Hi Lift Jack will not go up

[Dimhof]

I have a high lift extreme jack and it will not ratchet up with or without load. I have tried pulling handle and attached piece up until it touches my skids and cranked down- it will lift about an inch nut will not lock pins on the next highest rung/hole. When I push lever parallel with main stem, it slides all the way to the bottom. I have included a couple pics. I am wondering if either of the pins that are pictured slipped on the wrong side of the guard and will not allow enough up travel to relock. Any help is appreciated. I am thinking about taking it to a high lift authorized dealer around SLC if nobody can figure it out. Thanks!

Edit: I can't figure out how to flip pictures horizontally, apologies...

 

[FrenchToasty]

You've lifted the lil lever till it snaps in place? It's in the down position in your pics

 

[Dimhof]

I believe so, will try in the morning. I remember lifting it up and it snaps back down,thx

 

[TOYO74]

Your jack looks new/unused. Try spraying it with silicone spray or other spray lubricant that won't attract dirt, then work all the moving parts several times.

When you move that directional lever the pin should pop into one of the holes in the upright on the jack. Then depending the lever position, the lift plate should move in the direction the lever is pointing when you operate the jack handle. Lever pointing straight out is like "neutral" and lift plat can be moved by hand.

Remember! BE SURE to have a good grip on the jack handle when you have a load on the jack and move the lever to the down position. Keep your head and other body parts behind (away) from the space between the jack handle and the upright bar of the jack as you lower the vehicle. If you don't have a good grip on the handle it will fly up toward the jack and smack anything in front of it. That will ruin your day if your head is in that space.

 

[Jeremy556]

The little lever need to be in the up position

Your jack appears cleaner than how they come from the factory. Spray it down with some CLP, triflow, WD40, hell, water, and it should start working.

 

[Dimhof]

Its dfinitely new aand i had already greased it up with wd-40, ill get back to you guys, thanks again

 

[TowMeOut]

Not to get preachy but if you're having problems just getting it to go up you'll probably want to do quite a bit of research before using it for a recovery. These things are a swiss army knife of utility but will bite/pinch/crush you in a heartbeat.

There are a ton of YouTube videos on how to "correctly" use these jacks, some of which show you exactly how NOT-TO but represent themselves as "experts". Do you own research and get out in a controlled environment and practice lifting a corner, use some of your other gear, etc.

Basic idea.....keep your head/arms, etc. out of the "Arc of pain" which extends from the bottom of the handle stroke to the top of the support beam. You'll find out quickly that when loaded the handle becomes a loaded spring that can whip up and break arms or take out teeth with amazing ease.

Has this jack been powder coated?? I've seen a few guys that had theirs done locally and the shop got a lot of finish inside the areas where the pins slide. That will really gum up the works unless you dismantle it and clean the coating out. It will eventually wear out with use but that takes quite a while and the flaking finish makes it raise/lower erratically.

It's a great tool but one you have to use with a LOT of respect.

Good Luck

 

[e60ral]

Its dfinitely new aand i had already greased it up with wd-40, ill get back to you guys, thanks again

just FYI, WD-40 is not a grease

 

[3wbdriver]

I borrowed and rotated one of your pictures. Look at the little bracket just above your lever. You see the little button hanging down in the center? That is what the notch of your lever will snap under to lock it in the up position. You just need to move the lever with authority. You can't hurt anything on this with your hands. I've had to use a piece of 2x4 to knock it back to the down position. Lube on the pins and rotating parts is king with these.

 

[MossJenks]

If you've never used one before I love the idea of taking it to a hi-lift dealer. They can tell you what's wrong and hopefully show you the ins and out of the tool and maybe give you some useage tips. It's a pretty simple tool but very old-school - there's not a lot of safety built in in case you use it incorrectly.

And definitely practice on level hard ground where you can get everything lined up just so. That way you'll know what to expect before you get into a recovery situation where nothing will be lined up just so. Again, it's a simple tool but can get away from you in a hurry.

 

[Dimhof]

I appreciate the feedback, had been watching videos for the last couple days. Still havent had time to retest, but i swear i cranked the lever up and could not get it to stay in the upright position. Yes, wd 40 is not a grease. Maybe im just getting back to my hill billy roots with broad terminology

 

[3wbdriver]

Still havent had time to retest, but i swear i cranked the lever up and could not get it to stay in the upright position.

In the pictures you posted the handle looks like it is down. Just a suggestion because I am not 100% sure, but put the handle in the up and locked position and see if the lever will stay up. It's been awhile for me but it seems like I ran into this the first time I dug mine out after being in the shop for 10 years. Thankfully I had not used it is so long a time I lubed and tried everything before trying to lift with it. I would try it on mine but I hung it on the 4R yesterday prepping for a weekend trip. I think the handle has to be all the way up as a kind of safety before you can change directions. I could be wrong, but something is tickling my brain about that this morning. I will readily accept correction if I'm wrong. But it's worth a try.

 

[Muskrat14]

Frankly, mine scares the hell out me. Looks good mounted on the roll cage of my '74 Bronco and I've used it once for a tire change, but I still carry a bottle jack


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[Jetboy]

Hope you got it sorted out. My guess is that you just didn't have the direction lever pulled up far enough to lock into position to go up. They're crude tools and take a little extra force once in a while. But they are a life saver at times as well. I'm sure you're aware of the tendency to tip over. Use it to your advantage when you need to.

I would not use it for changing a tire unless it was my only option. The bottle jack is a better tool for that.

If you can't figure it out I'd be happy to show you how to make it work. I live in Canyon Rim - not too far from you.

 

[nevada]

as the others have said, the lever needs to be in the UP position. its not just a matter of gently pushing it up. you really need to jam it up, so it catches the latch and stays up.

I usually kick it. it takes a bit of force.

 

[Dimhof]

And it has not been powder coated after factory coat. It is a high lift extreme 60". Wish i would have gone with the 48" because it sticks up about 8-10" above my roof when attached to my rear bumper- will probably get it cut down a little

 

[nevada]

And it has not been powder coated after factory coat. It is a high lift extreme 60". Wish i would have gone with the 48" because it sticks up about 8-10" above my roof when attached to my rear bumper- will probably get it cut down a little

ask around before you cut it. im sure there is someone that would be willing to trade for their 48".