New Hi-Lift for xmas, Tips and advice, please

Mudhound0530 · 12-24-2007, 08:51 PM

Any helpful hints, do's and donts...thanks everyone in advance

**dzdiver** · 12-24-2007, 09:04 PM

The search function will turn up a lot of information on the Hi-Lift Jack. Some useful, some not.

Here are my quick tips:

1. Do not use the jack for routine tire changing purposes! You must lift the vehicle far too high without strapping the axle. The higher it goes, the less stable it is. Use the standard jack or a bottle jack instead.

2. The primary use of the Hi-Lift is for vehicle recovery purposes. When it is coupled with attachments like: The Jack Mate, The off-road accessory kit, etc, it becomes a very useful tool.

3. Respect this tool or it can kill you! This should probably be rule # 1. Do not every let your head or any part of your body that you value get in the path of the handle on either the up or down stroke. Always keep your hand on the handle, or have the handle secured when in use.

4. Keep it clean, lubricated, and maintained.

5. Practice with it under ideal conditions so that you know how it works under less than ideal conditions.

6. It is a very useful tool. I used one when I was with a fire/rescue agency. But it MUST be respected. There is some info available through Google on the proper use of this tool for recovery purposes.

Enjoy!

VT2BAD4U · 12-25-2007, 12:32 PM

X2 on the above post! And if you feel compelled to mount it outside the vehicle, lube it and use it at least once a month to keep it from rusting into usless extra weight.

iere · 12-25-2007, 02:34 PM

Research all the accessories before buying some. I bought some at northern tool I think and while ok I later found other folks make higher quality stuff and to some extent I think I could have spent my money better by doing more research.

Then again, it took me a while to realize how popular the hi-lift still is.

I stick these up with chainsaws for tools people sometimes don't respect.

I have great respect for these and don't want a lesson in physics from it.

TJSport01 · 12-25-2007, 07:52 PM

i also got a hi lift for x mas you said something about oiling it if your going to keep it outside your jeep, also what did you mean by strapping the axle?

Mudhound0530 · 12-25-2007, 10:33 PM

He meant limiting how much the axle travels by strapping it to the chasis. If the axle is strapped to the chasis limiting suspension flex, then you dont have to flex out the entire suspension just to get the tire off the ground.

Secondly if you take a second to read the stuff that came with your hi lift you will find that White lithium grease, penetrating lube, or teflon lube may be used to lube up the various parts of the hi lift such as the climbers and pins, and the shear bolt.

**sentinal02** · 12-26-2007, 12:45 AM

best advise i've heard, when using the jack, crouch/kneel down along side it, slightly behind and work the handle from there. this will keep your head out of harms way of the handle since you won't be tempted to lean over it. also, carry a spare repair kit in your tool box (springs, pins, etc. you can buy the kit pretty much anywhere they sell the jack). nothing worse than needing the jack and finding one of the springs broke. oh, and get some kind of rubber to put over the business end of the jack. metal to metal will slide easier than if you have rubber to metal. heater/radiator hose works if you can find a hose big enough.

Mudhound0530 · 12-26-2007, 01:01 AM

By business end of the jack you mean the handle, im assuming, and by slip you mean your hand off of it...on second thought i dont think im right, could you elaborate some

**sentinal02** · 12-26-2007, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mudhound0530

By business end of the jack you mean the handle, im assuming, and by slip you mean your hand off of it...on second thought i dont think im right, could you elaborate some

no, the "horn" of the jack is what i call the business end. the little 6" long platform that actually goes under whatever you're lifting and makes contact. since it has a tendency to slide against the bumper or whatever you lift point might be, making a rubber pad for that spot will give you more grip, resulting in a slightly more stable jack.

flexytj79 · 12-26-2007, 08:36 AM

cut a piece of 3mm thick steel to 300mm x 300mm to use as a base plate
on soft ground so your jack doesnt sink

tjwrangler911 · 01-02-2008, 05:25 PM

look in this forum section for a video of what happens when you don't respect the highlift.

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-02-2008, 05:28 PM

I've had so much use out of my Hi-Lift the last ten years that it now permanently occupies a dark back corner in my shed.

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-02-2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diverdude2890

also what did you mean by strapping the axle?

Look at the orange strap in the below old photo. That strap is holding my axle to the frame so the axle won't droop down while the Jeep is jacked up from the side. That makes it so you don't have to jack the Jeep up so high to get the tire up off the ground. In other words, the suspension allows an unstrapped axle to droop as you jack the frame up so you have to jack it up twice as high just to get the tire off the ground.

12-25-2007, 02:34 PM	#4
iere Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: tn Posts: 35 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Research all the accessories before buying some. I bought some at northern tool I think and while ok I later found other folks make higher quality stuff and to some extent I think I could have spent my money better by doing more research. Then again, it took me a while to realize how popular the hi-lift still is. I stick these up with chainsaws for tools people sometimes don't respect. I have great respect for these and don't want a lesson in physics from it.