TLC FOR
WORDS: MAX TAYLOR
YOUR JOCKEY
SERVICING A JOCKEY WHEEL IS
AN EASY DIY TASK THAT COULD
GIVE IT YEARS OF NEW LIFE.
A standard jockey wheel is a lowmaintenance
item. It should provide years
of faithful service before hinting at the need
for attention.
However, like all things, the older they get,
the more love a jockey wheel will need.
Especially if the jockey wheel has been left
out in the weather, as mine has.
The handle had become a little stiff and
would jolt slightly as I wound it, indicating
the bearing was not operating in peak
condition. New grease was called for.
A standard jockey wheel, the type found on
most caravans, is a relatively simple thing
to pull apart. In my case, it’s a six-year-old
Al-Ko unit with 8in wheel. The innards vary
slightly from jockey wheel to jockey wheel,
but you’re essentially looking at the
following components: an internal threaded
rod and a bearing for the winding handle.
The threaded rod screws up and down
within an inner sleeve, raising and lowering
the jockey wheel. An outer sleeve sits over
the top.
THIS JOB IS EASIER THAN YOU'D THINK!