminate? Where is the safety bar located and what does it look like?

5) From my description, what might cause this problem and how can I fix it?

I am trying to get the trailer into shape in order to sell it. Since it can’t be towed in up position I have to resolve this problem prior to putting it up for sale. This is the first trailer I've owned and I know next to nothing about it, though I am fairly mechanically inclined. Any advice that any of you can offer me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Lyle

 

[C317414]

There is only one cable going to the bar. The cable on mi 2408T has a much nicer crimp and the excess is only about 1/8". I wonder if yours was replaced or repaired.

As I recall, the bar on my is on the right side, close to the inside of the right side frame member. Mine jammed once and all I had to do is get underneath, wiggle the bar, and lube it with spray grease.

I'd get under mine and take a photo, but we got rain last night in the campground we're in and the ground is soaked.

 

[Rolff]

Have you made sure the top is lifted enough that the weight is not on the safety bar? Your cables may have stretched. If there is weight on it you can't pull it loose.

 

[69hilo2]

check

Double check what Rolff posted. That is a safety thing that you must deal with. Raise then pull and release then lower.

Later Tim

 

[Castbulletman]

make sure the hydralic system is full this will effect the raising of the top, and the release of the safety

 

[Hi Lo No Go]

Thanks for the responses.

There is only one cable going to the bar. The cable on mi 2408T has a much nicer crimp and the excess is only about 1/8". I wonder if yours was replaced or repaired.

As I recall, the bar on my is on the right side, close to the inside of the right side frame member. Mine jammed once and all I had to do is get underneath, wiggle the bar, and lube it with spray grease.

I'd get under mine and take a photo, but we got rain last night in the campground we're in and the ground is soaked.

If I can locate the bar, I will try this. However, I still am unsure what the bar looks like and it's difficult to find something when you don't know what you are looking for. Can you describe it's shape and approximate size? I took another look underneath and I probably have seen the bar and just don't realize what it is.

Have you made sure the top is lifted enough that the weight is not on the safety bar? Your cables may have stretched. If there is weight on it you can't pull it loose.

After reading your response and Tim's comment, I tried raising it higher and then pulling the release cable. It would not go any higher and the cable was immovable when I tried pulling it.

How would I know if it the top is as far up as it should be?

I have attached a few more pictures to show the underside of the trailer. The first two were taken from the left side just forward of the wheels. The last two were taken from the right side just forward of the wheels. Is the safety release bar visible in any of these pictures?

 

[RCREYES]

Thanks for the responses.



If I can locate the bar, I will try this. However, I still am unsure what the bar looks like and it's difficult to find something when you don't know what you are looking for. Can you describe it's shape and approximate size? I took another look underneath and I probably have seen the bar and just don't realize what it is.



After reading your response and Tim's comment, I tried raising it higher and then pulling the release cable. It would not go any higher and the cable was immovable when I tried pulling it.

How would I know if it the top is as far up as it should be?

I have attached a few more pictures to show the underside of the trailer. The first two were taken from the left side just forward of the wheels. The last two were taken from the right side just forward of the wheels. Is the safety release bar visible in any of these pictures?

View attachment 2717

View attachment 2718

View attachment 2719

View attachment 2720

The bar you are looking for looks like a solid steel rod. Usually covered in rust. I can see it in the second and third pictues. Take some steel wool or emory cloth to it and give it a good coat of grease. I've added the below procedure to my routine maintenance.

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f61/how-fix-top-half-creep-your-hilo-trailer-129/

 

[C317414]

If I can locate the bar, I will try this. However, I still am unsure what the bar looks like and it's difficult to find something when you don't know what you are looking for. Can you describe it's shape and approximate size? I took another look underneath and I probably have seen the bar and just don't realize what it is.

We are back from camping. If I have time after work today I will shoot photos of the bar on my trailer.

Incidentally, the guide rod on yours seems pretty dirty and corroded. I suggest that you clean it well and lubricate it with grease.

 

[Hi Lo No Go]

The bar you are looking for looks like a solid steel rod. Usually covered in rust. I can see it in the second and third pictues. Take some steel wool or emory cloth to it and give it a good coat of grease. I've added the below procedure to my routine maintenance.

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f61/how-fix-top-half-creep-your-hilo-trailer-129/

Below is the second picture from my previous post. Please view the large version and you will see that I have marked it up:



Based on your description, I first suspected the safety bar was the rod I marked "A", until I read Norton Rider's post below. Now I think "A" is the rusty guide bar he refers to. "B" appears to be a hydraulic ram. It's all still unclear to me. Is the safety bar oriented across the chassis (running in a side to side direction) or longitudinally along the chassis, running from front to back?

