4' HiLift or 5 foot?

[Azlugz]

Where are you jacking from? Your roll cage? :shakin:

<insert my safety voice here>

Its my opinion that the Hi-Lift style jack should be the last jack chosen for the job. I'd much rather see a small bottle or scissor jack used underneath the axle, making exposure and "kick out" a much more unlikely issue. That being said, when using a high-lift, STRAP YOUR SUSPENSION. There is no reason you should have to lift your vehicle to the point of zero downtravel left in your axle just to swap a tire. Insane! Strap the suspension, get the tire 2-3" off the ground and limit your exposure. By strapping your suspension you only need to lift your bumper/slider hight plus ~6". Sure there are off-camber or situations where your suspension is already tweaks, those are even worse places to use a hi-lift IMO.

For those that only have space for the 48" but are worried about needing more length... I give you the Lift All Extension (patent pending).

*Modular, add as many as you need
*Allows safe jacking points, like your roof rack
*Investment cast
*Painted, so they look good
*Now shipping!

$49.99 each unk03:

(Sorry to be a smart a--, we had a very similar discussion on another forum and we all got a good chuckle out of this)

All fine and dandy in the perfect world that I do not live in and some times strapping the suspension for a quick lift is a waste....as for jacking from the roll cage, I assume you are not calling me a complete idiot so I will simply say that jacking from the bumper or the rock rail does not lift the tire.....exactly as i said and I prefer the taller and better made Smittybilt. as far as the saftey issue, I will leave that one alone as anyone using anything should know the unit and know the good and bad about it as well as the safety aspects......a car will kill you if you don't handle it right, try holding a gun backwards once......

 

[Azlugz]

Lift your vehicle correctly and safely by strapping the suspension to the frame to eliminate articulating as your vehicle raises.

I also vote 60" if you plan on using it as a winch... I usually store my highlifts inside so i go 48"

And to you, again, I am assuming you are also not calling me an idiot so I will suggest that there are points when that is not practical....this is not a black and white world

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Hmm, good points on both sides.

I definitely think the 4 footer would do the job for any tire changing needs I'd have. And just got a Superwinch, so hopefully I won't need it for winching. Except maybe one of those situations where you need to put a winch on the back end too to prevent it from going somewhere bad while you're using the electric winch to go forward.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

All fine and dandy in the perfect world that I do not live in and some times strapping the suspension for a quick lift is a waste as for jacking from the roll cage, I assume you are not calling me a complete idiot so I will simply say that jacking from the bumper or the rock rail does not lift the tire....

I was being a bit facetious

Though even with your taller jack you should really get acquainted with strapping the suspension IMO, takes 30 seconds and saves you a bit of manual labor on the high side

 

[DaveInDenver]

Different perspective

Anyway, I see lots of down sides to the tall jack and no up sides.

I don't disagree with your usage points. All true.

But when I might jack using my bumper, the adapter that fits in the jack for the ARB for example, points puts the saddle of my Hi-Lift over half way up the bar before I even start lifting. Even with the suspension strapped I often get near the top of a 48" Hi-Lift before I get much space under the wheels. Having an extra foot would allow another rock or two to fit under the wheel. I've had to stack rocks under the base of the jack a few times to get enough lift to do the change of aspect.

Here's an visual of what I'm talking about. Now imagine this not in a shop with a nice flat floor, but with the jack below the truck in a little hole or your wheel stuck in a dug out piece of trail. It's easy to run out of Hi-Lift bar with a lifted truck, aired down tires and all.

BTW, this is Slee's multi-purpose Hi-Lift tool. Just got it this year, looks like it'll be handy.

http://sleeoffroad.com/products/products_jackof_detail.htm

 

[sami]

And to you, again, I am assuming you are also not calling me an idiot so I will suggest that there are points when that is not practical....this is not a black and white world

I don't really care, read into you however you like. My point is, that if you don't strap your axle to the frame with a chain or strap, you can/will be in more danger due to the vehicle being lifted up higher than actually needed. If the jack slips or fails, there's alot of energy unloading that needs to go somewhere(Hi-Lift to the head, or vehicle crushing appendages). The amount of danger can be left to interpretation for the user. Safety really doesn't take alot of time or effort when you think about the big picture.

