Southern California Club Xterra

Southern California Club Xterra => SCCX General Discussion => Topic started by: RikRong on March 24, 2016, 02:53:55 PM

Title: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 24, 2016, 02:53:55 PM: Hey all, I have researched and read and read again until my eyes were bloodshot, about which jack I should take on off-road trips. I'm asking now because I'd like to purchase a Hi-Lift prior to MR, if it's the best option. Now, I know you have the recovery benefits that come with a Hi-Lift, but is there really any other reason? I currently have an aluminum floor jack that I'd like to combine with a thick wood plank and pack for trips. I'd remove the wheels and probably find some way to attach the jack to the plank. Now, I also see some people suggesting a bottle-jack, but I feel these are a little bit harder to pack because they have the potential to leak fluid if not stored upright. Of course, you run into the safety issues associated with a Hi-Lift. Personally, I think the floor jack is the best option, but what say you, people of SCCX?
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: ultrapc40 on March 24, 2016, 04:25:01 PM: If you are on a rocky trail a floor jack is almost useless. For Mohave road floor jack is fine, but you are also fine with a scissor jack.

For some of the high speed trail, the less weight the better, if you can't secure it, don't bring it.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Ghost65 on March 24, 2016, 07:14:25 PM: Hi lift...because it can lift you with rock stacking out of high clearance situations.

Sand base is also a key operating tool for my Hi Lift Rick.

Sent from Cygnus X-1
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Alex on March 24, 2016, 08:18:05 PM: A Hi-Lift for sure while on the trail. And - I don't know how recommended it is in the official books - but I use it all the time for jacking up on the sliders while working underneath the truck, secured on jackstands of course.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 24, 2016, 08:44:01 PM: I didn't even think about the clearance situations or trying to use a floor jack in rocky situations. I've been looking at the mounts for the roof rack, but I need to measure and see if a 60" will fit under the rear seats. If it'll fit, it's going there.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: JeffBett on March 24, 2016, 09:09:40 PM: Just curious, how many have actually used their high lifts on the trail? Also, if you used the high lift how many times could it have been done with a bottle or scissor jack? Does most of the usage end up being to change a tire? If you are not mega rock crawling do you need to lift high?
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: knightrider on March 24, 2016, 09:27:08 PM: Rik, a 48 will fit under the seats, I don't think a 60 will

Sent from my rooftop tent while stargazing
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: steve c on March 24, 2016, 09:33:18 PM: Quote from: JeffBett on March 24, 2016, 09:09:40 PM
Just curious, how many have actually used their high lifts on the trail? Also, if you used the high lift how many times could it have been done with a bottle or scissor jack? Does most of the usage end up being to change a tire? If you are not mega rock crawling do you need to lift high?

(http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/DzrtX/SCCX%20Mojave%20Road%202014/DSC_0150.jpg)

Dual tire blowout on the Mojave Road.
The abundance of high lifts turned an hour job with a scissor lift into a 15 minute job. (FWIR)

I have no experience with a bottle jack.

I've used my high lift on the side of the road!

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/199/03ys.jpg)
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 24, 2016, 09:38:30 PM: Quote from: knightrider on March 24, 2016, 09:27:08 PM
Rik, a 48 will fit under the seats, I don't think a 60 will

Sent from my rooftop tent while stargazing
A 48" should be enough to lift my truck, I think? The pic Steve posted looks like 48". There's no way you're that much taller than a 60". Ha-ha

Steve's jack looks like a 60".

