Hi Lift Jack

BlackJKU08

New member
Are these a smart purchase for a novice jeeper as part of survival kit? I have read lots of great stories about them and am interested as there will be times I am by myself and could need assistance.

Part 2 of question is which size? I can get a 60" cheaper than the 48, but considering I am stock now and max lift I am considering is 3", should I go cheaper for the longer one or get the 48?


Any and all information is appreciated, I did try a quick search before this post but found nothing, which probably means I messed up the search, so if that's the case I apologize in advance for that.


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Journeyman

New member
I wouldn't call these are smart purchase imo. I think they have their place, but are probably more of a cool things to haul around on your mall crawler. I have one collecting dust! I used to carry it with me, but they are heavy and awkward. I just end up using a bottle jack or my factory scissor lift with a couple pieces of wood to add some lift.


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JeepinLife

Caught the Bug
Honestly and I think most will agree it's not going to really "save" you from anything. Do you have a winch? Do you wheel with friends mostly? carry a decent bottle jack with a good wood block.

Don't think you'll ever need it. Unless you just want to attach something else to the jeep


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Sharkey

Word Ninja
IMHO, these jacks serve a very limited purpose and can actually be deadly if not used correctly. I would save your money for a winch and, in the meantime, by a good bottle jack for the Jeep.
 

black pearl

Hooked
As said they aren't necessary to have and the higher you lift with them the less weight the can hold safely and they can become very unstable vary quickly with that yes I carry one on my jeep and have used it (you can do a lot with them if you know how to use it) but mine is mainly in case of emergency only now


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WJCO

Meme King
Definitely not something you need right off the bat. The plus is that they're not too expensive compared to other Jeep purchases. If you go with one, go 48. My friend has a 60 and it's huge. Mine sits in the garage unless I'm wheeling, it's just too heavy, I don't want it on my tire carrier all the time. Then you also have to figure out a mounting solution that's strong and safe.
 

professorkx

New member
I've used mine three times in 37 years of wheeling, so as others have noted, not a high use item. I also carry a 5 ton bottle jack, but on at least one occasion, the bottle jack would not have worked. One of the taller jeeps on a run in Moab bent a drag link going over the Crack (not running a drag link flip), so we removed the drag link, stuck it in the rear bumper receiver on my jeep, clamped the drag link to the high lift jack, braced the jack against a spare tire and used the winch on another jeep sitting at a right angle to my jeep to straighten the drag link. The high lift jack was used to keep the drag link from rotating when pressure was applied with the winch. We noodled that fix for a while before we came up with a method to straighten the drag link. We even tried to drive over it with another jeep, but no love. Didn't help that it was almost midnight and we had been on the trail since 7 AM.

It's cheap enough that it's worth keeping affixed to my tire carrier, but as noted by others, buy a GOOD winch first, then a lot of other stuff before you get to the jack. I've had the same high lift since I was 21, and I got it for free, so they don't wear out. I think mine is over 50 years old and still working just fine.
 

jesse3638

Hooked
I have one but only because I got if for free from a friend of mine. I bolted it up 4 years ago and haven't taken it off except to lube and remember how to use it. I carry a bottle jack and blocks of wood.
 

HoosierWolf

Member
I've had one for 4 years and have never used it on my jeep. I've used it plenty around the farm and home for other stuff. I added a an aftermarket part that would allow it to be used in an emergency extraction. That has also been handy around the homestead. Basically adds flexibility to the things you can use it for.

They are really handy but they can be very dangerous and I'm not sure how useful they actually are on a jeep.
 

notnalc68

That dude from Mississippi
Here's how these jacks can be dangerous if you're not careful using them. Guys that have been around will remember bumper jacks from the 60's & 70's that could do this as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Hwm0ei1UM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqaLhHew49s

I remember bumper jacks that came with old cars, and Daddy had a hi lift. He taught me about it and how dangerous they could be. The things scare me, and I'd only change a flat with one, as a last resort. No way I'm crawling under anything lifted with a hi lift jack.


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Ddays

Hooked
I remember bumper jacks that came with old cars, and Daddy had a hi lift. He taught me about it and how dangerous they could be. The things scare me, and I'd only change a flat with one, as a last resort. No way I'm crawling under anything lifted with a hi lift jack.


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Yup - same here. These things could take on a life of their own if you weren't careful! Once that thing started dropping it'd be a chain reaction and it would keep going until it was all the way back down. Watching my dad use these was where I learned most of the good cusswords! :cheesy:
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Oh yeah - no thanks. As I had said in the J-Bolt thread, I still own 3 Hi-Lifts but never carry one with me on the trail. The only time I ever see people use them is to incorrectly and dangerously use them to change a tire and a bottle jack can do it faster, better and safer.
 
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