WANTED: Hi lift jack

[Steve-O]

Looking for a hi lift jack for the new TJ. It has a 4 inch lift so the jack with have to be long enough for that

[TDash]

Just gave my old one to PeterCbaby, sorry!

[newracer]

Just buy a good tall bottle jack.

[Brucker]

Just buy a good tall bottle jack.

While bottle jacks are great for lifting things a small ways, they could never replace a good Hi Lift. Hi Lifts can be such a useful tool. Can be used to stretch, pull, lift, lower, and many other things. Answer me this, how can one easily use a bottle jack as a come-along? Could a bottle jack be used as a trail steering link? Use as trail enforcement for any straight link?

[newracer]

While bottle jacks are great for lifting things a small ways, they could never replace a good Hi Lift. Hi Lifts can be such a useful tool. Can be used to stretch, pull, lift, lower, and many other things. Answer me this, how can one easily use a bottle jack as a come-along? Could a bottle jack be used as a trail steering link? Use as trail enforcement for any straight link?

I am not saying they are not useful but for changing a tire a bottle jack is easier and a lot safer. I carried a hi-lift on my TJ for almost 10 years, never used it. In all my wheeling I have only seen one used one time, to push a rig sideways when stuck on a rock inside the rear wheel. Could have used a winch but it was faster to grab the hi-lift. Lastly a lot of people think you need one so almost everyone has one. If I was going out by myself on a further trip I might carry mine.

[Steve-O]

I appreciate the suggestions 😁 I do have a relatively high bottle jack I forgot about so I will throw that in the truck for now. I will at least be able to change a tire then haha. Going to still keep my eyes peeled for a secondhand hi lift (been trying to get more stuff secondhand these days than buying new)

[TDash]

for almost 10 years, never used it

I have heard this by many people, many times but will say I've seen a hi-lift used now 4 times and I've only been wheeling a short time with not many runs, so I know for me personally, I definitely want to have one with me

[RockyMtRebel]

I have a brand new one, never used! Wife got for my black jeep two Christmas’s ago but they scare me so it’s been sitting in the garage for a couple years

[Java]

I've also stopped carrying mine, I have it on my trailer but rarely with me. I carry an OEM Toyota bottle jack from an FJ60 I used to have, plus the OEM bottle jack on my Jeep. The most important thing I carry with it is two 10" x 10" squares of stacked and glued 3/4" plywood, fourlayers thick. It makes up for some ofthe lift / tires and gives me a good base, so far it's been great for everything.

If you want to save some money on a hi-lift get the Harbor Freight one. https://www.harborfreight.com/42-inch-3-1-2-half-ton-farm-jack-6530.html?utm_source=go&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shortener&cid=go_social It's the one I've been using for years, works great, and I rebuilt it a few years back with the Hi-lift kit. The springs and main shaft fit right in, looked just like what came out. I can't swear to it, but I believe it is the identical jack to the Hi-Lift stamped version.

Here's both jacks in action on the best FR4x4 trail fix ever (my opinion):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpYInMH7F5g

[TDash]

hard to beat $50!

[newracer]

I have heard this by many people, many times but will say I've seen a hi-lift used now 4 times and I've only been wheeling a short time with not many runs, so I know for me personally, I definitely want to have one with me

What were the uses?

[newracer]

I appreciate the suggestions  I do have a relatively high bottle jack I forgot about so I will throw that in the truck for now. I will at least be able to change a tire then haha. Going to still keep my eyes peeled for a secondhand hi lift (been trying to get more stuff secondhand these days than buying new)

There are several on Facebook Marketplace starting at $60.

[xaza]

The problem with many of the cheaper jacks is the handle is fixed to the jack. This makes you have to cut it if you need to use it as a sleeve. If you bend a steering linkage you can bend it back and sleeve it with handle to get off the trail. Without it being sleeved it will continue to bend and eventually break. With the attachments available for hi lift jacks they have many more uses than they used to have. We always make sure we have 1 and some chains when we go out. I would venture to say ours has been used 20-30 times over the years, fortunately less lately since having a winch.

[TDash]

What were the uses?

1. I blew a bead off my tire at little moab a few weeks ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSK2PhlHOnk



2. I knocked my torsion bar out when i high centered for a second at china wall in 2019, we couldn't completely fix it but with people's help and the hi-lift, we got the torsion bar was put back in allowing me to drive home (with Jim being kind enough to follow me all the way home at low speeds)

3. JandDGreens had to use one when he really messed up something at little moab in 2018 i think it was? I can't even remember what he used it for but i distinctly remember him needing it and someone was super excited to use theirs for the first time (similar to how you said you never got to use it)

4. If I am remembering correctly I think it was when this pack of Rovers (mostly LR3s) were at Hackett Gulch, one of them tried to forge the Platte river.. didn't make it, another one tried to help that one out and got stuck then they had a line of them trying to help and winch and this Range Rover has something pop very loud. I believe they used a hi-lift on the one that popped something. There wasn't much we could do to help them and there was a lot of them, so we just left them I'm not sure how it ended or how they got out

5. I very well may be forgetting one

[Jim]

I knocked my torsion bar out when i high centered for a second at china wall in 2019

Ahh, good times! I recall looking at the side of your truck as you crested the rock and then the rock just jumped out of the ground and whacked that torsion bar all to hell. Honest - I swear that's what happened. Then the group project to try and get it as driveable as possible. Glad to have been there to assist. yessir - good times. This is one for Cliff's "remember moments" sig line...

