Hi-Lift Problems / Malfunctions

[teotwaki]

Useful, but then you've got a nasty mess. I found it easier to just lighten my load by 40-odd pounds and instead carry a jack that doesn't require all sorts of do-dads to be able to lift a tire enough for me to work on it or change it.

Granted that you despise Hi-Lifts and only carry yours very reluctantly when the moon is blue or if you need extra ballast in your rig. My suggestion was meant as a "I need lube but I didn't bring any" fix. Better to take a positive approach and live with a temporary "nasty mess" than use a long drawn out excuse to justify not carrying the Hi Lift:

"What if you don't have any lube? Now what? How good is a rescue tool if you don't have the ability to lube it when needed?"

I think that this thread was called "Hi-Lift Problems / Malfunctions" in order to discuss ways to improve performance rather than being called "reasons to convince others that Hi Lifts are 40 excess pounds in a rig". Maybe start a new thread for that discussion?

 

[ntsqd]

I don't expect my view to be popular since it goes against what all of the experts (real and wannabe) say. Read back thru this thread and you'll see my posts as to what I did to make mine work better. Those efforts did make a difference, just not enough IMO.

HLJ's may be absolutely indispensable to some, but I feel their quality and usefulness is over-rated and new folks are automatically told to get one without warrant. If they worked better with minimal annual attention then perhaps I'd feel differently. Something like an extraction jack should be as reliable as an anvil, and require only a little more attention. For their stated use I don't think they do and that is my objection to them.

With that, I've stated my objection to them well enough (by now!), so unless asked to expand on exactly what I did in working mine over I'll leave this thread alone.

 

[cowboy4x4]

I'm also going to be buying a Quaddro scissor jack , I like the hi-lift for recovery,but sometimes find it a pain for just a simple tire change. check this jack out it was at the SEMA show and will be at the Offroad Impact show in march, I couldnt find a price on it though.

www.quaddrotech.com

 

[teotwaki]

I don't expect my view to be popular since it goes against what all of the experts (real and wannabe) say. Read back thru this thread and you'll see my posts as to what I did to make mine work better. Those efforts did make a difference, just not enough IMO.

HLJ's may be absolutely indispensable to some, but I feel their quality and usefulness is over-rated and new folks are automatically told to get one without warrant. If they worked better with minimal annual attention then perhaps I'd feel differently. Something like an extraction jack should be as reliable as an anvil, and require only a little more attention. For their stated use I don't think they do and that is my objection to them.

With that, I've stated my objection to them well enough (by now!), so unless asked to expand on exactly what I did in working mine over I'll leave this thread alone.

I think a fun way to argue against them would be to post photos of the accidental crease in the vehicle's sheetmetal that occurs when a Hi Lift slips!

To me the Hi Lift is just another tool even if it is heavy and cumbersome. I also carry a hydraulic bottle jack and an aluminum base plate for soft ground.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

To each and to his own and nothing wrong with that...

But for what its worth, again, all of mine require minimal attention and are incredibly useful for all sorts of projects... The last pic is not overly safe but again, how else could you change a tire with relative ease in maybe 10 minutes in a snow packed road, with a lifted truck, and be able lift the front end of your truck out of a 1 foot deep vaccuum of mud, and clamp together some steel to weld it together, and switch one aspect of it and use it as a winch? Maybe you got a bad apple but again I think think they are worth their weight personally...

 

[lqhikers]

more high lift jack thoughts!

agree and disagree on hlj's posts.in regards to lubing i always clean and lube after each use ( or when i get home),but what i do is after i clean and lube i bag with plastic bag then tape bag with duct tape,then i cover with draw string naug. cover.been doing this for years no problems.it seems like this is a lot of hassel but i might go for years with out using,but when i do need it its ready.also i agree that not all rigs need or can even use highlift .my 2008 taco is a example.if you do not add lift points at front and rear (as either end can not be lifted in stock form) as you can see from pic's i mount mine on front of taco not only is it out of way but it also works as brush guard ,i feel you are pushing your luck if you use the wheel lift straps that are sold if something slips you are sure to ding the side of truck!looking at pic you will see that the jack is not a true highlift,but a harbor tool clone ,happened on the way to Baja stopped i san diego the night before crossing border,came out in morning highlift gone!quick fix at harbor tools still using ! but i still use bottle jack when i have to work under truck while on trail,would never trust highlift without added support!drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

 

[highlandercj-7]

FWIW, I have used my Hi-Lift maybe 3 times in 10 years. It's probally not worth carrring the weight for that amount of usage but it's always on my rig. Most failures I have seen aree because of improper care and/or people leaving them out in the weather. I remove the jacking mechanisim and store it inside, under my rear seat. The bar has been painted with quality automotive paint and I mounted it on the rear tire carrier. The mechanism is like new after 10 years doing it this way. Some people complain that it takes a hole 30 seconds to assemble it, well it keeps the thing like new and for the 3 times in 10 years I'll waste that few mins of assembly time lol...

