How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Hitch class and receiver size still matter before you park a trailer on the jack. A crooked tongue from a stuck jack handle is a different problem than the wrong hitch class.
Watch on YouTubeTrailer Jack Crank Handle Tips (Canada)
A trailer jack crank handle that sticks out sideways is an ankle catcher in the shop and a snag risk when you walk past the tongue. A bent handle makes every lift feel like a fight. This Canada parts-counter page covers how to keep the crank stored so it does not stick out, when to replace a bent handle by swapping the jack rather than hunting a unicorn spare, and a plain-English reminder of side-wind versus top-wind. We stock complete CURT jacks with handles, not a deep shelf of standalone crank handles, and we will not invent legal cutoffs.
Practical Canada jack-handle advice. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Related reading:
trailer tongue jack tips,
trailer jack swivel mount tips, and
trailer jack wheel versus foot.
Prefer the full index?
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). Use them for hitch and towing basics so jack-handle habits sit beside the rest of a safe first-tow routine, not as a lone hardware guess.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
Trailer Hitch Installation Techniques
Hardware that sees road salt still needs a recheck habit. Jack handles seize and bend when grit packs the mechanism.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Connect a Trailer Wiring Harness
Trailer lights still need a plug-test habit. A jack that will not crank cleanly can leave the trailer sitting wrong while you chase a lighting fault that is not there.
Watch on YouTubeHow to Choose a Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Ball-mount height and tongue height meet at the coupler. A stuck or sticking crank handle makes that last inch of leveling harder than it should be.
Watch on YouTubeKeep the crank handle stored so it does not stick out
Side-wind handles stick out from the side of the jack tube. Top-wind claw handles sit on top. Either style can snag a pant leg, a bike, or a tarp when you leave the handle hanging in the working position after you unhitch. The habit we teach at the counter is simple. Crank the jack to the height you need, then fold, pin, or swivel the handle back to the stored position the jack was designed for before you walk away.
On many CURT side-handle jacks the handle folds in for compact storage. CURT 28512 calls that fold-in habit out on the live card. On swivel jacks, the whole jack tube can swing up and pin for travel after you raise the foot or wheel clear of the ground. That is a different motion than folding the handle, and both matter. Open the jack swivel mount tips page when the bracket, not the handle, is the storage problem.
If the handle will not fold or the swivel will not pin, stop forcing it. Grit, a bent shaft, or a missing pin is cheaper to diagnose than a broken gear set. Clean the pivot, confirm the pull-pin still fits, and replace the jack when the handle is bent past a safe crank.
Side-wind versus top-wind reminder
Side-wind means the crank handle turns on the side of the jack tube. Top-wind means the claw handle sits on top and turns vertically. Side-wind is often easier to reach when the trailer sits high or when you prefer to stand beside the tongue. Top-wind keeps the handle out of the side path and can feel natural when you stand at the coupler. Neither style is magic. Match the handle style to how you park and how much clearance you have beside the tongue.
A-frame jacks such as CURT 28204 use a side handle on a tongue that comes to a point. Pipe-mount and bracket swivel jacks such as CURT 28321 and CURT 28300 add the option to swing the jack clear for travel. Direct-weld square jacks such as CURT 28575 and CURT 28570 bring heavier capacity with side-handle or top-handle choices. Confirm support capacity, lift capacity, and travel inches on each live card before you weld or bolt anything.
When to replace a bent handle
Honest catalogue note: we do not currently stock a deep shelf of standalone CURT crank handles as separate SKUs on this storefront. What we stock are complete jacks that include the correct handle style, plus a few related replacement parts such as a marine jack cap for side-wind jacks and a drop-leg replacement for certain square jacks. If your handle is bent, cracked, or missing, the practical Canada parts-counter path is usually to replace the jack assembly with the matching mount style rather than wait on a rare handle-only part.
Before you order a whole jack, confirm mount type. A-frame, pipe-mount swivel, bracket swivel, and direct-weld square are different installs. Confirm whether you need a foot or a wheel on the bottom. Open jack wheel versus foot and tongue jack tips before you click. A bent handle on an otherwise healthy swivel jack is still a safety issue because a slipped crank can pinch fingers or drop the tongue unexpectedly.
