I have the 60" Hi-Lift. I got it for manual winching, but still haven't completed the setup. In any case, the 60" version is difficult to stow in the cab. So I have a Hi-Lift carrier for my Surco rack.
That is a picture coming home from Death Valley last March. Only the steel bar is mounted to the rack in this picture. Halfway through the trip I ended up taking off the foot and the ratcheting mechanism. This is because one or two of the rack feet vibrated loose from the rack on the road to the Racetrack Playa. That road is something like 27 mi long one way and much of it is washboard. Between the second spare on the roof and the Hi-Lift, it was just too much and the rack vibrated loose. Nothing broke. It scratched the paint pretty badly, but not through the primer and there was no body damage. For the trip back I decided to only carry the steel bar on the roof to cut the weight a little. I've been very happy with that rack I must say. I'm thinking of replacing it someday, because I can't get into my garage with it. With the Daystar lift and no tire on the roof, I could get in the garage. The tire carrier threaded rod came perilously close to hitting the door, but I could get in. With the Rockfather lift the threaded rod scrapes against the bottom of the door.
I should say that lots of people have damage on that road because of the washboard. A Wrangler in our party had his tow bar vibrate loose. It jacked up the front of his Jeep, twisting the radiator and frame and doing other bad things.
Here is a You-Tube video that gives you the idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E58FFekdpo8Just for fun, here is a picture from our trip to the Racetrack Playa at Teakettle Junction.
The Unlimited with the hood open is not having problems. My friend is just showing off his mods to a Toyota driver who happened by at the junction.
At some time in the next two years I'd like to get a winch bumper. Then I'll probably buy a 48" bar for the Hi-Lift and just stow it in the cab. Maybe under the rear bench when the seat backs are up and in front of the rear bench when the seat backs are down. I'm a little shy now of putting both the second spare and the Hi-Lift on the roof when off-road. It works fine most of the time.
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Probably another month or so although there really is only around 2 weekends worth of work to do, I have to keep the wife happy with blasting birds out of the air...oh darn! lol.
