All right I will admit I am kinda new to this but I have been wondering what use the HL Jack is for ?

Of course changing a tire on a lifted vehicle is obvious. But else can it do ?

My YJ is set up with a Warn 9000TI winch, chains, straps etc. So besides the tire change. Which could be done with a much smaller bottle jack under the spring perch. What am I gonna ever need the HL for ?

Alright if I do need it, cast or steel ? Which length ? What stuff to best make use of it ?

How are you mounting yours ?

Saw a cowl mount in a picture but no details on how it was held.

Hmmm ???

well if your sunk in the mud and you need to change a tire you would have a hard time getting that bottle jack under there. the cast one would be better i heard they lasted longer

heres a link that might help
http://www.hi-lift.com/products/accessories.htm

well if you never used one do a search.... you'll get to hear about how much fun they are when they bust your jaw or hand or hmmm whatever other body part might get in the way while in a rush and not taking care to follow procedure! :D

i hate mine! :barf: i really do.. although it stays on the front of my jeep just in case... i have an xd9I winch and OBA and somehow i know it will come in handy... it works great in the sand once you figure out its a POS and have to wiggle the engagement pins and what not... anyways rant over... get the cast one but i doubt you will need the extreme version... and also if you use it to change a spare with a lift that has some flex wrap a tow strap or ratchet strap from frame to axle so you wont have to lift the vehicle as high....

i bolted mine right to the factory bumper (less q-tips) it was bent when i received it from 4 wheel parts and so is my bumper... so if i get in a wreck i guess i get anew one :grinpimp: its taken some good hits and never shown anyworse for the wear....

u also can use it for a:
come along
bead break
the handle works as a sleeve for steering
and they preety much would kill something if you hit em with it. :laughing:

anyways good luck.

The handle works great to put over the end of a ratchet to get more leverage when breaking bolts free.

Jacking from the bumper or rock slider vs. having to get under the rig w/ a bottle jack.

I've had my bumper stuck on a stump before, just enough to unload the rear tires. I jacked up the rear end a smidge and drove off (not the safest thing to do, but effective).

Like any other tool, there's a zillion times you'll never need it and that ONE time where nothing else would work.

If you get the 48" hi-lift jack u can use some small exhaust u bolt clamps to mont it under your hood, just hang it from the grill adj- bars and its out of your way and nobody can see it.

when your stuck in the middle of a pile of rocks so big that you can almost walk under your rig, a bottle jack wont do crap. sometimes when you're stuck just right, you need to jack on a rocker or a front/rear bumper. keep a short piece of chain and choker-hook around so you can strap your suspension from flexing while jacking on a rocker or bumper. this allows you to easily lift a tire off the ground. i've replace many beads on tires where a bottle jack or floor jack would not have worked.

you probably dont need the stupidly long one either, if you think you need to jack something up that high, then there is an easier way and you need to rethink your situation.

dont listen to the people who complain about hi-lifts. very important tool for any serious wheeler. use it carefully because they can be very dangerous; your vehicle could slide off it at any time, and the handle can get a little out of control if you let it. keep it well lubricated. if its well lubed and maintained, it will not stick on you when you need it most.

my advice for mounting your hilift... put it somewhere so that you can VERY EASILY get it in and out of your vehicle without having to climb or unstrap a bunch of stuff. doing so will make it much more convenient to access.

not the best picture, but here's how mine is mounted. 2 wing nuts, and you have it out in a jiffy. dont have to move anything else to get to it.
http://wehrs.no-ip.com/projects_pages/2006.04.12_cog/DSCN4130.JPG

lol are those ammo boxes?

lol are those ammo boxes?


yes. bolted down so they dont move. i dont like when shit hits me in my head when im driving upside down. :flipoff2:

http://wehrs.no-ip.com/pics/2006.08.13_rausch/DSCN4329.JPG

http://wehrs.no-ip.com/pics/2006.08.13_rausch/DSCN4326.JPG

I have mine mounted behind my rear seat using custom mounts. Its very solid mount and it doesnt rattle around at all. Heres 2 pics of it mounted.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/matts88yj/Hi%20Lift%20Jack/P7160076.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/matts88yj/Hi%20Lift%20Jack/P7160075.jpg

Matt

lol are those ammo boxes?
betcha ass they are.:smokin:
One of the Best accessories you can get for your rig.
I got almost a dozen of different sizes.
Hold all kindsa crap, got 5 or 6 just for tool boxes, and Ive even used em as jack stands, and they still work!
Tough as Nails!
Do yourself a favor, Go to the surplus store and get a few NOW!:grinpimp:

CB

I love mine. Here are a few things I've used or seen them used for for in the last few months.