 

[FlyingWen]

There is a Hi-Lift Fix It kit that has new pins and some oil in it.

That should help the Jack operate more smoothly. Jacks that are constantly mounted on the vehicle are not going to operate as well as those that are protected from the elements.

 

[jsmoriss]

Jamie, I've had mine for about 6 years now. Used it as my primary jack the whole time. Probably used it maybe 150-200 times. The best lube, without any doubt, is the chain lube for motorcycles. This stuff will stick on like no other, but it won't attract dust and dirt. In fact, I've found chain lube to be the best lube for almost everything. The only thing it doesn't do well is penetrate deeply, i.e. for breaking bolts loose, etc.

x2!

I prefer Amsoil HDMP. The hi-lift gets coated, but so does the pull-pal and everything under the Jeep. It works great as an undercoat for winter!

js.

 

[bianco4x4]

bianco4x4

​

I've had my Hi-Lift for about 3 years now. I've only had to use it 5 times so far (most recently tonight). 4 out of the 5 times I've used it it has malfunctioned. It jacks up just fine - nice and smooth. But when I throw the switch to jack it down, it won't do anything. If I try to jack it and hit the mechanism with a BFH then it will lower, but most of the time instead of going down 1 notch (like it's supposed to) it will just completely drop the load. I carry it on my truck 100% of the time, as I'm sure most of you do, and I lubricate it regulary. This is totally rediculous that my Hi-Lift has malfunctioned 80% of its uses. I feel that I can not even trust it anymore, and I always feel unsafe using it.

I e-mailed Hi-Lift about this, but does anyone else have a similar experience or fix?

The Hi-Lift has almost killed me 3 times, and once - it put a nice big crease in my driver's door. ALL WHEN TRYING TO LOWER THE JACK.

I'm ************* pissed, and I'm ready to throw my Hi-Lift in Lake Michigan.

Should I just try lubricating it before each use?

Jamie - Get in touch with me to find out about the Hi-Lift remedy that will be available soon.

 

[bianco4x4]

bianco4x4

I'm also going to be buying a Quaddro scissor jack , I like the hi-lift for recovery,but sometimes find it a pain for just a simple tire change. check this jack out it was at the SEMA show and will be at the Offroad Impact show in march, I couldnt find a price on it though.

www.quaddrotech.com

cowboy4x4 - check out the following new information about the Quaddro Scissor Jack.

www.reprisecorp.com

GREAT NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL SOON BE MADE KNOWN IN PRESS RELEASE REGARDING THE NEW DEVELOPED QUADDRO SCISSOR JACK - PLANETARY GEAR LOOKS GREAT!!!

 

[Guinness44]

Quaddrotech jack: Just talked to them. Pricing and stuff will be on their page in 2 or 3 weeks. That jack will be rated at 9000lbs, and they are being tested on uparmored HMMWVs.

 

[Azlugz]

I have already been hit on this site for saying I use a taller hi-lift equivilent but anyway, you are all missing one very important point here that the Jeeping world refuses to see too.

Hi-Lift is not the designer of this jack style, they are simply a knock off of the original design and not an overly well made knockoff at that....tho none I have found are. This jack style started life as a farm implement for everything from lifting the tractor to stretching barbed wire for the fence and pulling old fence posts out of the ground. As a farm jack, they were normally VERY well used and were broke in quite quickly and kept lubed. They did not normally sit for months on end, get used for 10 minutes and then sit again, when they were pulled out, they got used a LOT and I must say, if you have never tried to stretch barbed wire without one, it is a quick lesson in futility.

This jack design was never intended to be used as we use it, it was simply adapted and not really even change to match the need so it is not a design flaw, it is a use flaw, that is why you have to lube it everytime you use it, but to date, there is nothing that will fully take the place of a hi-lift....Farm Jack knock off.


As for WD-40, it is great for watrer recoveries and starting diesels...NEVER use it as a lube as it gums up over time and attracts everything including bugs!!!!



Just my 2 cent addition to the insanity

 

[Ron B]

Quaddrotech jack: Just talked to them. Pricing and stuff will be on their page in 2 or 3 weeks. That jack will be rated at 9000lbs, and they are being tested on uparmored HMMWVs.

looks like Travis is listed as a dealer of the hd version -- pretty cool. I wonder what the $$ will be?

rb

 

[dsrtdcab]

AZLugz-
I actually have a Farm-Lift, and you are absolutely correct in its originally intended uses, it is second to none in that regard. On another note, I use the same grease to lube it that we use on the John Deere Although it is very messy, it keeps the jack working flawlessly, even when lifting a truck as opposed to a tractor...