hi lift jack

[The unit1]

just curious to know if there is much difference between the hi lift jacks on the market. Im just looking for one and wasnt sure if one was better than the other..

thanks

[matthewK]

i dont think there much difference between them sept price????

pic up a new decent one for around 70 bucks at a guess just make sure its rated:)

[just cruizin']

70 sounds pretty cheap, got mine (black rat) for 120 I think and was happy with that price. Others quoted upwards of 150

[ISUZUROVER]

There are some differences.

There are some cheap and nasty ones around with a low load rating.

I have a "Jackall" brand, which I like because the handle is one-piece steel, not cast with a steel tube handle, and it doesn't have the silly clip to retain the handle that the "hi-lift" brand does.

[Tiny]

a bunch of the cheap ones got recalled ie the super cheap ones. pay the money and get the decent one IF you think you will use one. A lot of people buy them then never use them.

A genuine hi lift will set you back $160 a black rat $135 I dont touch the chinese ones at all

[matthewK]

there s the american brand i see advertsed averywhere top brand one i just cant think of it name any clue what they r worth???

[droopypete]

a bunch of the cheap ones got recalled ie the super cheap ones. pay the money and get the decent one IF you think you will use one. A lot of people buy them then never use them.

A genuine hi lift will set you back $160 a black rat $135 I dont touch the chinese ones at all

Are you saying that a Black rat isn't Chinese?
Peter.

[Gwagensteve]

In general, I don't like hilifts very much, (or rather how they are often used) but I must disagree with you Isuzurover -

The removable handle on the Hilift branded jack makes it about one million times more useful than the welded on handle of the jackall. I have used the handle far more than I have used the jack. the rattly handle thing is easy fixed with a cable tie.

also "Hilift" branded jacks have a top lug that allows them to be used as a clamp (not on the jackalls)

sorry if this seems holier than though, but IMHO 90% of people who buy hilifts don't have anywhere to use them safely on their cars and don't know how to use them.

If I am lifting a car with a Hilift, I always chain the axle to the chassis before I lift the car. That way, I only have to lift the car the height of the tyre sidewall (or squish) not this plus the droop in the suspension.

Try hilifting a lifted 80 series or GQ off the bullbar with a flat tyre and see how high you have to get it on the jack before you can get the tyre off. *fear*

PS another advantage of the hilift brand is that when the car is up on the jack you can remove the handle so it is much less likely to get bumped and drop the car a notch.

[droopypete]

I have to agree with most of your post Steve (except the chain the axle bit) my Hilift handle gets used for all types of abuse, and it is always removed when the jack is up.
I treat my Hilift with the same amount of respect as a router or a 9 inch grinder (all those bastards seem like they are helping you untill woosh, and it's off to the docter)

Steve I can see the reasons for chaining the axle, but it is like whipper snipping the grass, I know I SHOULD put my ear muffs on, but I don't allways get around to it. and I should clamp that piece of metal on the drill press, and shouldn't have had all that unprotected sex with the entire Swedish ice skating team last year, but things don't always go as they should.

On a seperate (but related) topic, my dad is the only person I know, who has worn out 2 Hilift jacks.
Peter.

[AndrewPatrol]

Hey Droopy is that the male or female team !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hence your name I spose.
Any way I'd buy the Hi-lift ( which I own ) saw a bloke with a TJM one that didnt wanna work and it was a virgin, pins wouldnt click when they should - not something you want on a hi-lift. When you operate a piece of equipment as dangerous aa a hilift can be, you want the best. Agree with previous two replies.

[AndrewPatrol]

ww

[bad_religion_au]

Hey Droopy is that the male or female team !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hence your name I spose.
Any way I'd buy the Hi-lift ( which I own ) saw a bloke with a TJM one that didnt wanna work and it was a virgin, pins wouldnt click when they should - not something you want on a hi-lift. When you operate a piece of equipment as dangerous aa a hilift can be, you want the best. Agree with previous two replies.

my highlift brand hilift siezes up all the time due to lack of use. but it's easy to pull apart and grease up (do it when i'm doing my diff oil... monthly it seems )

on a related note, who stocks spares for hilifts? i need the little lever you use to select whether it raises or lowers

[droopypete]

Mine gums up a bit aswell, if I kept it stored in a bag it would be better, but thats not going to happen, a quick squirt of lube and it is good to go.
Peter.

[bad_religion_au]

Mine gums up a bit aswell, if I kept it stored in a bag it would be better, but thats not going to happen, a quick squirt of lube and it is good to go.
Peter.

yup i found silicone spray works wonders for the between service times it gums up

[460cixy]

i have a hi lift btand jack and its tops but fills with mud but a squrt of possem piss and its fine. real pain in the arse to use on a rangie tho can get to the end of its travel and still not have a wheel off the ground. works great on anything with leaf springs tho and can and has been used as a winch

[AndrewPatrol]

I'd imagine ARB may be able to get spares if not stock them. Otherwise airmail from States. Must admit I keep mine in bag. But that Tjm one I saw had more than just lube probs and it was intermittent. Like any thing if you dont look after it what do you expect.