* Lifting friend's truck to change broken IFS axle.
* Lifting trailer and pushing it to the side to make it through a *very* tight fence because I couldn't direct it correctly with my crappy driving skills.
* Putting the handle on a tie rod after it bent.
* Bending a friend's cab above the door back into place (mostly) after unplanned contact with a tree.
* Lift truck to change a tire.
* Lifting bumper while partially mounted to truck to get a few stubborn bolt holes to line up.

Everytime I pull out my hi-lift I think to myself that it has the feel of a high quality/durable tool. Having said that, if you aren't careful you can get hurt. They are tippy, the can move on their own (when set to lower), and if there is no weight on them they drop to the floor. It would be cool to watch somebody more experienced use it before doing it on your own. Failing that, read up.

I seem to use mine more at home in the garage than on the trail, but I have used it as a winch to pull myself back onto the road in the snow.

Mainly use it for breaking beads on tires (jacking up on the tire with the hi-lift on the hitch of my truck). And for aligning axles to mount control arms; here are a couple pics of that:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/1996cc/Jeep/DSC03019.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/1996cc/Jeep/DSC03013.jpg

If you get the 48" hi-lift jack u can use some small exhaust u bolt clamps to mont it under your hood, just hang it from the grill adj- bars and its out of your way and nobody can see it.

don't do this. The vibration causes fatique cracks at the firewall. The grill adj- bars can be braced, with a short piece of 1" flat bar, down to the inner fender well, then you'd be good, but w/o that, it's too flexible - strong enuf to hold the load, but flexes up/down and then the firewall cracks where the grill ad- bar connects to it

I have a 48" HiLift bolted to the floor behind the front seats. Out of the way. It is bolted to the floor with a large wing nut in the center. Doesn't rattle, out of the way, and can easily be accessed.

I've found the Hilift usefull when doing body work: Spreading out crunched in tub sides after a flop!

I dont have a winch, so my chains straps and hi lift is my best friend. Even when I get a winch I will still have my hi lift, like mentioned above, one of the best tools to have off road. Im still a little upset, I bent my hi lift to a 45 degree angle on my last trip...... Need to get a new one.

I have mine mounted behind the front seats like matts88yj. I used the mounts you can buy with wing nut tops. If you use a piece of plywood as a base or buy the poly base to keep the thing stable, you are better off. I have pulled my Heep off of the Hi lift before.

i've used mine as a giant c-clamp before.:)

betcha ass they are.:smokin:
One of the Best accessories you can get for your rig.
I got almost a dozen of different sizes.
Hold all kindsa crap, got 5 or 6 just for tool boxes, and Ive even used em as jack stands, and they still work!
Tough as Nails!
Do yourself a favor, Go to the surplus store and get a few NOW!:grinpimp:

CB


X2 I have 3 they are one of the best tool boxs you could have in trails

I have the 48 inch jack clamped to my roll bar just inside the tailgate. 2 inch Electrical conduit clamps work great and only cost $.99 at your home center. If you have a Tractor Supply Company (store) in your area, they may have the best deal on the jack. They sell a knock off brand too, but get the real deal and carry WD40 with you.

you probably dont need the stupidly long one either, if you think you need to jack something up that high, then there is an easier way and you need to rethink your situation.

what about sand?


dont listen to the people who complain about hi-lifts. very important tool for any serious wheeler. use it carefully because they can be very dangerous; your vehicle could slide off it at any time, and the handle can get a little out of control if you let it.

have you seen someone get their grill busted by a handle?

keep it well lubricated. if its well lubed and maintained, it will not stick on you when you need it most.


ive tore mine down 2X bead blasted it, lubed it put it back togeather and it still doesnt work with out manually pushing the pins around...hilift has no idea .. what type of lube do you use? seemingly they work better with no lube or dry teflon lube otherwise they collect crap and jam up altogeather.

87JeepWrangler i like the website. are you into programing?

they are the best thing to have for sure. Like it was mentioned though, it is good to keep it lubed and clean occasionally ( not like spic and span just brush it off and lube ) this is the best lube I have found for anything

http://www.boeshield.com/

that shit is the best, developed by Boeing to lubricate airplane wings and shit like that. The premise behind it is an all weather lubricant, so Ice, snow , rain , and heat , of course 30 k feet high and 500 miles and hour or so. I like this stuff. I usually put the T-9 bike chain version around the pins and moving parts areas, and immediately notice a difference, and it makes switching from up to down easier.

as far as negative feedback, these tools are a lifesaver, hands down. Just read the instructions and get real familiar with it or you 'll lose an eye!!! It is not a toy. Don't let anyone else use it unless they know how or you could be replacing their face and mandible! I don't have first hand witness exp. but have read about what not to do, that's enough for me.

