jack where

I installed my high lift jack on my front bumper.I would like to know where some of you guys put yours and why. It's to help me dicide if it's staying there or not thanks you guy have always good input on thing that matter to jeeps.

Ok, Mike. I was considering outfitting my jeep with one of these. You say save your money. Please give alternatives.

Thanks,

Bill

I have an older design Durango rear bumper & tire carrier with an upright Hi Lift mount.

I'm not sure why I haul this thing around, haven't used it for years. I kept the old scissor jack under the hood, which seems to work just fine in nearly any circustance, even with 35's.

I pulled the old Hi Lift off a few weeks ago to help some folks out on the trail and it was frozen stiff! We had to soak it in WD40 and beat on it with a hammer to break it loose. Got a new one and threw the old one into the tool crib, a candidate for the swap meet maybe?

There is no alternative for a hi-lift.

They can jack up to 60" They can be used as a spreader They can be used as a come-a-long They can snap your arm in half They can shatter your jaw They can remove a finger

Find another accessory that can do all that for under $100. Unfortunately its versatility makes it so dangerous. If you do buy one of these don't rely on it, use it as a last resort.

-Brian

I have a small hydraulic floor jack in both of my Jeeps. In my CJ7 if fits really nice and solid behind the passenger seat and the Cherokee has a pile of room under the back seat where the stock jack is.

This is for tire changes and jacks under the axle. You 'Cannot' safely change a tire with a barn lifting jack like a High lift or Jack all.

Then under the passenger seat I carry a wire spool hand winch sometimes called a 'Come-A-Long' for moving when the wheels won't.

I have a power winch on front, but carry the manual one anyway. Power things break.

Mike

William Oliveri wrote:

Nope, I disagree!

I saw a brand new one in use and helped to get something up with it.

That damn new one still tried to take my ear off.

I recently showed a gent who insisted on trying his how fast they come down. I hit it just at the right click and his 'new' one dropped to the ground! Taking the jacked up Jeep with it!

They are pure dangerous crap, old or new.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Chad Fraker wrote:

Chad, you date is way off on your computer so your posts don't show in line.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Chad Fraker wrote:

I generally agree with Mike, and I agree that a HiLift is a dangerous tool. where I disagree is that I think it is indispensable in your Jeep, especially around here where we mostly go rockcrawling. There is no substitute for a HiLift in many cases. Winching and towing just do more damage to the equipment, and all a HiLift is needed to do is raise the vehicle so a few large rocks can be strategically placed under the tires. Yes, a HiLift can hurt you, but wheeling can hurt you and nobody is suggesting you ride the couch all weekend just to be sure you don't get hurt.

A HiLift is a recovery tool only. It is not suited for repair work. If one finds oneself doing repairs, one should put something else under the vehicle besides a HiLift. Perhaps a stack of spare tires, or something along those lines.

That is the 'BIG' issue I have CRWLR!

Everyone sees these damn things and reads how they are a 'must have' item so they want to use the suckers!

They have 'no' idea in the world just how dangerous they are.

Just a couple weeks ago, I had a guy insisting on trying it in the parking lot to hold up the front of his Jeep for an axle removal.

He had no idea in the world it wasn't as safe as any old hydraulic floor jack.

He got to see a high lift in 'action'. His new jack missed a click and dropped flat to the ground!

Mike

CRWLR wrote:

'You' have one of the only legitimate uses for a high lift jack, sort of....

The problem is 99% of the people thinking they 'need' one of those things don't.

They then have this new 'toy' they 'have' to play with.

Like the gent a couple weeks ago near here thinking it was cool to remove the front axle with the high lift holding the Jeep up. He already had it tip over changing a tire and I managed to show him the jack missing a click and dropping BANG to the floor before he killed himself.

Another gent just 'had' to jack up his TJ and push it off the high lift rather than get a tug off the rock with a strap. As the TJ fell over, the top of the jack took out his tailgate. Damn near took off his hand as he is realizing the damage about to happen and tries to stop it.

Another gent just 'has' to use his new Jack All to help remove some scrap cars because it's 'easier'. I am standing there and his went ballistic with the handle nearly taking off my ear.

These aren't old beat up Jacks either, they are new ones.

Oh, the 'sort of' part....

I still have used my small floor jack on several occasions to jack up my vehicle and put rocks or logs under a wheel for clearance. I have been high centered with all 4 wheels spinning way more than once. Yes, I have to get down on my knees and crawl under to set it up, yes I got dirty but it has worked 100% every time I had to do it and I have never had my hydraulic unit drop with a bang unexpectedly or tip over unexpectedly or have the handle go ballistic.

Mike

CRWLR wrote:

Hi Mike,

You are so right about the hilift. Too many wheelers have no idea what a deathtrap it can be and I too have seen the uninformed looking for any excuse to use the new toy. Your rant in this forum may save a life.

I also concur with your policy of using a hydraulic jack instead. I carry two bottle jacks and have used them, often in tandem, for getting out of some real bad holes. Lifting under the axles is often the most effective tactic - something a hilift can't do.

That being said, I never ride in the woods without my hilift.

Just a few weeks ago, I got hung up in a water crossing hours from the nearest road. The front end dropped in a deep trough and I was high centred. The come-along couldn't budge it forward or back and there was no one handy to tug me out (I know, I should buy a winch and make some friends). I didn't have my scuba gear with me so slithering under the vehicle in cold water with zero vis to deploy a bottle jack was not an option. Using the hilift to take the weight off the front end was all I needed to get started with the come-along. Was I risking my life with the hilift? Perhaps, but carefully applied as a last resort it worked for me.

Maybe I'll retire the hilift when I get a winch, but for now it stays at the very bottom of my bag of tricks.

Steve

Mike Roma> 'You' have one of the only legitimate uses for a high lift jack, sort > of....

Better yet, just make friends with people that already have a winch!

-Brian

I really see your point. I consider it a "need to have" and hope I never need to use it. Seen/heard about too many busted ribs, arms, jaws from people who dont know how to use one using one - mostly from my days in the woods.

Agreed!!!

I keep mine in a PITA to get at place (at least its a PITA for me) so that its a last resort. I have needed it a time or two, but thats all in the last 6 years - and one of those was as a come-along when the rig with the winch couldnt get close enough to where I was stuck.