Thinking about dropping the hi-lift

[rfoubi]

I've used mine a bunch. This was the latest time. Neither the hilift or the bottle jack could have moved this on their own. It was blocking the road on a thru-route that would have been a 4 hour detour. I felt pretty good getting a 2000-3000kg + boulder off the road! 95% of the time I used the hilift, a bottle jack would have worked. I like having both though, and since i usually travel solo, its worth it to me!
It doesnt look like it in the second photo, but the rock to bank (bedrock) distance was about 4" less than the vehicle.

 

[Happy Joe]

To each their own... glad it worked for you.... "Its not the destination its the journey."

With the old, winch equipped Jeeps, I would normally winch something like that out of the way or just drive over it (does feel a bit tippy at times)... not really practical with most/many dedicated street/road vehicles though.

...sometimes you just gotta turn around and detour however;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...oulder-size-house-falls-Colorado-highway.html

Talking about rocks... here is a vid of one of the more extreme trails around here (I'm not in it and won't do it anymore; since getting rid of the ol' Jeep CJ... too much chance of body damage, and parts breakage)...BTW watch out for the rattlesnakes if you do go there.
Independence trail near Penrose Co.

Enjoy!

 

[Other Orb]

I've spent 40 years using a Hi-Lift on the ranch. I don't bring it with me on overlanding adventures. It's simply not a tool that has enough safe applications to make it worth having.

This ARB Jack looks like it could be a "safer" alternative to a Hi-Lift, though I'm still not sure I would find enough uses for it to justify its weight in my Taco.

Jack - ARB 4x4 Accessories

www.arb.com.au

 

[Metcalf]

This ARB Jack looks like it could be a "safer" alternative to a Hi-Lift, though I'm still not sure I would find enough uses for it to justify its weight in my Taco.

Jack - ARB 4x4 Accessories

www.arb.com.au

Or cost.....ooooooouch.

 

[Other Orb]

Or cost.....ooooooouch.

Yeah, it comes with sticker shock.

But, so does a helicopter trip to the emergency room when a muddy vehicle recovery becomes a rescue operation because the Hi-Lift slips, ratchets out of control, drops that loaded Taco, and cracks someone's head with its 12,000+ Newtons of force... I've seen that happen and it's why I don't carry a Hi-Lift in my vehicle.

 

[Metcalf]

Yeah, it comes with sticker shock.

But, so does a helicopter trip to the emergency room when a muddy vehicle recovery becomes a rescue operation because the Hi-Lift slips, ratchets out of control, drops that loaded Taco, and cracks someone's head with its 12,000+ Newtons of force... I've seen that happen and it's why I don't carry a Hi-Lift in my vehicle.

I completely agree that a Hi-lift is dangerous, but honestly I don't see THAT much more safety in a hydraulic jack. They rely on hydraulic pressure seals just as much as the hi-lift relies on the joggle-pin system. My personal choice is a mechanical Toyota 'bottle' jack system. That is the simplest jack system I could find that doesn't rely on pressure seals or sliding pins. I honestly don't think there is a perfect answer to this question.....

 

[billiebob]

If you are carrying something you never use, yes, leave it at home. The only exception.... the spare tire.

 

[Other Orb]

I completely agree that a Hi-lift is dangerous, but honestly I don't see THAT much more safety in a hydraulic jack. They rely on hydraulic pressure seals just as much as the hi-lift relies on the joggle-pin system. My personal choice is a mechanical Toyota 'bottle' jack system. That is the simplest jack system I could find that doesn't rely on pressure seals or sliding pins. I honestly don't think there is a perfect answer to this question.....

Agreed. There's no perfect answer.

And Agreed: A bottle jack with a worm gear is, without question, the safest option readily available for lifting a vehicle.

It's also one of the cheapest options, one of the most compact, and one of the most reliable. It takes a bit of extra elbow grease compared with a hydraulic jack, but not much more.
It's what I carry.

 

[Metcalf]

Agreed. There's no perfect answer.

And Agreed: A bottle jack with a worm gear is, without question, the safest option readily available for lifting a vehicle.

It's also one of the cheapest options, one of the most compact, and one of the most reliable. It takes a bit of extra elbow grease compared with a hydraulic jack, but not much more.
It's what I carry.

I modified my toyota unit with a spark plug socket to replace the 'hook'. I can lift the vehicle with a cordless drill (or impact) very easily and quickly.

I've got a few other things I want to try, but that is my favorite system to far.

 

[Other Orb]

I modified my toyota unit with a spark plug socket to replace the 'hook'. I can lift the vehicle with a cordless drill (or impact) very easily and quickly.

I've got a few other things I want to try, but that is my favorite system to far.

I like that idea. I like it a lot.

 

[Metcalf]

One of the biggest issues with off road jacks is that there doesn't seem to be a good safe all in one solution.
A jack that can lift from the bumpers or rockers won't work if you need to lift something under the vehicle like the axle, transfer case, or transmission.

 

[67cj5]

I don't agree with some of the comments and most folks are missing the point about Hi-Lift Jacks, For one they are a problem solver and anyone who has an accident with one is an idiot thru not paying attention, And there are enough accessories made by Hi-Lift and other companies to be able to lift almost any part of the Vehicle, All this talk about bottle jack ridiculous, For one a bottle jack is meant to be used on a flat surface like a Highway or a Garage floor,

But here is where it all goes wrong, I needed to adjust a wheel baring on the front axle last week so I ordered a brand new Trolley/Floor Jack rated to 3 Ton/3000kg + anyway it was a lot bigger than the one I thought it was thinking it would of been like the compact versions, "NOPE" this thing turns up and it is a full size Workshop Jack, Not to let that stopped me off I go to do the deed and I crack the Lug nuts and proceed to raise my Truck and I hear a bang and the truck lurches, So I reposition the jack and start again and the same thing happens again, Only this time the Cup on the Jack hit the end of the Sump Guard, I saw the problem right away turns out that the small wheels on the Jack were griping the concrete and with the park brake on in the Truck and as it was raising the Truck the Cup on the jack was slipping off the end of the cross member , So even having the Right Jack doesn't always work out,

I have been using Hi-Lifts since about 1977 ish and never had one slip yet I buy a proper Auto Jack and near wreck the truck twice in 3 minutes just because the jack could not roll on the concrete or the truck come towards the Jack as it was raised because the Park/Hand brake was ON,

My point is that under most circumstances Most Jacks are a P.I.A. Now If I had just used the lift mate and the Hi-Lift with an Axle stand none of this would have happened and I could have save quite a few bucks on another jack that has limited use. Any Jack is far from perfect and every single one of them "Only" just completes it's Tasks, My Truck also has a Bottle Jack but they are less than Ideal when it comes to working on any Vehicle and although the Hi-Lift Is not the Ideal jack It would of done the Job a lot safer and with less risk than the Two jacks that were made for the job.

And Unlike The Bottle Jack and the Floor/Trolley Jack and The ARB Jack the Hi-Lift don't leak Oil every damn place, We need to keep this in to prospective and that is Every Jack is like any Power Tool, They can be lethal in the wrong hands and One second of carelessness can create a life changing event that we may live to regret.

Stay safe folks, and what ever type of jack you use don't let people talk to or distract you when you are deploying such a tool.

 

[MOguy]

The times I have use my Hi Lift are in ruts, water and broken axle. Times I could not get a bottle jack under the vehicle. Even then to use a bottle jack you have to get closer to the vehicle (even under it) than using a hi lift.

I laugh when people talk about safety and jacks. Unless you care carry jack stands no jack is safe to use to hold up a vehicle.

Unless you are on flat hard ground no jack (even jack stands) are really safe. I wouldn't change a tire using a hi lift. I wouldn't use it for winching. I would not use anything for winching that but ne between the anchor point and the load.

A hi lift is a tool, a very good tool IF you know how to use it.

 

[67cj5]

The times I have use my Hi Lift are in ruts, water and broken axle. Times I could not get a bottle jack under the vehicle. Even then to use a bottle jack you have to get closer to the vehicle (even under it) than using a hi lift.

I laugh when people talk about safety and jacks. Unless you care carry jack stands no jack is safe to use to hold up a vehicle.

Unless you are on flat hard ground no jack (even jack stands) are really safe. I wouldn't change a tire using a hi lift. I wouldn't use it for winching. I would not use anything for winching that but ne between the anchor point and the load.

A hi lift is a tool, a very good tool IF you know how to use it.

Yep I agree and with the help of youtube so many folks are quick to blame the Jack, Or just pass around second hand info of things people have heard etc, The Rules are plain and simple and they are even printed on Every Handle of every Hi-Lift Jack ever sold and if anyone does have an accident when using one then they are to blame,

 

[Buliwyf]

Still weighs a ton less than a winch and winch bumper. (that get used once every three years)