Jacking a Tri-Glide

[TG Bob]

How do you jack up a Tri Glide? The service manual says to place a jack under the frame centered under the clutch cover but the trike's center of gravity is aft of that point such that the trike tilts back when you raise it and the front wheel comes up instead. The service manual says as an alternative you can jack one side or the other using a jack under the axle but I want to raise the whole back end. I'm working on the garage floor so I have no way of strapping the front wheel down. How do the rest of you do it? Thanks.

[screwball]

A cheapo motorcycle jack ( I have 2 ) won't balance a tri-glide or a freewheeler. I jack the rear, use axel stands to hold it up, then use the jack and lift the front. I've read here that some of the more expensive jacks will lift and balance the whole trike, I'm just not comfortable. I've always had great luck with Antelope Valley Harley, they aren't too far from you

[alienwulf]

I don't have a TG but I put a scissor jack under the motor frame. Then bring the rear with a hydraulic under the rear body where the tow bar would be. When high enough I put two car jack stands under the axles solid and works great. My wish list is for a table lift on a birthday or Xmas maybe. Maybe my wife will read this..

[scuba1954]

I use a J&S jack. Lifts the entire trike off the ground up to 18 inches high. You can roll the jack around in your garage with the trike on it. I store mine up in the air during the winter.

http://www.jsjacks.com/trike-lift/trike-lift/

[alienwulf]

I use a J&S jack. Lifts the entire trike off the ground up to 18 inches high. You can roll the jack around in your garage with the trike on it. I store mine up in the air during the winter.

http://www.jsjacks.com/trike-lift/trike-lift/

Nice price too!.

[desertclassic]

I have 2 scissor jacks, one 4 inch wide and the other 6 inch wide. Works pretty good, but a chore to get all 3 wheels off the floor. Yesterday I drove the trike on floor ramps. It was not hard, just needed a lot of throttle and the Sweetie to make sure I didn't ride over the edge. I thought I would try this since I am changing out the header to a non catt, adding floorboard extensions, relocating the oil filter and adding an oil cooler. Laying on the floor is hard on the old body. Jim

[TG Bob]

Thanks for the ideas. A couple of you have suggested (if I understand correctly) to jack the trike at the rear frame under the body. I question whether that is strong enough as it is just a bolt-on frame assembly for supporting the body and mufflers and not listed as a jacking point in the service manual. The J&S Jack looks neat except that in addition to the frame under the engine it also uses the front of the rear fork (swing arm) as a jack point which is not listed as a jacking point in the service manual either. How much stress does it put on the fork pivot bearings/bushings and the rear transmission mount casting?

[consitter]

I have 2 scissor jacks, one 4 inch wide and the other 6 inch wide. Works pretty good, but a chore to get all 3 wheels off the floor. Yesterday I drove the trike on floor ramps. It was not hard, just needed a lot of throttle and the Sweetie to make sure I didn't ride over the edge. I thought I would try this since I am changing out the header to a non catt, adding floorboard extensions, relocating the oil filter and adding an oil cooler. Laying on the floor is hard on the old body. Jim

Same here. I'm awaiting the money to buy the relocation kit and oil cooler for mine. I will most likely lay on the ground though. It will be incentive to both get it done right the first time, and get done fast.

- - - Updated - - -

I use a J&S jack. Lifts the entire trike off the ground up to 18 inches high. You can roll the jack around in your garage with the trike on it. I store mine up in the air during the winter.

http://www.jsjacks.com/trike-lift/trike-lift/

This is awesome. Wish I had the money for it. And yes, I know for what it is, it's way cheap.

[Sloufoot]

I have 2 scissor jacks, one 4 inch wide and the other 6 inch wide. Works pretty good, but a chore to get all 3 wheels off the floor. Yesterday I drove the trike on floor ramps. It was not hard, just needed a lot of throttle and the Sweetie to make sure I didn't ride over the edge. I thought I would try this since I am changing out the header to a non catt, adding floorboard extensions, relocating the oil filter and adding an oil cooler. Laying on the floor is hard on the old body. Jim

I also use automotive ramps. But I put a rug down on the floor & under the whole ramp also that the rear wheel is on before it tries to run up the ramp. This holds the ramp stationary for you. Sit the ramp towards the outside of the rear tire so you are sure to clear the floor boards.
Then if I need the front end up also I use the floor jack (motorcycle jack) to lift the front wheel & put a third ramp up front. While on the ramps I sit on a mechanics stool & just scoot around the trike to do things on the outside.
When it is time to dis-mount, just slowly reverse the trike to the ramp portion & hold the front & rear brakes to go down easy to the floor.
Works great for not having a lift table. Plenty of room under the trike to do whatever you need to do also.
But get the tallest ramps you can find. I have the metal ramps.