PS.. i would like to add, that I use a bottle neck in 90% of jacking situations... I really don't like Hi-Lifts, and will use other means of lifting a vehicle anytime i can. So I might be bias with my Hi-Lift opinions

-Jason

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...Having an extra foot would allow another rock or two to fit under the wheel. I've had to stack rocks under the base of the jack a few times to get enough lift to do the change of aspect...

Lifting to get unstuck or stack rocks is one aspect of the Hi-Lift I honestly didn't consider in my previous posts... very good point indeed too. I get a bit close-minded on the uses others have for tools, for that I apologize. Changing tires is one thing, getting enough room to position a rock is another :friday:

Good thing I carry the extension :sombrero:

 

[Paul R]

I think in general I get more scared every time I click the hi-lift one click higher they scare me I have seen people narrowly escape situations that could have been horrible so I would get the shortest one that will work for what you need it to do...
But that is my opinion...

 

[DaveInDenver]

I think in general I get more scared every time I click the hi-lift one click higher they scare me I have seen people narrowly escape situations that could have been horrible so I would get the shortest one that will work for what you need it to do...
But that is my opinion...

Having weight on top of that lever, yeah that scares the heck out of me, too. But 4' or 5', both results are gonna be ugly if they slip.

Yeah, Kurt, I personally think as a tire changing jack they are really a last resort. But take it from someone who is winch-less (although I will be sporting a fancy new MT45 cover thanks to Cruiser Outfitters soon!) having a 60" Hi-Lift would be a nice thing. So many other uses, help in stacking rocks, come-along, make-shift vice, camper leveling shim, foot bridge over muck, traction mat, anvil.

 

[dlbrunner]

5' The extra foot is nice.

As mentioned before, they are dangerous. Use with caution....

Also have a 3/4"X12"X12" Plywood to put under it

 

[mountainpete]

I have a 48" and I have been in situations where I would have loved a 60" (like deep mud ruts). If I had room for a 60" I would carry one.

Whichever way you go, spend the extra $30 on an off-road base. Not only does it give an extra inch or two, it also creates a much more stable base on soft ground. Well worth the money and in my opinion simply better then a block of wood. And don't forget to add a rope to the base - in mud you absolutely need it to get the base out again!

Pete

 

[madizell]

Stacking rocks would never occur to me. I assume this is an attempt to get unstuck where rocks are plentiful, and you want to place some rocks under a tire. Never done it yet. Between a winch, a tow strap, and trail buddies, moving terrain to conquer terrain has not been necessary.

As far as using it for a winch, there are better options assuming you don't already have a winch of some sort. Black Rat used to offer a hand powered winch that is a lot easier to use. It takes me ten minutes to figure out which way to throw the lever to get the Hi-Lift to go up or down, and unless you are carrying extra steel cable, synthetic rope, or an extension strap with no stretch in it (all of which is exactly the right length for your emergency give or take a foot), using a jack with a 4 or 5 foot pull will only take the tension out of whatever you are using. Setting up a winch pull with a lift jack would be an extreme situation. No doubt you would have to be totally alone, or in a place where no one could get to you to help, or the vehicle is DOA and has no electric left to run the mounted winch, or you find yourself in the wrong spot at the wrong time totally unprepared. Or are we talking about rock crawling instead of expedition driving? I try to avoid rock crawling. Not trying to say it can't be done or has not been done successfully, but surely using a jack as a winch is a very last resort.

I, too, prefer a bottle jack for lifting axles.

As for not using a chain on the suspension because it takes too much time, I have tried using the Hi-Lift to lift a tire on my CJ sitting on a flat concrete driveway, and I can't come within 16 inches of lifting any tire off the ground with a 4 foot Hi-Lift unless I do chain the axle to the frame. I would not want a 5,300 pound car suspended on the top of a Hi-Lift at full flex and one tire off the ground. The potential for death would be too high.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Stacking rocks would never occur to me. I assume this is an attempt to get unstuck where rocks are plentiful, and you want to place some rocks under a tire.

As far as using it for a winch, there are better options assuming you don't already have a winch of some sort. Black Rat used to offer a hand powered winch that is a lot easier to use.

and unless you are carrying extra steel cable, synthetic rope, or an extension strap with no stretch in it (all of which is exactly the right length for your emergency give or take a foot), using a jack with a 4 or 5 foot pull will only take the tension out of whatever you are using. Setting up a winch pull with a lift jack would be an extreme situation. No doubt you would have to be totally alone, or in a place where no one could get to you to help, or the vehicle is DOA and has no electric left to run the mounted winch, or you find yourself in the wrong spot at the wrong time totally unprepared.