We are back from camping. If I have time after work today I will shoot photos of the bar on my trailer.

Incidentally, the guide rod on yours seems pretty dirty and corroded. I suggest that you clean it well and lubricate it with grease.

I will take your advice as soon as I know which rod is which. Now I have two rods to identify- LOL! Your pictures will be appreciated.

Thank you both.

 

[C317414]

Safety Bar Photos

I took some photos of the safety bar on my 2408T. I assume that the safety bar is similar in all Hi-Lo trailers.

The first photo shows the lift cylinder with the vent hose connected to it. The photo is looking up at the mechanism. The top of the photo is forward. The shiny rod is the guide rod that needs to be greased periodically. The flat metal bar above the guide rod and the cylinder is the safety bar.

The second photo shows the right side of the trailer. The left of the photo is forward. The round rod is the guide rod. The flat bar with the two bolts is the safety bar. Notice the cable. It is routed through a hole in the guide rod, looped and a crimp connector is attached. This is the cable that is pulled from the inside prior to lowering the trailer.

The third photo is a close up of the bar and cable. This is the engaged position: the bar is down.

The fourth photo shows the bar in the disengaged position. The bar is being manually held in the disengaged (up) position. This is the position the bar would be when the cable is pulled from the inside. The cable is slack because it is not being pulled from the inside.

The weight of the bar will normally keep it in the engaged position. The cable pulls the bar up to disengage it. The end of the bar with the cable rides up and down on a channel. A bit of grease on this channel will ensure that the bar engages and disengages smoothly.

Please note that all these photos are taken with the trailer lowered. If the trailer is raised the cylinder will be close to the cable end of the bar.

 

[69hilo2]

different view

Our hilo is a 1969 Traveler hilo so this may be different. Also the pic was taken to show the axle springs not the release. The release on ours is a double set of "prongs" that catch over the top of the main piece on the end of the piston. I remember a few years ago when I used a hammer and screw driver to release everything before I learned to raise then pull cable then lower is the correct way. The other hammer way can get you hurt and damage things.
It first pic shows the area, in the detail pic I hope that you can see at least one of the "prongs" that go over the plate. The "prong plate lifts from the top and has the release cable through it.
Good Luck

Later Tim

 

[jcurtis95]

I took some photos of the safety bar on my 2408T. I assume that the safety bar is similar in all Hi-Lo trailers.

The first photo shows the lift cylinder with the vent hose connected to it. The photo is looking up at the mechanism. The top of the photo is forward. The shiny rod is the guide rod that needs to be greased periodically. The flat metal bar above the guide rod and the cylinder is the safety bar.

The second photo shows the right side of the trailer. The left of the photo is forward. The round rod is the guide rod. The flat bar with the two bolts is the safety bar. Notice the cable. It is routed through a hole in the guide rod, looped and a crimp connector is attached. This is the cable that is pulled from the inside prior to lowering the trailer.

The third photo is a close up of the bar and cable. This is the engaged position: the bar is down.


The fourth photo shows the bar in the disengaged position. The bar is being manually held in the disengaged (up) position. This is the position the bar would be when the cable is pulled from the inside. The cable is slack because it is not being pulled from the inside.

The weight of the bar will normally keep it in the engaged position. The cable pulls the bar up to disengage it. The end of the bar with the cable rides up and down on a channel. A bit of grease on this channel will ensure that the bar engages and disengages smoothly.

Please note that all these photos are taken with the trailer lowered. If the trailer is raised the cylinder will be close to the cable end of the bar.

Norton Rider,

Great job of crawling under your HiLo to take pictures and try and help a forum member. That is what makes this trailer forum so special, folks like you always ready to go the extra mile to help someone out. We no longer own a HiLo but I still check in regularly and try to help when I can.

Thanks,

jcurtis95

 

[C317414]

Below is the second picture from my previous post. Please view the large version and you will see that I have marked it up:

View attachment 2724

Based on your description, I first suspected the safety bar was the rod I marked "A", until I read Norton Rider's post below. Now I think "A" is the rusty guide bar he refers to. "B" appears to be a hydraulic ram. It's all still unclear to me. Is the safety bar oriented across the chassis (running in a side to side direction) or longitudinally along the chassis, running from front to back?



I will take your advice as soon as I know which rod is which. Now I have two rods to identify- LOL! Your pictures will be appreciated.

Thank you both.

In your photo, "A" is the guide rod; "B" is the cylinder rod. Neither one is the safety bar. The safety bar is above those two as shown in the photos that I posted yesterday.

