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how do I safely use a high lift jack?

5K views 37 replies 18 participants last post by  CrawlAK 
#1 ·
Hey guys after blowing a tire on the trail and having to find someone with a high lift jack to help me out I realized I needed one so now that I have one how do I safely use it? Like where should I jack the jeep up at? After I got the jack I tried jacking it on the tow hook to test it out and got the back two tires off the ground and then thought to myself well when I get a lift and 35's on this thing the tires are gonna be higher so I jacked it up a little higher and the jeep slid out from under the jack i dont know why I had the parking brake and e brake firmly set. So I need to know how to jack it up without the jeep sliding off thanks, Donovan 2010 Jku sahara stock tires and suspension
 
#2 ·
Hmm. First, always block your wheels to prevent the jeep from rolling forward or backwards. If you are only depending on your parking/e-brake you will eventually get someone hurt or worse. High lifts are too unstable to use them on a regular basis.

Use your bottle jack or get another bottle jack with a higher extension while carrying around some 2x4 or another solid base. If you need to to use a high lift you can jack it up from the sides if you have rock sliders installed. Or purchase the accessories that will allow you to get a hook under the bumper

As for what happened with your JK, since you jacked up the rear end it would not matter whether or not you had the ebrake set or not. The ebrakes locks the rear wheels, not the front. That is why it rolled off.

A high lift jack primary purpose is not for changing tires but for vehicle recovery. Quoted this from another forum.

Originally Posted by Red View Post
Not sure if there is a thread on this already, but if you asked, then there are probably others out there that are wondering the same thing, so...

There are lots of neat things that you can do with a hi lift, but lets start with some of the basics.

As general rule, you do not want to use a hi lift for tire changes. They are unstable. If you have bumpers with hi lift jack points (look like a cut out T) on the bumper or sliders, it is a bit safer, but as a rule of thumb, they are not intended for tire changes. That being said, I can't say I haven't done it often.

As another general rule, don't get under the vehicle when it is jacked up with the hi lift. Refer back to them being unstable. They are not intended for repair or modification work.

Jacking points. On an after market bumper or sliders, you may have a hi lift jack point (that T cut out, but it could be a hole for a peg that gets inserted - it all depends on the manufacturer), and that is usually the best place for stability. On a stock vehicle, you want to get it under something solid. The bumpers, even the steel in the front is not solid. The Rubi sliders will work, though I remain a bit hesitant to use them there. If you can somehow wedge it under the frame where the bumper ties in up front that is the way to go. You will crush the plastic a bit, but hey! The same thing goes for the rear. If you can get it under the tow hook in the back, it should work as well. Bottom line is the JK is not really designed for hi lift jacking, so get creative and live with the damage.

One more safety point. When lowering, keep your face away from the handle. The thing gets slick with mud and water and such, and they have a tendency to slip out of your hand and hit you in the face with a lot of force. Hasn't happened to me, but have seen it happen. It looks painful.

Now to get to a bit of the fun stuff. You can use it as a winch. Use two tow straps, one on the top of the hi lift with a d ring and the other around the lifting part. One strap around a stationary point and the other on the vehicle. Start jacking. It is slow going and won't get you far, but it works.

On really off camber situations, you can use it the same way as with jacking as a way to keep tension on the vehicle to prevent it from tipping. I hope that makes sense. I can't explain it much better.

Probably my favorite and most used is to get the vehicle out of a rut. Put it under the center of the front or rear bumper and jack it up high enough to get the wheels well clear of the ruts. All the while, keep one person on each side of the vehicle to keep it centered. When the wheels are out of the rut, one person on the side backs off and the other pushes, and the truck falls off of the jack and lands on the other side of the rut. Repeat on other side of the vehicle.

Use it to get over or onto a big obstacle. Drive up to the obstacle, jack up the front of the truck so the wheels get on it, and drive over the jack and onto the rock.

The handle from the jack also makes a good cheater pipe, hood prop, beating stick, or anything else that a large pipe can be used for.

You can break the bead on a tire with the jack. Lay the tire on the ground at a good jacking point on the truck, put the foot of the jack on the tire next to the rim, and jack the truck up. The vehicle's weight will break the bead. Turn tire and repeat.

