Lot's of talk on Hi-Lifts...

BlueFreedom · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:21 pm

Where exactly is the lift point with them (Rock Rails?)

Anyone out there have this particular model? Is it any good?

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... =200310544

Thanks in advance - Brian

krazz1e · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:28 pm

yeah, from the rock sliders with the doors open, or the hitch if you got one.

I have that exact one and use it on the KJ and my rover (6,000lbs). Works GREAT.

BlueFreedom · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:40 pm

Thanks, I guess since I have a lift I better get one!

FL RENNY · **Joined:** Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:30 pm **Posts:** 458

Do you only use your hi lift on the trails? I have had many "be carefuls" thrown my way when I talk about lifting my KJ on the concrete with one of those? Whatcha think?

XJMA · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:00 pm

No experience with that brand, but a hi-lift is a hi-lift!! Mine is a John Deere one, since there is a dealership 2.5miles from my house. It's made by hi-lift for john deere, just painted a different color and with a john deere sticker, which makes it work better!!

I recommend keeping them inside the vehicle so the mechanism doesn't get all rusty. If you ever see the people who keep their hilifts outside of their vehicle try to use theirs on the trail, they usually have a heck of a time....and then ask to use yours!!

I don't only use mine for wheeling, they have many uses, but I second the be careful thing. They can be very dangerous, aswell as very useful. As a recent college grad (feb 1st!!) I've been poor, and still am, and have never had the $$ for a winch, so the hilift is my winch. Keep yourself out of the way of where it could go at all times. Make sure the base isn't going anywhere. There are lots of dangers when it comes to raising a vehicle...not just off on the trail!!

When you use a floor jack, it moves under and adjusts its position as the vehicle gets higher. a hilift is where you put it.

when you jack from a bumper, towards the side, the jeep will go up and start to tilt. the jack will want to slip and fly out the side. the best way to hilift from a bumper is to just hook it right to a shackle (if you have a bumper so equipped), that way when the vehicle tilts, the jack isn't going to go flying. I could list a ton of different bonehead moves you can do with a hilift, but that would take a year!! Just keep people clear, and realize that they can be very unstable. Never let someone get under a jeep that is held up by a hilift!! Put tires under there to keep the jeep up if you need to get under there. Just like a rifle, or a winch, it's a great tool and will do what you want it to if you treat it with respect.

jpzkj · **Posted:** Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:23 am

Just a small bit of saftey advice

If you are going to have your hi-lift inside the vehicle you NEED to secure it or you may end up with it in your lap...or worse in the event of an accident or rollover.

I have a small cable that I attach to the hitch with a padlock , up and into the cargo area and then padlocked to the jack. The rear door can be closed with no problems and It's going to take alot to brake loose (nothing is perfect...but better than just laying in the cargo area loose) in addtion to the cable I use ratchet straps at each end. I've also got the ALL J cargo rack that will act like a backstop to slow everything down as well.

Always tie / strap /lock your jack...just imagin it flying at you at 50 mph !!

The cable is like this one
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48014576&parent_category_rn=4500825&vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC#specs

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

jpzkj wrote:

Just a small bit of saftey advice

If you are going to have your hi-lift inside the vehicle you NEED to secure it or you may end up with it in your lap...or worse in the event of an accident or rollover.

I have a small cable that I attach to the hitch with a padlock , up and into the cargo area and then padlocked to the jack. The rear door can be closed with no problems and It's going to take alot to brake loose (nothing is perfect...but better than just laying in the cargo area loose) in addtion to the cable I use ratchet straps at each end. I've also got the ALL J cargo rack that will act like a backstop to slow everything down as well.

Always tie / strap /lock your jack...just imagin it flying at you at 50 mph !!

The cable is like this one
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48014576&parent_category_rn=4500825&vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC#specs

I just stuck mine under the rear seat and tied it with rope to keep it from sliding. It fits there on the '06 if you take the base plate off. Remember to bring pliers and pratice putting the clip through to get the plate back on. And don't try to fold the seat flat with it under there, that does not work.

MULE · **Posted:** Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:37 am

All good advice for sure. But personally, I would never use my Hi-Lift under the rock rails. The rails are too flat and could be slick. Respect this tool. It could hurt and possibly kill, if not used right. Not to forget the dammage it can do to the KJ. Use the factory jack, get on your knees, and use the lift points (in your manual) to change your tire. When off road, I use a 2x6x10 piece of board to steady the factory jack. A farm jack or Hi-Lift are great tools. The accessories for the Hi-Lift make the jack more versatile (and safe). Check their website out [url]http;/www.hi-lift.com . They have some accessories that make lifting much safer. Chock your wheels on flat and uneven surfaces. No kidding! Lifting 4 to 6 thousand pounds is not a job for an idot. I bought the kit to turn my Hi-Lift into a hand winch, works great, when you can't aford an electric one. Need more info: Bill Burke DVD "Getting-Unstuck" proper use of equipment like the Hi-Lift and other tools to get you home after a hard day stuck in a hole somewhere. Check out: [/url]http;/www.expeditionexchange.com . Also; [url]http;/wwwoffroadrecovery.com . More stuff to bring you back.[/url]

BlueFreedom · **Posted:** Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:24 am

With all the concerns of a Hi-Lift, is there another way to raise your (Rusty's, Franken-lifted etc.) vehicle that is more safe?

I have Rock Rails and, yes they are smooth on the bottom. Is there any way to better secure the Hi-Lift when lifting from this area? I have the stock front and rear bumpers as well. I'm assuming you cannot lift from those areas with a Hi-Lift, can anyone verify this?

I've heard about a bottle jack lift. Is this a better choice for the times you want to change a flat on the street?

