Hi-Lift jack tips, tricks, and uses.
10-12-2009, 07:11 PM
#1
JK Freak
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Hi-Lift jack tips, tricks, and uses.
I just put on my 35's and lift, so I thought it was about time for a hi-lift since my stock jack doesn't do much lifting anymore. My question is, does anyone have any tips or tricks with the high lift? perhaps use one in a creative way to accomplish an unusual jeep specific task? btw, I know how to operate one, so you dont have to try to explain basic operation to me (unless you just feel like typing a bit to work on your keyboarding skills).
Also, I have stock bumpers, anyone have good lift locations for the high lift that wont rip one of those babies off?
Sorry if this thread is in the wrong sub-forum. Should have put it in Off-Road 101... feel free to move.
Also, I have stock bumpers, anyone have good lift locations for the high lift that wont rip one of those babies off?
Sorry if this thread is in the wrong sub-forum. Should have put it in Off-Road 101... feel free to move.
Last edited by Curiosity; 10-12-2009 at 07:17 PM.
10-12-2009, 07:17 PM
#2
You need bumpers, and or rock sliders. Problem with rock sliders is they are smooth, the jack can easily slide down them when loaded. I will be coming up with a way to use push in pins or something to locate the jack on each corner. The problem with stock bumpers, is they are stock bumpers. Even with the plastic removed on the front, my "steel" bumper was tweaking when using the hi-lift and a block of wood to help spread the load.
Moral of the story is you do not have the proper locations to safely use a hi-lift jack. I don't have much better to be honest, I need to work on my pin idea, i feel the stock rubi slider can support the corner of the vehicle for a tire change. Pinch weld is extremely strong.
They make a wheel strap that has hooks for the spoke of the rim. Not useful at all if you need to change that tire however..
Moral of the story is you do not have the proper locations to safely use a hi-lift jack. I don't have much better to be honest, I need to work on my pin idea, i feel the stock rubi slider can support the corner of the vehicle for a tire change. Pinch weld is extremely strong.
They make a wheel strap that has hooks for the spoke of the rim. Not useful at all if you need to change that tire however..
10-12-2009, 08:12 PM
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10-13-2009, 04:48 AM
#5
JK Super Freak
hi-lift's website and youtube have good instructional videos of winching using one.
Depends how stuck and motivated you are to use one to lift a stock JK.
As above post said, they're great to have for emergencies, but you'll need rock rails and/or bumpers for tire changes.
Depends how stuck and motivated you are to use one to lift a stock JK.
As above post said, they're great to have for emergencies, but you'll need rock rails and/or bumpers for tire changes.
10-13-2009, 05:23 AM
#6
JK Junkie
Yah, if you have rock rails and good metal bumpers it really does not matter where you put them. What you might to due is get the wheel lift adapter and the correct size block/ jack stand to go under the axle to jack her up then place her on the block/jack stand.
10-13-2009, 08:29 AM
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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.
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.
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10-13-2009, 10:35 AM
#8
JK Freak
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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.
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.
Great post!!!
10-13-2009, 11:45 AM
#9
JK Super Freak
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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.
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.
10-14-2009, 06:14 AM
#10
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