Parts-counter habits before you order
| Topic | What we tell shoppers |
|---|---|
| Store the handle | Fold, pin, or park the crank in the stored position after every use so it does not stick out into the walkway. |
| Side-wind versus top-wind | Side handle turns beside the tube. Top claw turns on top. Pick the style that matches your reach and tongue clearance. |
| Swivel for travel | Many pipe-mount and bracket jacks swing up and pin for travel. That is separate from folding the handle. Open swivel mount tips. |
| Bent handle path | We rarely stock handle-only spares. Matching a complete jack to your mount style is the honest shelf today. |
| Foot versus wheel | Footplates park. Wheels roll short distances. Open wheel versus foot before you assume either is safer. |
| Capacity on the card | Read support capacity and lift capacity on the live jack card. Do not invent a legal cutoff from a store page. |
| Salt and grit | Canadian winters pack grit into jack gears. Clean and recheck the handle pivot after salted trips. |
| Coupler still matters | A smooth crank does not replace a locked coupler. Open the coupler latch checklist. |
Live CURT jacks with side-handle or top-wind cranks
These are stocked CURT jack SKUs that show available on the storefront today. Confirm mount style, handle style, capacity, and travel on the live card. We are honest that standalone crank handles are thin on this shelf, so the links below are complete jacks and related replacement parts.
Side-wind · A-frameCURT 28204A-frame jack with side handle. About two thousand pounds lift capacity and fourteen and one half inches of travel on the live card.
Side-wind · swivelCURT 28321Side-handle swivel jack with pipe-mount and pull-pin storage swing. Confirm capacity on the live card.
Side-wind · swivelCURT 28324Pipe-mount swivel jack with side handle and about fifteen inches of travel. Swings up for travel when pinned.
Top-wind · swivelCURT 28300Top-wind claw handle on a swivel jack with about ten inches of travel on the live card.
Top-wind · swivelCURT 28304Top-wind swivel jack with about fifteen inches of travel when you need more lift height.
Top-wind · heavier swivelCURT 28356Top-handle swivel jack with higher support and lift numbers on the live card. Confirm pin size and mount.
Side-wind · square weldCURT 28575Direct-weld square jack with side handle for heavier tongues. Confirm weld and capacity notes on the live card.
Top-wind · square weldCURT 28570Direct-weld square jack with top handle. Pair with the matching drop-leg replacement when needed.
Side-wind · fold-in handleCURT 28512Heavy square jack with a side-wind handle that folds in for compact storage on the live card.
Side-wind · marine wheelCURT 28115Marine jack with side-wind handle and wheel for boat-trailer mobility. Confirm frame bolt range on the live card.
Replacement · marine capCURT 28925Replacement marine jack cap for side-wind jacks. Not a full crank handle, but a related side-wind service part.
Replacement · drop legCURT 28962Replacement drop leg for listed direct-weld square jacks. Confirm fit against 28570 and 28575 on the live card.
How this sits beside the other jack guides
The tongue jack tips page covers everyday tongue habits. The swivel mount tips page covers clearance and travel storage for the whole jack. The wheel versus foot page covers what touches the ground. This page is the crank-handle fork in the road: store it so it does not stick out, choose side-wind or top-wind on purpose, and replace a bent handle by matching a complete jack when handle-only stock is thin.
Related guides worth opening next
Trailer tongue jack tipsEveryday tongue jack habits for Canada shoppers.
Jack swivel mount tipsSide-wind versus top-wind plus swivel storage clearances.
Jack wheel versus footWhen a wheel helps and when a footplate is the better park.
Coupler latch checklistLatch, pin, and safety-chain habits after the tongue is up.
Parts-counter summary: store the crank so it does not stick out after every use, remember side-wind turns beside the tube and top-wind turns on top, use the swivel pin when the whole jack needs to clear for travel, replace a bent handle by matching a complete jack when handle-only stock is thin, and never invent a legal cutoff from a store page. Free shipping on live CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts across Canada when the SKU shows available on this store.