I think if anyone says they haven't had a use for it or it's overkill, has'nt really been 4 wheeling, or just splashes mud puddles and mall crawls.

i think ill try that stuff... but i think i just need to toss mine and order a new one.... its been through everything and been troublesome from day one....

i think ill try that stuff... but i think i just need to toss mine and order a new one.... its been through everything and been troublesome from day one....


i heard somewhere(don't know if there's any truth to it) that they will send you a new one if you break it or F it up. Don't count on it, but it's what i heard.
J

yeah i tried the first day i got it... then about a month later i complained to the manufacturer they said to bad.... sorry to hear that... so F it.

http://wehrs.no-ip.com/projects_pages/2006.04.12_cog/DSCN4130.JPG

Dude...somebody stole your floor

I've used my Hi-Lift for a multiple of things. Everything from using it as a come-along to lifting the body to put the body lift on. Mine is mounted to the winch plate. I made some brackets and it sits above the winch, out of the way. One of the best uses I've found is the handle itself. It's really great for wheeling with people who have stock tie rods. If they bend a tie rod, take the tie rod off and straighten it as much as possible. Then slip the Hi-Lift handle over the tie rod. Works very well for keeping bent/weak tie rod from bending again and allowing you to get off the trail.

I used mine extensively at a demolition derby to crunch the body metal up away from the tires after the first heat. I'd imagine it could do the same for you if you wrecked it bad on the trail. As for their cost to value.... they'd be worth it at twice the price.

Now pardon me while I try and set down my FLAME THROWER (I came from the Zuk board, always ready to flame someone.)

As for the Nay-Sayers and the dangers associated with them... It's not rocket science, they are a simple tool. You could stab yourself with a screw driver if you're crazy reckless. Just read the warnings and use common sense.
Mine seems to thrive on neglect, I've never cleaned it, never lubed it, and never had a single problem with one in ten years of wheeling.

Get one and oppertunities to use it will reveal themselves.

READ THIS!!! You guys have beat around the bush about people getting their jaws busted in a handfull of posts on here, but no one has educated this guy who is new to using the jack on how it happens and how to avoid it. Anyone here may feel free to correct me they think I am wrong or add to what I am saying... NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave the jack handle in the down position while it is supporting a load. DO NOT even so much as take your hand off that handle when the jack has a load on it until you have locked the handle in the upright position. If the load shifts, or the jack hiccups, the handle will go swinging upward with a force that can crush a jaw, an arm, or a human skull given the right set of circumstances. I know of people who are permanently disfigured and disabled due to injuries sustained from using one of these devices. That having been said, its a great tool, and I have wheeled with one for years. Just like a gun , a vehicle, or a power tool though, respect the destructive ability that is contained within it. And please... If anyone else has some more wisdom to impart on those new to the Hi-Lift Jack, put it up here. No one wants their weekend, ride, or event ruined because of something so stupid and easlily avoidable as an injury from their recovery equipment!!!
END OF RANT!!!

I've used mine to spread apart some leaf spring while changing axles on a friend's blazer. When we were using 2 high lifts to raise up a donor vehicle on a trailer to pull the axles, the handle didn't make it all the way up and ratcheted up and down like a madman. If I had been a little closer I'd have gotten a busted shoulder or noggin:eek:

Here's how I mounted mine. Its a 60"er.. I wanted to mount inside the Jeep but would have to cut 3-4" off of it, and getting in and out with the hard top was going to be a PITA..Listen to these guys when they say it can be a dangerous thing. I've only been hit once but'll never happen again. I'm lucky that I have that chance. The guy that organizes our Jeep Jamboree lost his eye from one of those had to get air lifted out of the trail!.. be carful!

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/6123/dsc01502xd4.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2715/dsc01505bl3.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6461/dsc01507qv1.jpg

The handle is the best tool you can find. For binding down your rig. It's also a hammer, self defense and vehicle secerity device. Added leverage on a four way. A millon ueses

you dont have to cut down a 60" jack to get it inside the tub... ive got one in my yj,has about 3/8" on 1 side and a 1/4" or less on the other. made ALU blocks that bolted to the rollcage mount and it still allowed the back seat to be locked in place, gave it more support.