[open_circuit]

Ahh, good times! I recall looking at the side of your truck as you crested the rock and then the rock just jumped out of the ground and whacked that torsion bar all to hell. Honest - I swear that's what happened. Then the group project to try and get it as driveable as possible. Glad to have been there to assist. yessir - good times.

In the rain, too. That was the day we learned Shane carries ALL of the tools and Scott doesn't carry the key for his wheel lock lug nuts! It was quite the afternoon watching people beat on Scott's truck with hammers and hearing the whir of an air impact wrench out on the trail.

[TDash]

Scott doesn't carry the key for his wheel lock lug nuts!

Hey all I can do is learn 😉

Truck came with the wheels and without the key and I guess I hadn't thought about it before then. Got a key right after that trip and have one now 😅

[newracer]

1. I blew a bead off my tire at little moab a few weeks ago

2. I knocked my torsion bar out when i high centered for a second at china wall in 2019, we couldn't completely fix it but with people's help and the hi-lift, we got the torsion bar was put back in allowing me to drive home (with Jim being kind enough to follow me all the way home at low speeds)

3. JandDGreens had to use one when he really messed up something at little moab in 2018 i think it was? I can't even remember what he used it for but i distinctly remember him needing it and someone was super excited to use theirs for the first time (similar to how you said you never got to use it)

4. If I am remembering correctly I think it was when this pack of Rovers (mostly LR3s) were at Hackett Gulch, one of them tried to forge the Platte river.. didn't make it, another one tried to help that one out and got stuck then they had a line of them trying to help and winch and this Range Rover has something pop very loud. I believe they used a hi-lift on the one that popped something. There wasn't much we could do to help them and there was a lot of them, so we just left them I'm not sure how it ended or how they got out

5. I very well may be forgetting one

Using the hi-lift when re-seating your bead looks sketchy to me. A bottle jack would be more stable and would not need to lift the vehicle as high as you just push up the suspension rather than lift the vehicle enough for the suspension to fully droop and then get the tire off the ground.

[speedkills]

I carry a telescoping bottle jack and a hi-lift. Have used the high lift plenty of times, mostly in the snow. Used it just a couple of weeks ago when I was stuck in the snow to the point winching wasn’t getting me out. I jacked up both rear wheels at once and put max-trax under both in one go. Couldn’t have easily done that with my bottle jack.

[Brucker]

Using the hi-lift when re-seating your bead looks sketchy to me. A bottle jack would be more stable and would not need to lift the vehicle as high as you just push up the suspension rather than lift the vehicle enough for the suspension to fully droop and then get the tire off the ground.


Really sounds like you are afraid of the Hi Lift jacks as if not used properly, things could go wrong. But as with any tool, they do carry their inherent risks, but if one learns to properly use the tool, they can minimize that risk greatly. Think about table saws, large hydraulic presses, firearms, etc. Heck even bottle jacks carry huge consequences if not used correctly. Personally, I would rather carry as many things as I can that can help get me home. Might be the old "boy scout" mentality of always be prepared, even though I was never a scout. But I would hate to have to rely on others in order to make it home. And being "scared" or "nervous" of a piece of a equipment has never slowed me down, only made me want to learn more in order to not be worried. But to each their own...

[Trevor?]

Another option:
https://www.easternsurplus.net/PartDetails/4696/3-and-a-half-ton-Scissor-Jack-with-Tools-and-Carrying-Bag

I bought one of these from some other surplus shop for my van. I think they were intended for use on AM general humvees. I had to make a little adapter to cradle my axle tube also. They're rated for 3.5 tons, have more stroke than a lot of bottle jacks, packs smaller than a hilift, no oil to leak out, stable. You turn the input of a little planetary gearbox to run it up and down... makes it easier but takes awhile.

I don't think I paid more than $50 for mine. Agile Offroad sells them for absurd prices, but they include an adapter.

I've used my hilift twice. Once when I was high-centered and lifting the rear put the front tires on the ground. I then drove off the jack. The other time I used one was to pull out some old shrubs that were in-front of my house with a chain, a strap, and a tree.

[Trevor?]