Yes, yes, yes and yes. ;-)

Stacking rocks is something those of us with little tires, IFS, long overhangs and horrible break-over angles have to do sometimes. Mostly it's the little tires and battleship wheelbase of the XtraCab. But my truck rides on stock suspension configuration with just a little lift. So I don't have tons of wheel travel, particularly in the front (about 7~8") and I'll get crossed up enough that I'll have to do a trail modification here or there. It's a lot less often since putting in lockers, but a stacked rock or two often help minimize how much digging my tires will do and it's easier to walk something controlled. Plus it helps reduce breakage of CV axles if I don't have to beat the snot out of my truck to make something.

Don't have a Black Rat or a winch, so it's my only option. I do carry 6' of hardened 3/8" chain, 20' of 5/16" drag chain with a binding hook on one end (to take up the extra chain), a non-stretch 20' tow strap and the rigging to make my Hi-Lift into a winch. It's a kludge and a last resort, but I've used it couple of times now.

Or are we talking about rock crawling instead of expedition driving? I try to avoid rock crawling. Not trying to say it can't be done or has not been done successfully, but surely using a jack as a winch is a very last resort.

Nope, just regular vehicle exploring. I'm not much of a rock crawler. Actually until this spring my truck was pretty much a non-crawler. But now it's been armored to the point that it hopefully will be reasonably OK. A Hi-Lift works fine, just takes a long time. My primary use has been to extract my truck from bonehead mistakes in snow. Doh!

Off highway I extremely rarely try anything remotely difficult alone, so snatch straps and bummed winches are the norm when doing tougher stuff. So I'm not talking about regular use, but a SNAFU when alone primarily. Someday I will fill the ARB with a winch, but money doesn't grow on trees. This was gonna maybe be the year, but an opportunity for a good club road trip dictated a game plan change in the priority of my truck's schedule of upgrades.

I would not want a 5,300 pound car suspended on the top of a Hi-Lift at full flex and one tire off the ground. The potential for death would be too high.

Heck yeah, we're agreed there. The point I think of all this is that 48" and 60" Hi-Lifts both command respect in use and having the option of that extra foot can be useful in some situations. Someone said it earlier in the thread, better to have that extra bar to climb if you need it rather than the opposite.

 

[Grim Reaper]

48" for my Taco's and Land Cruisers... never needed more. If I ever have to have anything that high, I'll stap the suspension. I suppose the 60" would be all the better for winch needs. I'll echo the others, if the 60" will fit, won't hurt.

Same thing I do. I had a lanky 7ft tall K5 that could ramp 800's on a 30 degree ramp (thats one wheel on a Honda accord and the other tree still in contact with the ground). A 60 inch couldn't get a wheel off the ground if lifting from the bumper. Strap or chain the axle to the frame and then you only have to lift the truck up 6-10 inches. a LOT safer. You run a highlift to the top it is very unsafe and easy to have the truck fall off the jack.

60 is nice if you have the room and plan to use it as a winch. I have moved trucks sideways by jacking them up and kicking them off the jack but its dangerous to do.The 48 was not tall enough for the job. And if you happen to use it as intended...to pull fence posts the height is a plus. That's about where I have seen the gain and all of them but winching I could over come with a chunk of wood or a rock.

 

[Grim Reaper]

48" for my Taco's and Land Cruisers... never needed more. If I ever have to have anything that high, I'll stap the suspension. I suppose the 60" would be all the better for winch needs. I'll echo the others, if the 60" will fit, won't hurt.

Same thing I do. I had a lanky 7ft tall K5 that could ramp 800's on a 30 degree ramp (thats one wheel on a Honda accord and the other three still in contact with the ground). A 60 inch couldn't get a wheel off the ground if lifting from the bumper. Strap or chain the axle to the frame and then you only have to lift the truck up 6-10 inches. a LOT safer. You run a highlift to the top it is very unsafe and easy to have the truck fall off the jack.

60 is nice if you have the room and plan to use it as a winch. I have moved trucks sideways by jacking them up and kicking them off the jack but its dangerous to do.The 48 was not tall enough for the job. And if you happen to use it as intended...to pull fence posts the height is a plus. That's about where I have seen the gain and all of them but winching I could over come with a chunk of wood or a rock.