[HDB0B]

I use a J&S trike jack .... but adapters can be found for regular cycle jacks. Here is a picture of a Pitbull adapter showing where it goes.
The J&S trike jack has this feature built in. A J&S trike jack can also be fitted with an adapter rail making it work with regular cycles.

[trikermutha]

I use a J&S trike jack .... but adapters can be found for regular cycle jacks. Here is a picture of a Pitbull adapter showing where it goes.
The J&S trike jack has this feature built in. A J&S trike jack can also be fitted with an adapter rail making it work with regular cycles.

Nice picture I took... Of me lifting the TRIGLIDE

[Texan]

I drilled 2 holes maybe 18" apart in my shop floor and put in those Red Top taps. I got 2 eye bolts that I screw into those taps and run the trike front wheel in between them. Tie the front down and jack up the trike to slide auto ramps under the rear wheels. I can then if necessary release the front end and jack it up and rest the front of the frame on jack stands.

When I finished I jack it up, remove the front jack stands, and back the trike off the ramps. I tried driving upon the ramps one time, using a rug as suggested. One ramp caught and the other didn't.....scared the holy crap out of me.

Ohhh, when I'm finished I push a plastic automotive carpet tab into each of the taps. Keeps the dirt out of the theads.

8~\o

[trikermutha]

I am going with this setup soon and they will have a bike/trike adapter coming out later this year..

I can do my cars,and bikes with the same lift..

http://www.quickjack.com/

[headheaded]

Nice picture I took... Of me lifting the TRIGLIDE

wht's the over all hight of your adapter ? i think i could just make one to go with my lift. THANKS !

[jc1300]

Add me to the J&S Family....I like it

jc

[geezerglide11441]

I use a J&S jack. Lifts the entire trike off the ground up to 18 inches high. You can roll the jack around in your garage with the trike on it. I store mine up in the air during the winter.

http://www.jsjacks.com/trike-lift/trike-lift/

100% I love mine and it is easy to use!!

Roger

[HDB0B]

One thing I have noticed using the J&S trike jack on many TriGlides is that the crossover exhaust clamp nut often has to be rotated out of the way if it hits the forward rail of the jack.

[DK Custom Products]

I have been using the Pro-Series Equipment Lift Table. A bit more than the J&S, but I like the full table much better.

If I need the back wheels off the table I use the scissor jack that came with the Lift Table, at the factory lift point, and with the front wheel in the clamp, and strapped down, it works fine.

Before the table I would use a hydraulic jack to get one side lifted, then put a jack stand under the cross member on that side and then left the other side and do the same. I would butt the front wheel up against a wall, or lock the front brake, to prevent any movement.

Here is a link to the thread on the Lift Table-

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/25171-Testing-out-the-new-lift


Kevin

[bomber43]

I drilled 2 holes maybe 18" apart in my shop floor and put in those Red Top taps. I got 2 eye bolts that I screw into those taps and run the trike front wheel in between them. Tie the front down and jack up the trike to slide auto ramps under the rear wheels. I can then if necessary release the front end and jack it up and rest the front of the frame on jack stands.

When I finished I jack it up, remove the front jack stands, and back the trike off the ramps. I tried driving upon the ramps one time, using a rug as suggested. One ramp caught and the other didn't.....scared the holy crap out of me.

Ohhh, when I'm finished I push a plastic automotive carpet tab into each of the taps. Keeps the dirt out of the theads.

8~\o

I didn't think you could get that far down us old guys aren't so flexible

[Texan]

I didn't think you could get that far down us old guys aren't so flexible

Ahhhh the getting down ain't the problem at '71, it's the getting up that an issue. Ha!!!!

8~\o