Thanks for any and all answers. - Brian

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:43 pm

When your KJ is lifted, the stock jack won't do it. I've changed two flat tires using hi-lifts on my Rock Rails (RRO) before installing my current Boulder Bars (All J).

I changed the tires on dirt roads (during Jamborees but not exactly on the trail). I had help (because it was a Jamboree!) so I had some folks holding the jack steady, some holding it back away from the doors. you can also jack it with the door open.

For rear jacking, you can use the trailer hitch. MAKE SURE you put a chuck or block under the other tires. I picked up a folding block at Auto Shmuto Zone for under $10. It's folded in a box and takes up no space.

The Hi-Lift is stored under the rear seat. No hitting me in the head during a roll-over. however, when on the trails, I plan to mount it on my new ARB bumper. If the doors are wedged up close to something and cannot be fully opened, you'd be REALLY frustrated.

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:42 pm

Pablo wrote:

jpzkj wrote:

Just a small bit of saftey advice

If you are going to have your hi-lift inside the vehicle you NEED to secure it or you may end up with it in your lap...or worse in the event of an accident or rollover.

I have a small cable that I attach to the hitch with a padlock , up and into the cargo area and then padlocked to the jack. The rear door can be closed with no problems and It's going to take alot to brake loose (nothing is perfect...but better than just laying in the cargo area loose) in addtion to the cable I use ratchet straps at each end. I've also got the ALL J cargo rack that will act like a backstop to slow everything down as well.

Always tie / strap /lock your jack...just imagin it flying at you at 50 mph !!

The cable is like this one
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48014576&parent_category_rn=4500825&vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC#specs

I just stuck mine under the rear seat and tied it with rope to keep it from sliding. It fits there on the '06 if you take the base plate off. Remember to bring pliers and pratice putting the clip through to get the plate back on. And don't try to fold the seat flat with it under there, that does not work.

I have it mounted on my roof rack (there are pics on my cardomain link) and it is well secured and easy to get at. Doesn't throw my balance off at all, and looks good too!

LimitedLurker · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:18 pm **Posts:** 114

The lift itself does not impact your ability to use the standatrd jack. The size of your tires will. For the back I use a 2/2.5" slab of lumber and lift under the axel. In the front I lift under the control arm. (using stock jack to change tires)

I've read you shouldn't lift from the lower control arm like this but noone has ever explaind why. Doesn't seem like this would be any harder ont he KJ than driving over bumps on the road.

Lifting from these points as the advantage of getting the tire off the ground quickly for changing the tire (if that is what you're doing). I tried the hi-lift on the ARB and the front travel was too long. I didn't think the jack position was safe by the time the tire was ready to come off the ground.

More uses for the hi-lift off-road than there are in day-to-day types of use.

One of our memebers came up with a device to lift from the side a bit easier and I think it didn't need rails. Basically it was a 2 foot, or so, section of steel tube (like a trailer hitch) with a 2 inch pin on one side, open on the other. Pin slides into holes on the KJ frame rails and hi-lift into the open end. Piece of board between this and the outside frame prevented the pinchweld from being bent.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:14 pm

LimitedLurker wrote:

The lift itself does not impact your ability to use the standatrd jack. The size of your tires will. For the back I use a 2/2.5" slab of lumber and lift under the axel. In the front I lift under the control arm. (using stock jack to change tires)

Yup, that will work.

LimitedLurker wrote:

I've read you shouldn't lift from the lower control arm like this but noone has ever explaind why. Doesn't seem like this would be any harder ont he KJ than driving over bumps on the road.

Probably ok for the occasional use.

LimitedLurker wrote:

Lifting from these points as the advantage of getting the tire off the ground quickly for changing the tire (if that is what you're doing). I tried the hi-lift on the ARB and the front travel was too long. I didn't think the jack position was safe by the time the tire was ready to come off the ground.

Interesting. I was planning on use my ARB as a jacking point. I suppose you could use the same "wood under the jack" trick if you wanted to make the jack be in a better position (ie, not as high up on the jack) when the wheels are off the ground.

camper · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:14 pm

a hi-lift from the side rails or from the front or rear bumpers isn't gonna lift a tire until the suspension fully drops....by then you're pretty far up the jack beam....and the jeep is gonna be pretty unstable up there while trying to pull off a tire, etc...I've done it from my boulderbars and they're strong enough to handle the load but it's not my first choice...

a bottle jack and a 4x8 board under the rear axle or, like limited lurker said, under the front lower control arm lifts the tire immediately....but the bottle jack contact point on the axle tube or under the arm is a slippery spot so be careful....the factory jack or a bottle jack on a board under the recommended frame rail locations is the safest way to go if the trail permits....

a hi-lift and a wheel hook strap attachment is pretty stable for lifting the wheel for stacking rocks to solve a high-center stuck problem....I'm against lifting from the rear or front hitch receiver.....you're lifting both wheels then and the KJ is heavy.....there's no triangulation with the single beam jack and it will move sideways and throw the jack out....I recommend you try this yourself in your driveway to see if you think its safe....

I'd be curious to count the number of fellows here who have used the hi-lift as a winch.....

I cut about 4" off the end of a 48" beam hi-lift....it lays down flat in the back of the KJ behind the rear seat back....tied down just in case....the orange plastic sand base should be included with all of them in my opinion....

krazz1e · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:29 pm

Bottle Jack is better for tire lifting then a hi-lift. It will work for the rear by placing it under the axle or on the front under a control arm.

Never had to use a hi-lift for winching....

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:35 pm

Hmmm. I think it might be time to add a bottle jack to my KJ's 4,800 lbs of curb weight.

How big should the bottle jack be? How high? I'm thinking that it would be mainly used for on-road flat tire changes (while in a Tuxedo in the rain, b/c that's when I get flats!)

Lot's of talk on Hi-Lifts...

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