Hi-Lift jacks, you see them all the time on off-road vehicles. They are pretty inexpensive and look tough, after all they were designed on a farm and have been around for over 100 years. And while they can be incredibly handy (after all they are called handyman jacks), they can also be quite dangerous if they are used improperly or not maintained.
If you run Nitto tires, you probably won't be using your Hi-Lift to change a flat tire. But even if you run Nittos and don't have to worry about flats, a Hi-Lift jack can be useful. The come handy for lifting a corner of the vehicle to get unstuck or access a broken component. You must be careful though. One of the things that makes a Hi-Lift dangerous is when it has been subjected to the elements and becomes rusty. A Hi-Lift operates with two walking pins that alternate up the main bar as you actuate the handle. If they get stuck the jack won't function properly. You want to keep the jack lubricated, but lubricants can attract dust when you are off road so it is a tricky proposition. When the handle is down only one pin is engaged, and the jack can lower, raising the handle and destroying anything in its path. For obvious reasons, this is to be avoided. Respect the power of a Hi-Lift and always be conscious of it and you should be able to lift your vehicle while also retaining all of your teeth.
You know what we don't use a Hi-Lift for? Winching. You know what we use for winching? A winch. While a Hi-Lift is capable of this task, it requires you to carry a large amount of chain for rigging, and that isn’t something we commonly have in our vehicles. You can also clamp things together with a Hi-Lift, but when we need to hold things together, we typically use a ratchet strap. Ratchet straps can be useful in conjunction with a Hi-Lift, You see, unlike a floor jack or bottle jack, a Hi-Lift raises the vehicle from the chassis, not the axle. In order to get a tire off the ground, you need to fully droop the suspension. This can make for an overly tall and awkward recovery, but if you use a ratchet strap to compress the suspension before you start lifting the vehicle, you won't have to lift it nearly as high.
Also, because a Hi-Lift raises the vehicle from the chassis, you will need steel bumpers and/or rock sliders to use one. Hi-Lift does make a Lift Mate to attach to a wheel if you don't have steel bumpers and sliders, one of a plethora of different accessories including wider bases, tube adapters, mounts, and more. That is the nice part about a product that has been around for so long, there are a million accessories to go with it, including mounts, which are worth discussing in detail. Ideally you want your Hi-Lift protected from the elements and securely mounted in your vehicle. These things weigh around 30 pounds and you don't want it coming through your back window.
Whatever jack you decide to use for off-road repairs and recovery, make certain to get familiar with how to use your equipment before you find yourself in a precarious situation. Knowledge and skill are still the best tools to bring with you when you go off-road. Agree? Disagree? Comment below to let us know what you think, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to the Driving Line KZfaq channel.
Subscribe: kzfaq.info...
Follow us on Facebook: / drivingline
Follow us on Instagram: / drivingline
More Articles: www.drivingline.com/
Want to know the different features of the Nitto tires we used?
www.nittotire.com/light-truck...
More backcountry content from All-Terrain Family:
/ @allterrainfamily
Follow Harry on Instagram: / harrysituations
Follow Mike on Instagram: / allterrainfamily