Cables
 

I have a 2008 15t Hi Lo and in 2016 the left front cable broke in my drive way. I purchased a special jack to lift the left front corner to enable the lowering of the Hi Lo. I can’t imagine what I would have done if this happened in a camp ground away from home. I proceeded to replace all four cables. In the process I made four 2x4’s to hold up the Hi Lo to install the cables. It appears that the cables only lasted eight years. I purchased the Hi Lo in 2010. Since I owned the Hi Lo, I lubricated the cables twice a year. I don’t know how often the previous owner did maintenance on the cables. But I was told that the trailer was seldom used. Replacing the cables was a major job, especially the crimping of the cables. I would prefer never to do it again. One thing I noticed when I replaced the cables that the pulleys don’t spin freely. They turn but do not spin. Could this be a problem? The trailer is stored down in my garage. I have a few questions.
1. Is it advisable to take the jack with you on every trip to be able to lower the Hi Lo if a cable breaks on a trip?
2. How long can I expect the cables to last after repair? Another eight years?
3. Is it advisable to put 2x4’s to hold up the Hi Lo at all four corners while up? Is there some other method to take the load of the top?

Hi, sorry to hear about your troubles.
I'll answer your questions the best I can.
1st, the jack. I would plan on taking a jack if it were me. If you do have another problem I would expect it to be either very soon due to a unforeseen issue such as a bad spot on a pulley or a fail in the crimping.
2. Cable life. This can be tricky. Have you determined a reason for the failure? These cables can get frayed and worn from not being in the tracks properly causing premature wear. A tight pulley can be a problem if it freezes while under strain. The cables are under a huge amount of stress. You should spend some time and find the cause of the problem and fix it. I pulled the cables in an 18 y/o 24' unit not long ago. The cables were a bit dry but I could not find a reason to replace them. O guess their is a VERY slim and unlikely chance that it could be a flaw in manufacturing of the cable. Look everything over closely and you should be able to figure it out. Wear Gloves and clean the lube off if needed.
3. I use 2x6 or 2x8s when I block up the units. This is probably overkill but I dont want to lose a leg when someone decides to get it bouncing around by going in and out of something. I set my blocks as close to the cable as I can without getting in my own way. This is where it is designed to be supported at. To keep this as safe as possible doing this on level ground is best. I even tilt my blocks in a bit at the top on case pressure is released the block doesn't fall out.
See what you can find out on the cable failure and that should put your repair into a better perspective.
Keep us posted.
Thanks, Dave

Dave - good post about trying to determine the cause of the cable failure rather than just replacing them and hoping for the best. I personally think the cables can last a LONG time without replacement if they are properly maintained and there are no other problems in the lifting system such as a pulley that has broken or that can't rotate freely. My trailer is 11 1/2 years old now, and as far as I can tell, the cables are in excellent condition.

One thing I notice in your post though, is your placement of 2x6s or 2x8s to block up the top. It seems to me you are running those boards from the top to the ground. I would recommend an alternate technique. Support the wood boards on each of the "outriggers" on the bottom frame and rest the top on those. This keeps the boards and trailer together as a unit and it doesn't matter if the trailer rocks or moves when they are in use. The outriggers support the top when it is down during travel and is subject to severe stress due to road conditions, so placing the boards there when the trailer is stationary seems an ideal location to me. You will be able to use shorter boards this way too, which makes transporting them easier, and, since they are shorter, 2x4s will be plenty strong enough. If you lower the top so it firmly contacts the boards, they will NOT come out if they are on the outriggers.

- Jack

Thanks for the reply. I guess my big problem is I am paranoid about a failure away from home. I read on this forum that the cables fail from leaving the top up for long periods of time. I now keep it down, when not in use, and also store in my garage. I really appreciate the ability of lowering it and storing in my garage. No storage fees!! Stays clean!! The right front cable failed from rust about three inches from the crimp. I purchased a crimping tool but the leverage required to crimp the crimps required way more force than I expected. I am not crazy about doing that again. To have piece of mind about traveling with this trailer in the future, I guess I will have to travel with the tools to deal with the potential of a failed cable. The pulleys will turn if I rotate them with my finger but I expected them to spin like a figit spinner. It's obvious that there is no bearings. I feel that this is a design failure. I expected the pulleys to spin easy to reduce the load on the cables. I now inspect the cables, as best I can, for signs of rust and lubricate. I have also considered putting 2x4's on the out riggers when it's up to lessen the load on the cables. May be paint them white so they look nice. I shouldn't have to do that. There should be a way in the design of that lift system to take the load off the cables when up. There is a lock feature that you are not supposed to use to support the top. It's just a safety feature. Again thanks.

I totally agree that mounting to the outrigger is the best if the trailer has something to attach to by all means use it. The 99 I just did I built boards to the ground, I would have been much more comfortable if it was on the trailer.
Thinking about this I probably could have set mine on the tongue in the front and across a spot on the back.
I dont think the weight of the top is a big issue I just dont want to tweak it by supporting it unevenly.

strong cables
 

As far as load, the cables should be able to support many times more the weight of the top continually. Think of suspension bridges that have the same wound cables, though bigger.
Breaks probably happen if the cable is frayed or pulled over a sharp (small radius turn) spot. A non-turning pulley might add wear to a cable and begin it to fray.
Just that the cables turn over the pulley is a source of bending under load that always concerns me, this could eventually cause a cable to fray I would think. I see bicycle cables (brake or shifter) usually break where the cable turns a tight radius over time. Inevitable for the bicycle, but not sure about HILO.
I doubt very seriously that a cable will just break because it is under the load of the top, there has to be something bending or cutting it.

I agree with you, if these cables couldn't handle the load of the top, then if one cable snaps, the others would snap in quick session.
We know for a fact and experience that improper or NO maintenance to the cables WILL cause failure. Oiling the cables at least once a year is a must, this should include oiling those pulley bolts.
I drilled holes in the cap boards and installed a metal insert to allow oiling the cables without removing the cap boards.
Tree

A good lube for the cables is Blaster Garage Door Cable Lube. It is like bicycle chain lube in that is penetrates in a thin liquid form and drys to leave a dry waxy film that doesn't attract dust and dirt. Walmart sells it. I learned about it here on the forum several years ago.

Well, damn! What a smart idea! Wish I'da thunk of that!

Happy New Year, Tree!

- Jack

Jack, somewhere I posted pics of the mod.
I'll see if I can find it.
Tree

Found it! It's under "Two mods worked out" in search panel
Tree

I must be getting older than I realized. I even commented in that thread and then promptly forgot about it. Thanks, Tree!

- Jack