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: JFanaselle on March 24, 2016, 09:55:39 PM: I have a 60" and it will not fit under the rear seats. 48" is more than long enough for our rigs. The only time you'd need the extra foot would be if you're really teetering on something high, and you're tyring to lift off of a higher point on the rig, such as the front bumper for example. When I got my dumb *ss high-centered, I would have probably needed the extra foot to lift the front end and tip my rig backwards using the shackle points high up on my current front bumper (note that I didn't even have the bumper yet in this photo):

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

The only reason I bought the 60" is because it was actually like $25 cheaper on Amazon than the 48" for some strange reason. I mount it sideways on the side of my roof racks, the extra lenght wasn't an issue for me. Now that I've acquired a new rear bumper with hi-lift mount, I have a feeling (I haven't installed the bumper yet) that the beam on the jack is going to be too tall and be sticking up like 6" higher than the roof rack, which is bad news if I ever snag it on something. I'll know for sure once I get the bumper mounted up.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: ultrapc40 on March 24, 2016, 10:15:39 PM: 48 is really more than enough. I have used it on rocky trails, Mohave. If you keep it outside keep the pins lube. A stuck pin will do you no good.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Riz98 on March 24, 2016, 11:18:45 PM: I will often use the floor jack in my garage to lift my X under the axles and then floor jacks when doing maintenance. I always take the Hi-Lift with me on road trips and when hitting the trails because you really never know what will happen. The Hi-Lift has also worked out well when I needed to extend my front coilover to take off the springs for some adjusting. This would not have been achieved with a standard jack as the springs would have been to compressed. I keep mine mounted to the roof rack and spray it with lubrication every so often so keep it moving freely like ultrapc40 mentioned.
(http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s541/Riz98/DSC06020_zpsxavqhc6z.jpg) (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/Riz98/media/DSC06020_zpsxavqhc6z.jpg.html)
Extending the coilover all the way to remove the springs
(http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s541/Riz98/DSC06023_zps1tgeiprq.jpg) (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/Riz98/media/DSC06023_zps1tgeiprq.jpg.html)
Springs removed
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 05:42:36 AM: Thanks for the input. I'll compare prices and see what it looks like for the two sizes. I'll need to take a look and see if the tube mounts will fit around my Hep's rack and the roof bars. There's no gap between the basket and roof rack. If I do decide to mount outside, it won't stay there all the time, there are a lot of heavy fingers around here.

edit: Ordered a 48" and JakJaw. I went with 48" because I want to keep it inside the truck. I think the JakJaw looked like the best solution for an all-around tube adapter. If the tube mounts will fit the roof rack, I might throw some on there to mount the jack outside while off-roading.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: ultrapc40 on March 25, 2016, 08:44:27 AM: I have a hi lift handle isolator for you when ever I meet you.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 08:46:19 AM: Quote from: ultrapc40 on March 25, 2016, 08:44:27 AM
I have a hi lift handle isolator for you when ever I meet you.
Dang, I ordered one of those too. :(
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Ghost65 on March 25, 2016, 08:52:21 AM: One more testimonial...

While geocaching with Alex on our way to Groom Lake, dad stuffed the Ghost into a deep erosion gully.

(http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/DzrtX/New%20Years%20Trip%202010%20-%20Tri%20State%20Geocache/DSC_0045.jpg) (http://s971.photobucket.com/user/DzrtX/media/New%20Years%20Trip%202010%20-%20Tri%20State%20Geocache/DSC_0045.jpg.html)

We stacked rocks for about an hour and utilized the hi lift to carefully jack the back wheels into contact with terra firma, saving an expensive tow co. off road recovery.

Serious bacon saver.

Sent from Cygnus X-1
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Ghost65 on March 25, 2016, 08:55:45 AM: Testimonial #2:

Then there was that time on Hell's Revenge where "we" blew the passenger side KM2 bead...

(http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/DzrtX/Gone%20Moab%202012/jthilifthells2.jpg) (http://s971.photobucket.com/user/DzrtX/media/Gone%20Moab%202012/jthilifthells2.jpg.html)

Good times.

Sent from Cygnus X-1
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Ghost65 on March 25, 2016, 09:00:54 AM: Testimonial #3:

DV Trip 2015, The TurtleX Lippincott Mine Road Recovery...

(http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae195/DzrtX/Death%20Valley%202015/Turtle%20X%20on%20LMR%203.jpg) (http://s971.photobucket.com/user/DzrtX/media/Death%20Valley%202015/Turtle%20X%20on%20LMR%203.jpg.html)

Bottom line...your Hi Lift, used safely and correctly, will help you where traditional jacks just can't.