Two more things... if you want a 60" but you find a deal on a 48", you can shop around and find just the 60" bar for sale and swap it out. I bought a 60" bar from Summit for something like $25 a few years ago.

Lastly, hilift makes a little shovel/hammer/axe/pick kit. The 2 piece handle is a pain to use, but if you get a die-grinder with a long enough bit, you can grind some of the weld out of the hilift jack handle (it's rolled and welded tube, not DOM) and then use that as a shovel handle instead. I really only carry the shovel anymore. Someone with a metal-fab shop could probably make a shovel head like that and sell em.

[derf]

I have a 60" jack I'm not using. I'd part with it for probably $50 if you want it.

[xaza]

A bottle jack would be more stable and would not need to lift the vehicle as high as you just push up the suspension rather than lift the vehicle enough for the suspension to fully droop and then get the tire off the ground.
Best practice is to chain/strap axle to frame to prevent suspension from drooping while lifting. This gets tire off the ground at a much lower lift height.

[Jim]

That's my method too. It removes a whole bunch of "sketchiness" that can happen on vehicles with a fair bit of suspension travel.

[newracer]

Really sounds like you are afraid of the Hi Lift jacks as if not used properly, things could go wrong. But as with any tool, they do carry their inherent risks, but if one learns to properly use the tool, they can minimize that risk greatly. Think about table saws, large hydraulic presses, firearms, etc. Heck even bottle jacks carry huge consequences if not used correctly. Personally, I would rather carry as many things as I can that can help get me home. Might be the old "boy scout" mentality of always be prepared, even though I was never a scout. But I would hate to have to rely on others in order to make it home. And being "scared" or "nervous" of a piece of a equipment has never slowed me down, only made me want to learn more in order to not be worried. But to each their own...

I am not afraid of them but I know that if not used properly they can be a disaster. In the posted situation it it appears to be a slight slope with snow on the ground. IMO a bottle jack would be a much better choice in that situation for the already stated reasons.




Best practice is to chain/strap axle to frame to prevent suspension from drooping while lifting. This gets tire off the ground at a much lower lift height.


That's my method too. It removes a whole bunch of "sketchiness" that can happen on vehicles with a fair bit of suspension travel.

Using a bottle jack eliminates that need. I have also seen the adapters that attach the hi-lift to the wheel.

[speedkills]

I have the wheel adapter, just didn't feel the need to use it in that situation. I could have chained up the axle, or just put a few more strokes on the jack, which I chose to do instead. I don't get all of the fear surrounding hi-lifts. I mean, I get a little of it, but not all of it. In this situation, everyone around knew to avoid it and that it was potentially unstable. But what would have happened if it tipped? It's not like they explode. The truck would have moved over to the left or right a foot or two on the front end. So what? Nobody was under it, nobody planned to get under it in this situation. All we needed was a wheel off the ground, and we got it, so I didn't feel any extra effort was justified. I chose the hi-lift here, I had a bottle, but the front bumper had nice recesses made for a high-lift to lock into which I liked, and it was just easy. I got the rig able to finish wheeling again, and didn't feel like I put anyone at risk. If I did, teach me how I put people at risk and I will be more careful next time and make sure I don't do that.

[Java]

Usually it's pilot error with the hilift, you can find a lot of videos of it. The guy below puts his face over the handle, there is an obvious fix for that. I don't know why he keeps messing with the mechanism either, something is up there too. I stopped carrying mine because there is nothing I can do with it that I can't do with something else, plus it's heavy and bulky. I find two bottle jacks are more useful and take up less space. For sleeving stuff I carry about 1.5' of superstrut, a chain and some bolts that fit inside the links. I have a small hacksaw too for adjusments. You can put the superstrut next to a steering link, control arm, trackbar, frame crack, whatever, wrap it with the chain and then put the bolts through and tighten the whole thing up like a python. The chain and bolts can also reconnect axle brackets and leaf springs to get you off a trail.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Hwm0ei1UM

[Trevor?]

I don't know why he keeps messing with the mechanism either, something is up there too.

Mine has done that if the mechanism is not lubricated. The pins can stick and resist retracting under the pressure of the springs unless you give them a little wiggle. An example of why its a good idea to carry some spray lubricant or grease and to make sure everything is working properly before you start your lift... so you can keep both hands on the jack.

These things definitely deserve a healthy dose of respect. Lots of potential energy. Between maintaining awareness of the plane of the handle and the stability of the vehicle they can require a lot of attention.

[Java]

For sure you always need to lube them, and often hit them with a hammer in the winter to get things going but his seems to be engaging smoothly, just not releasing. In the video I posted of the 4Runner you can see Brad release the same thing, then it works on it's own. I think he's got a notched shaft or a dead spring(s)?? IDK, glad it wasn't my face.

[FINOCJ]

If you are still looking...
https://denver.craigslist.org/pts/d/littleton-jeep-parts-hilift-jack/7336225377.html