[Tiny]

a bunch of the cheap ones got recalled ie the super cheap ones. pay the money and get the decent one IF you think you will use one. A lot of people buy them then never use them.

A genuine hi lift will set you back $160 a black rat $135 I dont touch the chinese ones at all

Are you saying that a Black rat isn't Chinese?
Peter.

sorry, meant cheap chinese, all chinese stuff if built at the right cost can be good product, but ost people head to china to go cheap as opposed to competitive

[bad_religion_au]

i have a hi lift btand jack and its tops but fills with mud but a squrt of possem piss and its fine. real pain in the arse to use on a rangie tho can get to the end of its travel and still not have a wheel off the ground. works great on anything with leaf springs tho and can and has been used as a winch

my leaf sprung 40 maxes out a hilift without lifting a wheel unfortunately i realised that when i needed to lift a wheel to pack some "traction enhancer" under it one night.

[460cixy]

thats good must be prety flexy. have used it on troopys 6o series ect with no dramas but yeah also depends how low the jacking point is to begin with. last time i used mine we had to snatch it out with a disco cause it sunk in the mud so far there was about 6 inches of the jack out of the mud. so a good base is important on sand and mud some good thick alu plate or even thick marine ply will do as long as the grounds flat.

[bad_religion_au]

thats good must be prety flexy. have used it on troopys 6o series ect with no dramas but yeah also depends how low the jacking point is to begin with. last time i used mine we had to snatch it out with a disco cause it sunk in the mud so far there was about 6 inches of the jack out of the mud. so a good base is important on sand and mud some good thick alu plate or even thick marine ply will do as long as the grounds flat.

yup it's not too bad. was just a jibe at ya leaf bias . i'll second the baseplate...

[J Top]

easier than a chain would be a lap seat belt, simpler to work and adjust, and if you keep the dirt out of the latch they are strong and reliable enough
J Top

[Mark2]

The High Lift brand jacks have a clamping ability but you cant clamp much - I broke the top cast bracket trying to clamp something or other.

I've bent the main bar a couple of times (was bolted to back of ute, caught on a tree). Its now straight but has a couple of cracks.

I find it most uselful in the shed for things like changing coil springs etc etc. in combination with another jack.

Spray the pins with WD40 or something everytime you use it. Lanolin spray is OK but I find it tends to make the pins a bit sticky when the lanolin builds up.

[bad_religion_au]

I find it most uselful in the shed for things like changing coil springs etc etc. in combination with another jack.

Spray the pins with WD40 or something everytime you use it. Lanolin spray is OK but I find it tends to make the pins a bit sticky when the lanolin builds up.

yep i've used my hilift more for changing springs than anything else

give the silicone spray they use on motorbike chains etc a go, lasts longer than WD40 in my experience

[Shadow]

ive used my hilift for changing my spring bushes and thats it

glad i got it given to me and i didnt waste $120 on it :S

[MY45]

i have a hi lift btand jack and its tops but fills with mud but a squrt of possem piss and its fine. real pain in the arse to use on a rangie tho can get to the end of its travel and still not have a wheel off the ground. works great on anything with leaf springs tho and can and has been used as a winch

my leaf sprung 40 maxes out a hilift without lifting a wheel unfortunately i realised that when i needed to lift a wheel to pack some "traction enhancer" under it one night.

Just jack strait onto the rim

[bad_religion_au]

i have a hi lift btand jack and its tops but fills with mud but a squrt of possem piss and its fine. real pain in the arse to use on a rangie tho can get to the end of its travel and still not have a wheel off the ground. works great on anything with leaf springs tho and can and has been used as a winch

my leaf sprung 40 maxes out a hilift without lifting a wheel unfortunately i realised that when i needed to lift a wheel to pack some "traction enhancer" under it one night.

Just jack strait onto the rim

didn't seem safe enough for me... although a mate of mine makes an adapter that slips over the hub for this purpose

[460cixy]

have seen shit like that for sale thay bolt on with the wheel nuts if it dident slip would be fine

[ISUZUROVER]

but I must disagree with you Isuzurover -

The removable handle on the Hilift branded jack makes it about one million times more useful than the welded on handle of the jackall. I have used the handle far more than I have used the jack. the rattly handle thing is easy fixed with a cable tie.

also "Hilift" branded jacks have a top lug that allows them to be used as a clamp (not on the jackalls)

Fair enough, I have a tirfor handle that gets used instead. I also bought a top clamp for a few $$$ and fitted it to my Jackall.