High Lift Jack

[bruiser]

Looking at buying one. what should I look out for.
They had one at TJM on special for $108. It was only rated to 1000kg.
Should I be looking for one with a higher rating so that I can jack the whole front end or rear end rather being limited to one corner at a time.

[coxy321]

Just like there is only one Jeep, there's only one REAL "Hi-Lift jack. I dont know if they're still made in USA, but there's only a handful of quality brands.

I'm sure one of the retailer type guys can clear this up.

Coxy

[MICK77]

Stay away from the cheaper ones. They are dangerous and extremely unreliable. make sure you get a quality unit. The genuine HiLift is a great product. There are a few others on the market that are also quite good. Just remeber when a HiLift style jack fails it not going to be pretty

[Tom0]

they are ALL dangerous - the basic concept of lifting the car up 'high' on a single little leg is inherenly unstable. the number of people who get crunched when their car falls off them is massive.

get an exhaust jack and don't trust it an inch.

or get your hi-lift and don't lift it more than a foot, or dont trust it a centimetre.

that's my 2 mm.

[leeds]

The instability of a Hi Lift jack is an advantage when casting a vehicle out of ruts, but can be a disadvantage at other times.

IF changing a wheel use a bottle/screw jack as it is safer.

IF using a hi lift tie down suspension so that your need to lifft is limited.

IF working on the vehicle in the field get a foldaway axle stand. If working on vehicle at home get a decent trolley jack


Regards

Brendan

[Mick_n_Sal]

At least one manufacturer has some scruples ( can't remember which one though) They had a sticker on the jack that read :

" This device is not suitable for changing tyres "

They are inherently dangerous - but thay can be damn handy.

M+S

[NCpaj]

yeah there dangerous- but some times you just need to lift that one wheel out of the rut and jam some sutff under it to keep going.

ive got a real highlift one and they work great for what they are designed for. Mind you i would never use one to change a tyre- wayyyyyyyy to dangerous

The instability of a Hi Lift jack is an advantage when casting a vehicle out of ruts, but can be a disadvantage at other times.

x2 - when the paj had gearbox issues(selectors farked up and i had 1st and reverse car was imobile) up a REAL steep hill in the middle of nowhere. There were no other 4wds there-it was a real nice smooth track so i figured it be fine in low low. but we ended up jacking up the front and purposeley falling it off the jack to turn it around so it would be facing down hill. it then took 2hrs to get it back to flat ground beforee we could have a look at the gearbox.

[redv8lux]

Depending on what your using them for they can be very dangerous
They should always be used with the upmost care
At the same time if it wasnt for a high lift i would have been stuck a lot longer several times
Have used them to lift ,as a winch ,an to slip vehicle over side ways to get off things or out of ruts
Have both a Cheap chinese copy an a genuine one , an found them both to be very good ,in fact the cheap one has a higher rating than the original

[CWBYUP]

I have the properly High Lift that the army use. You cant buy these publicly but if you can get your hands on one do it.

They are so much better than anything else out there.

Nick

[Corgie Carrier]

I think you'll find the original was called a Jackall and was made in Canada.

I bought mine about 20 years ago and is rated at 8000lb at 1ft and 3000lb at 4ft. I have never seen one rated more than 4000lb since.

I have even jacked up the wheel of a 40ft bus to put rocks etc, under it to get out of a bog, it did it easy.

[Gwagensteve]

*Ahem* I think the original is the Hi Lift and has been in continuous production since 1907 (they did a 100th anniversary jack last year)

The Hi lift is by far the best (and most expensive) version. Best of all, it has a removable handle which the Jackall doesn't.

Steve.

[Corgie Carrier]

I stand corrected!

What is the rating of the hi lift?

What is the purpose of the removable handle?

[Gwagensteve]

http://www.hi-lift.com/hi-lift-jacks/all-cast.html

4660 capacity, tested to 7000lb.

The handle is more useful than the rest of the jack, that's why it's removable (actually, I think it's a by-product of the cast construction) but I still think it's an advantage to not have to cut the handle off to use it for a repair, or as a breaker bar, or lever, or any other the other things I've used it for.

