Hi Lift Jack?

[ChrisJ13]

This is gonna make me sound like a poser or something but I dont care. What exactly are Hi Lift Jacks used for? Thanks

[brokenujoint]

they can be used for a multitude of things. Mostly they are a jack... with lifted vehicles a conventional jack it may not be possible to get the jack under the axle housing to lift the vehicle. a hi lift connects to the bumper or to any fixed point that is strong enough to, when jacked, lift the vehicle enough so that the wheel can come off the ground. with most jeeps, esp off roading jeeps, the suspensions have a great deal of travel. many will use a rachet strap to lock up there travel and then lift. sometime a hi lift is used to get unstuck by being able to lift a tire and then place/pull a rock in or out of the way.


a hi lift can be used as a come-a-long. much like a winch. you tie a cable/chain to the jeep, the hi lift is in the center and another cable/chain around another vehicle or tree. then you rachet yourself free.

do a google search. you'll be suprised at how much a hi lift can do and how dangerous they are if you dont use caution.

[ChrisJ13]

Thanks a lot, that really helps.

[Desert Jewel]

Hey Chris...you might wanna look into ordering this DVD put together by Dustin Webster. He is a professional and the DVD is incredibly helpful. If goes thru all the do's and don'ts of off-roading including a segment on hi-lift jacks, winches, etc. You will not be disappointed! It's the 1st DVD on the page, U4WD #1:
http://www.u4wd.com/purchase.html

[Jerry Bransford]

Many of us take more time to stress the uses a Hi-Lift jack should not be used for like tire changing duties. To me, a Hi-Lift jack is strictly for use when nothing (!) else works. In fact, I moved my heavy Hi-Lift off my Jeep into my shed years ago.

The worst thing you can do is to think of it as needed for changing tires of lifted Jeeps with big tires. Not true at all and in fact, using a Hi-Lift to simply change a tire is not only more dangerous because it is simply far less stable when jacked up high enough to lift the tire off the ground, it is also far slower at this job than the OE jack or a bottle jack is.

With my 5" of suspension lift and 35" tires, my OE jack still works just fine and in fact, it has enough height to even change 37" tires.

[brokenujoint]

given the option, i to would not use a hi lift to change a tire. its mostly used to get yourself unstuck if you are hi centered or if a rock is caught on an axle. bottle jack is the best choice for a tire change if possible.

[OU812]

I’ve used the Hi-Lift to change tires. I make sure to move the jeep to a stable spot first. I always break the lug nuts loose on the ground then I jack the jeep up just till the tire is off the ground. And before I try to pull the tire off I shake the jeep back and forth to see is the Hi-lift is stable. I do this any time I’m lifting a vehicle off the ground weather it is with a scissor jack or a whole vehicle hydraulic lift.

[JeepGal]

The reason a high lift should only be used when nothing else works is because it can be dangerous.

When in use, the arm of the jack has a great amount of tension on it. It only takes a nudge for it to come off its tooth, and swing with great force, dropping the vehicle. If you are in the way of the arm, your'e going to get hurt. Being that the arm is 4' or so long, its hard to stay out of its way when youre working next to your vehicle.

I had a friend who thought he was being very careful with one. The arm released and barely grazed his face, next to his eye. He was very lucky he wasnt closer or a half inch over or he would have lost an eye.

We no longer own a high lift. There are plenty of ways to unstuck yourself without one.

Tam

[Ol Man]

Hi Lifts can be dangerous, that is for sure.

One of the things you can do to make tire changing easier is to have a section of chain between the axle and the frame, so that you do not have to lift so far. I prefer to use a bottle jack if possible. Sometimes having both is not a bad idea.

I did not carry one for a long time, then we ran into a situation where one would have been of use, so I put it back on the buggy. The group I run with all have 40 inch tires and it has come in handy.

If you are going to mount one, please mount in a strong location so it does not come loose and injure someone. They are heavy and awkward.

[inVERt'D]

While I will be the first one to say that you have to be careful using a hi-lift jack, I'm having a hard time understanding how it's more unstable than a bottle or scissor jack. It has a larger base and a larger lifting area than you're likely to find on either of those other types. In fact, the height of the thing (mine's 60") gives you a lot of leverage to make it more stable than either a bottle or scissor jack. To use either of those effectively on a lifted rig you're going to have to get under the rig to place it under the diff, the knuckle/ 'C', or stack it with blocks or rocks--how's that more safe?
A hi-lift is only more potentially unstable because you can lift a rig much higher and cause it to shift its weight. If you want stability and safety, bring a truck floor jack, 2 large jackstands, and enough 3/4" plywood to put under all 3. You should use chock blocks, too.

As for speed, I find the hi-lift is faster then a bottle or scissor jack; that long handle gives you a lot of leverage. Last winter I used my hi-lift to swap a tire that had come off the bead. I was on a wet, slushy, muddy hill. I dug down to firm ground and made a level pad, jacked against my rocker guard, and swapped the wheel. Now I did all my major torquing, both loosening and tightening, without the jack in place. It took me all of about 5 minutes.

Other than the ability to lift a rig higher then you should, what is dangerous about a hi-lift is the possibility of being struck by either the handle or the body. If you're going to take your hand off the handle, you should place it straight up against the body. If, for instance, you're changing your front tire and the vehicle begins to shift forward, get out of there, because the jack may very well brain you. You must make sure the rig is as secure as possible and that the jack is lifting straight. If it becomes apparent that the jack is not lifting at the optimal angle, lower and adjust; repeat. If possible, someone should be holding the top of the jack firmly at all times.

I've used my hi-lift numerous times, mostly for fixing tires that had come off the bead. For who know what they're doing and are strong enough to handle it, the hi-lift is a very effective and reasonably safe tool. Other people should avoid it.

[xjkevin]

heres some info...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrfbR4REV-s

[blackZZR]

And I always thought they were a fashion accessory.

[brokenujoint]

haha .. there are some people who sport them and have no idea how to use them. monkey see monkey do.

[tool pimp]

And I always thought they were a fashion accessory.

me to also can be used as a poor mans winch :thumbs_up

[blackZZR]

I bought my X Jack after an episode where my hilift kicked out from under my Jeep. I have to admit the hilifts are damn useful, but damn dangerous also, farm technology. I would not want to go out without the option of having it, but I try every other option first.