Once you get the safety bar working, you should thoroughly clean the guide rod, "A". You may want to use some steel wool or very fine sandpaper to remove the corrosion. After you're done, lubricate it with waterproof grease (boat trailer bearing grease). The cylinder rod, "B" just needs to be wiped down. It helps to use a rag with a bit of transmission fluid on it. This will help make the cylinder seals last.

 

[C317414]

Norton Rider,

Great job of crawling under your HiLo to take pictures and try and help a forum member. That is what makes this trailer forum so special, folks like you always ready to go the extra mile to help someone out. We no longer own a HiLo but I still check in regularly and try to help when I can.

Thanks,

jcurtis95

Thanks, I'm fortunate that my trailer is at home and it sits on a dry concrete paver pad. This makes it easy to crawl under it.

 

[Rolff]

One thing is for sure. I need to get under mine and take some photos of what the functioning positions are so I have them in case it stops working. Thanks for all the info and effort.

 

[Hi Lo No Go]

Wow! Thank you all for the extraordinary efforts to set me straight and especially Norton Rider for a detailed narrative to go along with some great pictures. This is just what I needed. I have a busy schedule for the next few days so I am not sure when I will get to it, but I hope to do so between now the end of the weekend... weather permitting. I will let you all know how I make out.

 

[RichR]

Check the safety bar to see if it is bent, it should be pretty much straight the whole length. They can get bent, probably from lack of maintenance, from some type of damage, or improper operation. I saw a bent one that my dealer friend had to replace because of some unknown happening. I think he said it was from failure to properly lube the lift system.

Also, if you can get that extra length of cable pulled out of the plastic tubing it may unjam the situation. There should only be a single cable coming out to the loop end. And, check the plastic tubing for wear through.

 

[Hi Lo No Go]

I had planned on trying to fix my safety release bar sooner but the weather has kept the ground damp and I didn’t relish crawling in the mud. This afternoon, even though still slightly muddy, I crawled underneath the trailer and was able to immediately locate the safety release bar thanks to the excellent pictures and description provided by Norton Rider. Before doing anything, I took the following picture:



While the picture is unmistakably the safety release bar, it looks slightly more “used” than Norton Rider’s. I have to say, they could not have put it in a more difficult place to reach, being between the two axles. I could not get beneath the axles, so I had to work at arm’s length which made it more difficult. I hand sanded off the flakes of rust where I could reach. I couldn’t clean it very well in the recessed area where the end of the bar moves up and down. Then I sprayed the heck out of it with WD-40 and let it soak for about 15 minutes and took this picture:



Although it doesn’t look much better, I can attest that it was much smoother when I finished sanding. Pushing with a screwdriver and with considerable pressure, I was able to actuate the safety release bar into the disengaged position and then back to an engaged position. I repeated this 3 or 4 times. I then went inside the trailer to try the release cable. In the past, when it was working properly (or so I thought), it took considerable force to pull the cable hard enough to disengage the safety release bar. Now I could barely move it. Using a large pair of pliers for grip, I pulled REALLY hard on the cable to disengage the safety release bar. The red light next to the switch then lit up. Thinking I was good to go, I flipped the switch to down and to my surprise nothing happened.

Apparently the safety release bar is no longer a problem. While under the trailer, I saw that when the safety release bar disengages the flat bar actually bends, much like a leaf spring. Since the bar is fairly beefy, it takes some doing to bend this bar. Though it takes quite a bit of muscle to operate it, it does move freely. The bolt that goes through the flat bar appears to be something like a limit switch, which would be adjustable if the bolt wasn't completely rusted. Therefore, I figure it is unlikely to need adjustment since it obviously hasn't moved in years. Consequently, I believe I have another problem, but by this time we had some company so I abandoned my efforts for the day. I will look into other possible problems and post what I find.

 

[C317414]

Did you try to raise the top before actuating the safety bar? By design the bar is difficult or impossible to move with the load of the cylinder on it. Also, the bar definitely does not bend on mine it smoothly moves up and down.

 

[Hi Lo No Go]

Did you try to raise the top before actuating the safety bar? By design the bar is difficult or impossible to move with the load of the cylinder on it. Also, the bar definitely does not bend on mine it smoothly moves up and down.

Yes, I did... a few times to make sure. I heard the electric motor running but the top did not go up the slightest bit. But I think you gave me a few clues that I can follow up on.

Since the bar is bending and not moving as you say it should, that means either it is jammed on the other end (and that I didn't check) OR the trailer is not completely up in spite of my hearing the electric motor running. I understand there is a valve and perhaps it is not actuating. I will check on those things.