I'll add I don't like hilifts very much, and I've said as much plenty of times before, but if you're going to buy one, at least spend the extra $40 or so and buy the best.

Steve.

[Skegbudley]

The Jackall is the high lift that the army uses. Nice bit of gear. Is rated at over 3500kg but the rating goes down the higher you go. (Their way of covering their buts)
Lifts the front of the Patrol easy enough.
Got mine with mag subscription. Might be an avenue for you to look at if they still have some left.

[Doc_Acos]

BE careful with the removable handle, if it is not fully inserted into its seat when jacking it can crack the seat itself. This doesnt make it fail catastrophically but it does render it useless. Have only seen this happen twice but it is twice as often as it should happen.

Also, the 'Not suitable for changing tyres" warning label is standard on all new jacks, even bottle jacks, etc. It is a disclaimer against injuries if the jack was to slip or fail. If your wheel arch comes down on your shoulder...... same as working under cars without stands!

[Gwagensteve]

I thunk that might be due to te handle being forced in around the wrong way. The end that sits in the mechanism is slightly bevelled and crimped and drops in easy. the other end won't sit in properly. I vote operator error.

Steve.

[juls]

ARB sell the original "Hi-Lift" as their "ARB Hi-Lift Jack"

http://www.arb.com.au/hi-lift-jack.php

I got the 4' 1.3m high lift from ARB, seemed liek the right price ($150 or $159) . I figured an extra $30 or $40 more than a generic china brand high lift jack was worth it.

No one in Melbourne (TJM ARB etc) seemed to have the 5' one in stock, so i settled on the 4'. It was aout $180 from memory.

All prices from maybe Feb/Mar 2008 when i was looking.

Like skegbudley said, 4wd magazine have the Jack-all as a subscription offer which is a pretty good deal, how long you have to wait for it i don't know.

It looks like it isn't on offer at the moment though:

http://www.magstore.com.au/offers/WM355abcd_offer.php

[shorty_f0rty]

apparently you can get a "hi-lift extreme" which replaces the top part with a multifunction tool similar to the jackmate..

more info on the jack mate here: http://www.rescue42.com/jm8000.php


and the hi-lift extreme here: http://www.hi-lift.com/hi-lift-jacks/x-treme.html


both tools will add to the usefulness of a stand alone hi-lift.

[Gwagensteve]

Interestingly, the "extreme" was sold as the anniversary model in different colours. The anniversary model was green but it was the first time the multi function top plate was introduced and the nickel plated hardware installed.

Steve.

[DIRTY ROCK STAR]

so in conclusion buy a good one is the end result??

ive only had one it came with my last truck. it fell down... a couple of times. and hence was thrown in the scrap pile.

[Gwagensteve]

They do need periodic cleaning and re greasing or the pins stick and they come down, which is why having one permanently installed on the car where they get dry and dusty isn't a good idea.

[coxy321]

I have a ridgy-didge american hi-lift. Bought it of my mates father in-law a few years back for $60. Had never been used!! Was just bought as a security/emergency item on an around OZ trip.

And as far as servicing goes = as a great porn star once said, "You can never have too much lube". (even though you actually CAN, but you get the idea).

Coxy

[bru21]

I personally don't think they are all that handy. unless you have a ute or decent side steps, bulbar etc you can do some good body damage trying to use them.

I have one in the shed and have only used it for suspension work.

edit:

Just add the arb ones are good. I was given another brand one by a sponsor and it was more than dangerous, its that bad that i will chop it up before i dump it.

[droopypete]

I personally don't think they are all that handy. unless you have a ute or decent side steps, bulbar etc you can do some good body damage trying to use them.

Almost every time I have seen an "issue" with a hi lift, it was due to it slipping off the part of the car that is was in contact with, eg, sliding along a bull bar, a rear bar or a slider (durr, that's what they are designed for ) the sills on my zuk have massive dents from the hi-lift that locate it and prevent it from easily slipping, that said I am always cautious when I use it and never get under when elevated.
Peter.

PS, I second Steve's praise about the removable handle.