They make great fence post pullers, or pullers of anything that requires lots of effort.

Okay. I guess thats enough for now. I'll let others chime in as well. There are lots of accessories that go with them as well that expand the possibilities. Be creative. It is basically a pulling/lifting/leverage tool.

Just remember... Safety first. They are unstable, which can be a benefit or a hinderance, but they are unstable. So, if it looks unsafe, it probably is, so try not to be stupid.

Oh, one more thing. A hi lift is an expendable tool. That means it only has a limited number of uses in it before it is done for. Some of the above uses, like getting onto obstacles will end up breaking them. Don't plan on keeping it forever. And when it breaks, do the rest of us a favor and don't leave a broken one lying around on the trail, they are great for puncturing tires and damaging vehicles in this state.
 
#3 ·




 
#4 ·
X2 re the advice above: DO NOT use the Hi-Lift to change tires. That isn't in the warranty, anyway. Use your bottle jack for that. Carry a block of wood or a purpose-built platform to provide good footing and a bit more height to your bottle jack (although if you place the bottle jack properly under the axle, you don't need extra height even with larger tires).

The Hi-Lift is useful for many tasks. Just not this one. Nowhere near stable enough.
 
#6 ·
Well, you must be taking appropriate precautions if you're still with us.

Hats off to you, you are doing a lot more work. Jacking up the whole vehicle very high (since you need to soak up the articulation of the suspension), versus just the axle, is a whole lot of extra pounds to move. This is one of the rare places where safety and laziness are happily aligned.
 
#7 ·
See'ins how my Jeep doesn't have a bottle jack in it the sheepherders jack does just fine.. Thank you.. But the last time I used it, like 5-6 years ago or so I was hung up on my transmission crossmember..

If you are lifting 2 tires off the ground to change 1 you are doing it wrong.. Noted by the OP..
 
#8 ·
A hilift jack is like a gun. The minute you don't respect it, it kills/hurts you.
No more, no less.

Also just like guns there is a plethora of bad, misinformed, mistaken and utterly retarded "facts" out there that really ought not be. Just like guns you get people who can make the hilift do things not tought possible and do it quickly and safely. On the other side of the coin you will have people who would hurt themselves with a rubber band and a pet rock, let alone a complex device like a hilift.

YMMV
 
#9 ·
schitzangiggles: I like what you said but still have a comment. I am turning 66 in about a month. My generation grew up with jacks that resembled the hi-lift jack. There were some snowy nights that I got a flat and it was on a very steep hill. Was nervous and didn't like having to jack so high. One time in Arizona, as I was jacking, the jack was sinking into the hot Summer asphalt!!! Just saying that life wasn't all peachy back then but we used that jack and we ain't griping. We thought it was normal. I started jeepin' in a 1953 Willys Overland Wagon. Jeeping was different back then. Now-a-days, the jeep crowd has all kinds of doo-dads. During my youth, we were different too but we were not more dangerous. We were just as used to our lifestyle as you are to yours. People like Zillla and me were from an earlier time.
 
#11 ·
Oh I totally agree. My youngest brother asked wy I didn't have a bunch of pictures of all of the cool stuff I did growing up. I told him "I grew up in the '80's, we actually did stuff, not scrapbook about it."
Kids today are encased in Styrofoam and bubble wrap and so sheltered from life/reality they don't even have a chance to get scars with cool stories that teach valuable life lessons. In short, we have gelded the stallion and bid him to be fruitful.

I had friends that fell over when the found out I got my 7yr old daughter a single shot .22lr that she HUNTS critters with. When did we turn into France?
 
#12 ·
Leave it on the roof and carry the proper size and type of jack for your rig. And, if you are using it on the trails, carry two one foot squares of 3/4" plywood to set the jack on. I love a hydraulic bottle jack, but for a rig without much lift, the right scissors jack will do also.
 
#13 ·
There is a time and place for every type of jacking tool. Like others have stated, some of us grew up with the ratcheting jacks that were standard issue with cars. I carry a choice of three; bottle, scissor, and the hi-lift. Each has its place and happy to have those choices available.

As stated in an earlier post, also carry plywood squares or maybe some 2x8x8" lumber. A firm base makes a huge difference in the safety factor. Also, it would be a good idea to take a friend along and practice on different surface to get the hang of using the tool. Maybe start in your drive or in a flat field and then progress to less suitable terrain that is similar to trail conditions. Better to be experienced before ya need to use it in a tough situation.

Whatever ya do, think safety first.
 
#14 ·
Hey guys after blowing a tire on the trail and having to find someone with a high lift jack to help me out I realized I needed one so now that I have one how do I safely use it? Like where should I jack the jeep up at? After I got the jack I tried jacking it on the tow hook to test it out and got the back two tires off the ground and then thought to myself well when I get a lift and 35's on this thing the tires are gonna be higher so I jacked it up a little higher and the jeep slid out from under the jack i dont know why I had the parking brake and e brake firmly set. So I need to know how to jack it up without the jeep sliding off thanks, Donovan 2010 Jku sahara stock tires and suspension
The jeep will never be stable jacking it up like that regardless of what jack you use.

I have jacked a jeep like that in the past with the intention of knocking it of the jack but never to actual work on it.

If you are working on the jeep I would only jack one tire up at a time and then place a jack stand. On the trial that may not be possible but still only jack up one tire at a time if you are working on the jeep, regardless of what jack you use.
 
#15 ·
Since it is often impossible to get underneath a rig on the trail to properly set a scissors jack, an interesting approach is to get a long ram hydraulic jack fitted for a swivel plate on the bottom and a secure attachment to your tow point at the top and lift from the tow points. I got this idea from having a 10,000 lb Unimog on the trails and it worked so well, I added the long ram hydraulic to my on board equipment:

 
#16 ·
A ratchet strap around the axle & frame will keep the suspension from drooping so you won't have to lift as high
 
#17 ·
Don't forget to have low range engaged and in gear when lifting. Helps lock up the drivetrain. Engine off if course. Chock wheels and if any doubt, such as a steep surface, run winch line to a secure point. Run away jeeps are dangerous. Do I always use mine? No. Leave home w/o it? Never. The times you need pays for it self.
 
#18 ·
"how do I safely use a high lift jack? "

Wrap a heavy duty bungee cord around the handle and frame several times. Put it in the corner of the garage and leave it there forever. There are better tools available and false teeth are expensive.
 
#19 ·
Or better yet act like an adult and learn about the safe operation of your tools and live for more than simple existence.

I have used a hilift to effect a frame repair by chaining the main beam to the broken section. Kept the axle from walking out when a Dana turdyfive broke the axle shaft 15 miles from the trail head using a chain, a ratchet strap and a refrigerator door. Used it as the laws of life to get people out of a H3 that rolled over. Used it as a clamp to hold a frame togetherso it could be welded back together using some batteries, jumper cables and some 6011 rod out of my tool box. Used it to keep a bridge from collapsing by clamping the main beams together so they wouldn't roll over onto their sides.

So keep telling yourself how sucky and dangerous they are while in the safety of your suburbia, we'll be out wheeling.
 
#20 ·
My $.02

Both of my vehicles carry hi lift. Ever need? Rarely if ever. Never for tire changing-- we use the lift-mate sometimes to help others thru high center trail obstacles. Its more utility in the shop and around the ranch here for other needs/uses. We have 2 more in the shop. Helps with leverage/lifting challenges from car and farm. Dangerous? You betcha! Once I got the near handle swing past the face sweep under load. Thanks to the kind hand of a higher power it only clipped and knocked off my hat. Whew! Be more aware!
Treat with respect, keep well maintained and lubed = many rewards. But like a pistol, don't look down the barrel or 'face' the possible consequences.
 
#21 ·
I once used some TV cable to truss up an exhaust, and once had a two wheel cart called into service for a front wheel broke off. But, like the useless hi-lift jack, I'll leave them at home in the corner of the garage collecting rust and avoiding accidents.

All of us older guys have nostalgia for a high lift jack. They look cool and they take us back to a time when trail equipment consisted of the hi-lift and a pint of Jack Daniels. But, times change. and serious off roaders today do not need the hi-lift for anything, ever.
 
