Hi-Lift Jack Thread

Yes, you're right. Things CAN happen. And yes, it CAN be dangerous. But so are a lot of other things -- power tools (saws, etc), motorcycles (which I love to ride), etc. With the proper training and care, you can use these tools to their fullest extent while minimizing (but not eliminating) the risks.

Eric

Dangerous, yes, but even the old bumper jack wasn't in the same class as a highlift when it came to potential.

Hey! the highlift is a tool. It has it's uses and place > Hi George,

car. Also it's

get my Jeep's

half off or close

beer cans & other

I used to like riding motorcycles. These days though no amount of training can minimize the risk of riding a motorcycle around Southern California there are just too many door-slamming, cage drivers around to think you have a chance. I know three people who through no fault of their own came to grief on motorcycles in Southern California. Two of 'em are dead.

-Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

Same here, when I first moved to SoCal (Da Valley) in 75 my VeeDub swallowed a valve the first day I was there so for the next year & a half I drove the Triumph Bonneville that I had towed out from Pennsylvania but now that I'm in Snow Bird Central Florida I prefer to drive a tank than to take the Sporty outa the garage.

Like the saying goes.. it isn't a matter of if you've layed the bike down, it's when..

I've been lucky so far. Just today I had two near-crashes. Not my fault, just those around me not paying attention. I keep as much of a buffer zone as possible.

Eric

I did cpr last summer on a downed bike on the side of the road, his heart was beating but no breathing. He was only going 35 mph and wearing full face helmet and leathers. Somehow he snapped his neck and never revived. He was basically dead when I got there but I had to try. It was awful. I have my motorcycle license, but would rather roll the dice doing other fun things. You cant live in a bubble, but you can make choices. If people want to ride, thats great, its just not for me any more. KH

I remember one time I was riding my old Honda XL350 around LA and came across some guy who had laid his Harley Sportster down. This was before the mandatory helmet laws and he was bleeding from his head and unconcious. There was nothing I could do except get someone to call an ambulance.

I came across another guy in Long Beach who was driving his brand new BMW bike (the street twin w/the cylinders which stick out from the sides). Some driver made a left in front of him and he went down. He was OK and ready to kill the driver (who drove away and got nailed by the cops).

I've thought about fixing my bike up so I could ride it again, just because gas prices are so freakin' high now (I saw regular for $2.97!).

-Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

Around 6 bucks here :-(

Dave

That's crazy. That's unbeleivable. Doesn't that North Sea Oil make any difference in the UK? It turns out the $2.97 for regular was wrong. They were lowering the price to $1.97 from somewhere over $2.00 and forgot to remove the

-Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

The governments oil taxes would pay for the free health care, I suppose. Tax is still too high though.

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

very true

After reading all the comments about Hi-Lifts it is no more dangerous that anything else we use in off-roading. Any tool is dangerous when it is misused or used for a purpose it was not intended for.

My father still has the hi-lift he used when farming. I remember it collapsing when he tried to use it on a tractor axle. He never maintained it - he only squirted some grease on it from time to time and never cleaned it.

Norm

I always wondered, till yesterday, why anyone would need a hi-lift, I hear people always talking about moving thier jeep over with it. Well as of yesterday I can see the need, we were out for a weenie roast up in the bush, there was this nice little outcropping of rock that only a narrow track, like mine, could get to between the trees, so off I go to try, around one tree, between 2 others with about 8" on either side, lots of room, ya right, as soon as I passed the trees and my front wheels got up on the mossy rock, I slid sideways in the rear and was stuck, hard top up against one of the two trees I had just passed, and slipping on the mossy rock to go forward. Tried everything for about 10 minutes, rocks under wheels, shot out on moss, tried to get guys to push me as I spun, no way, fortunately there was just enough room on the trail beside me for my daughter to get on sideways and pull my rear end. If the trail wasn't beside me or wide enough, I would of been sending her into to town to buy a hi-lift, or pick up my chain saw :)

"Norm & Debbie" wrote in message news:Y6dCd.613495$wV.312268@attbi_s54...

No Bill, it scared him (He's 87 now and this happened in the early 60's) and he scolded me for standing so close. My point is that his jack was not maintained. He has tried to give it to me, but I don't want it.

Norm

You can easily balance a bottle jack on a rock or wood block to gain height and topple that over too. A small floor jack has wheels....

Mike

Greg wrote:

I see Bill's point. There is 'nothing' to maintain other than a squirt of oil, brand new ones do the same thing, have seen it twice lately done by fools that 'had' to have one of the stupid things, then to make matters worse tried to use them.....

Mike

Norm & Debbie wrote: