What exactly do you do with a Hi-Lift jack?

farmerjon

farmerjon

Senior Member
What can yo do with a Hi-Lift jack?

So... I know just about every serious off road/expedition rig carries some form of a Hi-Lift jack. Knowing this, I just acquired a local used one for $30. It seems to be an older one, 48".


Hi-Lift Jack 48" by farmerjon93, on Flickr


Close up - seems older? by farmerjon93, on Flickr

I'm thinking of spray painting the Hi-Lift - perhaps black and red or something like that, thoughts?

But my question is: What exactly do you use or need a Hi-Lift for? for? I know, a bit of a stupid question, but this place is where I've learned the most about off road (next to having actual experience). I'm here to learn! :)

I do know you can jack up your vehicle to make trail repairs, anything else?
 
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A lot of times it is easier to use the high lift to jack up and change a tire. It can be used as a winch to get unstuck. There are endless uses for a high lift.
 
make shift winch, tie a line to each end, that's what all the holes are for in the main shaft,
Winch-tensioner.jpg

lift for the truck for repairs...duh!

can use it to clear obstacles as the jack is made to drive off of....not recommended

also can use it to change a tire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaZ-XTDYik8

it's mostly used to leave dents in the back of your head or for painful trips to the hospital...oh and like whitson said, they look cool!:lookout:

some vids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgjqhU5PgkE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xsV2FJin_A&feature=related
 
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theizzardking said:
make shift winch, tie a line to each end, that's what all the holes are for in the main shaft,
lift for the truck for repairs...duh!
can use it to clear obstacles as the jack is made to drive off of....

it's mostly used to leave dents in the back of your head or for painful trips to the hospital...oh and like whitson said, they look cool!:lookout:
Click to expand...

I don't need no dent in mah head!

:vader:
 
that high lift you have looks really old. THese things are somewhat dangerous. If they are not lubed properly and well maintained they tend to stick and then just drop the entire vehicle. Just BE CAREFUL. THis is why i alway urge people to buy actually high lifts not the HF farm jack.

We use them all the time when wheeling, and honestly i think they are more useful than a winch. I have used mine at least 50 times or out on the trail in the past few years. It generally is one of my friends without one needing to use it. And i will occasionally use it in the garage. They are good for changing cv's But just make sure it works really good and you trust it before you attempt to work on you vehicle when on the high lift.
 
You can use them to see how much your rock sliders will deflect when you balance your truck on a rock sometime
 
As J-Money said, it's a very useful tool but you really need to know how to use it properly and maintain it, just like you would your vehicle. Farmerjon, I would look into a Hi-Lift rebuild kit for your jack. They are pretty cheap and replace all of the critical locking/ratcheting components on the jack.

It might sound stupid, but it's good to practice with the jack at home before you need to use it out in the bush/trails. Learn how it works with no weight on it, then practice on your sliders. Remember to keep your head out from between the jack shaft and the handle at all times, as essentially, the entire weight of the vehicle is leveraging on that handle. When your lowering the vehicle down, if you let the jack handle go, it will smack against the jack shaft and could really hurt you, if your caught in between. I've seen it happen and it isnt pretty....
 
So say I get a flat on the side of the road, would the stock jack lift high enough to change a tire with a 3" lift or would I need a hi-lift work better? Also if I have no aftermarket bumpers or sliders would I even be able to use a hi-lift?
 
mcaz5 said:
So say I get a flat on the side of the road, would the stock jack lift high enough to change a tire with a 3" lift or would I need a hi-lift work better? Also if I have no aftermarket bumpers or sliders would I even be able to use a hi-lift?
Click to expand...

Depends where your going to jack from with the factory bottle jack. I would test it out beforehand to find out. I know the bottle jack will work on the rear, under the axle and probably on the front under the UCA's if you can find a place to seat it - lifted or not.

You need to have a solid jacking point with the hi-lift. Factory bumpers are a NO. People will lift from the rear hitch, but you really need to make sure the hi-lift gets seated properly.
 
mcaz5 said:
So say I get a flat on the side of the road, would the stock jack lift high enough to change a tire with a 3" lift or would I need a hi-lift work better? Also if I have no aftermarket bumpers or sliders would I even be able to use a hi-lift?
Click to expand...

yeah, most likely the stock jack will no longer work for you, so a hijack or a standard floor jack with a reach of at least 18~19 inches should be ok, (mine has 22 inches of lift) before this i just carried a very large block of alum to make up the difference, double check my jack height above, though i think it should be good, i'd take a measurement before you actually buy

with no armor you'd need to get the tire adapter to lift your truck with the hi-lift jack without scratching anything, otherwise you can just grab on to any accessible anchor point and start jacking from there.....
35611-lg.jpg
 
theizzardking said:
yeah, most likely the stock jack will no longer work for you, so a hijack or a standard floor jack with a reach of at least 18~19 inches should be ok, (mine has 22 inches of lift) before this i just carried a very large block of alum to make up the difference, double check my jack height above, though i think it should be good, i'd take a measurement before you actually buy

with no armor you'd need to get the tire adapter to lift your truck with the hi-lift jack without scratching anything, otherwise you can just grab on to any accessible anchor point and start jacking from there.....
35611-lg.jpg
Click to expand...

I find it tough to change the tire/wheel with that set up.:toilet:
 
Never had to use the Hi-lift on the trail, but I always carry the wheel attachment even though I have sliders.

Seems like in a high centered situation it would be safer and more effective to raise the truck by a wheel than having to overcome the suspension flex using the frame.
 
OP, I've used mine for changing tires, clearing obstacles, and I know how to use it as a hand winch if I ever have to (haven't had to yet). I've also seen them used for straightening bent/crushed cabs so a rig can be driven off the trail, I've seen them used as hoists, they're incredibly handy. Anything they can do, there's something else that can do it better and safer, but I don't know of any single piece of recovery equipment you can carry that will do as much as a hilift.

If you don't have hard points on your rig to jack from, get your hands on a wheel mate and carry a jackstand. Don't listen to the anti-posers who will tell you they're worthless - they're just as bad as the re****s that carry theirs on a roofrack to cruise the mall.

You need to clean up yours - get a rebuild kit to make sure the pins and springs are in good shape, get it painted, and keep it oiled and out of the weather. There's several youtube videos on how to use a hilift safely, watch them.
 
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rickashay said:
People will lift from the rear hitch, but you really need to make sure the hi-lift gets seated properly.
Click to expand...

How do you do that and prevent the truck rear from moving to one side or the other? There's really nothing to keep the truck from pivoting on the front wheels...
 
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