#22 ·
I once used some TV cable to truss up an exhaust, and once had a two wheel cart called into service for a front wheel broke off. But, like the useless hi-lift jack, I'll leave them at home in the corner of the garage collecting rust and avoiding accidents.

All of us older guys have nostalgia for a high lift jack. They look cool and they take us back to a time when trail equipment consisted of the hi-lift and a pint of Jack Daniels. But, times change. and serious off roaders today do not need the hi-lift for anything, ever.
Just becuase you do not have the ability to use it does not make it useless.
This may help you.
http://www.offroadadventures.com/articles/view/id/347
 
#25 ·
"Kept the axle from walking out when a Dana turdyfive broke the axle shaft 15 miles from the trail head using a chain, a ratchet strap and a refrigerator door."

Giggles,

I'm so proud of you! Using a refrigerator door to make a temporary fix for your Dana 35 out in the boonies must have been pretty awesome. Do you have any pics? I'm sure many of us would like to see that in action.

As far as suburbia goes, you have never been to Gunnison County Colorado have you? There is no such thing here. I have seen several hi-lift jacks on a few vehicles but I have never seen anybody use one in the Ouray-Silverton-Telluride area. I have heard horror stories about people who have been badly injured by them. So sorry I struck a nerve with you and I apologize. As a shareholder in the hi-lift corporation, I can clearly see how my comment must have looked like a personal attack. Sorry. Keep using your hi-lift jack safely.
 
#27 ·
"Kept the axle from walking out when a Dana turdyfive broke the axle shaft 15 miles from the trail head using a chain, a ratchet strap and a refrigerator door."

Giggles,

I'm so proud of you! Using a refrigerator door to make a temporary fix for your Dana 35 out in the boonies must have been pretty awesome. Do you have any pics? I'm sure many of us would like to see that in action.

As far as suburbia goes, you have never been to Gunnison County Colorado have you? There is no such thing here. I have seen several hi-lift jacks on a few vehicles but I have never seen anybody use one in the Ouray-Silverton-Telluride area. I have heard horror stories about people who have been badly injured by them. So sorry I struck a nerve with you and I apologize. As a shareholder in the hi-lift corporation, I can clearly see how my comment must have looked like a personal attack. Sorry. Keep using your hi-lift jack safely.
Sadly I don't have any pics. Before the time of decent cellphone cameras and after I killed my wife's $2,500 Nikon I was forbidden to touch her cameras. I am usually too busy with life to stop and document everything. I guess I am just an old fart.

I have been all over the US and a lot of CO wheeling and yeah there are some decent trails there. Mostly a lot of patchouli smelling folks I have a hard time relating to...
 
#31 ·
When I was a kid, my 3rd grade teacher kept one in the classroom. It was a handy tool to have. One time Johnny Connelly accidently kicked out the leg of Miss Gillicutty's desk and the whole side of the desk leaned over on it's right front side touching the classroom floor.
Without any hesitation, she made some clothsline rope into a makeshift harness and wrapped it around the desk and the highlift jack and lifted that desk that was full of her personal effects that had been accumulating inside for over 25 years and stuck a couple of old encyclopedia books under the corner and the desk was level again and steady as a rock.
Another incident that I remember was a hot spring day and she couldn't get a window open to let in a cool breeze. Once again she placed it on the windowsill with a rope tied around the bottom handle that was attached to the window sash and that window popped up with just a little squeak of resistance.
They're not for just 4 wheeling as Miss Gillicutty can prove. She was a tough farm bred women of pioneer stock
 
#32 ·
where should I jack the jeep up at? to test it out and got the back two tires off the ground and the jeep slid out from under the jack i dont know why I had the parking brake and e brake firmly set.
--------
The parking/ebrake only work on the back tires.

Shift the transfer case to 4wd LOW !! Then all 4 tires are locked.

BUT Hi Lift Jacks and Chainsaws are 2 of the oldest most primitive tools made. Safe operation is not what the designers had in mind............
 
#35 ·
 
#36 ·
but but but...

great idea. i'll make one. weak point is the area the jack jaws meet/hold vehicle (bumper) surface. To arrest side sliding vice grips or a C clamp to help center and secure the lift jaws.
 
#37 ·
or you can put a "T" slot the bumper to put the hilift into.
 

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