No joke, keep it clean, rust free, and the pins and springs lubed and your HL will serve you well.

Sent from Cygnus X-1
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 09:35:13 AM: Those are definitely good testimonials, on top of the double blowout pic that Steve posted. I'm overthinking, like I always do, but every type of jack is unsafe in some way, there is always the possibility of something happening no matter what you're using. Most of the hi-lift incidents I have seen are from improper use and/or poor maintenance. Believe me, this thing will be maintained. Thanks for everyone's inputs.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: steve c on March 25, 2016, 09:43:27 AM: Quote from: RikRong on March 24, 2016, 09:38:30 PM

Steve's jack looks like a 60".

(http://reaction.club/r/e4d012f.gif)

:D

Mine's a 48"

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/911/zsVcAW.jpg)
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 09:51:09 AM: Quote from: steve c on March 25, 2016, 09:43:27 AM

:D

Mine's a 48"

It looked bigger in the picture. /that's what she said/

Just trying to help a brother out. O0
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: Celt on March 25, 2016, 11:09:38 AM: There is a wide range of things that Hi-Lift can do other than just being used as a jack. They can very easily be converted into a come along to help with winching. Albeit very slow it can do that job quite well. In the very unlucky scenario of a roll over you can use them to reshape your vehicle to be able to drive it home or extricate someone trapped inside. I have used them to pull old wooden fence posts out of the ground using a chain, lifting heavy farm equipment etc. In my opinion they are indispensable and with a little imagination they really do a lot of things other than just lift up vehicles.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 12:35:07 PM: Quote from: Celt on March 25, 2016, 11:09:38 AM
There is a wide range of things that Hi-Lift can do other than just being used as a jack. They can very easily be converted into a come along to help with winching. Albeit very slow it can do that job quite well. In the very unlucky scenario of a roll over you can use them to reshape your vehicle to be able to drive it home or extricate someone trapped inside. I have used them to pull old wooden fence posts out of the ground using a chain, lifting heavy farm equipment etc. In my opinion they are indispensable and with a little imagination they really do a lot of things other than just lift up vehicles.
Yeah, I read a little bit about that "first responder" jack they have and really any farm jack can accomplish the same things that jack can do, given the right accessories.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: JFanaselle on March 25, 2016, 12:45:54 PM: In regards to vehicle extrication, since Celt brought it up - when I was a firefighter, we used Hi-Lift jacks to pull dashboards and steering columns up off of people during extrication following a vehicle accident. We'd cut a hole in the windshield (or pull it all the way off, if we could), and wrap a chain around the steering column or structural component of the dash. Then we'd prop the hi-lift up on the hood and run the chain up and around the tab on the lifting mechanism, and we'd run another chain from the top of the beam back to the front bumper of the car to keep the jack from pulling forward down into the vehicle and onto the victim. Usually only took a few pumps to get the dash up high enough, but one time I pulled a dashboard all the way up and out the windshield during a training exercise. They're amazingly strong.

Hell, we even used a pair of hi-lift jack beams to hold ChrisHaynesUSA's trailer frame together after it snapped in Death Valley.

(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee234/jfanaselle/Death%20Valley%20November%202015/46.jpg)
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 12:59:44 PM: ^^^I do remember those pictures. Those should be submitted to Hi-Lift or something.
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: JeffBett on March 25, 2016, 01:18:05 PM: Because standard recovery equipment includes generators, angle grinders, and welders. I have to step up my game...
Title: Re: Honest Opinions about Hi-Lifts....
Post by: RikRong on March 25, 2016, 01:31:47 PM: Quote from: JeffBett on March 25, 2016, 01:18:05 PM
Because standard recovery equipment includes generators, angle grinders, and welders. I have to step up my game...
Do you know Chris Haynes? I haven't personally met him yet, but I've read and seen plenty. I'm pretty sure the guy could rebuild a complete Xterra from the spare parts he carries. The grinder and welder were onboard a Jeep that was with another group that they come across while trying to fix the trailer.

Post #6:
http://www.sccxterra.com/smf/index.php?topic=3402.msg38736#msg38736